新浪博客
我的起始，就是我的终点。--艾略特
Let us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky
Like a patient etherized 麻醉upon a table;
Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,
The muttering retreats
Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels
And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells:
Streets that follow like a tedious argument
Of insidious intent
To lead you to an overwhelming question ...
Oh, do not ask, “What is it?“
Let us go and make our visit.
那么就让咱们去吧，我和你，
趁黄昏正铺展在天际
像一个上了麻醉的病人躺在手术台上；
让咱们去吧，穿过几条行人稀少的大街小巷，
到那临时过夜的廉价小客店
到满地是锯屑和牡蛎壳的饭店
那夜夜纷扰
人声嘈杂的去处：
街巷接着街巷像一场用心诡诈冗长乏味的辩论
要把你引向一个令人困惑的问题……
“那是什么？”哦，你别问，
让咱们去作一次访问。
Note: 第一小节中黄昏被喻为“上了麻醉的病人躺在手术台上”，为全诗奠定了一种病态的、萎靡的基调。
In the room the women come and go
Talking of Michelangelo.
房间里的女人们来往穿梭
谈论着米凯朗琪罗。
Note: 这两行诗在小节之间不断重复，创造一种上流社会交际场所的背景。不要忘了艾略特是现代派的诗人。
The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes,
The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle （口鼻）on the window-panes,
Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening,
Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains,
Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys,
Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap,
And seeing that it was a soft October night,
Curled once about the house, and fell asleep.
黄色的雾在窗玻璃上蹭着它的背，
黄色的烟在窗玻璃上擦着鼻子和嘴，
把舌头舔进黄昏的各个角落，
在阴沟里的水塘上面流连，
让烟囱里飘落的烟炱跌个仰面朝天，
悄悄溜过平台，猛地一跳，
眼见这是个温柔的十月之夜，
围着房子绕了一圈便沉入了睡乡。
Note：读了这一节让你感觉到什么，黄昏的雾被喻为一只懒洋洋的猫，仍然继续着诗人刻意要制造的那种病态的、萎靡的气氛。大家可以猜猜这位Alfred的爱情结局会是什么。