My girlfriend adopts a rabbit,
我的女朋友收养了一只兔子，
and we name him Bubu Dostoevsky Luo.
我们给他起了个名字“卜卜·陀思妥耶夫斯基·罗”。
Luo is my girlfriend’s last name.
“罗”是我女朋友的姓。
Luo bu means radish in Chinese.
“萝卜”是免子喜欢的食品。
Dostoevsky is a writer I like.
“陀思妥耶夫斯基”是我喜欢的作家。
Bubu never writes in the first month,
卜卜在第一个月没有写出任何东西。
although his modest nose twitching
虽然它的小鼻子在抽搐
implies a burning interest in language.
暗示它对语言的炽热兴趣。
My girlfriend and I speak Chinese at home
我和女友在家里说汉语
but feel obliged to rethink this practice
但觉得我们应当重新审视这种行为
like every immigrant household:
就像每一个移民家庭一样：
She points out that Bubu
她指出卜卜
is an American bunny,
是一个美国兔宝宝，
and he needs to fit into society.
他需要融入社会。
Poor Bubu. Will he grow up ignorant of the story
可怜的卜卜。他是否长大了也不知道
behind the Mooncake Festival,
玉兔的传说，
meaning of his own name,
不知道他名字的中文意思，
locations of Beijing and Shanghai—
不知道北京和上海
which one is farther north?
哪个在地图的上边？
And Guangzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu
还有广州，武汉，成都，
where people cook (Bubu should be aware!)
最后一个地方（卜卜一定要小心）
spicy marinated rabbit heads.
喜欢吃麻辣兔头。
Do we take Bubu to church on Sunday?
周日我们是否要带卜卜去教堂？
Wedding ceremony sans fresh longans,
去看那里没有龙眼吃的婚礼，
grave adorned with a cute wood cross?
还有装饰着可爱木头十字的坟墓？
Other bunnies carrying Easter egg baskets
其他的兔宝宝提着复活节彩蛋篮子
may ask Bubu to talk about his family.
可能会问卜卜关于家庭的问题。
What will they call Bubu in his absence?
他们会在背后叫卜卜什么？
How does Bubu see himself?
卜卜会如何看待自己？
In the long 21st century, Bubu may meet
在漫长的21世纪，卜卜会遇到
some communist bunny from China.
一些来自中国的红色兔子。
Will Bubu return her accented greeting
卜卜是否会用迷茫的微笑
with a perplexed smile,
来回应她带着口音的问候？
or will they sniff and pass each other—
抑或他们会互相嗅嗅，在最大圆月
a fluffy moon at its perigee?
出现时送给对方一个毛绒月球？
Yes, Bubu is born so American
是的，卜卜生为一只纯粹的美国兔子，
he can easily run for president.
竞选总统毫无问题。
Thank God he hasn’t expressed a zeal
感谢上帝他从来没有热情
for proposing tax reforms
鼓吹税制改革
or deporting Russian spies.
或者把俄罗斯间谍驱逐出境。
Bubu munches orchard hay.
卜卜咀嚼着果园干草。
From behind I see a fierce typist at work.
从后面我看到一台狂暴的打字机在工作。
The paper balls he throws away
他扔出的纸团
hang in the sky as crumpled clouds.
挂在天空就像皱巴巴的云彩。
Or is Bubu an underground radio operator,
或者卜卜是一个秘密无线电操作员，
who keeps sending the Morse code of wonder
一直在发送神秘的摩尔斯电码
(now his antennae ears are up)
（现在他的天线耳朵就支楞着）
to somewhere far, far away?
到某个遥远，遥远的地方？
No matter which language Bubu the bunny
不管卜卜早期的代表作
adopts to write his early oeuvre,
用的是什么语言，
we will always love him, support him, and make sure
我们会一直爱他，支持他，而且保证
he doesn’t travel alone to Chengdu.
他不会独自到成都旅行。