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English → Chinese Roots Before the Leaving Level 5/10

The rains came later that year and left earlier, and the dry season settled over the garden like something permanent.

那一年雨季来得更晚,走得更早,旱季像某种永恒的存在一样笼罩着整个庭院。

The frangipani along the fence lost its blossoms and held its bare branches up against a white sky.

篱笆边的鸡蛋花落尽了花朵,光秃秃的枝条伸向一片惨白的天空。

The mango tree dropped two of its oldest limbs in a windstorm — not dramatically, the way trees fall in stories, but quietly, overnight, so that Nipa found them on the ground one morning and felt a brief, unexplained sadness before going inside for breakfast.

芒果树在一场风暴中折断了两根最老的枝干——不是故事里那种轰然倒下的姿态,而是悄无声息地,在一夜之间,以至于尼帕某天早晨走出来发现它们躺在地上,心里涌起一阵短暂而莫名的悲伤,然后才转身进屋吃早饭。

She was seventeen now.

她现在十七岁了。

The application to the Bangkok school had become a letter of acceptance, and the letter had become a plan, and the plan had become a date in early May circled on the calendar in the kitchen.

那份寄往曼谷学校的申请已经变成了一封录取通知书,通知书变成了一个计划,计划又变成了厨房日历上五月初被圈起来的一个日期。

Three weeks away.

还有三周。

Then two.

然后是两周。

Then less.

然后更少。

Khao understood none of this and all of it.

考什么都不懂,却又什么都懂。

He was five years old, broad-chested and still white, though the white had deepened somehow into something more substantial than the pale transparency of puppyhood.

他五岁了,胸膛宽阔,毛色依然雪白,只是那白不知为何已经沉淀成某种更厚实的东西,不再是幼犬时期那种薄薄的、近乎透明的白。

He had the unhurried authority of an animal who knows his place in a household — which corner was his in the kitchen, which patch of the porch caught the last of the afternoon light, which position at the foot of Nipa's bed allowed him to feel her breathing without disturbing her sleep.

他身上有一种从容的权威感,那是一只清楚自己在家中位置的动物所特有的——厨房里哪个角落是他的,门廊上哪块地方能接住午后最后一缕阳光,趴在尼帕床脚的哪个位置能感受到她的呼吸又不会扰她安眠。

He had arranged his life with great care around the facts of hers, and he saw no reason this would change.

他小心翼翼地将自己的生活围绕着她的生活轨迹安排妥当,而且他看不出有任何理由这一切会改变。

He noticed the suitcases on the third day after they appeared.

那些行李箱出现后的第三天,他注意到了它们。

Nipa had pulled them from the storage room and left them open in the middle of her bedroom floor, and Khao walked around them twice, slowly, the way he investigated anything new in the house.

