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English → Chinese Flowers the House Already Knew Level 5/10

The dry season settled over the neighborhood like a hand pressed gently on a shoulder — not unkind, but insistent.

旱季笼罩在这片街区上，如同一只手轻轻按在肩头——并无恶意，却执意不退。

By eight in the morning the light had already turned white and flat, draining color from the garden, and the frangipani tree near the eastern wall dropped its flowers in small surrenders onto the packed earth below.

清晨八点，光线已然变得惨白而平淡，将花园的色彩一并抽走，东墙边的鸡蛋花树将花朵一片片落下，像是一次次小小的缴械，落在下方夯实的泥地上。

Malee had grown up watching this happen every year.

玛丽从小就年年看着这一幕上演。

She knew it meant another two months of heat before the first rains, knew to water the herbs before sunrise and to close the wooden shutters on the south side of the house by ten.

她知道这意味着第一场雨来临前还有两个月的酷热，知道要在日出前给草药浇水，在十点前关上房屋南侧的木百叶窗。

Her father had taught her this.

这些都是父亲教她的。

The house remembered it without being told.

而这房子无需提醒，自己便已铭记。

Khao was learning the seasons in his own way.

考以自己的方式慢慢摸索着季节的规律。

He had discovered, in those first warm weeks, that the coolest part of the day belonged to the kitchen floor.

在最初那几个温热的星期里，他发现一天中最凉爽的地方属于厨房的地板。

The tiles there were old — laid before Malee was born, pale green with small brown chips at the corners — and they held the night's cold long into the morning.

那里的瓷砖年代久远——在玛丽出生前便已铺就，浅绿色的砖面四角有细小的棕色缺口——它们将夜间的凉意留存至大半个上午。

He would stretch himself flat against them after Nipa left for school, his chin on his paws, his white coat against the pale green like a piece of cloud that had come inside to rest.

尼帕去上学后，他便整个身子平摊在地砖上，下巴搁在前爪上，白色的毛发衬着浅绿的砖面，像一片云飘进屋来歇息。

Malee would step around him without comment.

玛丽会绕着他走过，不发一言。

She had stopped pretending this was temporary.

她已不再假装这只是暂时的。

There were rules, still.

但规矩依然存在。

She maintained them with the mild seriousness of a person who understands that rules and love are not opposites.

她以一种温和而认真的态度维护着这些规矩，就像一个明白规矩与爱并不对立的人所做的那样。

He did not sleep on the furniture.

他不睡在家具上。

He did not beg at the table.

他不在饭桌旁乞食。

He did not follow her into the back room where she kept her sewing and her private things.

