雾在她身后合拢

最后一个下午,波莉又飞到海岸上空很高的地方。她下面是茶园、装着两座湖的火山口,还有亚速尔灰雀仍然生活的安静森林。从上面看,这座岛就是它本来的样子:一串古老的火山,正在慢慢冷却成绿色。

On her last afternoon, Polly flew high above the coast again. Below her lay the tea fields, the crater with its two lakes, and the quiet forest where the priolo still lives. From up there, the island looked like what it is: a chain of old volcanoes, still slowly cooling into green.

渔船正在回港,在渐渐变暗的海面上留下细细的白线。沿海公路上的灯一盏一盏亮起来。烟的味道从岸边飘上来。

Fishing boats were heading back to the harbor, leaving thin white lines on the darkening sea. Lights came on one by one along the coast road. The smell of smoke drifted up from the shore.

雾从海上卷进来,和这一周的每天一样。它盖住火山口,然后是茶园,然后是港口,把这座岛慢慢藏了起来。波莉以前见过它这样。

Fog rolled in from the ocean, just as it had all week. It covered the crater, then the tea fields, then the harbor, hiding the island slowly from view. Polly had seen it do this before.

最后的光快没有了,她朝开阔的海面飞去。在她身后,这座岛还在地下煮着晚饭,还在一片叶子一片叶子地长茶,也还在森林里护着一只灰色的小鸟。

She flew out over open water as the last light faded. Behind her, the island kept cooking its dinner underground, growing its tea leaf by leaf, and keeping a small grey bird safe in its forest.