The Cartographer of Feelings
在那座城市的一条很安静的小街上，有一位画地图的人。
At that (M) city (POSS) one (M) very quiet (POSS) small street up, have one (M) draw map (POSS) person.
On a quiet little street in that city, there lived a mapmaker.
她画的不是土地。
She draw (POSS) not be land.
She did not draw land.
她画的是感情。
She draw (POSS) be feeling.
She drew feeling.
客人来到她的小工作室，对她说：“请你画一张我的婚姻。”
Guest come-arrive her (POSS) small work-room, toward her say: "Please you draw one (M) my (POSS) marriage."
Her clients would come to her small studio and say, “Please map my marriage.”
或者：“请你画一张我的悲伤。”
Or: "Please you draw one (M) my (POSS) sorrow."
Or, “Please map my grief.”
她从不问别的问题。她只是点头，让你坐下，给你倒一杯茶。
She from-never not ask other (POSS) question. She only is nod-head, let you sit-down, give you pour one (M) cup tea.
She never asked anything more. She only nodded, sat you down, and poured you a cup of tea.
我去找她，是在我一生中最难的一年快要结束的时候。
I go find her, be at my one-life inside most hard (POSS) one year quick-want end (POSS) time.
I went to her near the end of the hardest year of my life.
那一年里，我失去了一个我以为会陪我一生的人。
That one year inside, I lose (PERF) one (M) I think able accompany me one-life (POSS) person.
That year I had lost someone I had thought would walk through life with me.
我换了工作，搬了家，剪了头发。
I change (PERF) work, move (PERF) home, cut (PERF) head-hair.
I had changed jobs, moved, cut my hair.
可是我心里有一片地方，我自己也走不进去。
But I heart inside have one (M) place, I self also walk-not-able enter-go.
But there was a region of my heart that even I could not enter.
我听别人讲过她，本来不太相信。
I hear other person tell (EXP) her, originally not very believe.
I had heard others speak of her and had not really believed.
可是那天下午，我走到了她的门口，敲了敲门。
But that day afternoon, I walk-arrive (PERF) her (POSS) door-opening, knock (PERF) knock door.
But that afternoon I came to her door and knocked.
她大概四十多岁，眼睛很安静。
She about forty-many age, eye very quiet.
She was perhaps in her forties, her eyes very calm.
她让我进去，关上了门。
She let me enter-go, close-up (PERF) door.
She let me in and closed the door behind us.
屋子里挂着许多地图，有的小，有的大。
House inside hang (CONT) many map, some small, some big.
The room was hung with many maps, some small, some large.
我看见了海，看见了山，看见了一片被雾盖住的城市。
I see (PERF) sea, see (PERF) mountain, see (PERF) one (M) (PASS) fog cover-firm (POSS) city.
I saw seas, mountains, a city wrapped in fog.
我知道这些地图都不是真正的地方。
I know these map all not be real (POSS) place.
I knew none of these were real places.
我说：“我想请你画我现在的生活。”
I say: "I want invite you draw my (POSS) now (POSS) life."
I said, “I want you to map my life as it is now.”
她看着我看了好几秒。
She look (CONT) me look (PERF) good several second.
She looked at me for several seconds.
然后她说：“你要明白一件事。”
Then she say: "You need understand one (M) matter."
Then she said, “You must understand one thing.”
“我画出来的地图是诚实的。”
"I draw-out (POSS) map be honest (POSS)."
“The map I make will be honest.”
“地图不知道客气，也不知道安慰。”
"Map not know polite, also not know comfort."
“A map does not know politeness, and it does not know comfort.”
“你看了，可能会不舒服。”
"You see (PERF), possible able not comfortable."
“What you see may hurt.”
我想了想，点了头。
I think (PERF) think, nod (PERF) head.
I thought for a moment, and nodded.
她让我坐在屋子中间，没有再说话。
She let me sit at house inside middle, not have again speak.
She had me sit in the middle of the room and did not speak again.
她拿起一支笔，开始画。
She pick-up one (M) pen, begin draw.
She took up a pen and began to draw.
整个下午，她没看我一眼。
Whole afternoon, she not look me one eye.
She did not look at me once that whole afternoon.
我没看她在画什么。我闭着眼睛坐着。
I not look she (CONT) draw what. I close (CONT) eye sit (CONT).
I didn't watch what she was drawing. I sat with my eyes closed.
屋子里只有笔在纸上轻轻动的声音。
House inside only have pen at paper up lightly move (POSS) sound.
The only sound was the pen moving softly on paper.
傍晚的时候，她抬起头来。
Dusk (POSS) time, she lift-up head come.
When dusk came, she looked up.
她把地图慢慢转过来给我看。
She (BA) map slowly turn-pass-come give me look.
She slowly turned the map for me to see.
我以为我已经准备好了。
I think I already prepare-good (PERF).
I had thought I was ready.
我看到的，是一张我不认识的地图。
I see-arrive (POSS), be one (M) I not know (POSS) map.
What I saw was a map I did not know.
地图中间有一条很宽的河，河上没有桥。
Map middle have one (M) very wide (POSS) river, river up not have bridge.
In the middle of the map ran a wide river, and over it there was no bridge.
河的一边是熟悉的地方：我的城市，我的工作，我的几个朋友。
River (POSS) one side be familiar (POSS) place: my (POSS) city, my (POSS) work, my (POSS) several (M) friend.
On one side of the river were familiar places: my city, my work, my few friends.
河的另一边，我从来没见过。
River (POSS) other one side, I from-never not see (EXP).
The other side I had never seen.
那一边有一座没有名字的山，山上有雾。
That one side have one (M) not have name (POSS) mountain, mountain on have fog.
There stood a nameless mountain, wrapped in fog.
