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English → Chinese Frangipani Blooms Without Waiting Level 5/10

The gate was the same gate.

那扇门还是原来那扇门。

Nipa saw it from the window of the songthaew before she saw anything else — the white paint faded to the color of old paper, the latch her mother had fixed with wire three years ago and never replaced properly, the gap at the bottom where Khao used to press his nose through to smell who was coming.

尼帕从双条车的车窗里看到它，比看到其他任何东西都早——白漆已褪成旧纸的颜色，门栓是她母亲三年前用铁丝绑好的，从来没有好好换过，门底下有一道缝，考以前常把鼻子凑过去闻闻是谁来了。

She had not called ahead this time.

这次她没有提前打电话。

She had not wanted to give her mother time to prepare things, to tidy and arrange and put on the face she wore for visits.

她不想给母亲时间去准备，去收拾整理，去摆出那副迎客的面孔。

She wanted to arrive into the ordinary version of the house, whatever that looked like now.

她想走进那个日常状态下的家，不管那个家现在是什么样子。

She paid the driver and stood in the road with her bag and let herself look.

她付了车费，提着包站在路上，让自己好好看了看。

The frangipani by the gate had grown.

门边的鸡蛋花树长大了。

It had not occurred to her that it would keep growing in her absence, but of course it had — white flowers dropping onto the concrete path, the same sweet, slightly funeral smell she had grown up inside without noticing until she left and found it again every time she came home.

她从没想过它会在她不在的时候继续生长，但它当然一直在长——白色的花朵落在水泥小路上，那熟悉的香气带着一丝肃穆，她在其中长大却浑然不觉，直到她离开，才在每次回家时重新察觉到它。

The mango tree in the corner of the garden was older in the way trees go older, heavier and quieter, casting a wider shadow over the patch of ground where Khao used to sleep in the hottest part of the afternoon.

花园角落里的芒果树以树木特有的方式老去，愈发厚重而沉静，将更宽的阴影投在那片地上——考以前常在下午最热的时候在那里睡觉。

She opened the gate.

她推开了门。

Her mother appeared at the porch before Nipa had reached the steps, which meant she had heard the latch, which meant she had been listening for it.

尼帕还没走到台阶，她母亲就已经出现在门廊了，这说明她听到了门栓的声音，说明她一直在等着听。

They embraced without speaking.

两人无言相拥。

Her mother was smaller than she remembered, or perhaps Nipa had simply stopped revising the image she carried and the real person had quietly changed inside it.

母亲比她记忆中更小了，也许只是尼帕早已停止更新心中那个印象，而真实的人已在那印象里悄悄改变。

"You didn't eat on the bus," her mother said.