尼帕把它们从储物间拖出来,敞开着放在卧室地板中央,考慢慢地绕着它们走了两圈,就像他打量家里任何新出现的东西时那样。

Vocabulary

nà — That; referring to something previously mentioned or distant.
一年
yī nián — One year; a period of twelve months.
雨季
yǔ jì — Rainy season; period of year with heavy rainfall.
来得
lái de — To arrive; used to indicate something comes in a certain way.
更晚
gèng wǎn — Even later; more delayed than usual or expected.
走得
zǒu de — To leave; depart in a certain manner or speed.
更早
gèng zǎo — Even earlier; sooner than usual or expected.
旱季
hàn jì — Dry season; period of year with little rainfall.
xiàng — To resemble; be like; similar to something else.
某种
mǒu zhǒng — A certain kind; some type of unspecified thing.
永恒
yǒng héng — Eternal; everlasting; existing forever without change.
de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification.
存在
cún zài — To exist; existence; the state of being present.
一样
yī yàng — The same; alike; just like something else.
笼罩
lǒng zhào — To envelop; cover over; shroud something completely.
zhe — Aspect particle indicating ongoing or continuous action.
整个
zhěng gè — The entire; whole; the complete entirety of something.
庭院
tíng yuàn — Courtyard; enclosed outdoor space within a residence.
篱笆
lí ba — Fence; barrier made of wood or woven branches.
biān — Side; edge; beside; near the border of something.
鸡蛋花
jī dàn huā — Frangipani; tropical tree with fragrant white flowers.
落尽
luò jìn — To fall completely; all petals or leaves have dropped.
le — Particle indicating completed action or changed situation.
花朵
huā duǒ — Flower; blossom; individual bloom of a flowering plant.
光秃秃
guāng tū tū — Bare; completely stripped of leaves or covering.
枝条
zhī tiáo — Branch; twig; slender stem growing from a tree.
伸向
shēn xiàng — To stretch toward; extend in the direction of something.
一片
yī piàn — A stretch of; an expanse of something vast.
惨白
cǎn bái — Ghastly pale; bleached white with a bleak quality.
天空
tiān kōng — Sky; the expanse of space seen overhead outdoors.
芒果树
máng guǒ shù — Mango tree; tropical fruit-bearing tree with broad canopy.
zài — At; in; located at a place or time.
一场
yī cháng — One occurrence of an event, such as a storm.
风暴
fēng bào — Storm; violent weather with strong wind and rain.
zhōng — In; inside; within; amid a situation or place.
折断
zhé duàn — To snap; break off; cause something to fracture apart.
两根
liǎng gēn — Two of something long and rigid, like branches.
最老
zuì lǎo — Oldest; most aged among a group of things.
枝干
zhī gàn — Branch and trunk; main structural limbs of a tree.
不是
bú shì — Is not; negation of identity or description.
故事
gù shi — Story; narrative; tale of events real or fictional.
lǐ — Inside; within; interior of a place or concept.
那种
nà zhǒng — That kind; that type of thing or manner.
轰然
hōng rán — With a loud crash; making a thunderous dramatic sound.
倒下
dǎo xià — To fall down; collapse to the ground dramatically.
姿态
zī tài — Posture; manner; the way something holds or presents itself.
而是
ér shì — But rather; instead; used to introduce a contrast.
悄无声息
qiāo wú shēng xī — Silently; without making any sound whatsoever.
de — Adverbial particle linking adverb or phrase to verb.
一夜
yī yè — One night; overnight; within the span of one night.
之间
zhī jiān — Between; among; in the interval of time or space.
以至于
yǐ zhì yú — To the extent that; so much so that; resulting in.
某天
mǒu tiān — One day; some unspecified day; a certain day.
早晨
zǎo chen — Morning; early part of the day after sunrise.
走出来
zǒu chū lái — To walk out; come outside from an interior space.
发现
fā xiàn — To discover; find; notice something previously unknown.
它们
tā men — They; them; third-person plural pronoun for objects or animals.
躺在
tǎng zài — Lying on; resting horizontally upon a surface.
地上
dì shang — On the ground; on the floor; upon the earth's surface.
心里
xīn lǐ — In one's heart; inside one's mind or feelings.
涌起
yǒng qǐ — To well up; surge; rise suddenly within the heart.
一阵
yī zhèn — A burst of; a brief spell of some feeling or event.
短暂
duǎn zàn — Brief; fleeting; lasting only a short period of time.
ér — And; yet; but; conjunction linking contrasting or parallel clauses.
莫名
mò míng — Inexplicable; nameless; unable to be described or explained.
悲伤
bēi shāng — Sadness; grief; a feeling of sorrow or distress.
然后