他不跟着她进入后屋——那里放着她的针线活和私人物品。

Vocabulary

旱季: hànjì — Dry season; period of little or no rainfall.
笼罩: lǒngzhào — To envelop or shroud; cover completely.
在: zài — At, in, on; indicates location or existence.
这片: zhè piàn — This stretch or area of land.
街区: jiēqū — City block or neighborhood district.
上: shàng — On, above, or upon something.
如同: rútóng — Just like; similar to; resembling something else.
一只: yī zhī — One (used for animals or certain objects).
手: shǒu — Hand; the human hand.
轻轻: qīngqīng — Gently, softly, lightly in manner or touch.
按在: àn zài — Press down onto; hold firmly against a surface.
肩头: jiāntóu — The top of the shoulder; shoulder area.
并无: bìng wú — Having absolutely no; not at all possessing.
恶意: èyì — Malice; ill will; bad or harmful intention.
却: què — Yet, but; indicates contrast or unexpectedness.
执意: zhíyì — Insist stubbornly; persist with firm determination.
不退: bù tuì — Not retreating; refusing to withdraw or leave.
清晨: qīngchén — Early morning; the quiet hours after dawn.
八点: bā diǎn — Eight o'clock; the time of 8:00.
光线: guāngxiàn — Light rays; the quality or intensity of light.
已然: yǐrán — Already; has already become or occurred.
变得: biàn de — To become; to change into a state.
惨白: cǎnbái — Ghastly white; pale and bleak in appearance.
而: ér — And, yet; connects contrasting or parallel clauses.
平淡: píngdàn — Flat and dull; lacking vibrancy or interest.
将: jiāng — Will; used to indicate a future or intended action.
花园: huāyuán — Garden; an area planted with flowers and plants.
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification.
色彩: sècǎi — Color; hue; the range of vivid colors.
一并: yībìng — All together; simultaneously at the same time.
抽走: chōu zǒu — To drain away; pull or draw something out completely.
边: biān — Side, edge, or border of something.
花朵: huāduǒ — Flower; a bloom on a plant.
一片片: yī piàn piàn — Petal by petal; piece by piece falling.
落下: luò xià — To fall down; drop to the ground.
像是: xiàng shì — Seems like; looks as if; resembles.
一次次: yī cì cì — Time after time; repeatedly occurring instances.
小小: xiǎoxiǎo — Tiny; very small in size or scale.
缴械: jiǎo xiè — To lay down arms; surrender one's weapons.
落在: luò zài — To land on; fall upon a surface.
下方: xià fāng — Below; the area underneath or lower down.
泥地: nídì — Muddy ground; dirt floor or earth surface.
从小: cóng xiǎo — From childhood; since one was very young.
就: jiù — Then, already; indicates a logical result.
年年: nián nián — Year after year; every single year.
看着: kàn zhe — Watching; observing as something unfolds.
这一幕: zhè yī mù — This scene; this particular moment or spectacle.
上演: shàngyǎn — To be performed or played out; unfold as a scene.
她: tā — She, her; third-person singular female pronoun.
知道: zhīdào — To know; to be aware of a fact.
这: zhè — This; a demonstrative pronoun indicating nearness.
意味着: yìwèi zhe — To mean; to signify or imply something.
第一场: dì yī chǎng — The first occurrence; the first episode of rain.
雨: yǔ — Rain; precipitation falling from clouds.
来临: láilín — To arrive; the approach of something expected.
前: qián — Before; in front of; prior to a time.
还有: hái yǒu — There are still; additionally there remains.
两个月: liǎng gè yuè — Two months; a period of two months.
酷热: kùrè — Scorching heat; extremely hot weather conditions.
要: yào — Must, need to; expresses necessity or intention.
日出前: rìchū qián — Before sunrise; prior to the sun rising.
给: gěi — To give; for; indicates recipient of an action.
草药: cǎoyào — Herbal medicine; medicinal plants and herbs.
浇水: jiāo shuǐ — To water plants; pour water on growing things.
十点: shí diǎn — Ten o'clock; the time of 10:00.
关上: guān shàng — To close or shut something completely.
房屋: fángwū — House; building used as a dwelling.
这些: zhèxiē — These; referring to multiple nearby things.
都是: dōu shì — All are; every one of them is.
父亲: fùqīn — Father; one's male parent.
教她: jiāo tā — Taught her; instructed or showed her how.
房子: fángzi — House; a residential building or dwelling.
无需: wú xū — No need to; without needing to do something.
提醒: tíxǐng — To remind; alert someone about something forgotten.
自己: zìjǐ — Oneself; by oneself; one's own self.
便已: biàn yǐ — Has already; then already done so naturally.
铭记: míngjì — To engrave in memory; remember deeply and permanently.
考: kǎo — To examine; also refers to the father (archaic).
以: yǐ — By means of; using; with a certain method.
方式: fāngshì — Method, way, or manner of doing something.
慢慢: mànmàn — Slowly, gradually; in an unhurried manner.
摸索着: mōsuǒ zhe — Groping or feeling one's way; figuring out gradually.
季节: jìjié — Season; one of the four natural seasons of year.
规律: guīlǜ — Pattern, rule, or regularity; a natural recurring law.
最初: zuìchū — At first; the very beginning; initially.
那几个: nà jǐ gè — Those few; referring to a small number of things.
温热: wēnrè — Warm; moderately hot; pleasantly warm temperature.
星期: xīngqī — Week; a period of seven days.
里: lǐ — Inside, within; in the interior of something.
