我是一只蚂蚁，你看不见我，并非我的世界一片黑暗，只是因为我小得难以进入你的视线。

I am an ant. You cannot see me, not because my world is dark, but simply because I am too small to enter your sight.

第一次来到这个世界，迎接我的是正午的阳光。

My first arrival in this world was greeted by the midday sun.

阳光很亮，无边无际地铺在地上，我被独自晾在了中央，孤单得有点害怕。

The sunlight was bright, spreading endlessly across the ground, leaving me alone in the center, lonely and a little afraid.

孤独的时候，有人喜欢和影子做伴，低头一看，才发现我的影子竟然小得可以忽略不计。

When lonely, some people like to keep company with their shadows. Looking down, I realized my shadow was so small it was negligible.

我没有影子，于是，影子就成了我的一个梦想。

I have no shadow, so a shadow became my dream.

蜗牛说，他也害怕无边无际的阳光，我劝他和我一起去找影子。

The snail said he was also afraid of the endless sunlight, and I urged him to go with me to find a shadow.

他说不用，影子就背在背上，他可以随时随地缩进他的影子里躲避阳光，可我的影子在哪儿？

He said no need, his shadow was on his back; he could retreat into his shadow anytime, anywhere to avoid the sunlight. But where was my shadow?

终于，我找到了第一片影子，在无数的车轮下面。

Finally, I found my first shadow, beneath countless car wheels.

我激动得想奔过去，可它飘忽不定，我忽然感到一阵眩晕。

I excitedly wanted to run towards it, but it flickered, and suddenly I felt dizzy.

醒来之后，眼前出现的是一只被轧破肚皮的蟑螂，也许他也曾经像我一样渴望影子，想在影子下躲避阳光，却为了影子被车轮碾去了生命。

I woke up to find a cockroach with its belly crushed. Perhaps it, like me, had longed for a shadow, seeking refuge from the sun, only to be run over and killed by a car wheel for that shadow.

刚刚死里逃生，惊魂未定，又遇到了险情。

Having just escaped death, still shaken, I encountered danger again.

可这次的经历却让我暗自庆幸，正是因为我小，才可以在鞋底下找到宽裕的生存缝隙。

But this experience made me secretly grateful. Because I was small, I could find a spacious crevice to survive under my shoe.

我爬上一枝蒲公英，在它那浓密绒毛的庇护下，终于感到了安全和笃定。

I climbed onto a dandelion, and under its dense downy shelter, I finally felt safe and secure.

我以为，爬得越高就能待得越稳。

I thought the higher I climbed, the more secure I would be.

一阵风打破了我的宁静，蒲公英的种子载着我一起飞行，快乐又 *** 。

A gust of wind broke my tranquility, carrying me away with the dandelion seeds, joyful and exhilarating.

我有以为，风是世界上最好的东西。

I thought the wind was the best thing in the world.

危险却在短暂的快乐之后不期而至。

But danger arrived unexpectedly after the brief moment of joy.

怎么也没想到，来去自由的风竟然把我送往一个死亡之地。

I never imagined that the free-flowing wind would send me to a place of death.

绝望之中，一颗雨滴砸了下来，意外地救了我的性命，我甚至还没来得及庆幸，便又开始担心。

In despair, a raindrop struck, unexpectedly saving my life. Before I could even feel grateful, worry returned.

雨水汇成了河流，我奋力地攀上一只花瓣船。

The rainwater formed a river, and I struggled to climb onto a petal-shaped boat.

在一片汪洋之中，除了任由渺小的自己随波逐流之外，别无他策。

In a vast ocean, I had no choice but to let my insignificant self drift with the current.

危机四伏的生活使我很想有个家。

Life, fraught with danger, made me long for a home.

无意中找到了一只蝉蜕，它壳内宽敞又安全的空间让我十分满意。

I stumbled upon a cicada shell; its spacious and safe interior pleased me greatly.

