It was a car accident.

那是一場車禍。

Nothing particularly remarkable,

不大，但仍然致命。

...but fatal nonetheless.

你並沒有感受到痛苦。

It was a painless death.

救護員盡力去救你，

The medics tried their best to save you,

但沒有成功。

...but to no avail.

你身體損壞得太徹底了。死了會比較好，相信我。

Your body was so utterly shattered,

這時你遇見了我。

...you were better off, trust me.

「發生了什麼事？」

And that's when you met me.

「我在哪兒？」

"What happened?"

「你死了。」我說，沒有必要拐彎抹角。

"Where am I?"

「有一輛卡車…它打滑了…」

"You died," I said, matter-of-factly.

「對。」

No point in mincing words.

「我…我死了？」

"There was... there was a truck...

「對。」

...and it was skidding."

「但別難過，每個人都會死。」

"Yes."

你看了看周圍，

"I..."

一片虛空，只有你和我。

"I... I died?"

「這是什麼地方？」

"Yes."

「是來世嗎？」

"But don't feel bad about it."

「差不多。」

"Everyone dies."

「你是…上帝？」

You looked around.

「對，我是上帝。」

There was nothingness.

「我的孩子…我的老婆…」

Just you and me.

「怎麼了嗎？」

"What is this place?"

「他們沒事吧？」

"Is this the afterlife?"

「這正是我想看到的，」我說，

"More or less."

「你才剛去世，但你最關心的是你的家人。這是好事。」

"Are you God?"

你用好奇的眼神看著我。

"Yes, I'm God."

在你眼裡，我並不像神。

"My kids, my wife..."

我只像一個普通的男人或一個女人，

"What about them?"

抑或一種模糊的權威形象。

"Will they be all right?"

「別擔心，」我說，

"That's what I like to see," I said,

「他們會好起來的。

"You just died and your main concern is for your family.

「你在孩子的記憶中會是完美的。

That's good stuff right there."

「他們還沒大到瞧不起你的年齡。

You looked at me with fascination.

「你的妻子表面上會哭，

To you, I didn't look like God.

「但其實心裡卻暗暗鬆一口氣。

I just looked like some man or possibly a woman.

「老實說，你們的婚姻已經破裂了。

Some vague authority figure, maybe.

「如果這能帶來任何安慰的話，

"Don't worry," I said, "They'll be fine."

她會為此感到非常內疚。」

"Your kids will remember you as perfect in every way.

「哦，

They didn't have time to grow contemptuous of you.

「那現在會發生什麼？

Your wife will cry on the outside,

「我會去天堂，

...but will be secretly relieved.

還是地獄之類的？」

To be fair, your marriage was falling apart.

「都不會，」

If it's any consolation,

「你會重新投胎。」

...she'll feel very guilty for feeling relieved."

「啊，原來印度教是對的。」

"Oh...

「每一個宗教都有他們自己對的地方，」

So, what happens now?

「和我一起走走吧。」

Do I go to heaven or hell or something?"

你跟著我大步穿行於虛空。

"Neither, you'll be reincarnated."

「我們要去哪呢？」

"Ah,"

「沒有要特別去哪裡，

"...so the Hindus were right."

我們只是邊走邊談。」

"All religions are right in their own way.

「那最終的目的是什麼呢？」

Walk with me."

「我重生的時候，會像是一張白紙，對嗎？

You followed along as we strode through the void.

「一個嬰兒。

"Where are we going?"

「所以我此生所有的經歷，

"Nowhere in particular.

和所做的一切都不再有意義。」

It's just nice to walk while we talk."

「不是這樣的！」

"So, what's the point then?

「你身上有著你累生累世所有的知識和經驗。

When I get reborn,

只是現在你不記得它們了。」

...I'll just be a blank slate, right?

我停下腳步，搭著你的肩膀。

A baby.

「你的靈魂比你所能想像的任何東西 都更為壯觀、美麗和巨大，

So, all my experiences and everything,

「人類的頭腦只能容納你的一小部分。

...everything I did in this life, won't matter?"

「就像你把手指放進一杯水裡試探溫度一樣，

"Not so.

「你只把自己小小的一部分放進身體這個容器。

You have, within you, all the knowledge and experiences of all your past lives.

「但當你把它拿回時，

You just don't remember them right now."

你就獲得了這個容器的所有經驗。」

I stopped walking and took you by the shoulders.

「你才在一個人體裡過了48年，

"Your soul is more magnificent, beautiful and gigantic than you can possibly imagine.

「所以你還沒有充分伸展你自己，

A human mind can only contain a tiny fraction of what you are.

「覺悟到你其餘的龐大意識。

It's like sticking your finger in a glass of water to see if it's hot or cold.

「如果我們在這裡逗留足夠長的時間，

You put a tiny part of yourself into the vessel,

你會開始記起一切。」

...and when you bring it back out,

「但在一生和一生之間沒有必要這樣做。」

...you've gained all the experiences it had.

「那我曾轉過多少次世呢？」

You've been in a human for the last 48 years,

「哦，很多，很多很多。

...so you haven't stretched out yet and felt the rest of your immense consciousness.

