For sale: baby shoes, never worn.
转卖：婴鞋，全新。
这是海明威在上个世纪20年代写下的一个故事，短短六字，却给人留下无限想象。
A piercingly dark piece of writing, taking the heart of a Dickens or Dostoevsky novel and carving away all the rest, Ernest Hemingway's six-word story is shorter than many a story's title.
这是一则犀利而黑暗的作品，取狄更斯与杜斯妥也夫斯基之精髓，而抛去其他多余部分，海明威这六字小说比很多故事的标题还要简短。
传说，这是海明威与人打赌写下的一行故事：
Supposedly composed sometime in the '20s, the six-word story, it's said, came from a ten-dollar bet Hemingway made at a lunch with some other writers that he could write a novel in six words. After penning the famous line on a napkin, he passed it around the table, and collected his winnings.
据说这个六字小说创作于上世纪20年代，起因是海明威和几个作家在午餐时打的一个10美元的赌，赌他能否用六个词写出一个小说。他于是在餐巾上挥笔写下了这行著名的文字，全桌传阅，他则得意收钱。
在海明威这则极简小说的启发下，Reddit论坛也发起“六字小说”（Six-word Stories）的活动，要求参与者用六个英文单词来讲一个故事。
我们从中选出一些精彩的作品，供大家欣赏。
I killed my dad's only child.
我杀了父亲唯一的孩子。
Introduced myself to mother again today.
今天又向妈妈介绍了自己。
My father finally quit smoking forever.
我的父亲终能永远戒烟了。
Sorry soldier, shoes sold in pairs.
对不起士兵，鞋子按双出售。
Hearse driver. Finally driven to work.
灵车司机终于可以坐车去上班了。
Finally spoke to her. Left flowers.
在我终能向她倾诉后。我留了一束花在那。
Son hit me. Grandson watched carefully.
儿子在打我，小孙子在一旁注视着。
Everybody liked him, nobody loved him.
谁都喜欢他，没有人爱他。
Cancer. Only three months left. Pregnant.
癌症。只剩三个月。我怀孕了。
"Siri, delete 'Mom' from my contacts."
“Siri，把‘妈妈’从通讯录中删除。”
The mortician sighed.
Another old friend.
丧葬者默默叹了口气。又是一位老朋友。
Drank, she left. Quit, friends left.
酗酒，她离开了。戒酒，朋友们不来往了。
Shaved my head to match hers.
我剃了光头来和她相配。
Mushroom clouds illuminated their first kiss.
蘑菇云点亮了他们的初吻。
Strangers. Friends. Best friends. Lovers. Strangers.
陌生人。朋友。好朋友。爱人。陌生人。
Brought roses home. Keys didn't fit.
带了一束玫瑰回家。但钥匙开不了门。
Found love. Didn't tell my wife.
找到真爱了。没有告诉我的妻子。
"Why aren't we talking anymore?"
✓Seen
“为什么我们不再和彼此说一句话了？”
✓已读
I met my soulmate. She didn't.
我遇见了我的梦中情人。但她没有。
They lived happily ever after. Separately.
从此他们过上了幸福的生活。和别的人。
I ate my wedding cake. Alone.
我独自一人吃完了我的结婚蛋糕。
What's your return policy on rings?
你们对戒指的退货规定是怎样的？
Our dinner date ended with breakfast.
我们的晚餐约会结束于早餐之时。
"I do," he said, wondering why.
“我愿意。”
他说，但仍思忖着原因。
"I do," she said, as told.
“我愿意。”
她说，正如她被告知她该说的那样。
You took everything except my apology.
你带走了一切，除了我的道歉。
I destroy myself so you can't.
我毁了自己，这样你就毁不了我了。
Forever only lasted for six months.
“永远”只维持了六个月。
Voyager still transmitted, but Earth didn't.
旅行者号仍在发送信号，但地球没有。
Sticks. Spears. Swords. Guns. Nukes. Sticks.
棍棒。长矛。利剑。火枪。核弹。棍棒。
"That's Venus. That's Mars. That's home."
“那儿是金星。那儿是火星。那儿是我们的故乡。”
Examining the cut, she saw wiring.
检查伤口时，她看到的满是电线。
Scientists develop first atomic bomb. Again.
科学家们再次造出了这世上第一枚原子弹。
Grandpa, what was "the Internet" like?
爷爷，互联网是什么样的？
I attended my funeral. Nobody knew.
我出席了我的葬礼，但无人知晓。
One bullet was cheaper than therapy.
一枚子弹比治疗要便宜。
"Amputation complete!"
"Um…Doctor…wrong leg."
“截肢完成！”“额……医生……锯错腿了。”
They opened the coffin. Scratch marks.
他们打开了棺椁。里面尽是抓痕。
Me: O; wife: A; baby: AB
我：O型血 妻子：A型血 婴儿：AB型血
I started wearing my seatbelt again.
我又开始系安全带了。
"I'd kill for you." "I did."
“我会为你杀人。”“我已经这么做了。”
Suicide letter. No comments. Two downvotes.
自杀遗书。没有评论。两个“踩”。
They both cried. Their newborn didn't.
他们都哭了。他们的新生儿却没有。
网友评论