The Machine That Listened to Trees
我是一名研究植物的人。
I am one (M, name) research plant (POSS) person.
I am a botanist.
二十年来，我一直在研究树。
Twenty year come, I always at research tree.
For twenty years I have studied trees.
大家都知道：树之间会用化学信号交流。
Everyone all know: tree between can use chemistry signal exchange-flow.
Everyone knows that trees communicate through chemical signals.
它们告诉对方：水不够了，光太强了，有虫子来了。
They tell other-side: water not enough (PERF), light too strong (PERF), have bug come (PERF).
They tell each other: there is not enough water, the light is too strong, insects are coming.
我花了五年时间，做了一台特别的机器。
I spend (PERF) five year time, make (PERF) one (M, platform) special (POSS) machine.
I spent five years building a special machine.
它能把这些化学信号翻译成话。
It can (BA) these chemistry signal translate-become speech.
It could translate those chemical signals into words.
我把机器带到了离城市很远的一片老森林。
I (BA) machine bring-arrive (PERF) leave city very far (POSS) one (M, sheet) old forest.
I took the machine to an old forest far from any city.
那里的树有的活了几百年。
There (POSS) tree some live (PERF) several-hundred year.
Some of the trees there had lived for hundreds of years.
第一天，我把机器接到一棵高高的老树上。
First day, I (BA) machine connect-arrive one (M) tall (POSS) old tree top.
On the first day, I attached the machine to a tall old tree.
我打开屏幕，戴上耳机，准备听到一些关于水和光的话。
I open screen, wear-on ear-machine, prepare hear-arrive some about water and light (POSS) word.
I turned on the screen, put on the headphones, and prepared to hear talk about water and light.
结果完全不是这样。
Result complete not is this way.
It was nothing like that.
第一句翻译出来的话是：
First sentence translate-out-come (POSS) word is:
The first sentence the machine translated said:
“那匹马的脚步声，今天没有再来过。”
"That (M) horse (POSS) foot-step sound, today not-have again come (PERF)."
“The sound of that horse's hooves has not come again today.”
我愣住了。
I stunned-stop (PERF).
I froze.
什么马？
What horse?
What horse?
几分钟以后，另一棵树回答：
Several minute after, another (M) tree answer:
A few minutes later, another tree answered:
“它已经一百多年没来了。”
"It already one-hundred many year not come (PERF)."
“It hasn't come in over a hundred years.”
“可是它过去常常从这边走。”
"But it past often from this side walk."
“But long ago it often passed by this way.”
“走得很急的时候，地上的土会跳起来。”
"Walk (DE) very urgent (POSS) time, ground top (POSS) soil will jump-up-come."
“When it ran fast, the soil on the ground would leap up.”
我看着屏幕，手在轻轻地发抖。
I watch (CONT) screen, hand at lightly emit-shake.
I watched the screen, my hands trembling.
树记得一匹一百多年前的马的脚步。
Tree remember one (M) one-hundred many year before (POSS) horse (POSS) foot-step.
The trees remembered the steps of a horse from over a hundred years ago.
我又听了几天。
I again listen (PERF) several day.
I listened for several more days.
树并不常常聊水和光。
Tree truly not often chat water and light.
The trees did not often talk about water and light.
它们聊的，是别的事。
They chat (POSS), is other (POSS) thing.
They talked about other things.
“去年冬天，那个穿红外套的女人，又来了。”
"Last year winter, that (M) wear red overcoat (POSS) woman, again come (PERF)."
“Last winter the woman in the red coat came again.”
“她每年来一次。她坐在我下面，一坐就是半天。”
"She every year come one time. She sit at I down-side, one sit just is half day."
“She comes once a year. She sits at my foot for half a day at a time.”
“她不说话。”
"She not speak-word."
“She does not speak.”
“她只是看远远的山。”
"She only is look far-far (POSS) mountain."
“She only looks at the distant mountains.”
另一棵树轻轻地说：
Another (M) tree lightly say:
Another tree said softly:
“一百三十年前，一个男人在我的根下面埋了一个木盒子。”
"One-hundred thirty year before, one (M) man at my (POSS) root down-side bury (PERF) one (M) wood box."
“A hundred and thirty years ago, a man buried a wooden box at my roots.”
“他埋的时候哭了。”
"He bury (POSS) time cry (PERF)."
“He cried while he was burying it.”
“他埋完以后，没有再来过。”
"He bury-finish after, not-have again come (PERF)."
“After he had buried it, he never came back.”
“盒子还在那里。土慢慢地把它包起来了。”
"Box still at there. Soil slowly (BA) it wrap-up-come (PERF)."
