配图 / Mina

我错过了什么吗？

这是学生们在旷课后
经常会提出的问题

没有。当我们发现你不在时
我们双手合十坐在课桌上
沉默了整整两个小时

很多。我布置了一场考试
占这学期成绩的百分之四十
我还布置了一些阅读材料
以及与之相关的小测验
占比百分之五十

没有。这门课所有内容
都没有价值和意义
想休息多少天就休息多少天：
我们全班进行的任何活动
我向你保证，无论对你还是对我
都没有任何意义

很多。上次我们开始后几分钟
一束光降下，一位天使
或其他天人出现了
向我们揭示了每个女人或男人
为了在今生和来世获得神圣的智慧
必须做的事情。
这是这个班级的最后一次聚会
我们将把这一好消息带给世界上所有人

没有。当你不在场时
怎么会有大事发生呢？

很多。这间教室是
人类生存的缩影
供你们质疑、审视和思考
这样的机会并非只有这里才有

但这里是其中一个
而你不在这里

作者 / 汤姆·韦曼
翻译 / DeepL

Did I Miss Anything

Question frequently asked by
students after missing a class

Nothing. When we realized you weren’t here
we sat with our hands folded on our desks
in silence, for the full two hours

Everything. I gave an exam worth
40 per cent of the grade for this term
and assigned some reading due today
on which I’m about to hand out a quiz
worth 50 per cent

Nothing. None of the content of this course
has value or meaning
Take as many days off as you like:
any activities we undertake as a class
I assure you will not matter either to you or me
and are without purpose

Everything. A few minutes after we began last time
a shaft of light descended and an angel
or other heavenly being appeared
and revealed to us what each woman or man must do
to attain divine wisdom in this life and
the hereafter
This is the last time the class will meet
before we disperse to bring this good news to all people on earth

Nothing. When you are not present
how could something significant occur?

Everything. Contained in this classroom
is a microcosm of human existence
assembled for you to query and examine and ponder
This is not the only place such an opportunity has been gathered

but it was one place

And you weren’t here

Tom Wayman