The House of Many Doors
我丈夫去世后的第三年，我收到了一封很奇怪的信。
My husband pass-away after (POSS) third year, I receive (PERF) one (M) very strange (POSS) letter.
In the third year after my husband's death, I received a strange letter.
信上说，我有一位很远的亲戚刚刚去世，把他的房子留给了我。
Letter on say, I have one (M) very far (POSS) relative just-just pass-away, (BA) his (POSS) house leave-give (PERF) me.
It said a distant relative had just passed away and had left his house to me.
我从来没听过这个名字。可是律师说房子已经是我的了。
I from-never not listen (EXP) this (M) name. But lawyer say house already be mine (PERF).
I had never heard the name before. But the lawyer said the house was already mine.
我一个人坐了好几天，决定去看一看。
I one person sit (PERF) good several day, decide go look one look.
I sat alone for several days and decided to go and look.
房子在城外面的一座小山脚下。
House at city outside (POSS) one (M) small mountain foot under.
The house lay at the foot of a small mountain outside the city.
外墙是灰色的，屋顶有一点歪。
Outer-wall be gray (POSS), roof have a-bit crooked.
Its outer walls were gray and the roof was slightly crooked.
我走近一看，发现一件奇怪的事：这座房子的外墙上有非常多扇门。
I walk-near one look, discover one (M) strange (POSS) matter: this (M) house (POSS) outer-wall on have very many (M) door.
When I came closer I noticed something strange: the outside walls held a great many doors.
我数了一下，一共六十四扇。
I count (PERF) one bit, in-total sixty-four (M).
I counted them: sixty-four in all.
每扇门上都写着一个年份。
Every (M) door on all write (CONT) one (M) year-number.
Each door bore a year written upon it.
最老的那扇门上写的，是我那位亲戚出生的年份。
Most old (POSS) that (M) door on write (POSS), be my that (M) relative be-born (POSS) year-number.
The oldest door bore the year my distant relative was born.
最新的那扇门上写的，是他去世的那一年。
Most new (POSS) that (M) door on write (POSS), be he pass-away (POSS) that one year.
The newest bore the year he had died.
我把钥匙伸进最老的那扇门。门很轻地打开了。
I (BA) key extend-into most old (POSS) that (M) door. Door very lightly open (PERF).
I put the key into the oldest door. It opened lightly.
里面不是房间。里面是一个夏天的早上。
Inside not be room. Inside be one (M) summer (POSS) morning.
Inside was not a room. Inside was a summer morning.
一个女人正抱着一个刚出生的孩子，在阳光里轻轻笑。
One (M) woman just hold (CONT) one (M) just be-born (POSS) child, at sunshine inside lightly smile.
A woman was holding a newborn child, smiling gently in the sunlight.
我没敢进去。我把门轻轻关上。
I not dare enter-go. I (BA) door lightly close-up.
I dared not step in. I closed the door softly.
我打开第二扇门。里面是一个吵闹的家庭，几个亲戚正在大声讨论。
I open second (M) door. Inside be one (M) noisy (POSS) family, several (M) relative just (CONT) loud-voice discuss.
I opened the second door. Inside was a noisy household, several relatives arguing loudly.
我又打开了第三扇。里面只有一个空房间，地上躺着一个孤独的孩子。
I again open (PERF) third (M). Inside only have one (M) empty room, ground on lie (CONT) one (M) lonely (POSS) child.
I opened the third. Inside was only an empty room, with a lonely child lying on the floor.
我开始明白这座房子是什么。
I begin understand this (M) house be what.
I began to understand what this house was.
每一扇门代表他生命中的一年。每打开一扇，就进去他那一年的生活。
Every one (M) door represent his life inside (POSS) one year. Every open one (M), then enter-go he that one year (POSS) life.
Each door stood for one year of his life. To open one was to step into that year.
那天晚上，我没有回城里。我在他的厨房里煮了一碗简单的面条。
That day evening, I not have return city inside. I at his (POSS) kitchen inside boil (PERF) one (M) bowl simple (POSS) noodle.
