蛋——短篇故事：英語精讀講義

You were on your way home when you died. 片語搭配

你在回家的路上死去了。

It was a car accident.

是一場車禍。

Nothing particularly remarkable,

沒什麼特別引人注目的，

but fatal nonetheless. 表達脈絡

但卻是致命的。

It was a painless death.

死亡過程沒有痛苦。

The medics tried their best to save you, 片語搭配

醫護人員盡了最大努力救你，

but to no avail. 慣用語

但無濟於事。

Your body was so utterly shattered,

你的身體已經完全破碎，

you were better off, 片語搭配

這樣反而更好，

trust me.

相信我。

And that's when you met me.

就在那時你遇見了我。

"What happened?"

「發生了什麼？」

"Where am I?"

「我在哪裡？」

"You died,"

「你死了，」

I said matter-of-factly. 用詞

我平靜地說。

No point in mincing words. 講解

沒必要拐彎抹角。

"There was a truck and it was skidding."

「有一輛卡車，它打滑了。」

"Yes."

「是的。」

"I... I died?"

「我……我死了？」

"Yes.

「是的。

But don't feel bad about it.

但別為此難過。

Everyone dies."

人皆有一死。」

You looked around.

你環顧四周。

There was nothingness,

周圍一片虛無，

just you and me.

只有你和我。

"What is this place?

「這是什麼地方？

Is this the afterlife?"

這是死後的世界嗎？」

"More or less." 片語搭配

「差不多吧。」

"Are you God?"

「你是上帝嗎？」

"Yes,

「是的，

I'm God."

我是上帝。」

"My kids,

「我的孩子們，

my wife."

我的妻子。」

"What about them?"

「他們怎麼了？」

"Will they be all right?"

「他們會好好的嗎？」

"That's what I like to see," 語氣意圖

「這正是我樂於見到的，」

I said.

我說。

"You just died and your main concern is for your family.

「你剛死，而你最關心的卻是你的家人。

That's good stuff right there." 語氣意圖

那是很好的特質。」

You looked at me with fascination.

你入迷地看著我。

To you,

對你來說，

I didn't look like God.

我看起不不像是上帝。

I just looked like some man or possibly a woman,

我看起只是個男人，或者可能是個女人，

some vague authority figure maybe. 片語搭配

也許是個模糊的權威人物。

"Don't worry,"

「別擔心，」

I said.

我說。

"They'll be fine.

「他們會沒事的。

Your kids will remember you as perfect in every way.

你的孩子們會記住你那完美無瑕的模樣。

They didn't have time to grow contemptuous of you. 片語搭配

他們還沒來得及對你心生厭惡。

Your wife will cry on the outside, 表達脈絡

你的妻子會在表面上哭泣，

but will be secretly relieved."

但暗地裡會鬆一口氣。」

"To be fair, 表達脈絡

「說實話，

your marriage was falling apart. 片語動詞

你們的婚姻當時已經岌岌可危了。

If it's any consolation, 語氣意圖

如果這能給你一點安慰的話，

she'll feel very guilty for feeling relieved." 片語搭配

她會因為自己感到解脫而非常內疚。」

"Oh.

「哦。

So what happens now?

那現在會發生什麼？

Do I go to heaven or hell or something?" 文化背景

我是上天堂、下地獄，還是去別的地方？」

"Neither.

「都不是。

You'll be reincarnated."

你將會轉世。」

"Ah.

「啊。

So the Hindus were right." 文化背景

那麼印度教徒是對的。」

"All religions are right in their own way."

「所有宗教都有各自正確的一面。」

Walk with me.

跟我走走吧。

You followed along as we strolled through the void.

當我們漫步在虛無中時，你跟了上來。

"Where are we going?"

「我們要去哪裡？」

"Nowhere in particular.

「沒有特定的目的地。

It's just nice to walk while we talk."

邊走邊聊感覺挺好的。」

"So,

「那麼，

what's the point then?

這一切有什麼意義呢？

When I get reborn,

當我重生時，

I'll just be a blank slate, right? 慣用語

我只會是一張白紙，對嗎？

A baby.

一個嬰兒。

So,

所以，

all my experiences and everything,

我所有的經歷和一切，

everything I did in this life,

我這一生所做的一切，

won't matter."

都將變得毫無意義。」

"Not so.

「並非如此。

You have within you all the knowledge and experiences 文法

你的內在蘊含著你所有前世

of all your past lives.

累積的知識與經驗。

You just don't remember them right now."

你只是現在不記得它們罷了。」

I stopped walking and took you by the shoulders.

我停下腳步，握住你的雙肩。

"Your soul is more magnificent,

「你的靈魂之宏大、

beautiful,

美麗，

and gigantic than you can possibly imagine. 文法

以及巨大，遠超你的想像。

A human mind can only contain a tiny fraction of what you are.

人類的心智只能容納你存在的一小部分。

It's like sticking your finger in a glass of water to see if it's hot or cold. 表達脈絡

就像是把手指伸進一杯水裡試探冷熱一樣。

You put a tiny part of yourself into the vessel,

你將自己的一小部分放入容器中，

and when you bring it back out,

當你將它抽回時，

you've gained all the experiences it had.

你便獲得了它所經歷的一切。

You've been in a human for the last 48 years,

你在過去的48年裡一直存在於一個人類體內，

so you haven't stretched out yet

所以你還沒有舒展開來，

and felt the rest of your immense consciousness.

去感受你那巨大意識的剩餘部分。

If we hung out here for long enough, 講解

如果我們在這裡待得足夠久，

you'd start remembering everything.

