Once, we were grilling zucchini

有一次，我们正烤着

from the garden. It was summertime

菜园里摘来的西葫芦。那是夏天，

and I was about to leave you.

我正准备离开你。

A praying mantis landed on the grill.

一只螳螂落到了烤架上。

He was bright and beautiful

它鲜亮而美丽，

even as he fizzled and I burned

即使被烤得滋滋作响；为了救它，

all my fingertips trying to save him.

我烫伤了所有指尖。

You can't tell when an insect is in pain

你无法知道一只昆虫是否会疼，

but he must have been and you put him

但它想必在痛。你那么轻地

in the grass so softly

把它放进草丛。

where I found and stomped him.

而我找到它，一脚踩死。

And I think it surprised us

我想，我们都诧异于

what we each defined as mercy.

彼此对怜悯的定义。