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

And he was always there before it happened, which meant he was anticipating it, which meant he was doing something that looked, from the outside, very much like knowing.

而他总是在事情发生之前就已经到场，这意味着他在预感它，这意味着他在做一件从外部看来非常像是"知晓"的事情。

She had mentioned this to her sister on the phone one evening, not quite sure why.

某天傍晚，她在电话里把这件事告诉了姐姐，自己也不太清楚为什么要说。

Her sister had said, *Dogs know things. *

姐姐说："狗是懂事情的。"

Then she had moved on to talking about her son's exam results, and the conversation had gone elsewhere.

然后姐姐就转而谈起了儿子的考试成绩，话题就这样飘向了别处。

But Malee kept thinking about it.

但玛莉一直在想这件事。

Dogs know things.

狗是懂事情的。

It was the kind of statement that sounded simple and turned out, on examination, to have no bottom.

这句话听起来简单，细想之下却深不见底。

It was the middle of the dry season now.

现在正是旱季中期。

The frangipani at the corner of the garden had finished blooming and the fallen petals had gone brown and papery underfoot.

花园角落里的鸡蛋花已经凋谢，落在地上的花瓣变得枯褐，踩上去沙沙作响。

The mango tree was beginning to set fruit — small and hard and still weeks away from anything useful.

芒果树开始结果了——果实又小又硬，距离成熟可食还有好几个星期。

In the evenings the air held its heat long after the sun was gone, and the family had moved their dinner outside to the porch, where there was at least the occasional movement of air.

傍晚时分，太阳落山后空气仍久久留着热意，一家人便把晚饭移到门廊外面吃，那里至少偶尔还有一丝风动。

Nipa would carry out the dishes and Malee would bring the rice and they would eat together in the yellow light that fell through the doorway, with the garden dark and fragrant around them.

妮帕端出菜肴，玛莉捧来米饭，两人在穿过门口洒落的昏黄灯光里一同用餐，四周的花园幽暗而芬芳。

Khao would settle at Nipa's feet — always Nipa's feet, specifically — and sleep the dense, untroubled sleep of a creature that has arranged its world to its satisfaction.

考会蜷在妮帕的脚边——总是妮帕的脚边，一贯如此——沉沉地睡去，那是一个已将自己的世界安排得称心如意的生灵才有的安稳好眠。

On these evenings Malee watched her daughter and thought about things she did not say.

在这样的傍晚，玛莉望着女儿，心里想着一些她没有说出口的事。

Nipa was nine years old and already had the quality of someone thinking about elsewhere.

妮帕九岁，却已有一种心思游向别处的气质。

Not unhappily.

并非不快乐。

She was not a restless child in the way of children who cannot be still.

