自己在這個世間還有多少時間 這無關(guān)緊要
我住在弗吉尼亞西部的山區(qū)
The curvy, winding roads
山路蜿蜒曲折
and the vast woodlands
山林廣袤
often lead to near misses with the local deer.
車輛常常與山中沖出來的鹿擦肩而過
The other day
有一天
I was driving my son
我開車帶著兒子
to work at the sheltered workshop
送他去工坊干活
when we saw a deer in the road
我們在公路上看到一只鹿
that hadn’t been so lucky.
已經(jīng)沒了生機
The driver in front of me
開在前面的車的司機
suddenly swerved
突然轉(zhuǎn)向
to avoid hitting the corpse
避免撞到鹿的尸體
and I quickly followed him
我很快做出同樣的操作
jerking the steering wheel
猛地一轉(zhuǎn)方向盤
to get back in the right lane
想要回到右邊的車道
before the next blind curve.
趕在下一個視野不佳的彎道出現(xiàn)之前
I could see that
我能看到
the way the dead deer was lying between two blind curves
死掉的鹿正躺在兩個視野不佳的彎道中間
we had an accident waiting to happen.
我們很可能在那里遇到車禍
After dropping my son off
把兒子送到目的地之后
I hurried back
我趕緊掉頭開回來
and saw the deer was still in the road.
發(fā)現(xiàn)那頭死鹿還呆在路上
There was a wide spot
我發(fā)現(xiàn)一處寬敞的空地
on the side of the road.
就在路邊
I pulled over.
我停下車
I got out of my car
我下了車
and walked up to where the deer was.
步行走到死鹿躺著的地方
Looking both ways for cars
向兩邊看了一下是否有車輛來去
I ran over to the body.
接著就跑到鹿的尸體旁邊
It was laying in a pool of blood and excrement.
它躺在血泊中間，血泊中還有許多污穢
I reached down
我躬身
and grabbed its broken hind leg.
抓住了它已經(jīng)折斷的后腿
I backed up quickly
我快速往后退
dragging it behind me
拖著那頭鹿
to the side of the road.
來到了路邊
I looked down at the majestic animal
我低頭看著這體型龐大的動物
as I wiped off my hands in the wet snow by the guardrail .
在護欄邊濕漉漉的積雪中擦干凈手上的血跡
“So sorry my friend,”
“真對不起，朋友”
I said to him.
我對那頭鹿說
I sadly walked back to my car
我懷著悲傷走回自己的車
knowing that
我知道
the crows, buzzards, and other scavengers
烏鴉，禿鷲，還有其他的食腐動物
would soon take care of the remains.
很快就會把它的遺骸處理干凈
I was still thinking of that beautiful deer
我一直想著那只原本美麗的鹿
later in the day
那天晚些時候
when I turned on my computer.
我打開自己的電腦
As it came on
屏幕亮?xí)r
I smiled with surprise and delight.
我吃了一驚，欣喜微笑了
I had forgotten what
我已然忘了
my most recent screen saver was:
自己最近設(shè)置的屏圖片
a picture of a deer
是一只鹿
in a field of wild flowers
它站在一叢野花中
staring at the sunrise.
抬頭看著日出
I wondered if
我心想
that deer’s spirit
或許那頭鹿
was in a heavenly meadow right now
此刻已經(jīng)在某個仙境的草地上
perhaps romping
或許它正在嬉戲
and playing with some of my own furry friends
抑或正在與許多我的毛茸茸的朋友們玩耍
who had passed.
它們都已離我而去
I wondered too
我還在想
about the time I had left here.
自己在這個世間還有多少時間
Would it be days, months, or many years?
是幾天，幾個月，還是許多年?
I shook my head,
我搖搖頭
laughed and decided that
笑著篤信道
it didn’t matter
這無關(guān)緊要
just as long as
只要
I lived the time
在余下的光陰里
I had left with love, kindness, and joy.
我都懷著愛意，善良和喜悅過下去
May you do the same.
希望你也是如此
