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English → Chinese What the House Remembers Level 5/10

Malee, who had grown up in a house that valued composure, respected this.

玛丽从小在一个重视沉稳的家庭中长大，她尊重这一点。

She did not talk to him in the mornings.

她早晨不和他说话。

That was a different time of day.

早晨是一天中不同的时段。

In the mornings they simply existed in the same kitchen the way two serious people can share a space without needing to fill it.

早晨他们只是共同存在于同一个厨房里，就像两个沉默寡言的人可以共处一室而无需填满那份空间。

Nipa came down hungry and loud, the way children come into rooms.

妮帕下楼来，又饿又闹，就像孩子们闯进房间时的样子。

She ate quickly, one eye on the clock, because school started at seven-thirty and the walk took twenty minutes and she liked to leave room for slowness.

她吃得很快，一只眼睛盯着时钟，因为学校七点半开始上课，走路要二十分钟，而她喜欢给自己留出慢下来的余地。

Khao ate from his bowl in the corner after she put his food down.

她把食物放下后，考从角落里的碗里吃东西。

He ate without drama, at his own speed.

他吃东西毫不张扬，按照自己的节奏。

Then the part of the morning that had already, in just a few weeks, become something Nipa counted on: the walk to the gate.

然后是早晨的那一段——仅仅几个星期，就已经成了妮帕所依赖的事情：走到大门口。

She would pick up her bag, and Khao would follow her through the garden to the front gate, where she would use the two-handed technique to let herself out.

她会拿起书包，考会跟着她穿过花园走到前门，她在那里用双手的方式打开门出去。

She would look back at him — he was always sitting by then, not jumping, not pressing against the gate, just sitting and watching — and she would say something like *see you later* or *be good* or sometimes nothing at all.

她会回头看他——那时他总是坐着，不跳跃，不扑向门，只是坐着看——然后她会说"一会儿见"或"乖乖的"之类的话，有时什么也不说。

And then she would go.

然后她就走了。

He would stay at the gate for a while.

他会在大门口待一会儿。

Malee had noticed this the first morning it happened and had watched from the porch, her coffee in both hands, saying nothing.

玛丽在这件事第一次发生的那天早晨就注意到了，她站在门廊上看着，双手捧着咖啡，什么也没说。

He sat facing the gate for perhaps ten minutes after Nipa left, and then, as if satisfied that he had done what was required of him, he turned and walked back toward the garden.

妮帕离开后，他面朝大门坐了大约十分钟，然后，仿佛确认自己已尽到本分，他转身走回花园。

On the fourth morning, Malee watched him do this and felt something she did not have a name for.