她不是那种坐立不安、无法安静的孩子。

Vocabulary

而: ér — Conjunction connecting clauses; and, but, yet
他: tā — Third-person singular masculine pronoun; he, him
总是: zǒng shì — Always, invariably doing something
在: zài — At, in, on; indicates location or ongoing action
事情: shì qing — Matter, affair, thing, event
发生: fā shēng — To happen, occur, take place
之前: zhī qián — Before, prior to a certain time or event
就: jiù — Already, then; indicates earliness or immediacy
已经: yǐ jīng — Already, by now
到场: dào chǎng — To arrive at the scene, be present
这: zhè — This, these; demonstrative pronoun
意味着: yì wèi zhe — To mean, signify, imply something
预感: yù gǎn — Premonition, foreboding, intuitive feeling about future
它: tā — Third-person pronoun for objects or animals; it
做: zuò — To do, make, perform an action
一件: yī jiàn — One item or matter; measure word for things
从: cóng — From, since; indicates starting point
外部: wài bù — External, outside, the exterior side
看来: kàn lái — It seems, it appears, from the looks of it
非常: fēi cháng — Very, extremely, unusually
像是: xiàng shì — Seems like, looks as if, resembles
知晓: zhī xiǎo — To know, be aware of, have knowledge of
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification
某天: mǒu tiān — One day, a certain day, some day
傍晚: bàng wǎn — Evening, dusk, time around sunset
她: tā — Third-person singular feminine pronoun; she, her
电话: diàn huà — Telephone, phone call
里: lǐ — Inside, within; indicates interior location
把: bǎ — Disposal marker; indicates object acted upon
这件: zhè jiàn — This item or matter; demonstrative with measure word
事: shì — Matter, affair, thing, event
告诉: gào su — To tell, inform, let someone know
了: le — Particle indicating completed action or new situation
姐姐: jiě jie — Older sister
自己: zì jǐ — Oneself, self; reflexive pronoun
也: yě — Also, too, as well
不太: bù tài — Not very, not quite, not really
清楚: qīng chǔ — Clear, distinct; to understand clearly
为什么: wèi shén me — Why, for what reason
要: yào — To want, need; will, going to
说: shuō — To say, speak, talk
狗: gǒu — Dog
是: shì — To be; am, is, are
懂: dǒng — To understand, comprehend, know
然后: rán hòu — Then, after that, subsequently
转而: zhuǎn ér — To shift to, turn instead to another topic
谈起: tán qǐ — To bring up, start talking about
儿子: ér zi — Son
考试: kǎo shì — Exam, test, examination
成绩: chéng jì — Score, grade, academic results
话题: huà tí — Topic of conversation, subject of discussion
这样: zhè yàng — Like this, in this way, thus
飘向: piāo xiàng — To drift toward, float in the direction of
别处: bié chù — Elsewhere, another place, somewhere else
但: dàn — But, however, yet
一直: yī zhí — All along, continuously, always
想: xiǎng — To think, ponder, want, miss
句话: jù huà — A sentence, a phrase, a remark
听起来: tīng qǐ lái — Sounds like, seems when heard
简单: jiǎn dān — Simple, straightforward, uncomplicated
细想: xì xiǎng — To think carefully, reflect deeply on something
之下: zhī xià — Under, beneath; upon closer examination
却: què — Yet, but, however; indicates contrast
深不见底: shēn bù jiàn dǐ — Bottomlessly deep; unfathomably profound
现在: xiàn zài — Now, at present, currently
正是: zhèng shì — Precisely, exactly is; it is just
旱季: hàn jì — Dry season, drought season
中期: zhōng qī — Middle period, mid-stage of something
花园: huā yuán — Garden, flower garden
角落: jiǎo luò — Corner, nook, secluded spot
鸡蛋花: jī dàn huā — Plumeria, frangipani flower
凋谢: diāo xiè — To wither, fade, fall off (flowers)
落在: luò zài — To fall onto, land on a surface
地上: dì shang — On the ground, on the floor
花瓣: huā bàn — Petal, flower petal
变得: biàn de — To become, to turn into a state
枯褐: kū hè — Withered and brown, dried and dark-colored
踩上去: cǎi shàng qu — To step on, tread upon something
沙沙: shā shā — Rustling sound, soft crackling noise
作响: zuò xiǎng — To make a sound, produce a noise
芒果树: máng guǒ shù — Mango tree
开始: kāi shǐ — To begin, start
结果: jiē guǒ — To bear fruit; result, outcome