rán hòu — Then; afterward; indicating the next step in sequence.
cái — Only then; indicating an action happens after a condition.
转身
zhuǎn shēn — To turn around; turn one's body in another direction.
进屋
jìn wū — To go inside the house; enter a room or building.
吃早饭
chī zǎo fàn — To eat breakfast; have the morning meal of the day.
tā — She; her; third-person singular feminine pronoun.
现在
xiàn zài — Now; currently; at the present moment in time.
十七岁
shí qī suì — Seventeen years old; the age of seventeen.
那份
nà fèn — That document; that copy; referring to a specific item.
寄往
jì wǎng — To send to; mail something to a destination.
学校
xué xiào — School; educational institution where students study.
申请
shēn qǐng — Application; to apply for something formally in writing.
已经
yǐ jīng — Already; by now; indicating something has occurred prior.
变成
biàn chéng — To become; to turn into; transform into something else.
一封
yī fēng — One letter; measure word for letters or correspondence.
录取通知书
lù qǔ tōng zhī shū — Acceptance letter; official notice of admission to school.
通知书
tōng zhī shū — Written notice; official document conveying important information.
一个
yī gè — One; a single unit of something countable.
计划
jì huà — Plan; scheme; an organized arrangement for future action.
yòu — Again; also; additionally; once more happening.
厨房
chú fáng — Kitchen; room where food is prepared and cooked.
日历
rì lì — Calendar; chart showing days, weeks, and months of year.
shàng — On; above; on the surface of something.
五月初
wǔ yuè chū — Early May; the beginning days of the fifth month.
bèi — Passive marker; indicates the subject receives an action.
圈起来
quān qǐ lái — To circle; mark with a circle to highlight a date.
日期
rì qī — Date; a specific day on the calendar.
还有
hái yǒu — There is still; also; additionally there remains something.
三周
sān zhōu — Three weeks; a period of twenty-one days.
shì — To be; is; am; are; linking subject and predicate.
两周
liǎng zhōu — Two weeks; a period of fourteen days; a fortnight.
更少
gèng shǎo — Even fewer; even less; a smaller amount than before.
kǎo — To consider; think about; also means to take an exam.
什么
shén me — What; whatever; used in questions or indefinite reference.
dōu — All; both; every; indicating inclusion without exception.
不懂
bù dǒng — To not understand; fail to comprehend something.
却又
què yòu — Yet also; but at the same time; expressing contradiction.
dǒng — To understand; comprehend; know the meaning of something.
tā — He; him; third-person singular masculine pronoun.
五岁
wǔ suì — Five years old; the age of five years.
胸膛
xiōng táng — Chest; the front part of the torso above the abdomen.
宽阔
kuān kuò — Broad; wide; spacious in physical dimension or extent.
毛色
máo sè — Coat color; the color of an animal's fur or hair.
依然
yī rán — Still; as before; unchanged from a previous state.
雪白
xuě bái — Snow white; pure and brilliant white in color.
只是
zhǐ shì — Only; merely; just; used to qualify or limit a statement.
不知为何
bù zhī wèi hé — For some unknown reason; inexplicably; hard to explain why.
沉淀
chén diàn — To settle; precipitate; mature and deepen over time.
chéng — Into; become; resulting in a transformed state.
更厚实
gèng hòu shi — Thicker; more solid; denser and more substantial than before.
东西
dōng xi — Thing; stuff; an object or abstract concept.
不再
bù zài — No longer; not anymore; has ceased to be or do.
幼犬
yòu quǎn — Puppy; a young dog in its early stage of life.
时期
shí qī — Period; phase; a stage or era in a timeline.
薄薄
báo báo — Very thin; delicately slim in thickness or texture.
近乎
jìn hū — Nearly; almost; bordering on a certain quality or state.
透明
tòu míng — Transparent; see-through; allowing light to pass through.
bái — White; the color white; pale in appearance.
身上
shēn shang — On the body; on one's person or physical form.
yǒu — To have; there is/are; indicating possession or existence.
一种
yī zhǒng — A kind of; a type of; one variety of something.
从容
cóng róng — Calm; unhurried; composed and at ease in manner.
权威感
quán wēi gǎn — Sense of authority; feeling of command and natural dominance.
那是
nà shì — That is; used to identify or describe something observed.
一只
yī zhī — One; measure word for animals or certain objects.
清楚
qīng chǔ — Clear; clearly aware; understanding something distinctly and well.
自己