That night I did not go back to the city. In his kitchen I boiled a simple bowl of noodles.
屋子里安静极了，可是不像我家那种空空的安静。
House inside quiet extremely (PERF), but not-like my home that kind of empty-empty (POSS) quiet.
The house was utterly quiet, but not in the empty way my own home was quiet.
好像每一扇门后面都有人在呼吸。
Like every one (M) door behind all have person (CONT) breathe.
It was as if behind every door someone was breathing.
第二天早上，我开始一扇一扇地探索。
Second day morning, I begin one (M) one (M) (ADV) explore.
The next morning I began to explore the doors one by one.
有些门后面是很普通的房间——一张床，一张桌子，几本书。
Have some door behind be very ordinary (POSS) room — one (M) bed, one (M) desk, several (M) book.
Some doors led to plain rooms — a bed, a desk, a few books.
有些门后面是巨大又陌生的地方。
Have some door behind be huge also strange (POSS) place.
Other doors led to vast, strange places.
我推开第十七扇门，发现自己站在一片没有边际的沙漠上。
I push-open seventeenth (M) door, discover self stand at one (M) not-have edge (POSS) desert on.
I pushed open the seventeenth door and found myself standing in an endless desert.
风很热，沙子像金子一样亮。
Wind very hot, sand like gold same bright.
The wind was hot and the sand shone like gold.
我赶紧退回来，关上门。我没有问他为什么。
I quick retreat-return-come, close-up door. I not have ask him why.
I stepped back quickly and closed the door. I did not ask why.
第三十扇门后面是一座海边的城市。
Thirtieth (M) door behind be one (M) sea-side (POSS) city.
Behind the thirtieth door was a city by the sea.
我闻到了咸咸的空气，听见远处有人在唱歌。
I smell-arrive (PERF) salty-salty (POSS) air, hear far place have person (CONT) sing.
I smelled the salt air and heard someone singing in the distance.
我站在那里好一会儿才走出来。
I stand at there good a-little then walk-out-come.
I stood there for a long while before stepping back out.
有些门后面，我看见了一个我从来不认识的男人。
Have some door behind, I see (PERF) one (M) I from-never not know (POSS) man.
Behind some doors I saw a man I had never known.
他年轻、中年、老去——每扇门里都有他的影子。
He young, middle-age, old-go — every (M) door inside all have his (POSS) shadow.
Young, middle-aged, old — in every door I caught his shadow.
有几扇门，他在哭。有几扇，他在大笑。有几扇，他孤孤单单地坐在窗前。
Have several (M) door, he (CONT) cry. Have several (M), he (CONT) big-laugh. Have several (M), he lone-lone-single-single sit at window front.
In some doors he was crying. In others he was laughing. In others he sat alone at a window.
我看了越多，越觉得我也开始认识他了。
I look (PERF) more, more feel I also begin know him (PERF).
The more I looked, the more I felt I was coming to know him.
他没有妻子，也没有孩子。
He not have wife, also not have child.
He had no wife and no children.
他的一生大多数都在自己的房子里走来走去，从一扇门进入另一扇。
His (POSS) one-life most-many all at self (POSS) house inside walk-come walk-go, from one (M) door enter other one (M).
He had spent most of his life walking inside his own house, passing from one door into another.
我并不觉得他可怜。我觉得他比我更懂得自己。
I not-and feel he pitiable. I feel he compare me more understand self.
I did not pity him. I felt he understood himself better than I did mine.
一周过去了。我把六十三扇门都打开了一次。
One week pass-go (PERF). I (BA) sixty-three (M) door all open (PERF) one time.
A week passed. I had opened sixty-three of the doors at least once.
还有一扇我一直没碰——最新的那一扇。
Still have one (M) I continuously not touch — most new (POSS) that one (M).
One door I had not touched — the newest.
上面写着他去世的那一年，但日期却是明天。
Above write (CONT) he pass-away (POSS) that one year, but date however be tomorrow.
