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English → Chinese Honey Floors and Inherited Silence Level 5/10

The house had been built by Nipa's grandfather in the year of a particularly good harvest, when the price of jasmine rice had been high enough that a man could afford teak.

这栋房子是妮帕的祖父在某个格外丰收的年份建造的，那一年茉莉香米的价格高得让人足以负担得起柚木。

That was the story, anyway — Malee had heard it so many times she could no longer be certain which parts were true and which had been improved over the years by the telling.

不管怎样，这是那个故事的说法——玛丽听过太多遍，已经无法确定哪些部分是真实的，哪些是在一次次讲述中被润色添加的。

What she knew for certain was that the floorboards were the color of dark honey and they creaked in specific places, and that she had learned every one of those places in her first month of marriage so she could move through the house at night without waking anyone.

她确切知道的是，那些地板是深蜂蜜的颜色，会在特定的地方发出嘎吱声，而她在成婚后的第一个月便已将每一处都摸熟了，这样她夜里走动时便不会吵醒任何人。

Nipa had learned them too, eventually.

妮帕最终也把那些地方都记住了。

Children always did.

孩子们总是这样。

The front gate was original to the house — iron, painted black, with a latch that had to be lifted at a particular angle or it would stick.

前院的大门是房子最初就有的——铁制的，漆成黑色，门闩必须以特定的角度提起，否则就会卡住。

Over the years this had become a kind of private knowledge, the way a family accumulates small competencies that outsiders don't possess.

多年来，这已成为一种私有的知识，就像一个家庭积累起外人所不具备的种种小技巧一样。

Guests always struggled with it.

客人们总是对付不了它。

The postman had never learned.

邮递员从来没有学会过。

But Nipa could open it in one motion without looking, and the sound it made — a brief metallic ring followed by the low complaint of the hinge — had been the sound of her homecoming for as long as Malee could remember.

但妮帕不用看，一个动作就能把它打开，而它发出的声音——短促的金属碰撞声，随后是铰链低沉的抱怨声——在玛丽的记忆里一直是她回家的声音。

Khao had learned the sound too.

考也听熟了那个声音。

This was what Malee turned over in her mind on the afternoons when she watched him.

这正是玛丽在那些下午注视着他时，在心里反复思量的事。

He did not wait for the school bus, which stopped two streets over and made its own noise.

他不是在等校车——校车停在两条街外，有它自己的声响。

He did not wait for footsteps on the road, which would have been reasonable.

他也不是在等路上的脚步声，虽然那样做倒也合情合理。

He waited for the gate — specifically, for that sequence of sounds.

他等的是大门——确切地说，是那一连串声音。

The lifted latch, the hinge.