非常多不同的生命。」

If we hung out here for long enough,

「接下來，

you'd start remembering everything.

你是一個活在公元540年的中國農家姑娘。」

But there's no point to doing that between each life."

「等等，什麼？」

"How many times have I been reincarnated then?"

「你要把我送回過去？」

"Oh, lots.

「理論上說，我想是這樣吧。

Lots and lots,

「你所認為的時間其實只存在於你的世界裡。

...and into lots of different lives.

而在我的世界裡，一切都不同。」

This time around,

「你…你從哪裡來？」

...you'll be a Chinese peasant girl in 540 A.D."

「哦，我來自某一個地方，另一個地方。

"Wait, what?"

「那兒有很多和我一樣的存在。

You're sending me back in time?"

「我知道你想知道那兒是什麼樣子，

"Well, I guess technically.

但老實說，你無法理解。」

Time as you know it only exists in your universe.

「哦，」你說，有點失望。

Things are different where I come from."

「但等等。如果我恰巧轉世到一個地方，

"Where... where you come from?"

我很可能曾經與我自己在某一點相遇。」

"Oh sure, I come from somewhere, somewhere else.

「當然，這種情況經常發生。

And there are others like me.

「但每一個生命只曉得它自己的週期，

I know you'll want to know what it's like there,

所以你根本不知道它正在發生。」

...but honestly you wouldn't understand."

「那，這一切的意義是什麼呢？」

"Oh..." you said, a little let down.

我看著你的眼睛。

"But wait.

「生命的意義，

If I get reincarnated to other places in time,

「也是我創造整個宇宙的原因，

...I could have interacted with myself at some point."

是為了讓你成熟。」

"Sure, happens all the time.

「你是指人類？

And with both lives only aware of their own lifespan,

你想讓我們成熟？」

...you don't even know it's happening."

「不，只有你。」

"So, what's the point of it all?"

「我為你創造了整個宇宙。

I looked you in the eye.

「你每一次的生命都讓你成長和成熟，

"The meaning of life,

並成為一個更完整、更成熟的智慧。」

...the reason I made this whole universe,

「只有我嗎？

...is for you to mature."

其他人怎麼辦？」

"You mean mankind, you want us to mature?"

「沒有別人，

"No, just you.

這個宇宙裡只有你和我。」

I made this whole universe for you.

你茫然地盯著我，

With each new life you grow and mature,

「但地球上所有的人…」

...and become a larger and greater intellect."

「全是你，不同化身的你。」

"Just me?

「等等，我是每個人？！」

What about everyone else?"

「你開始懂了，」

"There is no one else.

「我是每一個活過的人？」

In this universe, there's just you and me."

「也是未來每一個將要活的人，對。」

You stared blankly at me.

「我是亞伯拉罕·林肯？」

"But all the people on Earth?"

「你也是約翰‧布斯。」

"All you.

「我是希特勒？！」你震驚地說。

Different incarnations of you."

「你也是被他殺死的幾百萬人。」

"Wait, I'm...

「我是耶穌？」

...everyone?"

「你也是跟隨他的每一個人。」

"Now you're getting it."

你沉默了。

"I'm every human being who ever lived?"

「你每次害了一個人，」

"Or who will ever live, yes."

「你就是在害自己。

"I'm Abraham Lincoln?"

「你每一次善意的行動，

"And you're John Wilkes Booth, too."

「都是對自己的善意。

"I'm Hitler?"

「任何人所經歷的每一個快樂和悲傷的時刻，

...you said, appalled.

都曾經被你，或將會被你，所經歷。」

"And you're the millions he killed."

你想了很久。

"I'm Jesus?"

「為什麼？為什麼你要做這一切？」

"And you're everyone who followed him."

「因為有一天，你會變得和我一樣。

You fell silent.

「因為這就是你的本質，

"Every time you victimised someone,

你和我是同類，你是我的孩子。」

...you were victimising yourself.

「哇！」你難以置信地說，

Every act of kindness you've done,

「你的意思是說我是上帝？」

...you've done to yourself.

「不，還不是。 你還是個胚胎，你還在發育。

Every happy and sad moment ever experienced by any human

「一旦你活過所有時間的所有人的生命之後，

...was or will be experienced by you."

你才會發育到足夠成熟去獲得新生。」

You thought for a long time.

「那整個宇宙，

"Why?

只是…」

Why do all this?"

「一顆蛋。」我回答，

"Because someday, you will become like me.

「現在時間到了，該讓你進入下一個生命了。」

Because that's what you are.

然後我把你送上了路。

You're one of my kind. You're my child!"

《蛋》 作者：安迪·威爾

"Wow!," you said, incredulous.

原始翻譯：Xiuzhu Shao

"You mean, I'm a god!?"

微調：魁

"No, not yet. You're a fetus,

You're still growing.

Once you've lived every human life throughout all time,

...you will have grown enough to be born."

"So, the whole universe...

It's just..."

"An egg!", I answered.

"Now it's time for you to move on to your next life."

And I sent you on your way.