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English → Chinese What the House Remembers Level 5/10

The house had been built by Malee's father in the year she turned three, which meant she had no real memory of a time before it.

这座房子是玛莉的父亲在她三岁那年建的，这意味着她对房子建成之前的时光没有任何真实的记忆。

She knew the story the way you know the stories that are told so often they become part of your own body: the teak beams her father had selected himself from a mill two provinces north, the floor that sloped very slightly toward the eastern wall because one of the posts had settled wrong in the first rainy season, the front gate with its iron latch that required a particular two-handed technique — lift and press at the same time — that every member of the family had learned young and that visitors always struggled with.

她了解这个故事的方式，就像你了解那些被反复讲述、最终融入自己身体的故事一样：父亲亲自从北边两个省的木材厂挑选的柚木梁，因为第一个雨季时有根柱子下沉歪了而向东墙微微倾斜的地板，还有前门那道铁门闩，需要一种特别的双手配合技巧——同时向上提并向内按——家里每个人从小就学会了，而客人总是为此犯难。

She knew the smell of the place in every season: the thick green smell of the garden after rain, the dry dusty warmth of the house in March when the wooden walls held the heat of the day long into the night, the faint sweetness of the frangipani that bloomed every April along the left side of the path without being asked to.

她熟悉这个地方每个季节的气味：雨后花园里浓郁的草木清香，三月里房屋那股干燥带尘的暖意——木墙将白日的热气一直留存至深夜，还有每年四月鸡蛋花散发出的淡淡甜香，它们年年自顾自地沿着小路左侧盛开，从不需要人催促。

Nipa had grown up inside all of this without seeing it clearly, the way you cannot see the color of water while you are swimming in it.

妮帕就在这一切之中长大，却从未清晰地看见过它，就像你在水中游泳时无法看清水的颜色一样。

It was simply where she was.

那里不过是她所在的地方。

The house was the background condition of everything she knew.

这座房子是她所了解的一切事物的背景与底色。

Khao, arriving at eleven weeks old, without language or memory or the capacity to compare, understood the house differently.

考在十一周大时来到这里，没有语言，没有记忆，也没有比较的能力，他对这座房子的理解方式截然不同。

He understood it as a set of fixed points.

他将它理解为一组固定的坐标点。

The gate was one fixed point.

大门是一个固定点。

The porch was another.

门廊是另一个。

The foot of Nipa's bed.