zì jǐ — Oneself; self; referring to the subject itself reflexively.
家中
jiā zhōng — Within the home; inside the family's household space.
位置
wèi zhì — Position; place; location or role within a structure.
动物
dòng wù — Animal; a living creature that is not a plant.
suǒ — Particle used before verbs to form nominal phrases.
特有
tè yǒu — Unique to; characteristic of; exclusively belonging to something.
哪个
nǎ ge — Which one; used to ask about a specific choice.
角落
jiǎo luò — Corner; a secluded nook or corner of a room.
他的
tā de — His; belonging to him; possessive form of he.
门廊
mén láng — Porch; entrance corridor or covered passage near a door.
哪块
nǎ kuài — Which spot; which piece; referring to an unspecified area.
地方
dì fang — Place; location; a particular spot or area somewhere.
néng — Can; to be able to; having the ability or capacity.
接住
jiē zhù — To catch; to receive and hold something coming toward one.
午后
wǔ hòu — Afternoon; the period of time after noon each day.
最后
zuì hòu — Last; final; the very end of a series or sequence.
一缕
yī lǚ — A ray of; a wisp or thin streak of light.
阳光
yáng guāng — Sunlight; sunshine; the light that comes from the sun.
趴在
pā zài — To lie prone on; rest face or chest downward on.
床脚
chuáng jiǎo — Foot of the bed; the end of a bed near feet.
感受到
gǎn shòu dào — To sense; feel; perceive through one's emotions or body.
她的
tā de — Her; belonging to her; possessive form of she.
呼吸
hū xī — Breathing; the act of inhaling and exhaling air.
不会
bù huì — Will not; would not; expressing negation of likelihood.
扰她
rǎo tā — Disturb her; bother or interrupt her rest or activity.
安眠
ān mián — Peaceful sleep; restful slumber without disturbance.
小心翼翼
xiǎo xīn yì yì — Very carefully; with extreme caution and attentiveness.
jiāng — Will; to take; used before an object in formal writing.
生活
shēng huó — Life; daily living; the way one lives day to day.
围绕
wéi rào — To revolve around; center on; organize around something.
生活轨迹
shēng huó guǐ jī — Life trajectory; the path and pattern of someone's daily life.
安排
ān pái — To arrange; organize; plan things in an orderly manner.
妥当
tuǒ dang — Properly; appropriately; handled in a fitting and careful way.
而且
ér qiě — Moreover; furthermore; and also; adding emphasis to a point.
看不出
kàn bu chū — Cannot see; unable to detect or notice any sign.
任何
rèn hé — Any; whatever; used with negatives meaning not any.
理由
lǐ yóu — Reason; justification; grounds for believing or doing something.
这一切
zhè yī qiè — All of this; everything referring to the present situation.
huì — Will; would; able to; indicating future or possibility.
改变
gǎi biàn — To change; alter; transform from one state to another.
那些
nà xiē — Those; plural demonstrative pronoun referring to specific things.
行李箱
xíng li xiāng — Suitcase; luggage box used for storing travel belongings.
出现
chū xiàn — To appear; emerge; show up where not seen before.
hòu — After; behind; following in time or sequence.
第三天
dì sān tiān — The third day; day number three in a sequence.
注意到
zhù yì dào — To notice; become aware of; pay attention and observe.
bǎ — Particle marking the object before an action verb.
cóng — From; since; starting from a place or time.
储物间
chǔ wù jiān — Storage room; a space used for keeping stored items.
拖出来
tuō chū lái — To drag out; pull something out from a storage space.
敞开
chǎng kāi — Wide open; opened fully; not closed or latched shut.
放在
fàng zài — To place at; put something down at a location.
卧室
wò shì — Bedroom; the room in a home used for sleeping.
地板
dì bǎn — Floor; the flat surface on the bottom of a room.
中央
zhōng yāng — Center; middle; the central point of a space or area.
慢慢
màn màn — Slowly; gradually; in an unhurried and leisurely manner.
绕着
rào zhe — Circling around; moving around the perimeter of something.
走了两圈
zǒu le liǎng quān — Walked two circles; made two rounds around something.
就像
jiù xiàng — Just like; exactly as; used to make a comparison.
打量
dǎ liang — To size up; look over carefully; examine with scrutiny.
家里
jiā lǐ — At home; inside the house; within the family residence.
新出现
xīn chū xiàn — Newly appeared; something that has recently shown up.
shí — When; at the time of; indicating a moment or period.
那样
nà yàng — Like that; in that way; in such a manner as described.
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