第四天早晨，玛丽看着他这样做，心里涌起一种她叫不出名字的感受。

Vocabulary

从小: cóng xiǎo — From a young age; since childhood
在: zài — In, at, on; to be located at a place
一个: yī gè — One; a single (general measure word)
重视: zhòngshì — To value highly; to attach importance to something
沉稳: chénwěn — Calm and steady; composed and unruffled in manner
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification
家庭: jiātíng — Family; household unit of related people
中: zhōng — In the middle of; within a place or context
长大: zhǎng dà — To grow up; to develop from child to adult
她: tā — She; her (third-person singular feminine pronoun)
尊重: zūnzhòng — To respect; to regard with esteem and deference
这: zhè — This; referring to something nearby or just mentioned
一点: yīdiǎn — A little; this point or aspect of something
早晨: zǎochén — Morning; the early part of the day
不: bù — Not; negation particle used before verbs
和: hé — And; with; together with someone
他: tā — He; him (third-person singular masculine pronoun)
说话: shuōhuà — To speak; to talk; to have a conversation
是: shì — To be; is, am, are (linking verb)
一天: yī tiān — One day; an entire day from morning to night
不同: bùtóng — Different; not the same; distinct from each other
时段: shíduàn — Time period; a specific slot or segment of time
他们: tāmen — They; them (third-person plural pronoun)
只是: zhǐshì — Just; merely; simply; nothing more than
共同: gòngtóng — Together; jointly; in common with each other
存在: cúnzài — To exist; to be present; existence itself
于: yú — In, at, on; formal preposition indicating location
同一个: tóng yī gè — The same one; one and the same person or thing
厨房: chúfáng — Kitchen; the room where food is prepared
里: lǐ — Inside; within a space or container
就像: jiù xiàng — Just like; exactly as; similar to something else
两个: liǎng gè — Two (people or things); a pair of
沉默寡言: chénmò guǎyán — Taciturn; speaking very little; quiet by nature
人: rén — Person; people; human being
可以: kěyǐ — Can; may; to be allowed or able to do
共处: gòngchǔ — To coexist; to live or be together peacefully
而: ér — And yet; but; a conjunction linking contrasting clauses
无需: wú xū — No need to; without needing to do something
填满: tiánmǎn — To fill up completely; to pack a space full
那份: nà fèn — That portion; that particular share or amount
空间: kōngjiān — Space; room; an empty area or gap
下楼: xià lóu — To come downstairs; to descend to a lower floor
来: lái — To come; to arrive; directional complement
又饿: yòu è — Also hungry; hungry again at the same time
又闹: yòu nào — Also noisy or fussy; rowdy at the same time
孩子们: háizimen — Children; the kids (plural form of child)
闯进: chuǎng jìn — To burst into; to rush into a place uninvited
房间: fángjiān — Room; an enclosed space inside a building
时: shí — When; at the time of; a temporal conjunction
样子: yàngzi — Appearance; manner; the way something looks
吃得: chī de — Eats (in such a way); manner of eating
很快: hěn kuài — Very quickly; fast; at a rapid pace
一只: yī zhī — One (used for animals, eyes); a single piece
眼睛: yǎnjing — Eye; the organ used for seeing
盯着: dīngzhe — Staring at; fixing one's gaze on something
时钟: shízhōng — Clock; a device for measuring and showing time
因为: yīnwèi — Because; since; the reason being that
学校: xuéxiào — School; an educational institution for students
七点半: qī diǎn bàn — Seven thirty; half past seven o'clock
开始: kāishǐ — To begin; to start; the beginning of something
上课: shàng kè — To attend class; to go to lessons at school
走路: zǒu lù — To walk; to travel somewhere on foot
要: yào — To need; to want; to take (time or effort)
二十: èrshí — Twenty; the number 20
分钟: fēnzhōng — Minute(s); a unit of time equal to 60 seconds
喜欢: xǐhuān — To like; to enjoy; to be fond of something
给: gěi — To give; for; a preposition indicating beneficiary
自己: zìjǐ — Oneself; self; referring back to the subject
留出: liú chū — To leave out; to reserve space or time for
慢下来: màn xià lái — To slow down; to reduce one's pace gradually
余地: yúdì — Room; leeway; margin left for flexibility
把: bǎ — Disposal marker before object; to take or handle
食物: shíwù — Food; things that are eaten for nourishment
放下: fàng xià — To put down; to set something down on a surface
后: hòu — After; behind; following in time or space
考: kǎo — To observe; to examine; to look into carefully
从: cóng — From; since; starting from a point in time
角落里: jiǎoluò lǐ — In the corner; within a corner of a room
碗里: wǎn lǐ — In the bowl; inside a bowl or dish
吃: chī — To eat; to consume food
东西: dōngxi — Thing; stuff; an object or item
吃东西: chī dōngxi — To eat; to consume food or snacks
毫不: háo bù — Not at all; without the slightest trace of
张扬: zhāngyáng — Flamboyant; showy; making a loud display of oneself
按照: ànzhào — According to; in accordance with; following a rule
节奏: jiézòu — Rhythm; pace; the regular beat or tempo of activity