妮帕床脚处。

Vocabulary

这座: zhè zuò — This (classifier for buildings/structures).
房子: fáng zi — House; building where people live.
是: shì — To be; linking verb indicating identity or existence.
的: de — Possessive or attributive particle linking modifier to noun.
父亲: fù qin — Father; male parent.
在: zài — At; in; located at a place or time.
她: tā — She; third-person singular feminine pronoun.
三岁: sān suì — Three years old; age of three.
那年: nà nián — That year; referring to a specific past year.
建: jiàn — To build; to construct a structure.
这: zhè — This; demonstrative pronoun referring to something nearby.
意味着: yì wèi zhe — Means; implies; carries a particular significance.
对: duì — Regarding; toward; concerning something or someone.
建成: jiàn chéng — Completed construction; finished being built.
之前: zhī qián — Before; prior to a certain time or event.
时光: shí guāng — Time; days gone by; a period of life.
没有: méi yǒu — Do not have; there is no; lacking something.
任何: rèn hé — Any; whatever; no matter which thing.
真实: zhēn shí — Real; genuine; true and not imagined.
记忆: jì yì — Memory; recollection of past experiences.
了解: liǎo jiě — To understand; to know about something in detail.
这个: zhè ge — This; this one; referring to a nearby thing.
故事: gù shi — Story; narrative account of events.
方式: fāng shì — Way; method; manner of doing something.
就像: jiù xiàng — Just like; similar to; in the same way as.
你: nǐ — You; second-person singular pronoun.
那些: nà xiē — Those; referring to plural things over there.
被: bèi — Passive marker; indicates action done to subject.
反复: fǎn fù — Repeatedly; over and over again.
讲述: jiǎng shù — To narrate; to tell a story or account.
最终: zuì zhōng — Finally; ultimately; in the end.
融入: róng rù — To blend into; to merge into; become part of.
自己: zì jǐ — Oneself; self; referring back to the subject.
身体: shēn tǐ — Body; physical form of a person.
一样: yī yàng — The same; alike; just like something else.
亲自: qīn zì — Personally; in person; by oneself directly.
从: cóng — From; starting from a place or time.
北边: běi biān — The north side; northern direction or area.
两个: liǎng gè — Two; a pair of; two units of something.
省: shěng — Province; a major administrative division of China.
木材厂: mù cái chǎng — Lumber mill; factory that processes timber wood.
挑选: tiāo xuǎn — To select; to pick out carefully from options.
柚木: yòu mù — Teak wood; a durable tropical hardwood timber.
梁: liáng — Beam; a horizontal structural support in buildings.
因为: yīn wèi — Because; due to; indicating reason or cause.
第一个: dì yī gè — The first one; the initial item in a sequence.
雨季: yǔ jì — Rainy season; period of heavy annual rainfall.
时: shí — When; at the time of; during a period.
柱子: zhù zi — Pillar; column; vertical structural support post.
下沉: xià chén — To sink; to subside; to go downward.
歪了: wāi le — Became crooked; tilted; no longer straight.
而: ér — And; but; thus; linking clauses with contrast or result.
向: xiàng — Toward; in the direction of something.
东墙: dōng qiáng — East wall; the wall facing east.
微微: wēi wēi — Slightly; gently; to a very small degree.
倾斜: qīng xié — To lean; to tilt; at a slanted angle.
地板: dì bǎn — Floor; the flat surface one walks on inside.
还有: hái yǒu — Also; in addition; there is also something else.
前门: qián mén — Front door; the main entrance of a building.
那道: nà dào — That (classifier for doors, walls, barriers).
铁: tiě — Iron; the hard metallic element used in construction.
门闩: mén shuān — Door bolt; a bar used to fasten a door.
需要: xū yào — To need; to require; something is necessary.
一种: yī zhǒng — A kind of; a type of; one variety of.
特别: tè bié — Special; particular; out of the ordinary.
双手: shuāng shǒu — Both hands; using two hands together.
配合: pèi hé — To coordinate; to cooperate; work together in sync.
技巧: jì qiǎo — Skill; technique; a learned practical ability.
同时: tóng shí — Simultaneously; at the same time; concurrently.
向上: xiàng shàng — Upward; in an upward direction.
提: tí — To lift; to raise upward with one's hand.
并: bìng — And; also; simultaneously performing two actions.
向内: xiàng nèi — Inward; toward the inside; in an inner direction.
按: àn — To press; to push down on something.
家里: jiā lǐ — At home; inside the family household.
每个: měi gè — Every; each one; all individuals without exception.
人: rén — Person; people; a human being.
从小: cóng xiǎo — From childhood; since one was young.
就: jiù — Then; already; as early as; right away.
学会: xué huì — To have learned; to master a skill successfully.
了: le — Particle indicating completed action or new situation.
客人: kè rén — Guest; visitor; someone welcomed into a home.
总是: zǒng shì — Always; invariably; at all times without exception.
为此: wèi cǐ — Because of this; for this reason; on this account.
犯难: fàn nán — To feel troubled; to find something difficult or awkward.
熟悉: shú xī — Familiar; well-acquainted with something or someone.
