为了让人们更多地

In an effort to get people to look

直视彼此的眼睛，

into each other’s eyes more,

同时为了安抚不能说话的人，

and also to appease the mutes,

政府决定

the government has decided

每天只允许人们说出

to allot each person exactly one hundred  

一百六十七个字。

and sixty-seven words, per day.

当电话铃响的时候，我拿起听筒

When the phone rings, I put it to my ear  

并不说“你好”。在餐馆

without saying hello. In the restaurant  

我会指指鸡汤面条。

I point at chicken noodle soup.

我很好地适应了新的生活方式。

I am adjusting well to the new way.

深夜，我打电话给遥远的恋人，

Late at night, I call my long distance lover,  

骄傲地说我只用了五十九个字。

proudly say I only used fifty-nine today.  

要把剩下的留给你。

I saved the rest for you.

当听到她没有反应，

When she doesn’t respond,

我知道她用尽了今天的字数，

I know she’s used up all her words,  

所以我慢慢地耳语“我爱你”，

so I slowly whisper I love you

说了三十又三分之一次。

thirty-two and a third times.

在此之后，我们只是静静坐着

After that, we just sit on the line  

在电话里听彼此的呼吸。

and listen to each other breathe.