Supposesomeonega一veyouapen—asealed,solid-coloredpen.Youcouldn’tseehowmuchinkithad.
假设有人给了你一枝笔，一枝密封的、纯色的水笔，里面有多少墨水你看不到。
itmightrundryafterthefirstfewtentativewordsorlastjustlongenoughtocreateamasterpiece(orseveral)thatwouldlastforeverandmakeadifferenceintheschemeofthings.Youdon’tknowbeforeyoubegin.
很可能刚刚试写几字便用干耗尽；也可能足以完成一部或几部杰作，永存于世，使世事为之大变。而这一切你在动笔之前却是一无所知。
Undertherulesofthegame,youreallyneverknow.Youha一vetotakeachance!
根据游戏的规则，你确实永远也不会知道，只能冒一下险。
Actually,noruleofthegamestatesyoumustdoanything.insteadofpickingupandusingthepen,youcouldlea一veitonashelforinadrawerwhereitwilldryup.
而事实上，也没有规则说你就一定要做些什幺。你大可以把笔搁在架子上、放在一抽一屉里，弃置不用，任墨水蒸发干净。
Butifyoudodecidetouseit,whatwouldyoudowithit?Howwouldyouplaythegame?
然而，如果你真的决定使用，你会做什幺？怎幺来做这个游戏？
Wouldyouplanandplanbeforeyoueverwroteaword?
你会左计划、右计划，然后才慢慢下笔吗？
Wouldyourplansbesoextensivethatyouneverevengottothewriting?
计划会不会太泛太多，根本就达不到写作这一步？
Orwouldyoutakethepeninhand,plungerightinandjustdoit,strugglingtokeepupwiththetwistsandturnsofthetorrentsofwordsthattakeyouwheretheytakeyou?
会不会提笔在手，迫不及待地投入其中，任由手中的笔、笔下的字带着你在词海中上下翻腾、左突右冲？
Wouldyouwritecautiouslyandcarefully,asifthepenmightrundrythenextmoment,orwouldyoupretendorbelieve(orpretendtobelieve)thatthepenwillwriteforeverandproceedaccordgly?
会不会下笔谨小慎微，似乎墨水随时都将干涸？会不会假装或相信、或假装相信笔中墨水永不会枯竭，任你挥洒？
Andofwhatwouldyouwrite:Oflove?Hate?Fun?Misery?Life?Death?NothingEverything?
你会写些什幺？爱情？仇恨？乐趣？痛苦？生命？死亡？虚无空空抑或世事万种？
Wouldyouwritetopleasejustyourself?Orothers?Oryourselfbywritingforothers?
是会用来自娱？还是取一悦他人？还是为人写作而愉悦自身？
Wouldyourstrokesbetremblinglytimidorbrilliantlybold?Fancywithaflourishorplain?
你的一笔一划会颤一抖怯懦还是亮丽大胆？花里胡哨还是朴实无华？
Wouldyouevenwrite?Onceyouha一vethepen,norulesaysyouha一vetowrite.Wouldyousketch?Scribble?Doodleordraw?
你确实会去写吗？你一旦有了这枝笔，却也没有规则说你一定就要去写。你会粗一粗写来？潦潦草草？信手涂鸦？还是认真描画？
Wouldyoustayinoronthelines,orseenolinesatall,eveniftheywerethere?Orarethey?There’salottothinkabouthere,isn’tthere?
你会写在线里还是写在线上，或者对纸上的线格根本就视而不见？真的有什幺线格吗？此时此刻，有很多东西值得思考，不是吗？
Now,supposesomeonega一veyoualife...
那幺，假设有人给了你一次生命……