「你在车上没吃东西，」她母亲说。

Vocabulary

那: nà — That; referring to a thing previously mentioned.
扇: shān / shàn — Measure word for doors or windows.
门: mén — Door; gate; entrance to a building.
还是: háishi — Or; still; used in questions or statements.
原来: yuánlái — Originally; as it turns out; so that's how it is.
从: cóng — From; through; following a point of origin.
的: de — Structural particle indicating possession or modification.
车窗: chēchuāng — Car window; the window of a vehicle.
里: lǐ — Inside; within a space or container.
看到: kàndào — To see; to catch sight of something.
它: tā — It; third-person pronoun for objects or animals.
比: bǐ — Than; compared to; used in comparisons.
其他: qítā — Other; the rest; other things or people.
任何: rènhé — Any; whatever; used in broad reference.
东西: dōngxi — Thing; object; stuff; a general term for items.
都: dōu — All; both; already; emphasizing totality.
早: zǎo — Early; sooner; earlier than expected.
白漆: báiqī — White paint; paint of a white color.
已: yǐ — Already; by now; indicating completion.
褪成: tuì chéng — To fade into; to become through gradual fading.
颜色: yánsè — Color; hue; the appearance of a surface.
门栓: ménshuān — Door bolt; a bar or latch securing a door.
是: shì — To be; is/am/are; affirmation or identity.
她: tā — She; her; third-person singular feminine pronoun.
母亲: mǔqīn — Mother; a formal or literary term for mom.
三年前: sān nián qián — Three years ago; a time reference in the past.
用: yòng — To use; to employ something for a purpose.
铁丝: tiěsī — Wire; metal wire used for binding or fastening.
绑好: bǎng hǎo — To tie securely; to fasten something properly.
从来: cónglái — Always; never (with negation); at all times.
没有: méiyǒu — To not have; there is not; negation of existence.
好好: hǎohǎo — Properly; thoroughly; in a good manner.
换过: huàn guò — To have replaced or changed something before.
底下: dǐxia — Underneath; below; at the bottom of something.
有: yǒu — To have; there is/are; indicating existence.
一道: yī dào — A streak; a crack; measure word for lines.
缝: fèng — Crack; gap; a narrow opening between surfaces.
以前: yǐqián — Before; previously; in the past.
常: cháng — Often; frequently; habitually doing something.
把: bǎ — Particle indicating disposal of an object.
鼻子: bízi — Nose; the organ used for smelling.
凑过去: còu guòqu — To lean in close; to move nearer to something.
闻闻: wénwen — To sniff; to smell something briefly.
谁: shéi / shuí — Who; which person; interrogative pronoun.
来了: lái le — Someone has come; arrival has occurred.
这次: zhè cì — This time; on this occasion.
提前: tíqián — In advance; ahead of schedule; early.
打电话: dǎ diànhuà — To make a phone call; to telephone someone.
不想: bù xiǎng — To not want; unwilling to do something.
给: gěi — To give; for; to; indicating recipient.
时间: shíjiān — Time; a period or point in time.
去: qù — To go; to leave toward a destination.
准备: zhǔnbèi — To prepare; to get ready for something.
收拾: shōushi — To tidy up; to put things in order.
整理: zhěnglǐ — To organize; to sort and arrange things.
摆出: bǎi chū — To put on; to display a particular expression.
那副: nà fù — That kind of; that set of (expression or appearance).
迎客: yíng kè — Welcoming guests; receiving visitors politely.
面孔: miànkǒng — Face; expression; facial appearance or demeanor.
想: xiǎng — To want; to think; to miss someone.
走进: zǒu jìn — To walk into; to enter a place on foot.
那个: nàge — That one; referring to a specific thing or situation.
日常: rìcháng — Daily; everyday; ordinary routine state.
状态下: zhuàngtài xià — Under a certain condition or state.
家: jiā — Home; family; house; one's dwelling place.
不管: bùguǎn — Regardless of; no matter what; despite.
现在: xiànzài — Now; at the present time; currently.
什么: shénme — What; whatever; used in questions or indefinite reference.
样子: yàngzi — Appearance; look; the way something looks.
付了: fù le — To have paid; completed payment for something.
车费: chēfèi — Fare; the cost of a ride or transportation.
提着: tí zhe — Carrying (in hand); holding something by the handle.
包: bāo — Bag; pack; a container carried by hand.
站在: zhàn zài — Standing at; to be standing in a place.
路上: lù shang — On the road; along the way; on a path.
让: ràng — To let; to allow; to cause someone to do.
自己: zìjǐ — Oneself; self; by oneself.
看了看: kàn le kàn — Took a look; glanced briefly at something.
门边: mén biān — Beside the door; near the entrance.
鸡蛋花树: jīdànhuā shù — Plumeria tree; frangipani tree with fragrant flowers.
长大: zhǎng dà — To grow up; to become bigger or taller.
了: le — Particle indicating change of state or completion.
从没: cóng méi — Never; not once; at no point in the past.
想过: xiǎng guò — To have thought about; considered before.
