玩具

孩子，你真是快活呀，一早晨坐在泥土里，耍著折下來的小樹枝兒。

我微笑地看你在那里耍著那根折下來的小樹枝兒。

我正忙著算賬，一小時一小時在那里加疊數(shù)字。

也許你在看我，想道：“這種好沒趣的游戲，竟把你的一早晨的好時間浪費掉了！”

孩子，我忘了聚精會神玩耍樹枝與泥餅的方法了。

我尋求貴重的玩具，收集金塊與銀塊。

你呢，無論找到什么便去做你的快樂的游戲，我呢，卻把我的時間與力氣都浪費在那些我永不能得到的東西上。

我在我的脆薄的獨木船里掙扎著要航過欲望之海，竟忘了我也是在那里做游戲了。

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.