门闩被提起，铰链作响。

Vocabulary

这: zhè — This; used to indicate something nearby.
栋: dòng — Measure word for buildings or structures.
房子: fángzi — House; a residential building or dwelling.
是: shì — To be; links subject and predicate.
的: de — Possessive or descriptive particle.
祖父: zǔfù — Paternal grandfather; father's father.
在: zài — At; in; existing at a location or time.
某个: mǒu gè — A certain; some particular unspecified one.
格外: géwài — Especially; particularly; unusually so.
丰收: fēngshōu — Bumper harvest; abundant agricultural yield.
年份: niánfèn — Year; a specific year or vintage.
建造: jiànzào — To build; to construct a structure.
那: nà — That; indicates something more distant.
一年: yī nián — One year; a period of twelve months.
茉莉: mòlì — Jasmine; a fragrant flowering plant.
香米: xiāngmǐ — Fragrant rice; aromatic variety of rice.
价格: jiàgé — Price; the monetary value of something.
高: gāo — High; tall; elevated in level or amount.
得: de — Structural particle indicating degree or result.
让人: ràng rén — Makes one; causes people to feel something.
足以: zúyǐ — Sufficient to; enough to achieve something.
负担: fùdān — Burden; to afford or bear a cost.
得起: de qǐ — Can afford; able to bear the cost.
柚木: yòumù — Teak wood; a durable tropical hardwood.
不管: bùguǎn — Regardless of; no matter what happens.
怎样: zěnyàng — However; in whatever way or manner.
那个: nàge — That one; referring to a specific thing.
故事: gùshi — Story; a narrative or tale told.
说法: shuōfǎ — Version; way of telling or stating something.
听过: tīng guò — Has heard; experienced hearing something before.
太多: tài duō — Too many; excessively large in number.
遍: biàn — Times; measure word for complete actions.
已经: yǐjīng — Already; something has happened before now.
无法: wúfǎ — Unable to; no way to do something.
确定: quèdìng — To determine; to be certain about something.
哪些: nǎxiē — Which ones; asking about specific items.
部分: bùfen — Part; portion or section of a whole.
真实: zhēnshí — True; real; reflecting actual facts.
一次次: yī cì cì — Again and again; repeatedly over time.
讲述: jiǎngshù — To narrate; to tell a story or account.
中: zhōng — In; within; amid a process or thing.
被: bèi — Passive marker; indicates action done to subject.
润色: rùnsè — To embellish; to polish or beautify language.
添加: tiānjiā — To add; to include additional elements.
她: tā — She; third-person singular female pronoun.
确切: quèqiè — Exact; precise and definite in detail.
知道: zhīdào — To know; to be aware of something.
那些: nàxiē — Those; referring to plural distant items.
地板: dìbǎn — Floor; the flat surface of a room.
深: shēn — Deep; dark (of color); profound.
蜂蜜: fēngmì — Honey; sweet substance produced by bees.
颜色: yánsè — Color; the visual property of hue.
会: huì — Will; can; expressing ability or future action.
特定: tèdìng — Specific; particular and clearly identified.
地方: dìfang — Place; a specific location or spot.
发出: fāchū — To emit; to produce a sound or signal.
嘎吱: gāzhī — Creak; onomatopoeia for a creaking sound.
声: shēng — Sound; noise; a measure word for sounds.
而: ér — And; but; a conjunction linking clauses.
成婚: chénghūn — To marry; to enter into a marriage.
后: hòu — After; following a certain point in time.
第一个: dì yī gè — The first one; the initial item or instance.
月: yuè — Month; also means moon.
便: biàn — Then; thereupon; indicating a quick consequence.
已: yǐ — Already; indicating a completed state.
将: jiāng — Will; to take; a formal future marker.
每: měi — Every; each individual one.
一处: yī chù — Every spot; each particular place or location.
都: dōu — All; both; indicating inclusiveness.
摸熟: mōshú — To become familiar with by touch or practice.
了: le — Completion particle; indicates finished action.
这样: zhèyàng — Like this; in this way or manner.
夜里: yèlǐ — At night; during the nighttime hours.
走动: zǒudòng — To move around; to walk about.
时: shí — When; at the time of an action.
不会: bù huì — Won't; will not; unable to do something.
吵醒: chǎoxǐng — To wake someone up with noise.
任何人: rènhé rén — Anyone; any person whatsoever.
最终: zuìzhōng — Eventually; in the end; ultimately.
也: yě — Also; too; as well.
把: bǎ — Disposal marker; particle before direct object.
记住: jìzhù — To memorize; to remember something firmly.
孩子们: háizimen — Children; plural of child or kid.
总是: zǒngshì — Always; invariably at all times.
前院: qiányuàn — Front yard; the area in front of a house.
大门: dàmén — Main gate; front entrance door or gate.
最初: zuìchū — Originally; at the very beginning.
就: jiù — Then; just; already; indicating immediacy.
有: yǒu — To have; there is/are; to exist.
