如果你想听我的故事，就需要有一点耐心，不然的话，你会连我真正的样子都看不清。

If you want to hear my story, you will need a little patience; otherwise, you will not even be able to see what I look like.

...... 撰文 周宗伟 Text by Zhou Zongwei ...... 绘图 朱赢椿 Illustrations by Zhu Yingchun ......

我走得很慢很慢，

I plod along as slow as slow can be,

并不是因为我懒散，

Not because I am lazy,

而是我天生一副柔弱微小的身体，

But because I was born with this tiny frail physique.

只能背着壳缓缓地爬行。

I can only crawl along slowly, bearing this shell on my back.

虽然我走得很慢，

Although I walk very slowly

但走路已变成了习惯。

I have gotten into the habit of walking.

走路本身机械又枯燥，

Walking itself is mechanical and dull,

可停下来反而更觉无聊。

Yet I feel even more bored standing still.

无论路上的风景如何绚烂，

No matter how splendid the roadside scenery is,

我的内心却总是茫然。

In my heart I feel at a loss.

祖先教我们缓慢地生活，

Ancestors taught us to live at a slow leisurely pace;

我从未对此产生怀疑，

I have never doubted about this

直至一天在路上，

Until one day on the road

看到了被踩扁的同伴，

I saw a companion get flattened underfoot.

他颤抖的样子让我触目惊心，

The way he quivered shocked me dreadfully,

行人的脚步让他丧生，

Passing footsteps ended his life,

“慢”却救不了他的命。

And his “slowness” could not save him.

对死亡的恐惧，

Due to fear of death,

让我认真思考“活着”的问题，

I earnestly pondered the problem of “living”.

怎样活着才有意义？

How can living be meaningful?

既然“慢”不能让我们活得更好，

Since “slowness” cannot make my life better,

那么“快”就该是真理。

Then the truth must lie in being “fast”.

我想学习“快”的生活

I wanted to learn about living “fast”.

随处可见比我“快”的老师——蚂蚁、瓢虫，还有毛毛虫，

In many places I saw teachers faster than me—such as ants and ladybugs, And also caterpillars.