你就會開始記起一切。

But there's no point to doing that between each life."

但是在兩次生命之間這麼做並沒有意義。」

"How many times have I been reincarnated then?" 文法

「那麼我已經轉世過多少次了？」

"Oh,

「哦，

lots.

很多次。

Lots and lots.

非常非常多次。

And into lots of different lives.

並且進入過許多不同的人生。

This time around, 片語搭配

這一次，

you'll be a Chinese peasant girl in 540 AD." 文化背景

你將會是西元540年的一名中國農家女孩。」

"Wait.

「等等。

What?

什麼？

You're sending me back in time?"

你要把我送回過去？」

"Well,

「嗯，

I guess technically, 語氣意圖

我想嚴格來說，

time as you know it only exists in your universe. 片語搭配

你所知道的時間僅僅存在於你的宇宙裡。

Things are different where I come from."

我來的地方，情況是不一樣的。」

"Where where you come from?"

「你來的地方在哪裡？」

"Oh,

「哦，

sure.

當然。

I come from somewhere else.

我來自別的地方。

And there are others like me.

而且還有其他像我一樣的存在。

I know you'll want to know what it's like there, 文法

我知道你會想知道那裡是什麼樣的，

but honestly, 語氣意圖

但說實話，

you wouldn't understand."

你不會懂的。」

"Oh,"

「哦，」

you said,

你說，

a little let down. 片語動詞

有些失落。

"But wait.

「但是等等。

If I get reincarnated to other places in time, 文法

如果我轉世到過去的其他地方，

I could have interacted with myself at some point."

我有可能在某個時刻與我自己發生互動。」

"Sure.

「當然。

Happens all the time. 文法

這經常發生。

And with both lives only aware of their own lifespans, 文法

而且因為兩個生命都只知道各自的生命歷程，

you don't even know it's happening."

你甚至不知道這種事正在發生。」

"So,

「那麼，

what's the point of it all?" 片語搭配

這一切的意義究竟是什麼？」

I looked you in the eye. 片語搭配

我注視著你的眼睛。

"The meaning of life,

「生命的意義，

the reason I made this whole universe, 文法

我創造整個宇宙的理由，

is for you to mature."

就是為了讓你成熟。」

"You mean mankind? 語氣意圖

「你是說人類？

You want us to mature?"

你想要我們成熟？」

"No,

「不，

just you.

只有你。

I made this whole universe for you.

我為你創造了整個宇宙。

With each new life,

在每一個新的人生中，

you grow and mature and become a larger and greater intellect." 表達脈絡

你不斷成長、成熟，成為更龐大、更偉大的智慧。」

"Just me?

「只有我？

What about everyone else?"

那其他人呢？」

"There is no one else.

「沒有其他人。

In this universe,

在這個宇宙中，

there's just you and me."

只有你和我。」

You stared blankly at me.

你茫然地盯著我。

"But all the people on Earth?"

「但是地球上的所有人呢？」

"All you.

「都是你。

Different incarnations of you."

是你不同的化身。」

"Wait.

「等等。

I'm everyone?"

我是所有人？」

"Now you're getting it." 語氣意圖

「現在你明白了。」

"I'm every human being who ever lived." 文法

「我是每一個曾經活過的人類。」

"Or who will ever live."

「或者是未來將要活著的人。」

"Yes."

「是的。」

"I'm Abraham Lincoln?" 文化背景

「我是亞伯拉罕·林肯？」

"And you're John Wilkes Booth, too."

「而你也是約翰·威爾克斯·布思。」

"I'm Hitler."

「我是希特勒。」

You said,

你說，

appalled.

感到驚駭。

"And you're the millions he killed."

「而你也是他殺害的幾百萬人。」

"I'm Jesus."

「我是耶穌。」

"And you're everyone who followed him."

「而你也是所有追隨他的人。」

You fell silent.

你陷入了沉默。

"Every time you victimized someone, 表達脈絡

「每一次你迫害某人，

you were victimizing yourself.

你都在迫害你自己。

Every act of kindness you've done,

你做出的每一個善舉，

you've done to yourself.

都是對你自己做的。

Every happy and sad moment ever experienced by any human

人類經歷過的或者將要經歷的每一個喜悅與悲傷的瞬間，

was or will be experienced by you." 文法

都是或將是你的經歷。」

You thought for a long time.

你思考了很久。

"Why?

「為什麼？

Why do all this?"

為什麼要這麼做？」

"Because someday you will become like me. 表達脈絡

「因為總有一天，你會變得像我一樣。

Because that's what you are.

因為那就是你的本質。

You're one of my kind.

你與我同類。

You're my child."

你是我的孩子。」

"Wow,"

「哇，」

you said incredulous. 用詞

你難以置信地說。

"You mean I'm a God?"

「你的意思是我是一個神？」

"No,

「不，

not yet.

現在還不是。

You're a fetus. 慣用語

你是一個胎兒。

You're still growing.

你還在成長中。

Once you've lived every human life throughout all time, 文法

一旦你完整地體驗了穿越古今的每一個人類生命，

you will have grown enough to be born."

你就成長得足夠大，可以誕生了。」

"So,

「所以，

the whole universe,

整個宇宙，

it's just an egg?" 慣用語

它只是一個蛋？」

I answered.

我回答道。

"Now it's time for you to move on to your next life." 片語動詞

「現在是你前往下一段人生的時候了。」

And I sent you on your way. 慣用語

於是我送你踏上了旅程。