铁制: tiězhì — Made of iron; iron-manufactured material.
漆成: qīchéng — Painted into; coated with paint to become.
黑色: hēisè — Black; the color black.
门闩: ménshuān — Door bolt; a sliding bar locking a door.
必须: bìxū — Must; obligatory; required without exception.
以: yǐ — With; by means of; at a certain angle.
角度: jiǎodù — Angle; perspective or degree of inclination.
提起: tíqǐ — To lift up; to raise to a higher position.
否则: fǒuzé — Otherwise; or else if not done so.
就会: jiù huì — Then will; as a result would happen.
卡住: qiǎzhù — To get stuck; to jam and not move.
多年来: duō nián lái — Over many years; throughout numerous past years.
成为: chéngwéi — To become; to turn into something.
一种: yī zhǒng — A kind of; one type of something.
私有: sīyǒu — Private; privately owned or possessed knowledge.
知识: zhīshi — Knowledge; information or understanding acquired.
就像: jiù xiàng — Just like; similar to; as if.
一个: yī gè — One; a single unit of something.
家庭: jiātíng — Family; a household unit of people.
积累: jīlěi — To accumulate; to build up over time.
起: qǐ — Up; resultative complement indicating accumulation.
外人: wàirén — Outsider; a person not part of the group.
所: suǒ — Particle before verb indicating what is done.
不: bù — Not; negation particle.
具备: jùbèi — To possess; to be equipped with qualities.
种种: zhǒngzhǒng — All kinds of; various sorts of things.
小: xiǎo — Small; little; minor in size.
技巧: jìqiǎo — Skill; technique; a practical knack or trick.
一样: yīyàng — Same; alike; just as with something else.
客人们: kèrénmen — Guests; plural of visitor or guest.
对付: duìfu — To deal with; to manage or handle something.
不了: bùliǎo — Unable to; cannot manage to do it.
它: tā — It; third-person pronoun for objects or animals.
邮递员: yóudìyuán — Postal worker; a person who delivers mail.
从来: cónglái — Never; always (used with negation or affirmation).
没有: méiyǒu — Did not; have not; negating past actions.
学会: xuéhuì — To have learned; to successfully master something.
过: guò — Experiential particle; indicates past experience.
但: dàn — But; however; indicating contrast.
不用: bùyòng — No need to; without having to do something.
看: kàn — To look; to watch; to see.
动作: dòngzuò — Action; movement; physical gesture or motion.
就能: jiù néng — Then can; thereby able to do something.
打开: dǎkāi — To open; to unlock or cause to open.
声音: shēngyīn — Sound; voice; an audible noise.
短促: duǎncù — Brief and sharp; short and abrupt in duration.
金属: jīnshǔ — Metal; a hard material like iron or steel.
碰撞: pèngzhuàng — Collision; clash; objects striking each other.
随后: suíhòu — Shortly after; then; immediately following.
铰链: jiǎoliàn — Hinge; a jointed device allowing pivoting motion.
低沉: dīchén — Low and deep; resonant in a low tone.
抱怨: bàoyuàn — To complain; to grumble about something.
记忆: jìyì — Memory; recollection of past experiences.
里: lǐ — Inside; within a place or memory.
一直: yīzhí — Always; continuously; straight ahead.
回家: huí jiā — To return home; to go back home.
考: kǎo — To study; to examine; (here possibly 'test').
听熟: tīngshú — To become familiar by hearing repeatedly.
正是: zhèngshì — Precisely; exactly; it is exactly this.
下午: xiàwǔ — Afternoon; the time from noon to evening.
注视: zhùshì — To gaze at; to look fixedly at something.
着: zhe — Continuous aspect particle; ongoing action marker.
他: tā — He; third-person singular male pronoun.
心里: xīnlǐ — In one's heart; inwardly; in the mind.
反复: fǎnfù — Repeatedly; over and over again.
思量: sīliang — To ponder; to think over carefully.
事: shì — Matter; thing; affair or situation.
不是: bù shì — Is not; negation of the verb 'to be'.
等: děng — To wait; to wait for something or someone.
校车: xiàochē — School bus; vehicle transporting students to school.
停在: tíng zài — Stopped at; parked at a location.
两条: liǎng tiáo — Two (streets); measure word for long thin things.
街外: jiē wài — Streets away; outside on the street.
自己: zìjǐ — Oneself; by oneself; one's own self.
声响: shēngxiǎng — Sound; noise produced by something.
路上: lùshàng — On the way; along the road or path.
脚步: jiǎobù — Footstep; the sound or act of walking.
虽然: suīrán — Although; even though; despite the fact.
那样: nàyàng — That way; in that manner or fashion.
做: zuò — To do; to make; to perform an action.
倒也: dào yě — Actually; on the contrary, also reasonable.
合情合理: héqíng hélǐ — Reasonable and fair; both sensible and justified.
一连串: yīliánchuàn — A series of; a chain of consecutive things.
作响: zuòxiǎng — To make a sound; to produce a noise.

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