他: tā — He, him; third-person singular male pronoun.
发现: fāxiàn — To discover or find out; realize something new.
一天中: yī tiān zhōng — Within a single day; during the course of one day.
最凉爽: zuì liángshuǎng — The coolest; most refreshingly cool spot.
地方: dìfāng — Place, location, or area; a spot somewhere.
属于: shǔyú — To belong to; to be the property of.
厨房: chúfáng — Kitchen; the room where food is prepared.
地板: dìbǎn — Floor; the flat surface one walks on indoors.
那里: nàlǐ — There, that place; referring to a location mentioned.
瓷砖: cízhuān — Ceramic tile; glazed tile used for floors or walls.
年代: niándài — Era, decade, or period of time in history.
久远: jiǔyuǎn — Long ago; from a distant time in the past.
出生前: chūshēng qián — Before birth; prior to being born.
浅绿色: qiǎn lǜ sè — Light green color; a pale shade of green.
四角: sì jiǎo — Four corners; all four corner points of something.
有: yǒu — To have; there is or are; to exist.
细小: xìxiǎo — Tiny and fine; very small and delicate.
棕色: zōng sè — Brown color; the color brown.
缺口: quēkǒu — Chip or notch; a small break in an edge.
它们: tāmen — They, them; third-person plural for non-human things.
夜间: yèjiān — During the night; nighttime hours.
凉意: liángyì — A sense of coolness; the feeling of cool air.
留存: liúcún — To remain preserved; to stay and be retained.
至: zhì — Until, to; extending up to a point in time.
大半个: dà bàn gè — More than half; the greater part of something.
上午: shàngwǔ — Morning; the hours from dawn to noon.
去: qù — To go; move toward or travel to a place.
上学: shàng xué — To go to school; attend school regularly.
后: hòu — After, behind; subsequent in time or space.
便: biàn — Then, thereupon; indicates a logical consequence.
整个: zhěnggè — Entire, whole; the complete totality of something.
身子: shēnzi — Body; the physical body of a person or animal.
平摊: píng tān — To spread flat; lie stretched out fully.
地砖: dìzhuān — Floor tile; ceramic tile laid on a floor.
下巴: xiàba — Chin; the lower part of the face or jaw.
搁在: gē zài — To rest or place upon; set something down on.
白色: báisè — White color; the color white.
毛发: máofà — Fur and hair; animal or human hair collectively.
衬着: chèn zhe — Set against; contrasted with a background color.
浅绿: qiǎn lǜ — Light green; a pale, soft green shade.
像: xiàng — Like, resembling; similar in appearance to.
一片云: yī piàn yún — A patch of cloud; one single cloud formation.
飘进: piāo jìn — To drift or float into; waft inside gently.
歇息: xiēxi — To rest; take a break; settle down quietly.
会: huì — Will; to be able to; indicates likelihood or skill.
绕着: rào zhe — Going around; circling or skirting something.
走过: zǒu guò — To walk past; pass by on foot.
一言: yī yán — A single word or utterance; not one word.
已: yǐ — Already; by now; indicates something completed.
不再: bù zài — No longer; not anymore; ceased to do something.
假装: jiǎzhuāng — To pretend; feign; act as if something is true.
只是: zhǐshì — Only, merely; just; nothing more than.
暂时: zànshí — Temporary; for the time being; not permanent.
但: dàn — But; however; introduces a contrasting statement.
规矩: guīju — Rules; established norms or proper conduct.
依然: yīrán — Still, as before; unchanged from a previous state.
存在: cúnzài — To exist; to be present; existence itself.
一种: yī zhǒng — A kind of; one type or sort of something.
温和: wēnhé — Gentle and mild; moderate in manner or temperament.
认真: rènzhēn — Serious, earnest; taking something with sincerity.
态度: tàidu — Attitude; one's manner or approach toward something.
维护着: wéihù zhe — Upholding or maintaining; keeping something intact.
就像: jiù xiàng — Just like; exactly as; in the same way as.
一个: yī gè — One; a single person or thing (general counter).
明白: míngbai — To understand clearly; knowing and comprehending well.
与: yǔ — And, with; together with; connecting two elements.
爱: ài — Love; deep affection or care for someone.
并不: bìng bù — Not at all; emphatically not; contrary to expectation.
对立: duìlì — Opposed, contradictory; in conflict or opposition.
人: rén — Person, people; a human being.
所做: suǒ zuò — What one does; actions performed by someone.
那样: nàyàng — Like that; in that manner or way.
不: bù — No, not; negation of a verb or adjective.
睡在: shuì zài — To sleep on or in; rest in a particular place.
家具: jiājù — Furniture; movable furnishings inside a home.
不在: bù zài — Not at; not present; absent from a location.
饭桌: fànzhuō — Dining table; the table at which meals are eaten.
旁: páng — Beside, next to; at the side of something.
乞食: qǐ shí — To beg for food; scrounge for scraps of food.
跟着: gēn zhe — Following; going along behind someone.
进入: jìnrù — To enter; go into a place or space.
放着: fàng zhe — Kept or stored there; placed and left somewhere.
针线活: zhēnxiàn huó — Needlework; sewing and stitching handicraft work.
和: hé — And; together with; linking two nouns or phrases.
私人: sīrén — Private, personal; belonging to an individual.
物品: wùpǐn — Items, belongings; personal articles or objects.

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