I live in the mountains of West Virginia.我住在弗吉尼亚西部的山区
The curvy, winding roads山路蜿蜒曲折
and the vast woodlands山林广袤
often lead to near misses with the local deer.车辆长长与山中冲出来的鹿擦肩而过
The other day有一天
I was driving my son我开车带着儿子
to work at the sheltered workshop送他去工坊干活
when we saw a deer in the road我们在公路上看到一只鹿
that hadn’t been so lucky.已经没了生机
The driver in front of me开在前面的车的司机
suddenly swerved突然转向
to avoid hitting the corpse避免撞到鹿的尸体
and I quickly followed him我很快做出同样的操作
jerking the steering wheel猛地一转方向盘
to get back in the right lane想要回到右边的车道
before the next blind curve.赶在下一个视野不佳的弯道出现之前
I could see that我能看到
the way the dead deer was lying between two blind curves死掉的鹿正躺在两个视野不佳的弯道中间
we had an accident waiting to happen.我们很可能在那里遇到车祸
After dropping my son off我把儿子送到目的地之后
I hurried back我赶紧掉头开回来
and saw the deer was still in the road.发现那头死鹿还呆在路上
There was a wide spot我发现一处宽敞的空地
on the side of the road.就在路边
I pulled over.我停下车
I got out of my car我下了车
and walked up to where the deer was.步行走到死鹿躺着的地方
Looking both ways for cars向两边看了一下是否有车辆来去
I ran over to the body.接着就跑到鹿的尸体旁边
It was laying in a pool of blood and excrement.它躺在血泊中间,血泊中还有许多污秽
I reached down我躬身
and grabbed its broken hind leg.抓住了它已经折断的后腿
I backed up quickly我很快往后退
dragging it behind me后面拖着那头鹿
to the side of the road.来到了路边
I looked down at the majestic animal我低头看着这体型庞大的动物
as I wiped off my hands in the wet snow by the guardrail .在护栏边湿漉漉的积雪中擦干净手上的血迹
“So sorry my friend,”“真对不起,伙伴”
I said to him.我对那头鹿说
I sadly walked back to my car我怀着悲伤走回自己的车
knowing that知道
the crows, buzzards, and other scavengers 乌鸦,秃鹫,还有其他的食腐动物
would soon take care of the remains.很快就会把它的遗骸处理干净
I was still thinking of that beautiful deer我一直想着那只原本美丽的鹿
later in the day那天晚些时候
when I turned on my computer.我打开自己的电脑
As it came on屏幕亮时
I smiled with surprise and delight.我吃了一惊,欣喜微笑了
I had forgotten what我已然忘了
my most recent screen saver was:自己最近设置的屏图片
a picture of a deer是一只鹿
in a field of wild flowers它站在一丛野花中
staring at the sunrise.抬头看着日出
I wondered if我心想
that deer’s spirit或许那头鹿
was in a heavenly meadow right now此刻已经在某个仙境的草地上
perhaps romping或许它正在嬉戏
and playing with some of my own furry friends抑或正在与许多我的毛茸茸的朋友们玩耍
who had passed.它们都已离我而去
I wondered too我还在想
about the time I had left here.自己在这个世间还有多少时间
Would it be days, months, or many years?是几天,几个月,还是许多年?
I shook my head,我摇摇头
laughed and decided that笑着笃信道
it didn’t matter这无关紧要
just as long as只要
I lived the time在余下的光阴里
I had left with love, kindness, and joy.我都怀着爱意,善良和喜悦过下去
May you do the same.希望你也是如此