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English → Chinese Roots in Teak and Rain Level 5/10

Motorbikes.

摩托车。

The vegetable seller with her cart, calling out her prices in the particular singsong of someone who has made the same call ten thousand times.

卖菜的女人推着她的车，用一种已经喊了一万遍的特有腔调叫卖着价格。

Khao watched all of it and let all of it pass, and waited for the one sound — latch, and lift, and the gate swinging inward — that was the note the afternoon was organized around.

考看着这一切，任由这一切流过，等待着那唯一的声音——门闩开启，把手抬起，铁门向内荡开——那是整个下午所围绕的那个音符。

It was Nipa who came home each day, of course, returning from school at the same hour in the same uniform, her bag heavy on one shoulder.

当然，每天回家的是尼帕，每天同一时刻从学校归来，穿着同一套校服，书包沉甸甸地挂在一侧肩上。

She would come through the gate and he would meet her at the path, and for a moment the afternoon rearranged itself around that reunion, however small.

她走进门来，他会在小路上迎上去，那一刻，整个下午便重新围绕着那次相聚而组织起来，尽管那相聚是多么微小。

However ordinary.

多么寻常。

Malee watched this from the kitchen window sometimes, her hands busy with something — washing rice, cutting vegetables — and said nothing about it.

玛丽有时从厨房的窗口望着这一切，双手忙着什么——淘米，切菜——却什么也没说。

She had noticed.

她注意到了。

That was all.

仅此而已。

She had simply noticed.

她只是注意到了。

Vocabulary

摩托车: mótuōchē — Motorcycle; a two-wheeled motorized vehicle.
卖菜: mài cài — To sell vegetables; vending produce.
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification.
女人: nǚrén — Woman; adult female person.
推着: tuīzhe — Pushing something continuously; in the act of pushing.
她: tā — She; third-person singular feminine pronoun.
车: chē — Vehicle; cart or wheeled conveyance.
用: yòng — To use; to employ or make use of.
一种: yī zhǒng — A kind of; a type or sort of something.
已经: yǐjīng — Already; indicating something has occurred before now.
喊了: hǎn le — Shouted; called out loudly (completed action).
一万遍: yī wàn biàn — Ten thousand times; an enormous number of repetitions.
特有: tèyǒu — Characteristic of; uniquely belonging to something or someone.
腔调: qiāngdiào — Accent or tone; distinctive manner of speaking.
叫卖: jiàomài — To hawk goods; cry out wares for sale.
着: zhe — Aspect particle indicating ongoing or continuous action.
价格: jiàgé — Price; the cost or value of something.
考: kǎo — To examine; test or scrutinize carefully.
看着: kànzhe — Watching; observing something in an ongoing manner.
这: zhè — This; demonstrative pronoun referring to nearby thing.
一切: yīqiè — Everything; all things without exception.
任由: rènyóu — To let; allow something to happen without interference.
流过: liúguò — To flow past; pass through or by like water.
等待: děngdài — To wait; to await something or someone patiently.
那: nà — That; demonstrative pronoun referring to distant thing.
唯一: wéiyī — The only one; sole and exclusive.
声音: shēngyīn — Sound; voice or noise produced by something.
门闩: ménshuān — Door bolt or latch; a bar securing a door.
开启: kāiqǐ — To open; to unlock or initiate something.
把手: bǎshǒu — Handle; a grip used to hold or operate something.
抬起: táiqǐ — To lift up; raise something from a lower position.
铁门: tiě mén — Iron gate or metal door; a heavy metal entrance.
向内: xiàng nèi — Inward; directed toward the inside.
荡开: dàng kāi — To swing open; move open with a swinging motion.
是: shì — To be; linking verb equating subject and predicate.
整个: zhěnggè — Entire; the whole of something without omission.
下午: xiàwǔ — Afternoon; the time period after noon.
所: suǒ — Particle used before a verb indicating what is done.
围绕: wéirào — To revolve around; center on or encircle something.
那个: nàge — That one; demonstrative referring to a specific thing.
音符: yīnfú — Musical note; a symbol representing a musical sound.
当然: dāngrán — Of course; naturally, as expected.
每天: měitiān — Every day; on a daily basis.
回家: huíjiā — To return home; go back to one's house.
同一: tóngyī — The same; identical in nature or kind.
时刻: shíkè — Moment; a specific point or instant in time.
从: cóng — From; indicating starting point of movement or time.
学校: xuéxiào — School; an institution for education and learning.
归来: guīlái — To return; come back from somewhere.
穿着: chuānzhe — Wearing; dressed in a particular garment.
同一套: tóngyī tào — The same set; identical outfit or matching collection.
校服: xiàofú — School uniform; standardized clothing worn by students.
书包: shūbāo — Schoolbag; a bag used to carry books and supplies.
沉甸甸: chéndiāndiān — Heavy; weighed down, describing a heavy sensation.
地: de — Adverbial particle linking adverb to verb.
挂在: guà zài — Hanging on; suspended from a place or object.
一侧: yī cè — One side; a single lateral side of something.
肩上: jiān shàng — On the shoulder; atop one's shoulder.
走进: zǒu jìn — To walk into; enter a place by walking.
门来: mén lái — Through the door; coming in through the entrance.
他: tā — He; third-person singular masculine pronoun.
会: huì — Will; expresses likelihood or ability to do something.
在: zài — At; preposition indicating location or ongoing action.
小路上: xiǎolù shàng — On the small path; along a narrow lane or trail.
迎上去: yíng shàng qù — To go meet someone; move forward to greet someone.
一刻: yī kè — A moment; a brief instant of time.
便: biàn — Then; immediately following, indicating quick consequence.
重新: chóngxīn — Anew; to do something again from the beginning.
那次: nà cì — That time; referring to a specific past occasion.
相聚: xiāngjù — To reunite; gather together with loved ones again.
而: ér — And yet; conjunction linking contrasting or sequential clauses.
组织: zǔzhī — To organize; arrange or form into a structured whole.
起来: qǐlái — Up; complement indicating beginning or completion of action.
尽管: jǐnguǎn — Even though; despite the fact that something is true.
多么: duōme — How; to what degree, used for emphasis.
微小: wēixiǎo — Tiny; extremely small or insignificant in scale.
寻常: xúncháng — Ordinary; common and unremarkable in nature.
有时: yǒushí — Sometimes; occasionally, not always.
厨房: chúfáng — Kitchen; the room used for cooking food.
窗口: chuāngkǒu — Window opening; an aperture in a wall for light.
望着: wàngzhe — Gazing at; looking steadily at something or someone.
双手: shuāngshǒu — Both hands; the pair of hands together.
忙着: máng zhe — Busy doing; occupied with an ongoing task.
什么: shénme — What; an interrogative or indefinite pronoun.
淘米: táo mǐ — To wash rice; rinse uncooked rice before cooking.
切菜: qiē cài — To chop vegetables; cut vegetables for cooking.
却: què — Yet; however, indicating contrast or unexpectedness.
也: yě — Also; additionally, likewise.
没说: méi shuō — Did not say; without uttering any words.
注意到: zhùyì dào — To notice; become aware of something.
了: le — Particle indicating completed action or change of state.
仅此而已: jǐn cǐ ér yǐ — That is all; nothing more than this.
只是: zhǐshì — Just; merely, only that and nothing more.

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