今天早晨

This morning

两只嘲鸟

two mockingbirds

在碧绿的田野里

in the green field

飞旋着，向天空

were spinning and tossing

抛掷着

the white ribbons

它们歌声的

of their songs

白丝带。

into the air.

我没有什么事

I had nothing

比倾听

better to do

更重要。

than listen.

我很认真的

I mean this

这样说。

seriously.

在希腊

In Greece,

很久以前

a long time ago,

有一对老夫妇

an old couple

给两个陌生人

opened their door

开了门。

to two strangers

马上就清楚了，

who were,

这两个人，

it soon appeared,

其实不是凡人，

not men at all,

而是神。

but gods.

这是我最喜欢的故事——

It is my favorite story--

接着讲老夫妇

how the old couple

几乎没什么能给他们

had almost nothing to give

除了一番心意

but their willingness

好心好意——

to be attentive--

但仅仅为此

but for this alone

神就爱他们

the gods loved them

保佑他们——

and blessed them--

当他们升起

when they rose

脱离肉体，

out of their mortal bodies,

像喷泉中

like a million particles of water

无数个水珠，

from a fountain,

光

the light

照进农舍

swept into all the corners

每个角落，

of the cottage,

而老夫妇

and the old couple,

明白了怎么回事，颤抖着，

shaken with understanding,

躬身——

bowed down--

但他们仍然不祈求什么

but still they asked for nothing

除了他们已有的

but the difficult life

艰辛的生活。

which they had already.

神就笑了，拍打着

And the gods smiled, as they vanished,

巨大的双翼，渐渐消失。

clapping their great wings.

无论是在哪儿，

Wherever it was

我都假定自己是

I was supposed to be

在那个早晨——

this morning--

无论我说了什么

whatever it was I said

我都希望是在做——

I would be doing--

我正站在

I was standing

田野的边上——

at the edge of the field--

我正匆忙

I was hurrying

穿过自己的灵魂，

through my own soul,

打开它黑暗的门——

opening its dark doors--

我正倾身向外；

I was leaning out;

我正谛听。

I was listening.