Swallows1 may have gone, but there is a time of return; willow2 trees may have died back, but there is a time of regreening; peach blossoms3 may have fallen, but they will bloom again. Now, you the wise, tell me, why should our days leave us, never to return? — If they had been stolen by someone, who could it be? Where could he hide them? If they had made the escape themselves, then where could they stay at the moment?
I don't know how many days I have been given to spend, but I do feel my hands are getting empty. Taking stock silently, I find that more than eight thousand days have already slid away4 from me. Like a drop of water from the point of a needle disappearing into the ocean, my days are dripping into the stream of time, soundless, traceless5. Already sweat is starting on my forehead, and tears welling up6 in my eyes.
Those that have gone have gone for good7, those to come keep coming; yet in between, how swift8 is the shift9, in such a rush? When I get up in the morning, the slanting10 sun marks its presence in my small room in two or three oblongs11. The sun has feet, look, he is treading12 on, lightly and furtively13; and I am caught, blankly, in his revolution. Thus—the day flows away through the sink14 when I wash my hands, wears off15 in the bowl when I eat my meal, and passes away before my day-dreaming gaze16 as reflect in silence. I can feel his haste now, so I reach out my hands to hold him back, but he keeps flowing past my withholding17 hands. In the evening, as I lie in bed, he strides over18 my body, glides past my feet, in his agile19 way. The moment I open my eyes and meet the sun again, one whole day has gone. I bury20 my face in my hands and heave a sigh21. But the new day begins to flash past in the sigh.
What can I do, in this bustling22 world, with my days flying in their escape? Nothing but23 to hesitate, to rush. What have I been doing in that eight-thousand-day rush, apart from hesitating? Those bygone24 days have been dispersed25 as smoke by a light wind, or evaporated26 as mist27 by the morning sun. What traces have I left behind me? Have I ever left behind any gossamer28 traces at all? I have come to the world, stark29 naked30; am I to go back, in a blink31, in the same stark nakedness? It is not fair though: why should I have made such a trip for nothing!
You the wise, tell me, why should our days leave us, never to return?
燕子去了，有再来的时候；杨柳枯了，有再青的时候；桃花谢了，有再开的时候。但是，你聪明的，告诉我，我们的日子为什么一去不复返呢？—— 是有人偷了他们罢：那是谁？又藏在何处呢？是他们自己逃走了，现在又到了哪里呢？
我不知道他们给了我多少日子；但我的手确乎是渐渐空虚了。在默默里算着，八千多日子已经从我手中溜去；像针尖上一滴水滴在大海里，我的日子滴在时间的流里，没有声音也没有影子。我不禁头涔涔而泪潸潸了。
去的尽管去了，来的尽管来着；去来的中间，又怎样地匆匆呢？早上我起来的时候，小屋里射进两三方斜斜的太阳。太阳他有脚啊，轻轻悄悄地挪移了；我也茫茫然跟着旋转。于是——洗手的时候，日子从水盆里过去；吃饭的时候，日子从饭碗里过去；默默时，便从凝然的双眼前过去。我觉察他去的匆匆了，伸出手遮挽时，他又从遮挽着的手边过去，天黑时，我躺在床上，他便伶伶俐俐地从我身边跨过，从我脚边飞去了。等我睁开眼和太阳再见，这算又溜走了一日。我掩着面叹息。但是新来的日子的影儿又开始在叹息里闪过了。
在逃去如飞的日子里，在千门万户的世界里的我能做些什么呢？只有徘徊罢了，只有匆匆罢了；在八千多日的匆匆里，除徘徊外，又剩些什么呢？过去的日子如轻烟，却被微风吹散了，如薄雾，被初阳蒸融了；我留着些什么痕迹呢？我何曾留着像游丝样的痕迹呢？我赤裸裸来到这世界，转眼间也将赤裸裸地回去罢？但不能平的，为什么偏要白白走这一遭啊？
你聪明的，告诉我，我们的日子为什么一去不复返呢？
1. swallow n． 燕子
2． willow n． 柳树
3． blossom n． 花(尤指结果实者)， 花开
4． slide away 溜掉
5． traceless adj． 无痕迹的
trace [treis] n． 痕迹， 踪迹
6． well up 涌出， 涌现
7． for good 永久地， 一劳永逸地
8． swift [swift] adj． 迅速的， 快的
9． shift n． 移动； 轮班
10． slanting adj． 倾斜的
11． oblong n． 长方形
12． tread [tred] on 不停地走。on 为副词，意为“向前，继续……下去。”
13． furtively adv． 偷偷地， 暗中地
14． sink n 水槽， 水池
15． wear off 逐渐消失
16． gaze [geiz] n． 凝视
17． withhold v． 保留，制止
18． stride over 跨过
19． agile adj． 敏捷的， 轻快的
20． bury v． 掩埋， 隐藏
21． heave v． (费劲地) 发出(叹息、呻吟等) sigh [sai] n． 叹息， 叹息声
22． bustling adj． 熙熙攘攘的， 忙乱的
23． nothing but 只有
24． bygone adj． 过去的
25． disperse v． (使)分散， (使)散开
26． evaporate v． (使)蒸发， 消失
27． mist [mist] n． 薄雾
28． gossamer n． 蛛丝；薄纱
29． stark adv． 完全地
30． naked adj． 裸体的， 无遮盖的
31． blink n． 眨眼