Suppose someone gave you a pen — a sealed, solid-colored pen.
You couldn’t see how much ink it had.
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。
It might run dry after the first few tentative words or last just long enough to create a masterpiece (or several) that would last forever and make a difference in the scheme of things.
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。
You don’t know before you begin.
Under the rules of the game, you really never know.
You have to take a chance!
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, no rule of the game states you must do anything. Instead of picking up and using the pen, you could leave it on a shelf or in a drawer where it will dry up, 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。
But if you do decide to use it, what would you do with it? How would you play the game?
然而，如果你真的決定使用，你會做什么？怎么來做這個游戲？
Would you plan and plan before you ever wrote a word?
你會左計劃、右計劃，然后才慢慢下筆嗎？
Would your plans be so extensive that you never even got to the writing?
計劃會不會太泛太多，根本就達不到寫作這一步？
Or would you take the pen in hand, plunge right in and just do it, struggling to keep up with the twists and turns of the torrents of words that take you where they take you?
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？
Would you write cautiously and carefully, as if the pen might run dry the next moment, or would you pretend or believe (or pretend to believe) that the pen will write forever and proceed accordingly?
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？
And of what would you write: Of love? Hate? Fun? Misery? Life? Death? Nothing? Everything?
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？
Would you write to please just yourself? Or others? Or yourself by writing for others?
是會用來自娛？還是取悅他人？還是為人寫作而愉悅自身？
Would your strokes be tremblingly timid or brilliantly bold? Fancy with a flourish or plain?
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？
Would you even write? Once you have the pen, no rule says you have to write. Would you sketch? Scribble? Doodle or draw?
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？
Would you stay in or on the lines, or see no lines at all, even if they were there? Or are they? There’s a lot to think about here, isn’t there?
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, suppose someone gave you a life...
美文欣賞：書寫你的生命 英語美文愛思英語2013-05-24 16:04 我要分享 騰訊微博 QQ空間 QQ好友 新浪微博 0
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Suppose someone gave you a pen — a sealed, solid-colored pen.
You couldn’t see how much ink it had.
It might run dry after the first few tentative words or last just long enough to create a masterpiece (or several) that would last forever and make a difference in the scheme of things.
You don’t know before you begin.
Under the rules of the game, you really never know.
You have to take a chance!
Actually, no rule of the game states you must do anything. Instead of picking up and using the pen, you could leave it on a shelf or in a drawer where it will dry up, unused.
But if you do decide to use it, what would you do with it? How would you play the game?
Would you plan and plan before you ever wrote a word?
Would your plans be so extensive that you never even got to the writing?
Or would you take the pen in hand, plunge right in and just do it, struggling to keep up with the twists and turns of the torrents of words that take you where they take you?
Would you write cautiously and carefully, as if the pen might run dry the next moment, or would you pretend or believe (or pretend to believe) that the pen will write forever and proceed accordingly?
And of what would you write: Of love? Hate? Fun? Misery? Life? Death? Nothing? Everything?
Would you write to please just yourself? Or others? Or yourself by writing for others?
Would your strokes be tremblingly timid or brilliantly bold? Fancy with a flourish or plain?
Would you even write? Once you have the pen, no rule says you have to write. Would you sketch? Scribble? Doodle or draw?
Would you stay in or on the lines, or see no lines at all, even if they were there? Or are they? There’s a lot to think about here, isn’t there?
Now, suppose someone gave you a life...
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。
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。
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。
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。
然而，如果你真的決定使用，你會做什么？怎么來做這個游戲？
你會左計劃、右計劃，然后才慢慢下筆嗎？
計劃會不會太泛太多，根本就達不到寫作這一步？
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？
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？
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？
是會用來自娛？還是取悅他人？還是為人寫作而愉悅自身？
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？
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？
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？
（兼職編輯：楊帆）