果实: guǒ shí — Fruit, the fruit of a plant
又小又硬: yòu xiǎo yòu yìng — Both small and hard at the same time
距离: jù lí — Distance, gap; away from
成熟: chéng shú — Ripe, mature, fully developed
可食: kě shí — Edible, suitable for eating
还有: hái yǒu — Still have; there is still, also
好几个: hǎo jǐ gè — Several, quite a few
星期: xīng qī — Week
时分: shí fēn — Time, moment, a particular point in time
太阳: tài yáng — The sun
落山: luò shān — Sun setting behind the mountains, sunset
后: hòu — After, behind, following
空气: kōng qì — Air, atmosphere
仍: réng — Still, yet, as before
久久: jiǔ jiǔ — For a long time, lingering, persistently
留着: liú zhe — Retaining, keeping, holding onto something
热意: rè yì — Warmth, heat, sensation of heat
一家人: yī jiā rén — The whole family, all family members together
便: biàn — Then, thereupon; as a result
晚饭: wǎn fàn — Dinner, evening meal
移到: yí dào — To move to, shift to another place
门廊: mén láng — Porch, veranda, covered entryway
外面: wài miàn — Outside, outdoors, exterior
吃: chī — To eat
那里: nà lǐ — There, that place
至少: zhì shǎo — At least, at the minimum
偶尔: ǒu ěr — Occasionally, once in a while
一丝: yī sī — A trace, a hint, a tiny bit of
风动: fēng dòng — Movement of wind, a stirring of breeze
端出: duān chū — To carry out (dishes), bring out on a tray
菜肴: cài yáo — Dishes, cooked food, prepared cuisine
捧来: pěng lái — To bring over carrying with both hands
米饭: mǐ fàn — Cooked rice
两人: liǎng rén — Two people, the two of them
穿过: chuān guò — To pass through, go through
门口: mén kǒu — Doorway, entrance, threshold
洒落: sǎ luò — To scatter down, fall and spread out
昏黄: hūn huáng — Dim yellowish, dusky amber light
灯光: dēng guāng — Lamplight, artificial light from a lamp
一同: yī tóng — Together, at the same time, jointly
用餐: yòng cān — To have a meal, dine
四周: sì zhōu — All around, surroundings, all four sides
幽暗: yōu àn — Dim, dusky, darkly shadowed
芬芳: fēn fāng — Fragrant, sweet-smelling, aromatic
会: huì — Can, able to; will; know how to
蜷在: quán zài — To curl up at, crouch nestled at a place
脚边: jiǎo biān — At one's feet, beside someone's feet
一贯: yī guàn — Consistent, habitual, always the same way
如此: rú cǐ — Like this, so, in such a manner
沉沉: chén chén — Deeply, heavily (of sleep); deeply sunken
地: de — Structural particle linking adverb to verb
睡去: shuì qù — To fall asleep, drift off to sleep
那是: nà shì — That is, that was
一个: yī gè — One, a single (general measure word)
已将: yǐ jiāng — Has already arranged or handled something
世界: shì jiè — World, the entire world
安排: ān pái — To arrange, organize, plan
得: de — Particle indicating degree or result of action
称心如意: chèn xīn rú yì — Perfectly satisfactory, exactly as one wishes
生灵: shēng líng — Living creature, sentient being
才有: cái yǒu — Only then have, only thus can have
安稳: ān wěn — Stable, secure, peaceful and steady
好眠: hǎo mián — Good sleep, peaceful restful slumber
望着: wàng zhe — Gazing at, looking steadily at
女儿: nǚ ér — Daughter
心里: xīn lǐ — In one's heart, in one's mind
想着: xiǎng zhe — Thinking about, pondering, keeping in mind
一些: yī xiē — Some, a few, a certain amount of
没有: méi yǒu — Don't have, there is no; did not
说出口: shuō chū kǒu — To say out loud, verbalize, speak out
九岁: jiǔ suì — Nine years old
已有: yǐ yǒu — Already have, already possess
一种: yī zhǒng — A kind of, a type of
心思: xīn si — Mind, thought, state of mind, disposition
游向: yóu xiàng — To drift toward, move in the direction of
气质: qì zhì — Temperament, disposition, personal quality
并非: bìng fēi — Is not at all, by no means
不快乐: bù kuài lè — Not happy, unhappy, lacking joy
不是: bù shì — Is not, are not, negative of to be
那种: nà zhǒng — That kind of, that type of
坐立不安: zuò lì bù ān — Restless, unable to sit or stand still
无法: wú fǎ — Unable to, incapable of, no way to
安静: ān jìng — Quiet, calm, still, peaceful
孩子: hái zi — Child, kid

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