The Night of the Fox Call
我爷爷一辈子住在山里的一个小村子。
My grandpa one life-time live at mountain inside (POSS) one (M) small village.
My grandfather spent his whole life in a small village in the mountains.
我小时候，他常常给我讲一个故事。
I small-time, he often give me tell one (M) story.
When I was little, he used to tell me a story.
他说，山里的某些晚上，林子里会传出一个声音。
He say, mountain inside (POSS) certain (PL) evening, forest inside will spread-out one (M) voice.
He said that on certain nights in the mountains, a voice would come out of the woods.
那个声音会叫村里人的名字。
That (M) voice will call village inside person (POSS) name.
The voice would call villagers by their names.
“可是你要小心，”爷爷说。
"But you must careful," grandpa say.
"But you have to be careful," my grandfather said.
“如果你听不出那是你自己的生活，就不要答应。”
"If you listen not out that is your self (POSS) life, then not want answer."
"If you don't recognize your own life in it, don't answer."
我那时不太懂，只觉得这个故事有点可怕。
I that time not too understand, only feel this (M) story a-bit scary.
I didn't quite understand back then; I only thought it sounded a little scary.
爷爷会笑着摸我的头：“你长大了就会懂。”
Grandpa will smile (CONT) touch my (POSS) head: "You grow-up (PERF) then will understand."
Grandpa would smile and pat my head. "You'll understand when you're older."
我十八岁离开村子，去城里上学。
I eighteen year-old leave village, go city inside attend-school.
I left the village at eighteen to study in the city.
后来工作、结婚、生孩子，几乎二十年没回过山里。
After work, get-married, give-birth-child, almost twenty year not return (EXP) mountain inside.
Then came work, marriage, a child — almost twenty years passed without my ever going back.
去年冬天，爷爷走了。
Last year winter, grandpa go (PERF).
Last winter, my grandfather passed away.
他留下的东西不多，可是他的老房子还在。
He leave-down (POSS) thing not many, but his (POSS) old house still at.
He didn't leave much behind, but his old house was still there.
我得回去收拾，准备把房子卖掉。
I must return-go gather-up, prepare (BA) house sell-off.
I had to go back to clean it out and arrange to sell it.
村子现在几乎没有人住了。
Village now almost not have person live (PERF).
Almost no one lived in the village anymore.
年轻人都去了城里，老人慢慢走了。
Young person all go (PERF) city inside, old person slowly go (PERF).
The young had all moved to the cities, and the old had slowly passed on.
我开车上山的那天，路上没遇到一辆车。
I drive-car up mountain (POSS) that day, road on not meet-arrive one (M) vehicle.
The day I drove up the mountain, I didn't pass a single car on the road.
爷爷的房子还是老样子。
Grandpa (POSS) house still is old appearance.
Grandpa's house looked just the same.
木门，木窗，院子里有一棵老树，里面有些灰，可是东西都还在。
Wood door, wood window, courtyard inside have one (M) old tree, inside have-some dust, but thing all still at.
Wooden door, wooden windows, an old tree in the yard; inside there was a bit of dust, but everything was still there.
桌子上还放着他用过的茶杯。
Table on still place (CONT) he use (EXP) (POSS) tea-cup.
His teacup was still sitting on the table.
我决定住一晚再走。
I decide live one evening again go.
I decided to spend one night before leaving.
天黑得很快。
Sky black (DE) very fast.
Night fell quickly.
山里没有别的灯，只有我屋子里那一个。
Mountain inside not have other (POSS) lamp, only have my room inside that one (M).
There were no other lights in the mountains, just the one in my room.
风很大，树叶一直响。
Wind very big, tree-leaf all-along make-sound.
The wind was strong, the leaves never stopped rustling.
我洗完脸，正要上床。
I wash-finish face, just about-to on-bed.
I had just washed up and was about to get into bed.
突然，从林子里传来一个声音。
Suddenly, from forest inside spread-come one (M) voice.
Suddenly, a voice came drifting out of the woods.
在叫我的名字。
At call my (POSS) name.
It was calling my name.
一声，又一声。
One sound, again one sound.
Once, then again.
不像男人，不像女人，也不像小孩。
Not like man, not like woman, also not like small-child.
Not like a man's voice, not like a woman's, not like a child's.
我心里一下子全凉了。
I heart inside one (M) instant all cool (PERF).
My whole heart went cold.
我想起了爷爷的话。
I think-up (PERF) grandpa (POSS) word.
I remembered my grandfather's warning.
我没答应。
I not answer.
I didn't answer.
我安静地坐在床上，听着那声音。
I quiet (ADV) sit at bed on, listen (CONT) that voice.
I sat quietly on the bed, listening to it.
我想：那是我吗？那是我现在的生活吗？
I think: that is me (Q)? That is my now (POSS) life (Q)?
I thought: is that me? Is that my life right now?
声音里有别的样子。
Voice inside have other (POSS) appearance.
There was someone else in that voice.
好像在叫一个我没成为的我。
Seem-like at call one (M) I not become (POSS) me.
It seemed to be calling a me I had never become.
我闭上眼睛，慢慢地呼吸。声音过了一会儿，就没有了。
I close-on eye, slow (ADV) breathe. Voice pass (PERF) one moment, then not have (PERF).
I closed my eyes and breathed slowly. After a while, the voice was gone.
早上，我推开门。
Morning, I push-open door.
In the morning, I pushed the door open.
院子里的软土上，有几个小小的脚印。
Courtyard inside (POSS) soft earth on, have several (M) small-small (POSS) foot-print.
On the soft earth of the yard, there were small footprints.
不是人的脚印，也不是村里的狗的。
Not is person (POSS) foot-print, also not is village inside (POSS) dog (POSS).
Not human footprints, and not any village dog's.
我看了一会儿，没说什么。
I look (PERF) one moment, not say what.
I looked at them for a moment without saying anything.
我把房子收拾完，关好门，把钥匙留给了村口的老人。
I (BA) house gather-up finish, close-good door, (BA) key leave-give (PERF) village mouth (POSS) old person.
I finished cleaning out the house, locked the door, and left the key with the old man at the village gate.
下山的路上，我开得很慢。
Down-mountain (POSS) road on, I drive (DE) very slow.
On the road down the mountain, I drove very slowly.
我想着爷爷的故事，想着昨晚那个声音。
I think (CONT) grandpa (POSS) story, think (CONT) yesterday-evening that (M) voice.
I thought about my grandfather's story, and about that voice from the night before.
我没答应，我知道我是谁。
I not answer, I know I am who.
I hadn't answered. I knew who I was.
我比上山的时候，更知道一点了。
I than up-mountain (POSS) time, more know a-bit (PERF).
I knew it a little better than when I had come up.