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English → Chinese Petals Before the Rains Return Level 5/10

The dry season arrived the way it always did — not suddenly, but by degrees, the mornings growing sharper and more golden until one day you realized the rains had been gone for weeks and the garden had quietly rearranged itself around their absence.

旱季来临的方式一如既往——不是骤然而至，而是循序渐进，清晨变得愈发清冽而金黄，直到某一天你才意识到雨水已经离去数周，园子也悄悄地围绕着它们的缺席重新安排了自己。

The frangipani near the front gate lost some of its smaller leaves and concentrated its energy into blooms, great waxy clusters of white and pale yellow that fell onto the path each morning and had to be swept before the heat sealed them to the stone.

前门附近的鸡蛋花树落去了一些细小的叶片，将全部精力凝聚于花朵之上，那大簇大簇蜡质的白色与淡黄色花朵每天清晨飘落在小路上，必须在热气将它们黏封于石面之前及时清扫。

The oldest mango tree, the one Nipa's grandfather had planted before her mother was born, dropped its leaves in long slow curtains and stood for a while like a patient elder waiting for something it had earned the right to wait for.

那棵最老的芒果树——妮帕的外祖父在她母亲出生之前亲手种下的那棵——叶片如长长的慢帘般纷纷落下，而后兀自伫立了一段时间，犹如一位耐心的长者，等待着某件它早已赢得了等待资格的事。

Khao watched all of this from the porch.

考从门廊上将这一切尽收眼底。

He had discovered the porch the way he discovered most things — by following Nipa until she stopped moving, then settling himself at her feet and observing whatever she observed.

他发现门廊的方式，与他发现大多数事物的方式别无二致——跟着妮帕走，直到她停下脚步，然后蜷伏在她脚边，观察她所观察的一切。

On school days, when Nipa left through the front gate and the latch clicked behind her, he would stand at the gate for a while, then make his way to the porch and take up his post on the cool wooden boards near the top of the steps.

在妮帕上学的日子里，当她从前门离去、门闩在身后咔哒一声扣上时，他会在门口伫立片刻，然后走向门廊，在台阶顶端附近那几块清凉的木板上占据自己的位置。

From there he could see the gate and also the garden and also, if he turned his head, the kitchen where Malee moved in her particular rhythms of morning work.

从那里，他能望见大门，也能望见园子，还能在转过头去时，看到玛莱在厨房里以她特有的晨间劳作节奏走动。

He seemed to understand that the porch was the best position for gathering information, and information, in his experience, was how you prepared yourself for what came next.

他似乎明白，门廊是收集信息的最佳位置，而信息，依照他的经验，正是你为接下来的事做好准备的方式。

Malee noticed this about him and did not remark on it.

