有一次，我们正烤着

Once, we were grilling zucchini

菜园里摘来的西葫芦。那是夏天，

from the garden. It was summertime

我正准备离开你。

and I was about to leave you.

一只螳螂落到了烤架上。

A praying mantis landed on the grill.

它鲜亮而美丽，

He was bright and beautiful

即使被烤得滋滋作响；为了救它，

even as he fizzled and I burned

我烫伤了所有指尖。

all my fingertips trying to save him.

你无法知道一只昆虫是否会疼，

You can't tell when an insect is in pain

但它想必在痛。你那么轻地

but he must have been and you put him

把它放进草丛。

in the grass so softly

而我找到它，一脚踩死。

where I found and stomped him.

我想，我们都诧异于

And I think it surprised us

彼此对怜悯的定义。

what we each defined as mercy.