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(jī)

The driver in front of me

開在前面的車的司機(jī)

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(hù)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