这场梦十分真实，我仿佛看到了未来的影子

这场梦十分真实，我仿佛看到了未来的影子

Have you ever had a memory, but you aren't sure whether you dreamed it or read it or saw it in a movie? Have you ever had a day that changed life as you knew it, but no one ever spoke about it again?

你是否曾有过这样的记忆，但你不确定是梦到了，还是读到过，还是在电影里看到过?你是否曾经有过这样的一天，它改变了你的生活，但却没有人再提起它?

For me, that day started early on a Sunday morning in June 2005. I had just turned 12.

对我来说，那一天始于2005年6月的一个周日早上。那时我刚满12岁。

Half-asleep, I heard footsteps surround the corners of my bed.

半睡半醒时，我听到床边有脚步声。

My mother's voice flooded in from the doorway. "Please," she said. "Let me wake her."

母亲的声音从门口传了进来。“请”她说。“让我叫醒她。”

But it was a stranger's hand that shook me awake. He had one hand on a gun strapped to his waist and the other wrapped tightly around my arm. He was dressed from head to toe in what looked like black SWAT gear. I don't remember much about his face.

但是是一个陌生人的手把我摇醒的。他一只手握着枪，束在腰间，另一只手紧紧地搂着我的胳膊。他从头到脚穿着一身黑色的特警装备。我不太记得他的长相了。

"Get up and go downstairs," the man said. He was not alone. There were at least six other men, all dressed in black.

“起来，下楼去，”那人说。不只是他一人。至少还有另外六个人，都穿着黑衣服。

My mother, younger brother and I were marched down our pink carpeted staircase. The men trailed close behind.

母亲、弟弟和我被押下铺着粉红色地毯的楼梯。男人们紧跟在后面。

They moved throughout our house almost soundlessly. When they spoke, it was to give orders.

"Sit down," one of them said, motioning to the cream-colored couch in the living room. It was the only piece of furniture we had purchased since moving in a few weeks before.

他们几乎悄无声息地在我们的房子里走来走去。他们说话的时候，是下命令的时候。“坐下，”其中一个指着客厅里的奶油色沙发说。这是我们搬进来几个星期以来买的唯一一件家具。

My father was already sitting, wearing boxers and a ragged T-shirt. I tried to meet his eye, hoping he would make a joke, be his usual, reassuring self. But that morning he said nothing — didn't look at any of us. When I sat down next to him, I noticed he was wearing handcuffs.

我父亲已经坐着了，穿着四角裤和一件破旧的t恤。我试着和他对视，希望他能像往常一样开个玩笑，让我安心。但是那天早上他什么也没说——也没看我们。当我坐在他旁边时，我注意到他戴着手铐。

The shades in the living room hadn't been installed yet, so the morning sun glared in our eyes. I remember realizing, as I looked out on the street, that anyone could see inside. I prayed one of our neighbors would walk by, just to witness what was happening. But no one seemed to be walking their dog or grabbing the mail.

起居室里的窗帘还没有装上，所以早晨的阳光刺眼地照在我们的眼睛上。我记得当我往街上看的时候，我意识到任何人都可以看到里面。我祈祷我们的一个邻居路过，只是为了看看发生了什么。但似乎没有人遛狗或拿邮件。

I felt like screaming for help, but I didn't. None of us did. We simply watched as the men rummaged through our drawers and flipped through our photo albums. They used the VCR in my parents' room to watch our home videos. The sounds of old birthdays, family ski trips and Persian New Year's echoed throughout our mostly empty house.

我想大喊救命，但我没有。我们都没有。我们只是看着那些男人在我们的抽屉里翻找，翻看我们的相册。他们用我父母房间里的录像机看我们家的录像。旧的生日派对、家庭滑雪旅行和波斯新年的声音回荡在我们空荡荡的房子里。

Eventually, one of the black-clad men asked my mom to take me and my brother out of the house. He said they wanted to speak to my dad alone.

最后，其中一名黑衣男子让我妈妈带我和弟弟出门。他说他们想和我爸爸单独谈谈。

"Where do you want me to take them?" my mom asked.

"I don't care," he responded.

“你想让我把它们带到哪里去?”妈妈问。 “我不在乎，”他回答。

So we went where many people in our town went when not much was open: Denny's. We sat in a faux-leather booth, the song "Send Me On My Way" from my favorite movie, Matilda, played throughout the half-empty restaurant. I stared at pancakes while my mom tried to fill the silence.

所以我们去了我们镇上很多人去的地方，就是没有什么店的地方:丹尼斯。我们坐在一个人造革的隔间里，我最喜欢的电影《玛蒂尔达》里的《送我上路》这首歌在半空的餐厅里回荡。我盯着煎饼，而我妈妈试图打破沉默。

"Are you excited for camp this week?" she asked. I looked at my brother. He didn't look up from his Game Boy.

“你对这个星期的夏令营感到兴奋吗?”她问。我看着弟弟。他没有从他的游戏机上抬起头来。

It felt like hours had passed when a private number called my mom's phone. "You can come back," a man said. Then he hung up.

感觉好像几个小时过去了，我妈妈接到一个私人电话电话上。“你可以回来，”一个男人说。然后他挂了电话。

When we returned, the black cars were gone. Inside, my dad sat in the same position that we had left him in — staring at the bare wall. His hands were by his sides.

当我们回来的时候，黑色的车不见了。在屋里，父亲坐在我们走时同样的位置上——盯着那面光秃秃的墙。他的手放在身体两侧。

This dream is very real, I seem to see the shadow of the future.

这场梦十分真实，我仿佛看到了未来的影子。