会: huì — Will; can; able to; indicating probability.
在: zài — At; in; to be present; indicating location.
不在: bù zài — Not present; away; not being somewhere.
时候: shíhou — Time; moment; when; a point in time.
继续: jìxù — To continue; to keep doing something.
生长: shēngzhǎng — To grow; to develop; biological growth.
但: dàn — But; however; indicating contrast.
当然: dāngrán — Of course; naturally; certainly.
一直: yīzhí — Always; continuously; all along.
长: zhǎng — To grow; to sprout; to increase in size.
白色: báisè — White color; the color white.
花朵: huāduǒ — Flower; blossom; an individual bloom.
落在: luò zài — To fall onto; to land on a surface.
水泥: shuǐní — Cement; concrete; a construction material.
小路: xiǎolù — Small path; narrow walkway or lane.
上: shàng — On; above; upon a surface.
熟悉: shúxi — Familiar; well-known; to be acquainted with.
香气: xiāngqì — Fragrance; pleasant scent; sweet smell.
带着: dài zhe — Carrying; bearing; accompanied by something.
一丝: yī sī — A trace; a hint; a tiny amount of something.
肃穆: sùmù — Solemn; reverent; grave and respectful atmosphere.
其中: qízhōng — Among them; within it; in the midst of.
却: què — But; yet; however; indicating unexpectedness.
浑然不觉: húnrán bù jué — Completely unaware; totally oblivious to something.
直到: zhídào — Until; up to a point in time.
离开: líkāi — To leave; to depart from a place.
才: cái — Only then; just; indicating a delayed realization.
每次: měi cì — Every time; each occasion something happens.
回家: huí jiā — To return home; to go back to one's home.
时: shí — When; at the time of; a literary time marker.
重新: chóngxīn — Again; anew; starting over from the beginning.
察觉到: chájué dào — To notice; to become aware of something.
花园: huāyuán — Garden; a cultivated space with flowers.
角落里: jiǎoluò lǐ — In the corner; at a corner of a space.
芒果树: mángguǒ shù — Mango tree; a tropical fruit tree.
以: yǐ — With; by means of; using; a literary preposition.
树木: shùmù — Trees; woody plants; vegetation in general.
特有: tèyǒu — Unique to; characteristic of; peculiar to.
方式: fāngshì — Way; manner; method of doing something.
老去: lǎo qù — To age; to grow old; to become older.
愈发: yùfā — Even more; increasingly; all the more so.
厚重: hòuzhòng — Thick and heavy; solid; weighty in character.
而: ér — And; yet; but; a literary connective particle.
沉静: chénjìng — Calm; quiet; serene; peacefully still.
将: jiāng — Will; to; about to; a literary future marker.
更宽: gèng kuān — Wider; even broader than before.
阴影: yīnyǐng — Shadow; shade; a dark area cast by an object.
投在: tóu zài — Cast onto; to project a shadow onto a surface.
那片: nà piàn — That patch; that area; that stretch of ground.
地上: dì shang — On the ground; on the floor.
下午: xiàwǔ — Afternoon; the period after midday.
最热: zuì rè — Hottest; the most hot time or period.
那里: nàlǐ — There; that place; over there.
睡觉: shuìjiào — To sleep; to take a rest by sleeping.
推开: tuī kāi — To push open; to open by pushing.
还没: hái méi — Not yet; still hasn't happened.
走到: zǒu dào — To walk to; to reach a place on foot.
台阶: táijiē — Steps; stairs; a flight of steps outside.
就已经: jiù yǐjīng — Already; by then it had already occurred.
出现: chūxiàn — To appear; to show up; to emerge.
门廊: ménláng — Porch; veranda; a covered entrance area.
这: zhè — This; referring to something nearby or just mentioned.
说明: shuōmíng — To indicate; to show; to explain something.
听到: tīng dào — To hear; to catch a sound.
声音: shēngyīn — Sound; voice; an audible noise.
等着: děng zhe — Waiting; in the process of waiting for something.
听: tīng — To listen; to hear; to pay attention to sound.
两人: liǎng rén — Two people; the two of them.
无言: wúyán — Speechless; without words; silent.
相拥: xiāng yōng — To embrace each other; to hug one another.
记忆中: jìyì zhōng — In memory; within one's recollection.
更小: gèng xiǎo — Smaller; even smaller than remembered.
也许: yěxǔ — Perhaps; maybe; possibly.
只是: zhǐshì — Just; merely; it's only that.
早已: zǎoyǐ — Long since; already for a long time.
停止: tíngzhǐ — To stop; to cease doing something.
更新: gēngxīn — To update; to renew; to refresh information.
心中: xīn zhōng — In one's heart; within the mind or feelings.
印象: yìnxiàng — Impression; mental image of a person or thing.
真实: zhēnshí — Real; actual; true; genuine.
人: rén — Person; people; human being.
印象里: yìnxiàng lǐ — In one's impression; within one's mental image.
悄悄: qiāoqiāo — Quietly; secretly; without being noticed.
改变: gǎibiàn — To change; to alter; to transform.
你: nǐ — You; second-person singular pronoun.
车上: chē shang — On the vehicle; aboard a car or bus.
没: méi — Not; didn't; negation of past action.
吃: chī — To eat; to consume food.
说: shuō — To say; to speak; to tell.

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