山脚下有一片森林。森林深处有一个安静的湖。
Mountain foot under have one (M) forest. Forest deep place have one (M) quiet (POSS) lake.
At its foot lay a forest, and deep within the forest, a quiet lake.
湖旁边有一座小房子，我没见过——可是我看着它，眼泪突然就出来了。
Lake side have one (M) small house, I not see (EXP) — but I look (CONT) it, tear suddenly just come-out (PERF).
Beside the lake stood a small house I had never seen — but when I looked at it, tears suddenly came.
在熟悉的一边，我看见了一些奇怪的地方。
At familiar (POSS) one side, I see (PERF) some strange (POSS) place.
On the familiar side, I saw strange places.
我的城市旁边有一片很黑的沙漠，地图上写着两个字：怒气。
My (POSS) city side have one (M) very black (POSS) desert, map on write (CONT) two (M) word: anger.
Beside my city lay a black desert, labeled with two characters: Anger.
我从来没承认过我有这么多怒气。
I from-never not admit (EXP) I have so many anger.
I had never admitted that I held so much anger.
在我工作的地方旁边，有一片冰原。
At my work (POSS) place side, have one (M) ice-original.
Beside the place where I worked, there was a field of ice.
在朋友们的地方中间，有一座很高的墙。
At friend (PL) (POSS) place middle, have one (M) very high (POSS) wall.
Among my friends' places stood a high wall.
我看着地图，慢慢明白：这些地方，我以前都假装看不见。
I look (CONT) map, slowly understand: these place, I before all pretend cannot see.
Looking at the map, I slowly understood: I had pretended none of these places existed.
我抬头看那位画地图的人。
I lift-head look that (M) draw map (POSS) person.
I looked up at the mapmaker.
“这是真的吗？”我问。
"This be real (Q)?" I ask.
“Is this true?” I asked.
她平静地说：“地图是真的。它不能不真。”
She calm (ADV) say: "Map be real (POSS). It cannot not real."
She said calmly, “The map is true. It cannot be otherwise.”
我付了钱。她把地图卷起来，给了我。
I pay (PERF) money. She (BA) map roll-up, give (PERF) me.
I paid her. She rolled up the map and handed it to me.
我把它带回家，挂在我卧室的墙上。
I (BA) it bring-return-home, hang at my (POSS) bedroom (POSS) wall up.
I took it home and hung it on the wall of my bedroom.
一开始我每天都看它，看几分钟就走开。
One start I every day all look it, look several minute then walk-away.
At first I looked at it every day, but only for a minute or two before walking away.
看那片黑色的沙漠让我不舒服。
Look that (M) black (POSS) desert let me not comfortable.
Looking at the black desert made me uncomfortable.
看那片陌生的森林让我害怕。
Look that (M) strange (POSS) forest let me afraid.
Looking at the unfamiliar forest made me afraid.
可是我没把地图取下来。
But I not (BA) map take-down-come.
But I did not take the map down.
一个月过去了。
One month pass-go (PERF).
A month passed.
我开始一片一片地走过它。
I begin one (M) one (M) (ADV) walk-pass it.
I began to walk through it, region by region.
我去找了那个让我有怒气的人，安静地说了几句话。
I go find (PERF) that (M) let me have anger (POSS) person, quietly say (PERF) several (M) word.
I went to the person who had made me angry, and spoke a few quiet words.
我走进了那座冰原——也就是说，我重新去想了我和工作的关系。
I walk-into (PERF) that (M) ice-original — also just is say, I anew go think (PERF) my and work (POSS) relationship.
I walked into the field of ice — which is to say, I rethought my relationship with my work.
我和朋友之间的墙，我开始慢慢地一块一块拿掉。
I and friend between (POSS) wall, I begin slowly (ADV) one (M) one (M) take-off.
The wall between my friends and me I began to dismantle, brick by brick.
最难的是河对面那一边。
Most hard (POSS) be river opposite side that one side.
The hardest part was the far side of the river.
那里有山，有雾，有一座我不认识的小房子。
There have mountain, have fog, have one (M) I not know (POSS) small house.
There were mountains, fog, and a small house I did not know.
我用了好几个月才明白：那座房子是我从前想要的生活——我一直怕承认我还想要它。
I use (PERF) good several (M) month then understand: that (M) house be my before want (POSS) life — I continuously fear admit I still want it.
It took me months to understand: that house was the life I had once wanted — and I had been afraid to admit I still did.
整整一年过去了。
Whole-whole one year pass-go (PERF).
A whole year passed.
有一天，我站在墙前面看地图，发现它已经变得很熟悉。
Have one day, I stand at wall front look map, discover it already become very familiar.
One day I stood before the map and realized it had grown familiar to me.
黑色的沙漠还在，可是没有以前那么黑了。
Black (POSS) desert still at, but not have before so black (PERF).
The black desert was still there, but no longer as black as before.
冰原上有了一条小路。
Ice-original up have (PERF) one (M) small road.
Across the ice field there now ran a small path.
高墙倒了一半。
High wall fall (PERF) one half.
Half the wall had fallen.
河上还是没有桥，可是我已经知道怎么过去。
River up still not have bridge, but I already know how pass-go.
There was still no bridge across the river, but I now knew how to cross.
我没有再去找那位画地图的人。
I not have again go find that (M) draw map (POSS) person.
I did not go back to the mapmaker.
有些地图，你只需要一张。
Have some map, you only need one (M).
Some maps you need only once.
她当时警告过我：地图是诚实的。
She at-time warn (EXP) me: map be honest (POSS).
She had warned me: the map is honest.
她没说的是另一件事。
She not say (POSS) be another one (M) matter.
What she had not said was another thing.
诚实的地图，慢慢地，可以变成家。
Honest (POSS) map, slowly (ADV), able become home.
An honest map, in time, can become home.