Suddenly, you were planting some yellow petunias

突然，你在外面的花园里

outside in the garden,

种植黄色的牵牛花，

and suddenly I was in the study

而我突然在书房里

looking up the word oligarchy for the thirty-seventh time.

第三十七次查找“寡头政治”是什么意思。

When suddenly, without warning,

当你突然，毫无预兆地，

you planted the last petunia in the flat,

把育苗盒里最后一株牵牛花种好，

and I suddenly closed the dictionary

我突然把字典合上

now that I was reminded of that vile form of governance.

因为已经想起了那个可恶的统治方式。

A moment later, we found ourselves

稍后片刻，我们发现自己

standing suddenly in the kitchen

突然都站在厨房里

where you suddenly opened a can of cat food

你突然打开一罐猫食

and I just as suddenly watched you doing that.

而我也突然看着你这番操作。

I observed a window of leafy activity

我看见满窗的树叶晃动

and beyond that, a bird perched on the edge

窗户之外，一只鸟栖息在

of the stone birdbath

供它们洗澡的石水盆边沿

when suddenly you announced you were leaving

这时你突然宣布要离开

to pick up a few things at the market

去菜市买几样东西

and I stunned you by impulsively

我也让你惊愕不已

pointing out that we were getting low on butter

情绪冲动地指出家里黄油所剩不多

and another case of wine would not be a bad idea.

再买一箱葡萄酒也不错。

Who could tell what the next moment would hold?

谁知道下一刻还会发生什么？

another drip from the faucet?

水龙头再漏下一滴水？

Another little spasm of the second hand?

秒钟又轻微地痉挛一次？

Would the painting of a bowl of pears continue

那幅满钵秋梨的静物画还会继续

to hang on the wall from that nail?

挂在墙头的钉子上吗？

Would the heavy anthologies remain on their shelves?

那些厚重的文选集还会静待在书架上吗？

Would the stove hold its position?

煤气炉会不会坚守不动？

Suddenly, it was anyone's guess.

突然，谁心里都没数。

The sun rose ever higher in the sky.

太阳在天空又升高了一节。

The state capitals remained motionless on the wall map

墙上地图里各州的首府仍然毫无动静

when suddenly I found myself lying on a couch

此时我突然发现自己躺在沙发上

where I closed my eyes and without any warning

双眼合拢，然后毫无预兆地

began to picture the Andes, of all places,

开始想见安第斯山脉，真是匪夷所思，

and a path that led over the mountains to another country

还看到一条小道翻过丛山，进入另一个国度

with strange customs and eye-catching hats

那里风俗奇特，帽子引人注目

each one suddenly fringed with colorful little tassels.

每一顶突然都缀满了五颜六色的小流苏。