玛莱注意到了他的这一点，却什么也没有说。

Vocabulary

旱季: hàn jì — Dry season; period of little or no rainfall.
来临: lái lín — To arrive; to come; onset of a period or event.
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification.
方式: fāng shì — Way; manner; method of doing something.
一如既往: yī rú jì wǎng — Just as before; same as always; unchanged as ever.
不是: bù shì — Is not; used to negate or contrast a statement.
骤然: zhòu rán — Suddenly; abruptly; all at once without warning.
而至: ér zhì — And thus arrives; coming in a certain manner.
而是: ér shì — But rather; instead; used to introduce a contrast.
循序渐进: xún xù jiàn jìn — Step by step; gradually advancing in proper order.
清晨: qīng chén — Early morning; the clear, quiet hours after dawn.
变得: biàn de — To become; to grow into a different state.
愈发: yù fā — Increasingly; more and more; even more so.
清冽: qīng liè — Crisp and cold; refreshingly cool and clear.
而: ér — And; but; yet; conjunctive particle linking clauses.
金黄: jīn huáng — Golden yellow; a bright, warm shade of yellow.
直到: zhí dào — Until; up to the point in time when.
某一天: mǒu yī tiān — One day; a certain unspecified day.
你: nǐ — You; second-person singular pronoun.
才: cái — Only then; just; indicating a delayed realization.
意识到: yì shí dào — To realize; to become aware or conscious of something.
雨水: yǔ shuǐ — Rainwater; rain; precipitation falling from clouds.
已经: yǐ jīng — Already; indicating something has occurred by now.
离去: lí qù — To leave; to depart; to go away from a place.
数周: shù zhōu — Several weeks; a number of weeks unspecified.
园子: yuán zi — Garden; yard; an enclosed outdoor planted space.
也: yě — Also; too; as well; additionally.
悄悄地: qiāo qiāo de — Quietly; silently; stealthily without drawing attention.
围绕着: wéi rào zhe — Surrounding; revolving around; centered on something.
它们: tā men — They; them; third-person plural pronoun for things.
缺席: quē xí — Absence; to be absent; not present at a place.
重新: chóng xīn — Anew; again; starting over from the beginning.
安排: ān pái — To arrange; to organize; to make orderly plans.
了: le — Particle indicating completed action or changed state.
自己: zì jǐ — Oneself; self; referring back to the subject.
前门: qián mén — Front gate; front door; the main entrance.
附近: fù jìn — Nearby; in the vicinity; close to a location.
鸡蛋花树: jī dàn huā shù — Plumeria tree; frangipani tree with fragrant flowers.
落去: luò qù — To fall away; to drop off; to shed downward.
一些: yī xiē — Some; a few; a small number or amount of.
细小: xì xiǎo — Tiny; very small; fine and minute in size.
叶片: yè piàn — Leaf blade; individual leaf of a plant.
将: jiāng — To; will; particle indicating future action or direction.
全部: quán bù — All; entire; the whole of everything.
精力: jīng lì — Energy; vigor; mental and physical effort or strength.
凝聚: níng jù — To concentrate; to gather; to focus energy together.
于: yú — At; in; on; preposition indicating location or object.
花朵: huā duǒ — Flower; blossom; an individual bloom of a plant.
之上: zhī shàng — Above; on top of; upon something.
那: nà — That; those; demonstrative pronoun pointing to something.
大簇大簇: dà cù dà cù — In large clusters; great bunches grouped abundantly together.
蜡质: là zhì — Waxy; having the texture or quality of wax.
白色: bái sè — White; the color white.
与: yǔ — And; with; together with; linking two elements.
淡黄色: dàn huáng sè — Light yellow; pale yellow color; soft yellowish hue.
每天: měi tiān — Every day; daily; each and every day.
飘落: piāo luò — To drift and fall; to float gently downward.
在: zài — At; in; on; preposition indicating location or time.
小路: xiǎo lù — Small path; narrow lane; a little walkway.
上: shàng — On; above; upon; indicating surface or position.
必须: bì xū — Must; have to; it is necessary to do.
热气: rè qì — Heat; hot air; warmth rising from a surface.
之前: zhī qián — Before; prior to; earlier than a given time.
及时: jí shí — In time; timely; promptly before it is too late.
清扫: qīng sǎo — To sweep clean; to clear away; to tidy up.
那棵: nà kē — That (tree); demonstrative plus classifier for trees.
最老: zuì lǎo — Oldest; the most aged among a group.
芒果树: máng guǒ shù — Mango tree; tropical tree bearing mango fruit.
外祖父: wài zǔ fù — Maternal grandfather; mother's father.
她: tā — She; her; third-person singular feminine pronoun.
母亲: mǔ qīn — Mother; one's female parent.
出生: chū shēng — To be born; birth; coming into the world.
亲手: qīn shǒu — With one's own hands; personally; by oneself directly.
种下: zhòng xià — To plant; to sow; to place a seed in ground.
如: rú — Like; as; resembling; similar to something.
长长: cháng cháng — Long and flowing; very long in extent or length.
般: bān — Like; as if; in the manner of something.
纷纷: fēn fēn — One after another; in succession; falling abundantly.
落下: luò xià — To fall down; to drop; to descend to the ground.
而后: ér hòu — After that; afterward; subsequently following an action.
伫立: zhù lì — To stand still; to linger upright in one place.
一段时间: yī duàn shí jiān — A period of time; a stretch of time.
犹如: yóu rú — Just like; as if; resembling in a vivid way.
一位: yī wèi — One (person); a polite classifier for a person.
耐心: nài xīn — Patient; patience; ability to wait calmly without complaint.