我想像蜗牛一样背着它四处行走，可怎么努力也无济于事。

I wanted to carry it around like a snail, but no matter how hard I tried, it was futile.

树丛里的蝉纷纷“知了，知了”地嘲笑我。

The cicadas in the bushes mocked me with their chirping.

一只好心的蝉对我说：“这是我丢掉的东西，它不属于你。

A kind cicada said to me, "This is something I discarded; it doesn't belong to you.

如果你不舍弃一些东西，将永远无法长大。”

If you don't let go of some things, you'll never grow up."

偶然，我认识了一只温度计，她的优美体型让我一见倾心。

By chance, I met a thermometer; its graceful shape captivated me at first sight.

我温柔地抚摩过她的每一格刻度，可她却测不出我的温度，我无奈又伤心，便问她，怎样才能温暖她的心？她说，她需要时间。

I gently stroked each of her markings, but she couldn't sense my warmth. Frustrated and heartbroken, I asked her how I could warm her heart. She said she needed time.

但我不知道什么是时间，只知道人们总是习惯于用三根针来把它钉在墙上，或贴在腕上。

But I didn't know what time was. I only knew that people always used three needles to pin it to the wall or stick it to their wrists.

我以为，时间只不过是针的转动而已。

I thought time was simply the turning of the needles.

在变成化石的鱼身上，我终于看到了时间的痕迹，当年的他一定像我一样不知道时间的意义。

On the fossilized fish, I finally saw the traces of time. It must have been just like me, unaware of the meaning of time.

原来，要真正明了时间的存在就需要付出生命。

It turns out that to truly understand the existence of time, one must give their life.

我开始对生命的意义产生了怀疑，为了找到答案，我不辞辛劳地爬行在书上，一个字一个字地搜寻，最终却发现，在书中的爬行只是一场锻炼肢体的游戏。

I began to doubt the meaning of life. To find the answer, I tirelessly crawled through books, searching word by word, only to discover that crawling through books was merely a physical exercise.

从书山上下来，我遇到了一只生活在书山脚下的放大镜，从它的反射光中，我第一次看到了自己。

Descending from the mountain of books, I encountered a magnifying glass living at its foot. In its reflected light, I saw myself for the first time.

我惊讶于镜子中超乎自己想象的庞大形象，才发现自己原来也很强大。

I was astonished by the enormous image in the mirror, far beyond my imagination, and realized that I, too, was powerful.

我开始重新认识自己。

I began to rediscover myself.

我确信是我的强大躯体爆发的力量压碎了玻璃。

I was certain it was the sheer power of my massive body that shattered the glass.

此刻，我已不再需要找伙伴，我只想出去当一个英雄。

At that moment, I no longer needed companions; I only wanted to go out and be a hero.

我终日怀揣着做英雄的梦想，四处游荡，却不知英雄究竟应该怎样去当，直到我遇见一群正在搬运粮食的同类，我心里那个当英雄的欲望才真正开始膨胀。

I wandered aimlessly, harboring the dream of being a hero, yet I didn't know how to truly be one, until I encountered a group of my kind carrying grain. Only then did that desire to be a hero truly begin to swell within me.

同类们领着我去观赏他们饲养的蚜虫。

My kind led me to see the aphids they were raising.

我才意识到，原来还有比我们更弱小的生命愿意充当我们的奴隶。

I realized then that there were beings weaker than ourselves willing to serve as our slaves.

我对自己的力量也变得更加自信。

My confidence in my own strength grew.

我终于明白，英雄是需要别人仰望的，只有湮没群体才能凸现英雄的力量。

I finally understood that heroes need to be admired; only by submerging the masses can a hero's power be highlighted.

为了指挥群体，我挑动了一群同类与另一群同类的争斗。

To command the group, I instigated conflict between one group of my kind and another.

