玩具

孩子，你真是快活呀，一早晨坐在泥土里，耍着折下来的小树枝儿。

我微笑地看你在那里耍着那根折下来的小树枝儿。

我正忙着算账，一小时一小时在那里加叠数字。

也许你在看我，想道：“这种好没趣的游戏，竟把你的一早晨的好时间浪费掉了！”

孩子，我忘了聚精会神玩耍树枝与泥饼的方法了。

我寻求贵重的玩具，收集金块与银块。

你呢，无论找到什么便去做你的快乐的游戏，我呢，却把我的时间与力气都浪费在那些我永不能得到的东西上。

我在我的脆薄的独木船里挣扎着要航过欲望之海，竟忘了我也是在那里做游戏了。

PLAYTHINGS

CHILD,how happy you are sitting in the dust,playing with abroken twig all the morning.

I smile at your play with that little bit of abroken twig.

I am busy with my accounts,adding up figures by the hour.

Perhaps you glance at me and think,“What astupid game tospoil your morning with!”

Child,I have forgotten the art of being absorbed in sticks andmud-pies.

I seek out costly playthings,and gather lumps of gold andsilver.

With whatever you find you create your glad games,I spendboth my time and my strength over things Inever can obtain.

In my frail canoe Istruggle to cross the sea of desire,andforget that Itoo am playing agame.