The Recipe No One Remembered
奶奶去世以后，房子留给了小丽。
Grandma exit-world after, house leave give (PERF) Xiaoli.
After her grandmother passed away, the apartment was left to Xiaoli.
她花了一个星期整理屋子里的东西。
She spend (PERF) one (M) week organize room inside (POSS) thing.
She spent a week sorting through her grandmother's things.
屋子里到处是旧书、旧照片和旧信。
Room inside everywhere is old book, old photo and old letter.
The apartment was full of old books, old photos, and old letters.
在厨房一个柜子的最下面，她找到了一个小铁盒。
At kitchen one (M) cabinet (POSS) most under, she find-arrive (PERF) one (M) small iron-box.
At the bottom of a kitchen cabinet, she found a small iron box.
盒子里只有一张纸。
Box inside only-have one (M) paper.
Inside the box was a single sheet of paper.
纸上写满了字，可是小丽一个也不认识。
Paper top write full (PERF) character, but Xiaoli one (M) also not recognize.
It was covered in writing, but Xiaoli couldn't read a single character.
看起来像做菜的方子，因为上面写着“油”、“盐”、“糖”这些字。
Look-up-come like cook dish (POSS) method, because top write (CONT) "oil", "salt", "sugar" these character.
It looked like a cooking recipe — there were words like “oil,” “salt,” “sugar.”
可是纸的最上面有一行字，是另外一种语言。
But paper (POSS) most top have one (M) row character, is other (M) language.
But across the top was a line of text in another language.
小丽决定找人翻译。
Xiaoli decide find person translate.
Xiaoli decided to find someone who could translate it.
她把纸送到大学，找到一位研究语言的老师。
She (BA) paper send-arrive big-study, find-arrive one (M) study language (POSS) teacher.
She took it to the university and found a professor who studied languages.
林老师看了一眼，脸色突然变了。
Lin-teacher look (PERF) one eye, face-color suddenly change (PERF).
Professor Lin glanced at it, and her expression changed.
“你从哪里得到这个？”她问。
"You from where obtain this?" She ask.
“Where did you get this?” she asked.
“我奶奶的厨房。她已经去世了。”小丽说。
"My grandma (POSS) kitchen. She already exit-world (PERF)." Xiaoli say.
“My grandmother's kitchen. She's passed away,” Xiaoli said.
林老师慢慢把纸放下，又慢慢拿起来。
Lin-teacher slowly (BA) paper put-down, again slowly take-up-come.
Professor Lin slowly set the paper down, then slowly picked it up again.
“这不是做菜的方子。”她说。
"This not is cook dish (POSS) method." She say.
“This isn't a cooking recipe,” she said.
“这是一封信。写信的人用做菜的话说别的事。”
"This is one (M) letter. Write letter (POSS) person use cook dish (POSS) word say other (POSS) matter."
“It's a letter. The writer used the language of cooking to say something else.”
小丽不太明白。
Xiaoli not very understand.
Xiaoli didn't quite understand.
林老师指着纸说：“在那个年代，有时候说真话很危险。”
Lin-teacher point (CONT) paper say: "At that (M) age, sometimes speak true-word very dangerous."
Professor Lin pointed at the paper. “In those years, telling the truth could be dangerous.”
“朋友之间互相写信，要小心。”
"Friend between mutually write letter, must careful."
“Friends had to be careful when they wrote to each other.”
“所以她们用做菜的样子写真正的话。”
"So they use cook dish (POSS) appearance write real (POSS) word."
“So they wrote what they really meant in the form of a cooking note.”
林老师慢慢念给她听。
Lin-teacher slowly read give her listen.
Professor Lin slowly read it to her.
“两勺糖”不是糖，是一个名字。
"Two spoon sugar" not is sugar, is one (M) name.
“Two spoons of sugar” was not sugar — it was a person's name.
“三块油”是一个地方。
"Three (M) oil" is one (M) place.
“Three pieces of oil” was a place.
“星期天下午做饺子”是一个见面的时间。
"Sunday afternoon make dumpling" is one (M) meet (POSS) time.
“Make dumplings Sunday afternoon” was a meeting time.
“准备得多一点，朋友会来”，意思是告诉别人有危险，要小心。
"Prepare (DE) more a-bit, friend will come", meaning is tell other-person have danger, must careful.
“Prepare a little extra; friends will come” meant there was danger; be careful.
小丽安静地听着，心里又难过又奇怪。
Xiaoli quietly listen (CONT), heart inside again sad again strange.
Xiaoli listened in silence, sad and strange-feeling at once.
她从来不知道奶奶有这样的事。
She from-come not know grandma have such (POSS) matter.
She had never known her grandmother had a past like this.
“信里写的是要送给一位朋友。”林老师说。
"Letter inside write (POSS) is want send give one (M) friend." Lin-teacher say.
“The letter was meant for a friend,” Professor Lin said.
“她叫陈雪。最后一行写了她的家乡。”
"She called Chen-Xue. Last (M) row write (PERF) her (POSS) home-village."
“Her name was Chen Xue. The last line gives her hometown.”
小丽决定把这封信送过去。
Xiaoli decide (BA) this (M) letter send-past-go.
Xiaoli decided to deliver the letter.
她坐火车去了那个小城市。
She sit fire-cart go (PERF) that (M) small city.
She took a train to the small city.
她问了几位老人，才找到陈雪家的地址。
She ask (PERF) several (M) old-person, only-then find-arrive Chen-Xue home (POSS) address.
After asking several elderly people, she finally found Chen Xue's family's address.
开门的是一位中年妇女。
Open-door (POSS) is one (M) middle-age woman.
A middle-aged woman opened the door.
“我母亲十年前已经去世了。”她说。
"My mother ten year ago already exit-world (PERF)." She say.
“My mother passed away ten years ago,” she said.
小丽轻轻把信交给她。
Xiaoli lightly (BA) letter hand give her.
Xiaoli quietly handed her the letter.
“这是几十年前我奶奶写的。我想您母亲应该看一看。”
"This is several-ten year ago my grandma write (POSS). I want your mother should look-look."
“My grandmother wrote this decades ago. I thought your mother should see it.”
那位妇女看了信，眼睛里慢慢有了泪。
That (M) woman look (PERF) letter, eye inside slowly have (PERF) tear.
The woman read it, and her eyes slowly filled with tears.
“原来我母亲一直在等这个。”她小声说。
"Originally my mother continuously at wait this." She small-voice say.
“So my mother had been waiting for this all along,” she said softly.
她请小丽进屋，给她倒了一杯热茶。
She invite Xiaoli enter house, give her pour (PERF) one (M) cup hot tea.
She invited Xiaoli in and poured her a cup of hot tea.
两个人坐在桌前，安静地读完了那封信。
Two (M) person sit at desk front, quietly read-finish (PERF) that (M) letter.
The two of them sat at the table and quietly read the letter through to the end.