Children grow in secret. They hide themselves in the depths and darker reaches of the house to become wild cats, white birches.

孩子们在秘密中生长。他们把自己藏在房屋深黑隐秘之处，只为变成野猫和白桦。

One day when you’re only half-watching the herd as it straggles back in with the afternoon dust, one child, the prettiest of them all, comes close and rises up on tiptoe to whisper I love you, I’ll be waiting for you in the hay.

一天，当你漫不经心地看着畜群披着暮尘踱回牲圈，一个孩子，最漂亮的那个，蹑手蹑脚地走近你，对你耳语说：“我爱你，我要在草垛那里等你”。

Shaking some, you go to find your shotgun; you spend what’s left of the day firing at rooks and jackdaws, uncountable at this hour, and crows.

你感到浑身战栗，转身找到你的霰弹枪；在这天余下的时间里，你一直在射击乌鸦、渡鸦，寒鸦——无穷无尽的，黑色的鸟。