战争的规模越来越大，一片狼藉的战场上已经难分彼此，甚至同伙们也开始自相残杀，我发觉我已经彻底失去了控制力，只能无奈地在一旁观望。

The war escalated, the battlefield a chaotic mess, indistinguishable from one another. Even my own kind began to kill each other. I realized I had completely lost control and could only helplessly watch from the sidelines.

夜晚终于来临，夜幕下的战场上尸横遍野，一片荒凉，我被淹没在其中，找不到方向。

Night finally fell. The battlefield under the cover of darkness was littered with corpses, a desolate wasteland. I was overwhelmed by it, lost and disoriented.

冷风乍起，我陡然清醒，原来我的英雄梦居然要以成千上万的同类生命为代价。

A cold wind suddenly rose, jolting me awake. My heroic dream had come at the cost of thousands of my kind.

我觉得自己很脏。

I felt utterly defiled.

我一个人悄悄地离开了同类，踽踽独行。

I quietly left my kind, walking alone.

路边躺着一具香烟的尸体，我想将它掩埋，却发现只不过是以一种灰烬掩盖另一种灰烬，既已成灰烬，又何必再盖？

A cigarette butt lay by the roadside. I thought of burying it, but realized it was merely covering one kind of ashes with another. What was the point of covering something already ashes?

我攀上一根竹枝看风景，爬上去之后才发觉原来是一只竹叶虫，他把自己藏得如此巧妙，既让自己安全也让别人放心。

I climbed a bamboo branch to admire the view, only to discover it was a bamboo leaf insect. It had hidden itself so cleverly, ensuring its own safety and the safety of others.

我终于明白，英雄只想凸现自己，而智者却想把自己隐藏起来。

I finally understood: heroes seek to shine, while wise men seek to conceal themselves.

我也学会了隐藏自己。

I, too, learned to hide myself.

我把自己淹没在他们嘈杂的聚会中，想闹中取静。

I immersed myself in their noisy gathering, seeking tranquility amidst the chaos.

可藏得越深，心里的孤独却越加剧。

But the deeper I hid, the more intense the loneliness intensified.

我发现，我和他们表面是如此相似，可本质却十分不同，这时候，我开始真正地想找一个朋友。

I discovered that while we appeared so similar on the surface, our essences were vastly different. At that moment, I truly began to yearn for a friend.

我知道，真正的朋友可遇而不可求，所以我从不奢望能找到知己。

I knew that true friends are rare and hard to find, so I never dared to hope for a soulmate.

/我终日锁着自己的心，直到与他相遇，他成了打开我心门的钥匙。

I kept my heart locked away until I met him; he became the key to unlock it.

我和他的天平永不倾斜，并非因为我们太小太轻，无法称量，而是因为知己的心永远有相等的重量。

The scales between us never tipped, not because we were too small or insignificant to be weighed, but because the hearts of true friends always have equal weight.

我和他相伴闲游，日子过得无忧无虑。

We strolled together, carefree and without worries.

人们把钱当成生命，所以钱带给人痛苦;而我们把钱当成玩具，所以钱带给我们快乐。

People treat money as life itself, and thus money brings them pain; we treat money as a toy, and thus money brings us joy.

我们的生活偶尔也会遇到点险情，某日，我口渴，想去湖边喝水，幸亏他及时拉住了我。

Our lives occasionally encountered danger. One day, I was thirsty and wanted to drink from a lake, but luckily he pulled me back in time.

他告诉我，那不是湖，是人的唾沫，湖没有危险，人的唾沫却会把你淹死。

He told me that it wasn't a lake, but human saliva. A lake poses no danger, but human saliva can drown you.

我惊出了一身冷汗。

I broke out in a cold sweat.

秋天来了，我们相伴劳作，一起准备储藏越冬的食物。

Autumn arrived, and we worked together, preparing food for the winter.

食物虽不丰厚，我们倒也心安理得，知足而快乐。

Though the food wasn't plentiful, we were content, satisfied, and happy.

