One Art

The art of losing isn't hard to master; 失去這門藝術並不難駕馭﹔
so many things seem filled with the intent 有太多事都有失去的意義
to be lost that their loss is no disaster. 失去該失去的算不上什麼慘劇。

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster 每日都在失去某些東西。接受
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent. 失去鑰匙的狼狽﹐浪費光陰。
The art of losing isn't hard to master. 失去這門藝術並不難駕馭。

Then practice losing farther, losing faster: 而後再練習失去多些 快些﹔
places, and names, and where it was you meant 許多地方,許多名字,以及旅行
to travel. None of these will bring disaster. 的路途上,這些並不會帶來什麼災難。

I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or 我失去母親的錶。阿!最後一個
next-to-last, of three loved houses went. 兩個﹐三個心愛的房子都去了。
The art of losing isn't hard to master. 失去 這門藝術並不難駕馭。

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster, 我失去兩個城市﹐可愛的人。和﹐
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent. 那些我擁有的宇宙﹐兩條溪﹐一片大陸。
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster. 我想念他們﹐但算不上什麼災難。

--Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture 就算是失去你
I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident ) (開玩笑的口氣﹐我喜愛的姿態我不該說謊。)事實如此
the art of losing's not too hard to master 失去 這門藝術並不難駕馭。
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster. 就算它看上去 (寫下來) 就是齣慘劇。

─Elizabeth Bishop 1911-1979