地方: dì fang — Place; location; a particular area or spot.
季节: jì jié — Season; one of the four yearly periods.
气味: qì wèi — Smell; odor; scent perceived by the nose.
雨后: yǔ hòu — After the rain; the period following rainfall.
花园: huā yuán — Garden; an outdoor area where plants grow.
里: lǐ — Inside; within; in the interior of something.
浓郁: nóng yù — Rich; strong; intensely fragrant or full-flavored.
草木: cǎo mù — Plants; vegetation; grasses and trees collectively.
清香: qīng xiāng — Fresh fragrance; light and pleasant natural scent.
三月: sān yuè — March; the third month of the year.
房屋: fáng wū — House; building; a structure used as dwelling.
那股: nà gǔ — That whiff of; that particular quality or smell.
干燥: gān zào — Dry; lacking moisture; arid in quality.
暖意: nuǎn yì — Warmth; a feeling of pleasant warm sensation.
木墙: mù qiáng — Wooden wall; a wall constructed of timber.
将: jiāng — Will; shall; indicates future action or direction.
白日: bái rì — Daytime; broad daylight; the hours of sunlight.
热气: rè qì — Heat; warm air; hot vapors retained from day.
一直: yī zhí — Continuously; all along; straight through without stop.
留存: liú cún — To retain; to preserve; to keep something remaining.
至: zhì — Until; up to; as far as a point in time.
深夜: shēn yè — Late at night; the deep hours of the night.
每年: měi nián — Every year; annually; occurring each year.
四月: sì yuè — April; the fourth month of the year.
鸡蛋花: jī dàn huā — Plumeria; frangipani flower with sweet fragrance.
散发出: sàn fā chū — To emit; to give off a scent or light.
淡淡: dàn dàn — Faint; light; subtle in taste, smell, or color.
甜香: tián xiāng — Sweet fragrance; a pleasantly sweet scent.
它们: tā men — They; them; third-person plural for non-human things.
年年: nián nián — Year after year; every single year repeatedly.
自顾自: zì gù zì — On one's own; acting independently without concern for others.
地: de — Adverbial particle linking adverb to following verb.
沿着: yán zhe — Along; following the length or course of something.
小路: xiǎo lù — Small path; a narrow walkway or footpath.
左侧: zuǒ cè — Left side; the side that is on the left.
盛开: shèng kāi — In full bloom; blossoming abundantly and beautifully.
从不: cóng bù — Never; at no time; not ever doing something.
催促: cuī cù — To urge; to hurry someone; to press for action.
一切: yī qiè — Everything; all things; the entirety of something.
之中: zhī zhōng — Within; in the middle of; surrounded by something.
长大: zhǎng dà — To grow up; to mature from child to adult.
却: què — Yet; but; however; indicating contrast or surprise.
从未: cóng wèi — Never ever; has never at any point occurred.
清晰: qīng xī — Clear; distinct; easily seen or understood.
看见: kàn jiàn — To see; to catch sight of something visually.
过: guò — Experiential particle; indicates past experience of action.
它: tā — It; third-person singular pronoun for non-human things.
水中: shuǐ zhōng — In the water; within a body of water.
游泳: yóu yǒng — To swim; to move through water using the body.
无法: wú fǎ — Unable to; impossible to; cannot do something.
看清: kàn qīng — To see clearly; to make out something distinctly.
水: shuǐ — Water; the clear liquid essential to life.
颜色: yán sè — Color; the visual property of hue and shade.
那里: nà lǐ — There; that place; a location over there.
不过: bù guò — However; but; merely; only; just that.
所在: suǒ zài — Where something is; the place something exists.
所: suǒ — Place; that which; a nominalizing particle for location.
事物: shì wù — Things; matters; objects and phenomena in the world.
背景: bèi jǐng — Background; backdrop; setting or contextual environment.
与: yǔ — And; with; together with; linking two elements.
底色: dǐ sè — Base color; underlying tone; fundamental background hue.
考: kǎo — (Here contextual) father; or to examine, test.
来到: lái dào — To arrive at; to come to a certain place.
这里: zhè lǐ — Here; this place; the location nearby.
语言: yǔ yán — Language; a system of human communication.
也: yě — Also; too; as well; additionally.
比较: bǐ jiào — Relatively; comparatively; to compare two things.
能力: néng lì — Ability; capability; the power to do something.
他: tā — He; him; third-person singular masculine pronoun.
理解: lǐ jiě — To understand; to comprehend; to grasp meaning.
截然不同: jié rán bù tóng — Completely different; totally distinct; poles apart.
为: wéi — To be; to serve as; to act as.
一组: yī zǔ — A group of; a set of; a collection.
固定: gù dìng — Fixed; stable; established and not changing.
坐标: zuò biāo — Coordinates; reference points in a system or space.
点: diǎn — Point; dot; a specific location or spot.
大门: dà mén — Main gate; large front entrance of a building.
一个: yī gè — One; a single unit of something.
门廊: mén láng — Porch; covered entrance corridor at a doorway.
另: lìng — Another; other; a different one besides this.
床脚: chuáng jiǎo — Foot of the bed; the lower end of a bed.
处: chù — Place; location; a particular spot or position.

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