When my wife was breaking apart, my son was falling in love.

当我的妻子趋于崩溃的时候，我的儿子正堕入爱河。

She lay on the couch with a heated sack of rice on her belly,

她躺在沙发上，在腹部上放着一袋烘热的豆子，

sometimes dozing, sometimes staring out the window at the olive tree

一会儿在瞌睡，一会儿楞楞地看着窗外的橄榄树。

as it broke into tiny white blossoms, as it swelled into bitter black fruit.

看着它碎裂成白色的小花，看着它涨大成黑色的苦果。

At first, I wanted to spare him.

在开始的时候，我想要放过儿子。

I wished he was still farming up north, tucking bulbs of green onions

我希望他仍然在北方耕作，把绿色的洋葱头

into their beds and watering the lettuce,

填进土坑，给莴笋浇水，

his hands gritty, his head haloed in a straw hat.

土粒沾满双手，草帽环绕头顶。

But as the months deepened, I grew selfish.

但随着月份的堆积，我的自私在长大。

I wanted him here with his new love.

我希望他带着新的爱人来到这里。

When I passed the open bathroom door, I wanted

当我经过盥洗间敞开的门，我希望

to see them brushing their teeth,

看到他们在一起刷牙，

one perched on the toilet lid, one on the side of the tub,

一个在马桶旁边，另一个靠着浴缸，

laughing and talking through their foamy mouths,

嘴里泛着泡沫，说笑着，

toothbrushes rattling against their teeth.

蹿动的牙刷摩擦着牙齿。

Like sage gives its scent when you crush it. Like stone

就像鼠尾草在被摩擦的时候散发香气。就像石头

is hard. They were happy and I could touch it.

展示它的坚硬。他们幸福，并且触手可及。