我们觅食时常常会遇到同类。

We often encountered other humans while foraging.

我嘲笑他们把人嘴里吐出的垃圾当宝贝往回运。

I mocked them for carrying away the garbage people spit out as if it were treasure.

朋友却说，人总以为他们吐掉的是没用的东西，焉知留在他们肚里的不是真正的垃圾？

My friend said, "People always think what they spit out is useless; who knows if what's left in their stomachs isn't real garbage?"

天气越来越凉了，我的朋友在寒冷面前有些体力不支，即将离我而去我心中不忍，想尽了一切办法去挽留他的生命。

The weather grew colder, and my friend, weakened by the cold, was about to leave me. My heart ached, and I tried everything to save his life.

我找到了一大片温暖的羽毛，欣喜地想招呼朋友前濑躲避风寒。

I found a large patch of warm feathers and excitedly called to my friend, Qianse, to shelter from the cold.

蓦地，羽毛在眼前消失了。

Suddenly, the feathers vanished.

我这才发现找错了地方，慌忙逃离险境。

I realized I'd gone to the wrong place and hurriedly fled the danger.

朋友打趣道，有时最温暖的地方恰是最危险的地方，还是不去为妙。

My friend joked, "Sometimes the warmest place is the most dangerous; it's best to avoid it."

朋友的身体越来越弱。

My friend's health continued to decline.

我寻到一枚丸药，朋友笑着说，药丸救得了人的身体，却救不了我们的命，病虽可治，命却不能医。

I found a pill. My friend laughed and said, "Pills can save the body, but they can't save our lives. Illness can be cured, but fate cannot."

我不甘心命运的安排，想去赌一赌天命，可我费尽了所有的力气也转不动赌盘上的骰子。

I was unwilling to accept my fate and wanted to gamble on destiny, but I couldn't turn the dice on the gambling table no matter how hard I tried.

朋友又笑着说，你以为你能转动命运，其实是命运在转动你，不必去浪费力气。

My friend laughed again and said, "You think you can change fate, but actually, fate is changing you. Don't waste your energy."

冬天在一步步逼近，越来越多的生命走到了尽头。

Winter was approaching step by step, and more and more lives came to an end.

无论他们曾经多么强大，或者多么弱小，此刻他们都一样平等，一样安静。

No matter how strong or weak they had been, at this moment they were all equal, all peaceful.

我终于领悟，大自然在死面前最公平，因而它的力量也最不可抗拒。

I finally understood that nature is most fair in the face of death, and therefore its power is most irresistible.

于是，也便懂得，对于尚存的生命，最好的态度不是挽留，而是珍惜。

Therefore, I also understood that the best attitude towards remaining life is not to try to hold on, but to cherish it.

人们喜欢在纸上画各种各样的风景，想用纸把风景留住。

People like to draw all kinds of landscapes on paper, trying to preserve the scenery with paper.

我和朋友都只喜欢在纸上漫步，回忆美好的时光，却不留任何痕迹，因为我们已把风景记在了心里。

My friend and I only like to wander on paper, recalling beautiful moments, but leaving no trace, because we have already memorized the scenery in our hearts.

在死亡面前，朋友始终比我平静，他在清凉的秋风中安详地离去。

In the face of death, my friend remained calmer than I; he departed peacefully in the cool autumn breeze.

我为他唱了一夜的歌，虽然我吹不响竹笛，你听不见我的声音，但我知道他能听见我的歌唱。

I sang for him all night. Though I cannot play my bamboo flute, and you cannot hear my voice, I know he could hear my song.

寒冷已降临，我知道或许我也将到我的朋友那儿去。

The cold has arrived, and I know that perhaps I too will soon join my friend.

如今我仍旧一个呆在白晃晃的阳光下，但我已不再孤独。

Now I still stand alone under the bright sunlight, but I am no longer lonely.