我如何從死神手中救了自己

OK, here's the deal.
事情是這樣的。
I've just been run over by a car – been in an accident.
那時我剛剛被一輛車撞了——我出了車禍
I didn't get a good look, of course.
我卻什麼都沒看清，這也合情合理。
It happened too quickly.
一切都發生的太快了。
A step off the sidewalk, a rush of wind, something blue and metallic coming at me, then…
剛剛踏出人行道，我就感到一陣強風，一個藍色的，似乎是某種金屬的東西朝我猛衝過來
a quick tour over the bonnet , briefly visiting the windshield, roof and every other hard surface en-route
接着街旁的一切從我眼前飛快的閃過，絡繹不絕的煙囪罩、擋風玻璃、屋頂，還有其他各種東西都在飛快的流逝。
before returning to the tarmac for a hefty dose of pain.
最後我回到地面上，一陣劇痛傳遍全身。
No, officer, the vehicle did not stop.
不，警官，那輛車沒有停下來
Did I see the driver?
看到司機的臉了嗎？
Yep, incredibly briefly as it turned out.
是的，真不可思議，雖然只是一晃眼。
（如果這時有一位交警走過來，我們之間可能會有如下的對話）

Would I recognise him again?
能再認出司機嗎？
Sure, if you could just plaster me across any similar windshield,
能，如果你讓我再撞到類似的擋風玻璃上
just to, you know, jog the old memory cells
你懂得，這樣就能激活舊的記憶細胞
I may be able to describe the bloated, shiny face, bulbous eyes
或許我能描述出那張浮腫的，油光滿面的臉，那雙凸出來的眼睛，
and pudgy little hands that oiled over his steering wheel.
還有那雙胖乎乎的小手，抹得方向盤上油光光的
Except there's no cop, no concerned huddle of passers-by asking pointless questions
可是當時周圍沒有交警，也沒有圍觀的人羣絮絮地說着毫無意義的問題，
like "Is there a Doctor here?" Or "Where's his leg?" and, my personal favourite, "Are you OK?"
比如“這裏有醫生嗎？”“他的腿去哪兒了？”還有我個人最喜歡的問題，“你還好嗎？”
Well, if pity and an energising drink weren't going to help me, I had better start trying to help myself.
好吧，如果憐憫和功能飲料幫不了我，我最好開始嘗試幫助我自己。
My core being was feeling a tad fragile at the moment but I made a mental note to ask it to start working properly again.
此刻我感到自己元神虧損，我暗自請求自己的身體重新運作起來
What I really needed just now was something useful,
現在我需要一些實用的東西
a medic for preference, a warm, dry blanket and some kind of opioid-based medication.
——最好能有一個醫生，或者一條溫暖乾燥的毛毯，一劑含有鎮痛成分的藥品
But it was the very early hours of the morning
可現在才一大清早
and there was no-one around,
人跡絕無
at least not here on the edge of No-town
在這無名之鎮的邊界上
I was gonna die.
我要死了！
Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
事後聰明真是一種美妙的東西
Just a few short hours ago I had left Mrs Chamber's house and the smouldering embers of her log fire.
就在幾個小時前，我才從Chambers夫人家離開，從她家火爐裏冒出的濃煙中撿回一條命
If I hadn't taken that short-cut,
如果我沒有走那條捷徑
or I had left earlier or left later,
又或者我曾早點或晚點出發
I wouldn't have met this very car at this particular time
我就不會在這個時刻撞上這輛車
and in this uNPRomising place.
在這個令人絕望的地方
And here I was.
事已至此，我躺在這裏
Still.
事後反省並沒有什麼作用
Getting colder and dying by centimetres.
我感到越來越冷
The can of fizzy drink, my silent companion, gleamed dully
恍惚間我看到一個汽水罐子，如同一個沉默的小夥伴，暗暗閃着光
I frowned stupidly at the can, then realised what it was: an approaching vehicle .
我皺眉看着這個傻里傻氣的罐子，轉而意識到，它其實是一輛靠近的車輛
I thankfully passed out
感謝老天，我暈了過去
I came to briefly and looked up at a small ring of faces.
意識偶然恢復的時候，我看到幾張臉環繞着我
My rescuer was one of the boys from the park and his friends.
“夥計，你還好嗎？”說話的是個小男孩，他和他的朋友們都在場。
Well, I recovered eventually.
好吧，最終我痊癒了。
For a time, I was a local celebrity, my young friend a hero.
一時之間，我成了當地名人，救我的小友人成了英雄
I can't say I 'saved' the town because,
我不敢妄稱自己“拯救”了這個小鎮
quite honestly, nothing short of a direct hit by a meteorite could have done that.
坦白的說，我可不是什麼從天而降的隕石裏誕生的超人
But some small things changed.
可是我還是帶來了一些微小的變化
There was a new purpose and energy to the place.
這個荒涼的地方獲得了新的關注，生出了新的活力，
The road upon which I had nearly died was given a makeover of lighting and a safe place to cross.
那條差點要了我的命的公路裝上了新路燈，煥然一新，還多了一條新的安全的斑馬線