書寫你的生命
Supposesomeonegaveyouapen—asealed,solid-coloredpen.Youcouldn’tseehowmuchinkithad.
假設有人給了你一枝筆，一枝密封的、純色的水筆，里面有多少墨水你看不到。
Itmightrundryafterthefirstfewtentativewordsorlastjustlongenoughtocreateamasterpiece(orseveral)thatwouldlastforeverandmakeadifferenceintheschemeofthings.Youdon’tknowbeforeyoubegin.
很可能剛剛試寫幾字便用干耗盡；也可能足以完成一部或幾部杰作，永存于世，使世事為之大變。
Undertherulesofthegame,youreallyneverknow.Youhavetotakeachance!
而這一切你在動筆之前卻是一無所知。根據游戲的規則，你確實永遠也不會知道，只能冒一下險。
Actually,noruleofthegamestatesyoumustdoanything.Insteadofpickingupandusingthepen,youcouldleaveitonashelforinadrawerwhereitwilldryup,unused.
而事實上，也沒有規則說你就一定要做些什么。你大可以把筆擱在架子上、放在抽屜里，棄置不用，任墨水蒸發干凈。
Butifyoudodecidetouseit,whatwouldyoudowithit?Howwouldyouplaythegame?
然而，如果你真的決定使用，你會做什么？怎么來做這個游戲？
Wouldyouplanandplanbeforeyoueverwroteaword?
你會左計劃、右計劃，然后才慢慢下筆嗎？
Wouldyourplansbesoextensivethatyouneverevengottothewriting?
計劃會不會太泛太多，根本就達不到寫作這一步？
Orwouldyoutakethepeninhand,plungerightinandjustdoit,strugglingtokeepupwiththetwistsandturnsofthetorrentsofwordsthattakeyouwheretheytakeyou?
會不會提筆在手，迫不及待地投入其中，任由手中的筆、筆下的字帶著你在詞海中上下翻騰、左突右沖？
Wouldyouwritecautiouslyandcarefully,asifthepenmightrundrythenextmoment,orwouldyoupretendorbelieve(orpretendtobelieve)thatthepenwillwriteforeverandproceedaccordgly?
會不會下筆謹小慎微，似乎墨水隨時都將干涸？會不會假裝或相信、或假裝相信筆中墨水永不會枯竭，任你揮灑？
Andofwhatwouldyouwrite:Oflove?Hate?Fun?Misery?Life?Death?NothingEverything?
你會寫些什么？愛情？仇恨？樂趣？痛苦？生命？死亡？虛無空空抑或世事萬種？
Wouldyouwritetopleasejustyourself?Orothers?Oryourselfbywritingforothers?
是會用來自娛？還是取悅他人？還是為人寫作而愉悅自身？
Wouldyourstrokesbetremblinglytimidorbrilliantlybold?Fancywithaflourishorplain?
你的一筆一劃會顫抖怯懦還是亮麗大膽？花里胡哨還是樸實無華？
Wouldyouevenwrite?Onceyouhavethepen,norulesaysyouhavetowrite.Wouldyousketch?Scribble?Doodleordraw?
你確實會去寫嗎？你一旦有了這枝筆，卻也沒有規則說你一定就要去寫。你會粗粗寫來？潦潦草草？信手涂鴉？還是認真描畫？
Wouldyoustayinoronthelines,orseenolinesatall,eveniftheywerethere?Orarethey?There’salottothinkabouthere,isn’tthere?
你會寫在線里還是寫在線上，或者對紙上的線格根本就視而不見？真的有什么線格嗎？此時此刻，有很多東西值得思考，不是嗎？
Now,supposesomeonegaveyoualife...
那么，假設有人給了你一次生命……