然后: ránhòu — Then; after that; subsequently in sequence
那: nà — That; referring to something previously mentioned
一段: yī duàn — A period; a stretch or segment of time
仅仅: jǐnjǐn — Only; merely; just a small amount or number
几个: jǐ gè — Several; a few; an unspecified small number of
星期: xīngqī — Week; a period of seven days
就已经: jiù yǐjīng — Already by then; had already happened at that point
成了: chéngle — Became; turned into; had become something
所: suǒ — Particle before verbs indicating what is done or relied on
依赖: yīlài — To rely on; to depend on; reliance on something
事情: shìqing — Thing; matter; an affair or happening
走到: zǒu dào — To walk to; to reach a place by walking
大门口: dàménkǒu — At the main entrance; by the front gate
会: huì — Will; can; to be likely to do something
拿起: ná qǐ — To pick up; to lift and take hold of something
书包: shūbāo — School bag; backpack used to carry books
跟着: gēnzhe — Following behind; going after someone
穿过: chuānguò — To pass through; to go across or through a place
花园: huāyuán — Garden; an outdoor area planted with flowers
前门: qiánmén — Front door; the main entrance door of a building
那里: nàlǐ — There; at that place or location
用: yòng — To use; to employ; by means of something
双手: shuāng shǒu — Both hands; using two hands together
方式: fāngshì — Way; method; manner of doing something
打开门: dǎkāi mén — To open the door; to unlock and open an entrance
出去: chū qù — To go out; to exit toward the outside
回头: huítóu — To turn one's head back; to look behind oneself
看: kàn — To look; to watch; to see something
那时: nà shí — At that time; back then; at that moment
总是: zǒngshì — Always; invariably; all the time without exception
坐着: zuòzhe — Sitting; in a seated position while doing something
跳跃: tiàoyuè — To jump; to leap; to spring upward energetically
扑向: pū xiàng — To pounce toward; to leap at something or someone
门: mén — Door; gate; an entrance to a room or building
说: shuō — To say; to speak; to tell someone something
一会儿: yīhuìr — In a while; soon; a short period of time
见: jiàn — See you; to meet; to see someone
或: huò — Or; either; alternatively one or another option
乖乖: guāiguāi — Be good; behave well (affectionate term for children)
之类: zhī lèi — And so on; that kind of thing; similar items
话: huà — Words; speech; something that is said
有时: yǒushí — Sometimes; at times; occasionally
什么: shénme — What; anything; used in questions or negatives
也: yě — Also; too; as well; even (in negative sentences)
不说: bù shuō — Without saying; not saying anything at all
就: jiù — Then; just; indicating a result or immediacy
走了: zǒu le — Left; went away; departed from the place
待: dāi — To stay; to wait; to remain in a place
这件事: zhè jiàn shì — This matter; this particular thing or affair
第一次: dì yī cì — The first time; for the very first occasion
发生: fāshēng — To happen; to occur; to take place as an event
那天: nà tiān — That day; on that particular day in the past
注意到: zhùyì dào — To notice; to become aware of something observed
了: le — Completion particle; indicates a change of state
站在: zhàn zài — Standing at; to stand in a particular place
门廊: ménláng — Doorway; porch; the covered entrance to a building
上: shàng — On top of; above; on a surface or level
看着: kànzhe — Watching; looking at; observing continuously
捧着: pěngzhe — Holding with both hands cupped; cradling something
咖啡: kāfēi — Coffee; the popular caffeinated hot beverage
没说: méi shuō — Said nothing; did not say a word
离开: líkāi — To leave; to depart from a place or person
面朝: miàn cháo — Facing toward; with one's face turned in a direction
大门: dàmén — Main gate; the large front entrance or door
坐了: zuòle — Sat for; remained seated for a period of time
大约: dàyuē — Approximately; about; roughly that amount or number
十: shí — Ten; the number 10
仿佛: fǎngfú — As if; seemingly; it seems like something is so
确认: quèrèn — To confirm; to verify; to make certain of something
已: yǐ — Already; having done something; a formal already particle
尽到: jìn dào — To have fulfilled; to have done one's full duty
本分: běnfèn — One's duty; one's proper role and responsibility
转身: zhuǎn shēn — To turn around; to rotate one's body direction
走回: zǒu huí — To walk back; to return somewhere on foot
第四天: dì sì tiān — The fourth day; day number four in a sequence
这样做: zhèyàng zuò — To do it this way; to act in this manner
心里: xīnlǐ — In one's heart; deep inside one's feelings or mind
涌起: yǒng qǐ — To well up; to surge upward (of feelings or water)
一种: yī zhǒng — A kind of; a type of; a certain sort of
叫不出: jiào bu chū — Cannot name; unable to find words for something
名字: míngzi — Name; the word used to identify a person or thing
感受: gǎnshòu — Feeling; sensation; emotional experience felt inside

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