[Skip a little.]

跳几行
On the first line of the page

本子的第一行
appeared the title of the verses he was trying to write: "To E-- C--."

写着他的诗目 "给E-- C--"
He knew it was right to begin so

他觉得这么写是对的
for he had seen similar titles in the collected poems of Lord Byron.

因为他曾在拜伦的诗集中看到过类似的标题
When he had written this title and drawn an ornamental line underneath,

他写下标题还在下面画了条装饰线
he fell into a daydream and began to draw diagrams on the cover of the book.

他开始胡思乱想不停在书皮上乱画
He saw himself sitting at his table in Bray

他看见自己在圣诞节的晚餐讨论之后的清晨
the morning after the discussion at the Christmas dinner table,

他坐在布雷的家中的桌旁
trying to write a poem about Parnell

试着在他父亲的一份通知的反面
on the back of one of his father's second moiety notices.

写一首关于帕内尔的诗
But his brain had then refused to grapple with the theme and, desisting,

但是他的大脑却不听使唤让他无法思考