It bore the year of his death, but the date was tomorrow.
我看着那扇门，心里慢慢地有点凉。
I look (CONT) that (M) door, heart inside slowly (ADV) have-bit cool.
I looked at the door and felt a slow chill in my chest.
这是我的明天。
This be my tomorrow.
This was my tomorrow.
他不在这里看自己的日子了，他把这一扇留给我。
He not at here look self (POSS) day (PERF), he (BA) this one (M) leave-give me.
He was no longer here to look at his own days; he had left this one to me.
我把手放在门把上。门把很冷。
I (BA) hand place at door-handle up. Door-handle very cold.
I laid my hand on the handle. It was very cold.
我站了很久。
I stand (PERF) very long.
I stood there a long time.
最后，我把手放下。
Last, I (BA) hand put-down.
At last, I lowered my hand.
我对那扇门小声说：“我不进。”
I toward that (M) door small-voice say: "I not enter."
I said to the door, in a low voice, “I will not go in.”
屋子像是回应了我，整个房子在那一刻安静了一下。
House like-be respond (PERF) me, whole house at that one moment quiet (PERF) one bit.
The house seemed to answer me; for an instant the entire place went still.
从那以后，我在那座房子里住了下来。
From that after, I at that (M) house inside live (PERF) down-come.
From then on, I made my home in that house.
我没把房子卖出去，也没告诉别人房子的秘密。
I not (BA) house sell-out, also not tell other person house (POSS) secret.
I did not sell the house, nor did I tell anyone its secret.
每天早上，我开一两扇门，进去走一走。
Every day morning, I open one-two (M) door, enter-go walk one walk.
Each morning I opened one or two doors and walked inside.
我看一个孩子学走路，看一个年轻人第一次离开家。
I look one (M) child learn walk-road, look one (M) young-person first time leave home.
I watched a child learn to walk, watched a young man leave home for the first time.
我陪一个老人一个下午，他在炉边看一本旧书。
I accompany one (M) old-person one (M) afternoon, he at stove side read one (M) old book.
I sat with an old man one afternoon as he read an old book by the stove.
他从来没注意到我，可是我知道他知道我在那里。
He from-never not notice-arrive me, but I know he know I at there.
He never noticed me, but I knew he knew I was there.
邻居们以为我有点奇怪，可是没人来打扰。
Neighbor (PL) think I have-bit strange, but no person come disturb.
The neighbors thought me a little odd, but no one came to disturb me.
几年过去了。我开始白发，我的腿也慢了。
Several year pass-go (PERF). I begin white-hair, my (POSS) leg also slow (PERF).
Several years passed. My hair began to whiten and my legs grew slow.
最新的那扇门一直在外墙上等着我。
Most new (POSS) that (M) door continuously at outer-wall up wait (CONT) me.
The newest door went on waiting on the outer wall.
我从来没靠近过它。
I from-never not near (EXP) it.
I never approached it again.
有时候我从屋里看着它，心里安安静静。
Some-time I from house inside look (CONT) it, heart inside peace-peace-quiet-quiet.
Sometimes I looked at it from inside the house, and my heart was quite still.
我懂得了一件事：别人的日子是可以走的，自己的明天不必看。
I understand (PERF) one (M) matter: other person (POSS) day be able walk (POSS), self (POSS) tomorrow not-need look.
I had come to understand: other people's days can be walked through; one's own tomorrow does not need to be seen.
我在这座房子里住到了最后。
I at this (M) house inside live-arrive (PERF) last.
I lived in that house until the very end.
在那一天到来之前，我什么也不知道。
At that one day arrive-come before, I what also not know.
Until that day came, I knew nothing.
我只是慢慢地、安安静静地，走过别人的一年又一年。
I only is slowly (ADV), peace-peace-quiet-quiet (ADV), walk-pass other person (POSS) one year again one year.
I only walked, slowly and quietly, through other people's years, one after another.