Plath: The Applicant

Sylvia Plath Collected Poems
No. 182

　　The Applicant

First, are you our sort of a person?
Do you wear
A glass eye, false teeth or a crutch,
A brace or a hook,
Rubber breasts or a rubber crotch,

Stitches to show something's missing? No, no? Then
How can we give you a thing?
Stop crying.
Open your hand.
Empty? Empty. Here is a hand

To fill it and willing
To bring teacups and roll away headaches
And do whatever you tell it.
Will you marry it?
It is guaranteed

To thumb shut your eyes at the end
And dissolve of sorrow.
We make new stock from the salt.
I notice you are stark naked.
How about this suit—

Black and stiff, but not a bad fit.
Will you marry it?
It is waterproof, shatterproof, proof
Against fire and bombs through the roof.
Believe me, they'll bury you in it.

Now your head, excuse me, is empty.
I have the ticket for that.
Come here, sweetie, out of the closet.
Well, what do you think of that?
Naked as paper to start

But in twenty-five years she'll be silver,
In fifty, gold.
A living doll, everywhere you look.
It can sew, it can cook,
It can talk, talk, talk.

It works, there is nothing wrong with it.
You have a hole, it's a poultice.
You have an eye, it's an image.
My boy, it's your last resort.
Will you marry it, marry it, marry it.
　　　　　　　　　　11 October 1962


普拉斯《诗全编》
第182首

　　　申请人

首先，你是否我们的同类？
你是否装配
玻璃眼球、假牙或拐杖、
托架或钩爪、
橡皮胯骨或橡皮乳房？

是否有针脚显明你缺少部件？没有，没有？
那我们怎能给你什么东西？
别再哭哭啼啼。
张开你的手。
空的？空空如也。这儿有一只手，

可以塞满，并且乐意
端茶送水，驱散头痛，
你有话便说，它言听计从。
你可愿意把它娶走？
担保它能够

在你终老时阖上你的双眼，
并且消愁解忧。
我们量身定做新型产品。
我注意到你赤身裸体。
这套装束如何——

深黑而挺刮，但是倒也合身。
你可愿意把它娶走？
它防水又防震，还能防范
火灾以及穿透屋顶的炸弹。
相信我，它们将终身伴你左右。

现在看看你的脑袋，恕我直言，空空如也。
对此我正有一名候选。
这边来，可爱的人，走出壁橱。
瞧，你对此有何感想？
开始时赤裸如白纸一张，

但是不过二十五年，她将变成白银，
五十年后便是黄金。
一只活的玩偶，无论从何处着眼。
它会缝补，它能下厨，
它能说个不停，不停，不停。

它性能可靠，没有任何故障。
你有伤口，它就是药膏。
你有眼睛，它就是图像。
小伙子，它才是你的最后依靠。
你可愿意将它娶走，娶走，娶走。
　　　　　　　1962年10月11日