长者: zhǎng zhě — Elder; senior person; one of advanced age and wisdom.
等待着: děng dài zhe — Waiting; in the process of waiting for something.
某件: mǒu jiàn — A certain (matter/item); some unspecified thing.
它: tā — It; third-person singular pronoun for objects or animals.
早已: zǎo yǐ — Long since; already a long time ago.
赢得: yíng dé — To earn; to win; to gain through effort or merit.
等待: děng dài — To wait; to await; the act of waiting for something.
资格: zī gé — Qualification; eligibility; the right to do something.
事: shì — Matter; affair; thing; an event or situation.
从: cóng — From; since; following from a starting point.
门廊: mén láng — Porch; veranda; covered entryway at a door.
这一切: zhè yī qiè — All of this; everything here before one's eyes.
尽收眼底: jìn shōu yǎn dǐ — Take in everything at a glance; see it all clearly.
他: tā — He; him; third-person singular masculine pronoun.
发现: fā xiàn — To discover; to find; to notice something new.
大多数: dà duō shù — The majority; most; the greater number of things.
事物: shì wù — Things; objects; matters in the world around us.
别无二致: bié wú èr zhì — No difference whatsoever; exactly the same in every way.
跟着: gēn zhe — Following; going along with; coming after someone.
走: zǒu — To walk; to go; to move on foot.
停下: tíng xià — To stop; to halt; to cease moving or acting.
脚步: jiǎo bù — Footstep; pace; the sound or act of stepping.
然后: rán hòu — Then; after that; subsequently in sequence.
蜷伏: quán fú — To curl up; to crouch down; to huddle compactly.
脚边: jiǎo biān — Beside one's feet; at the foot of someone.
观察: guān chá — To observe; to watch carefully; to examine attentively.
所: suǒ — Particle used before verbs to nominalize or emphasize.
一切: yī qiè — Everything; all things; the whole of everything.
上学: shàng xué — To go to school; to attend school regularly.
日子里: rì zi lǐ — During the days; in the time of certain days.
当: dāng — When; at the time of; as something happens.
门闩: mén shuān — Door bolt; latch; a bar used to fasten a door.
身后: shēn hòu — Behind one; at one's back; after oneself.
一声: yī shēng — One sound; a single audible click or noise.
扣上: kòu shàng — To fasten; to snap shut; to latch or buckle closed.
时: shí — When; at the time; indicating a point in time.
会: huì — Will; would; able to; indicating likelihood or ability.
门口: mén kǒu — Doorway; entrance; the opening at a door.
片刻: piàn kè — A moment; a brief instant of time; a short while.
走向: zǒu xiàng — To walk toward; to head in the direction of.
台阶: tái jiē — Steps; stairs; a set of outdoor stone or wood steps.
顶端: dǐng duān — Top; apex; the uppermost point or end.
几块: jǐ kuài — Several pieces; a few sections or chunks of something.
清凉: qīng liáng — Cool and refreshing; pleasantly cool in temperature.
木板: mù bǎn — Wooden plank; board; a flat piece of wood.
占据: zhàn jù — To occupy; to take up; to hold a position or space.
位置: wèi zhì — Position; location; place where something is situated.
那里: nà lǐ — There; that place; over in that location.
能: néng — Can; able to; having the ability or capacity.
望见: wàng jiàn — To see in the distance; to catch sight of something.
大门: dà mén — Main gate; front entrance; large door of a compound.
还能: hái néng — Also able to; still can; additionally capable of doing.
转过: zhuǎn guò — To turn around; to rotate in a direction.
头去: tóu qù — Turn one's head; look in a direction by turning.
看到: kàn dào — To see; to catch sight of; to notice visually.
厨房里: chú fáng lǐ — In the kitchen; inside the cooking area of a home.
以: yǐ — With; using; by means of; in accordance with.
特有: tè yǒu — Unique to; characteristic; peculiar to a person or thing.
晨间: chén jiān — Morning; during the morning hours of the day.
劳作: láo zuò — Labor; toil; to work hard with physical effort.
节奏: jié zòu — Rhythm; pace; the regular pattern of movement or sound.
走动: zǒu dòng — To move about; to walk around; to bustle around.
似乎: sì hū — Seems; appears; it seems as though something is so.
明白: míng bai — To understand; clear; to know and comprehend something.
是: shì — Is; am; are; the verb to be in Chinese.
收集: shōu jí — To collect; to gather; to compile information or things.
信息: xìn xī — Information; news; data; a piece of knowledge.
最佳: zuì jiā — Best; optimal; the most suitable or ideal option.
依照: yī zhào — According to; in accordance with; following a standard.
经验: jīng yàn — Experience; knowledge gained through practice or living.
正是: zhèng shì — Exactly is; precisely; it is none other than this.
为: wèi — For; for the sake of; in order to achieve something.
接下来: jiē xià lái — Next; from here on; what comes after this moment.
做好: zuò hǎo — To do well; to prepare properly; to get ready fully.
准备: zhǔn bèi — To prepare; preparation; getting ready for something.
注意到: zhù yì dào — To notice; to pay attention and observe something.
这一点: zhè yī diǎn — This point; this particular aspect or detail.
却: què — Yet; but; however; indicating an unexpected contrast.
什么: shén me — What; anything; used in questions or negation.
没有: méi yǒu — Do not have; there is not; indicating absence or lack.
说: shuō — To say; to speak; to tell; to express in words.

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