“The box is still there. The soil has slowly wrapped around it.”
我又听了几个月。
I again listen (PERF) several (M) month.
I listened for several more months.
树有它们自己的话题。
Tree have they self (POSS) topic.
The trees had their own subjects.
它们讨论几百年来天气的节奏。
They discuss several-hundred year come weather (POSS) rhythm.
They discussed the rhythm of weather over several hundred years.
它们说，最近的春天来得越来越早。
They say, recent (POSS) spring come (DE) more-come-more early.
They said the spring had been coming earlier and earlier.
它们说，那不一定是好事。
They say, that not certainly is good thing.
They said that was not necessarily a good thing.
它们也聊孩子——树的孩子，从它们身上掉下来的种子。
They also chat child—tree (POSS) child, from they body top fall-down-come (POSS) seed.
They also spoke of their children — the seeds that had fallen from them.
“我那年的种子，没有一颗长大。”一棵树说。
"My that year (POSS) seed, not-have one (M) grow-big." One (M) tree say.
“My seeds that year — not a single one grew,” said one tree.
“我知道。”另一棵回答，“可是那年雨水很少。我们都记着。”
"I know." Another (M) answer, "But that year rain-water very few. We all remember (CONT)."
“I know,” another answered. “But the rain was scarce that year. We all remember.”
听这些话的时候，我心里有一种很奇怪的感觉。
Listen these word (POSS) time, I heart inside have one (M, kind) very strange (POSS) feeling.
While I listened, a very strange feeling grew in me.
我不再想着发表论文。
I not again think (CONT) publish discussion-text.
I no longer thought about publishing papers.
我以前每年要发表好几篇论文。
I before every year want publish several-quite (M) discussion-text.
I had once published several papers every year.
现在我只想坐在森林里听。
Now I only want sit at forest inside listen.
Now I only wanted to sit in the forest and listen.
我开始一句一句地把它们的话记在本子上。
I begin one sentence one sentence (BA) they (POSS) word record at notebook top.
I began writing down what they said, one sentence at a time.
我的本子越写越厚。
My (POSS) notebook more write more thick.
My notebook grew thicker and thicker.
三年过去了。
Three year pass-go (PERF).
Three years passed.
学院里的同事们开始问：你最近在干什么？
Academy inside (POSS) colleague-PL begin ask: you recent at do what?
My colleagues at the institute began to ask: what have you been doing lately?
我把本子拿给他们看。
I (BA) notebook take give them look.
I showed them the notebook.
他们看了，半天没说话。
They look (PERF), half day not speak-word.
They read it, and for a long time said nothing.
“这不是科学。”一位老教授慢慢地说。
"This not is science." One (M) old professor slowly say.
“This is not science,” one old professor said slowly.
“我知道。”我说，“我也不打算把它当成科学。”
"I know." I say, "I also not plan (BA) it treat-become science."
“I know,” I said. “I'm not trying to make it science.”
后来，我把那些话整理成了一本书。
Later, I (BA) those word arrange-become (PERF) one (M) book.
Later I shaped those words into a book.
封面上没有写“研究”，只写了三个字：《树在说》。
Cover top not-have write "research", only write (PERF) three (M) character: "Tree at speak".
On the cover there was no word “research” — only three characters: Trees Speak.
书出来以后，很多人写信骂我。
Book come-out after, very many people write letter scold me.
After it came out, many people wrote to scold me.
他们说我浪费了自己的学问。
They say I waste (PERF) self (POSS) learning.
They said I had wasted my training.
但是几年以后，这本书慢慢地改变了一些事。
But several year after, this (M) book slowly change (PERF) some thing.
But a few years later, the book quietly changed some things.
年轻的学生开始用别的方式研究植物。
Young (POSS) student begin use other (POSS) method research plant.
Young students began studying plants in new ways.
他们不只问树需要什么，他们也问树注意到了什么。
They not only ask tree need what, they also ask tree notice-arrive (PERF) what.
They no longer asked only what trees needed; they asked what trees had noticed.
我现在每天还是去森林。
I now every day still is go forest.
I still go to the forest every day.
机器我已经不带了。
Machine I already not bring (PERF).
I no longer bring the machine.
我只是坐在那棵老树下面，听风。
I only is sit at that (M) old tree down-side, listen wind.
I just sit beneath that old tree, and listen to the wind.
我听不懂它们在说什么了。
I listen not understand they at say what (PERF).
I can no longer understand what they say.
但是我知道：它们在说。
But I know: they at speak.
But I know: they are speaking.
这就够了。
This then enough (PERF).
That is enough.