大清早，一位老妇人

In the early morning an old woman

is picking blackberries in the shade.

正在树荫里摘黑莓。

It will be too hot later

再过会就太热了，

but right now there’s dew.

而现在还有露水。

Some berries fall: those are for squirrels.

一些莓果坠地了：那些留给松鼠。

Some are unripe, reserved for bears.

一些还没成熟，留给熊。

Some go into the metal bowl.

一些进了金属碗。

Those are for you, so you may taste them

那些是给你的，够你品尝

just for a moment.

一会儿。

That’s good times: one little sweetness

那是开心的事：一小口甜，

after another, then quickly gone.

接着一小口，随后迅速消散。

Once, this old woman

我让你脑海中浮现的

I’m conjuring up for you

这位老妇人，曾经

would have been my grandmother.

会是我的祖母。

Today it’s me.

今天是我。

Years from now it might be you,

多年以后可能是你，

if you’re quite lucky.

如果你非常幸运。

The hands reaching in

伸进叶子与刺

among the leaves and spines

之间的那双手

were once my mother’s.

曾是我母亲的手。

I’ve passed them on.

我已传递下去。

Decades ahead, you’ll study your own

未来数十年，你将端详自己的

temporary hands, and you’ll remember.

临时的手，你将铭记。

Don’t cry, this is what happens.

不用哭，事情就这样发生。

Look! The steel bowl

瞧！钢碗

is almost full. Enough for all of us.

几乎满了。够我们所有人的。

The blackberries gleam like glass,

黑莓闪烁如玻璃，

like the glass ornaments

如十二月我们挂在

we hang on trees in December

树上的玻璃饰品，

to remind ourselves to be grateful for snow.

提醒我们对雪感恩。

Some berries occur in sun,

一些莓果长在太阳下，

but they are smaller.

但它们更小。

It’s as I always told you:

就像我一直告诉你的：

the best ones grow in shadow.

最好的生长在阴影里。