雷蒙德·卡佛 著
孙仲旭 译

我漫步走到外面为烟雾所笼罩，
跟着一只蜗牛留下的亮亮的路线穿过
花园到了花园石墙那里。
终于一个人了我蹲坐在后脚根上，看
需要怎么做，突然
我把身体贴紧湿漉漉的石头。
开始慢慢往四周看，
听，调动
我的全身，就像蜗牛
调动它的身体，放松，但是警觉。
了不起！今夜是我人生中的
里程碑。过了今夜
我怎么可能回到那
另一段人生？我眼睛盯着
星星，向它们挥动
我的触角。我坚持了
好几个钟头，只是休息。
再晚一点，悲伤开始小滴小滴地
汇聚到我心的周围。
我想起我的父亲已经去世，
我很快就要离开这个
镇子。永远。
再见，儿子，我的父亲说。
快天亮时，我爬下来
踱回屋里。
他们还在等着，
第一次看到我的新眼睛，
他们的脸上突然现出恐惧。

Forever

Drifting outside in a pall of smoke,
I follow a snail's streaked path down
the garden to the garden's stone wall.
Alone at last I squat on my heels, see
what need to be done, and suddenly
affix myself to the damp stone.
I began to look around me slowly
and listen, employing
my entire body as the snail
employs its body, relaxed, but alert.
Amazing! Tonight is a milestone
in my life. After tonight
how can I ever go back to that
other life? I keep my eyes
on the stars, wave to them
with my feelers. I hold on
for hours, just resting.
Still later, grief begins to settle
around my heart in tiny drops.
I remember my father is dead,
and I am going away from this
town soon. Forever.
Goodbye, son, my father says.
Toward morning, I climb down
and wander back into the house.
They are still waiting,
fright splashed on their faces,
as they meet my new eyes for the first time