ขาว — Page 3

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

She was still often — reading on the porch, sitting with Khao in the garden, watching the gate the way Khao did, though for different reasons.

她仍然常常静静地待着——在门廊上看书，和考坐在花园里，像考一样望着大门，尽管原因各不相同。

But behind her stillness there was something pointed in the direction of the future.

但在她的静默之后，有某种东西正指向未来的方向。

Malee recognized it because she had seen it before, in herself, at that age, in the years before she had understood that she would stay.

玛莉认出了这种东西，因为她曾在自己身上见过，在那个年纪，在她明白自己会留下来之前的那些年里。

She did not know yet whether Nipa would stay.

她还不知道尼帕是否会留下来。

She thought about this and felt nothing she could name cleanly.

她想着这件事，却找不到任何能够清晰说出的感受。

Only the particular weight of a question that is not ready to be answered.

只有一个尚未准备好被回答的问题所特有的那种沉重。

One evening in the hottest part of the season, Nipa fell asleep on the porch before dinner was finished.

在这个季节最炎热时节的一个傍晚，尼帕在晚饭还没吃完时就在门廊上睡着了。

It happened suddenly, the way it does with children — one moment she was eating, and then her head was on her arms and she was gone.

这来得很突然，就像孩子们惯常的那样——前一刻她还在吃饭，下一刻她的头就枕在了手臂上，人已经睡着了。

Malee cleared the dishes quietly and left her.

玛莉轻轻地收拾了碗碟，让她一个人待着。

Khao did not leave.

考没有离开。

He moved from his place at her feet and came to lie beside her, close enough that his white flank was pressed against her arm.

他从她脚边的位置挪开，来到她身旁躺下，靠得很近，白色的侧腹紧贴着她的手臂。

He put his head on the planks of the porch and exhaled once, slowly, and closed his eyes.

他把头搁在门廊的木板上，缓缓地呼出一口气，闭上了眼睛。

Malee stood in the doorway and looked at the two of them in the yellow light.

玛莉站在门口，望着黄色灯光中他们两个的模样。

She thought about the first night, when Nipa had carried him home wrapped in her school jacket, and the way he had looked up at her from inside the fabric with those dark, settled eyes.

她想起了第一个晚上，尼帕把他裹在校服外套里抱回家，他从布料里抬起头望着她，那双眼睛深沉而安定。

She had been resistant that night.

那天晚上她是抗拒的。

She remembered that clearly — she had been firm, or tried to be, and it had lasted about as long as it usually did when Nipa had decided something.

她清楚地记得——她曾经态度坚定，或者说试图坚定，但这种坚持维持的时间，和以往尼帕下定决心时差不多长。

She was glad, now, that it had not lasted longer.

她现在很庆幸，那种坚持没有持续得更久。

Vocabulary

她: tā — Third person singular feminine pronoun: she, her.
仍然: réngrán — Still, yet; continuing in the same state.
常常: chángcháng — Often, frequently, habitually.
静静地: jìngjìng de — Quietly, calmly, in a still manner.
待着: dāizhe — Staying put, remaining in a place.
在: zài — At, in, on; indicating location or ongoing action.
门廊: méngláng — Porch, veranda, covered entrance to a building.
上: shàng — On, above; used after nouns to indicate surface/location.
看书: kànshū — Reading a book; to read.
和: hé — And; connecting nouns or noun phrases.
坐在: zuò zài — Sitting at/in a specific location.
花园: huāyuán — Garden; an outdoor space with plants and flowers.
里: lǐ — Inside, within; interior location marker.
像: xiàng — Like, resembling; used for comparisons.
一样: yīyàng — The same, alike; used in similes and comparisons.
望着: wàngzhe — Gazing at, looking toward something continuously.
大门: dàmén — Main gate, front entrance of a property.
尽管: jǐnguǎn — Although, even though; concessive conjunction.
原因: yuányīn — Reason, cause, explanation for something.
各不相同: gè bù xiāngtóng — Each one different; varying from one another.
但: dàn — But, however; adversative conjunction.
她的: tā de — Her, hers; possessive form of she.
静默: jìngmò — Silence, stillness; a state of quiet.
之后: zhīhòu — After, afterwards, following a time or event.
有: yǒu — To have, there is/are; indicating existence.
某种: mǒu zhǒng — A certain kind of, some sort of.
东西: dōngxi — Thing, stuff, object (general term).
正: zhèng — Just, right now; indicating ongoing action.
指向: zhǐxiàng — Pointing toward, indicating a direction or target.
未来: wèilái — Future; time yet to come.
的: de — Structural particle; links modifier to noun.
方向: fāngxiàng — Direction, orientation, course of movement.
认出了: rèn chū le — Recognized, identified someone or something.
这种: zhè zhǒng — This kind of, this type of.
因为: yīnwèi — Because, since; causal conjunction.
曾: céng — Once, formerly; indicates past experience.
自己: zìjǐ — Oneself, self; reflexive pronoun.
身上: shēnshang — On one's body, on oneself.
见过: jiàn guo — Have seen before; experienced perception of.
那个: nàge — That one; demonstrative pronoun or determiner.
年纪: niánjì — Age, years of life; how old someone is.
明白: míngbai — To understand, realize, comprehend clearly.
会: huì — Will, can, able to; indicating ability or likelihood.
留下来: liú xiàlai — To stay, remain; not leave a place.
之前: zhīqián — Before, prior to a time or event.
那些: nàxiē — Those; plural demonstrative determiner.
年: nián — Year; unit of time.
还: hái — Still, yet, also; indicating continuation or addition.
不知道: bù zhīdào — Don't know, unaware of something.
是否: shìfǒu — Whether or not; used in indirect questions.
想着: xiǎngzhe — Thinking about, pondering something continuously.
这件事: zhè jiàn shì — This matter, this thing, this issue.
却: què — Yet, but; adversative indicating contrast.
找不到: zhǎo bu dào — Cannot find, unable to locate something.
任何: rènhé — Any, whatever; used in negative or open contexts.
能够: nénggòu — To be able to, capable of doing something.
清晰: qīngxī — Clear, distinct, easy to perceive or understand.
说出: shuō chū — To express, utter, say something aloud.
感受: gǎnshòu — Feeling, sensation, emotional experience.
只有: zhǐyǒu — Only, there is only; restrictive expression.
一个: yīgè — One (general measure word); a single item.
尚未: shàngwèi — Not yet; still hasn't happened.
准备好: zhǔnbèi hǎo — Ready, prepared, all set for something.
被: bèi — Passive marker; indicates subject receives action.
回答: huídá — To answer, reply, respond to a question.
问题: wèntí — Question, problem, issue.
所: suǒ — Particle used before verbs in passive or relative clauses.
特有: tèyǒu — Unique to, characteristic of, peculiar to.
那种: nà zhǒng — That kind of, that type of.
沉重: chénzhòng — Heavy, weighty; a sense of burden or gravity.
这个: zhège — This, this one; singular demonstrative.
季节: jìjié — Season; one of the four periods of the year.
最: zuì — Most, -est; superlative degree marker.
炎热: yánrè — Scorching hot, sweltering; extreme heat.
时节: shíjié — Season, period of time, particular time of year.
傍晚: bàngwǎn — Dusk, early evening, around sunset.
晚饭: wǎnfàn — Dinner, evening meal.
还没: hái méi — Not yet; hasn't happened yet.
吃完: chī wán — Finished eating, done with a meal.
时: shí — When, at the time of; temporal conjunction.
就: jiù — Then, right away; indicates immediacy or result.
睡着了: shuì zháo le — Fell asleep, dozed off.
这: zhè — This; demonstrative pronoun or determiner.
来得: lái de — Came about, occurred; used with resultative complements.
很: hěn — Very, quite; degree adverb.
突然: tūrán — Suddenly, all of a sudden, unexpectedly.
就像: jiù xiàng — Just like, exactly as; comparison expression.
孩子们: háizimen — Children; plural of child.
惯常: guàncháng — Habitual, customary, as is usual.
那样: nàyàng — Like that, in that way, that manner.
前一刻: qián yī kè — The moment before, a moment earlier.
还在: hái zài — Still doing, still engaged in an action.
吃饭: chīfàn — Eating a meal, having food.
下一刻: xià yī kè — The next moment, an instant later.
头: tóu — Head; the upper part of the body.
枕在了: zhěn zài le — Rested (head) on, pillowed upon something.
手臂: shǒubì — Arm; the upper limb of the body.
人: rén — Person, human being, people.
已经: yǐjīng — Already; indicates something has occurred.
轻轻地: qīngqīng de — Gently, softly, lightly in manner.
收拾了: shōushi le — Tidied up, cleared away, put in order.
碗碟: wǎndié — Bowls and plates; dishes used for eating.
让: ràng — Let, allow, cause; permissive or causative verb.
一个人: yīgè rén — Alone, by oneself; one person.
没有: méiyǒu — Don't have, there isn't; negation of existence.
离开: líkāi — To leave, depart, go away from.
他: tā — He, him; third person singular masculine pronoun.
从: cóng — From; indicates starting point of movement.
脚边: jiǎobiān — Near the feet, at someone's feet.
位置: wèizhi — Position, place, location.
挪开: nuó kāi — To move away, shift to another spot.
来到: lái dào — To come to, arrive at a place.
身旁: shēnpáng — By someone's side, beside a person.
躺下: tǎng xià — To lie down, recline.
靠得: kào de — Leaning, positioned close; degree of closeness.
很近: hěn jìn — Very close, nearby, in proximity.
白色: báisè — White color, the color white.
紧贴着: jǐn tiēzhe — Pressed closely against, hugging tightly.
把: bǎ — Disposal marker; indicates object acted upon.
搁在: gē zài — To place on, rest upon a surface.
木板: mùbǎn — Wooden board, plank.
缓缓地: huǎnhuǎn de — Slowly, gradually, in an unhurried manner.
呼出: hū chū — To breathe out, exhale.
一口气: yī kǒu qì — One breath; in one breath, all at once.
闭上了: bì shàng le — Closed (eyes or mouth), shut.
眼睛: yǎnjing — Eyes; the organs of sight.
站在: zhàn zài — Standing at or in a location.
门口: ménkǒu — Doorway, entrance, threshold.
黄色: huángsè — Yellow color, the color yellow.
灯光: dēngguāng — Lamplight, artificial light from a lamp.
中: zhōng — In, within, amid; locative particle.
他们: tāmen — They, them; third person plural pronoun.
两个: liǎng gè — Two (of something); a pair.
模样: múyàng — Appearance, look, the way something looks.
想起了: xiǎng qǐ le — Recalled, remembered, thought of suddenly.
第一个: dì yī gè — The first one; ordinal first.
晚上: wǎnshang — Evening, night; the nighttime period.
裹在: guǒ zài — Wrapped in, bundled up in something.
校服: xiàofú — School uniform; standardized student clothing.
外套: wàitào — Coat, jacket, outer garment.
抱回家: bào huí jiā — Carried home in one's arms.
布料: bùliào — Fabric, cloth, textile material.
抬起头: tái qǐ tóu — Raised one's head, looked up.
那双: nà shuāng — That pair (of eyes, hands, etc.).
深沉: shēnchén — Deep, profound; serious and reserved in character.
而: ér — And, yet; connects adjectives or clauses.
安定: āndìng — Calm, stable, settled, composed.
那天: nà tiān — That day; referring to a specific past day.
是: shì — To be, is, are; copular verb.
抗拒: kàngjù — To resist, reject, refuse; show opposition.
清楚地: qīngchǔ de — Clearly, distinctly, in a clear manner.
记得: jìde — To remember, recall something from memory.
曾经: céngjīng — Once, at one time; indicates past experience.
态度: tàidu — Attitude, manner, stance toward something.
坚定: jiāndìng — Firm, resolute, determined, unwavering.
或者: huòzhě — Or, alternatively; presents another option.
说: shuō — To say, speak, tell; verbal communication.
试图: shìtú — To attempt, try to do something.
坚持: jiānchí — To persist, insist, persevere in something.
维持: wéichí — To maintain, sustain, keep something going.
时间: shíjiān — Time; a period or duration.
以往: yǐwǎng — In the past, formerly, previously.
下定决心: xià dìng juéxīn — To make up one's mind, resolve firmly.
差不多: chàbuduō — Almost, nearly, about the same.
长: cháng — Long (in duration or length).
现在: xiànzài — Now, currently, at present.
庆幸: qìngxìng — To feel fortunate, glad something turned out well.
持续得: chíxù de — Lasted, continued (with degree complement following).
更久: gèng jiǔ — Even longer, for a greater duration.

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