The Stranger I Married
夏天的晚上，王云和老周坐在阳台的两把木椅上。
Summer (POSS) evening, Wang Fang and Old Zhou sit at balcony (POSS) two (M) wood-chair on.
On a summer evening, Wang Fang and Old Zhou sat in two wooden chairs out on the balcony.
他们结婚已经二十五年了。
They get-married already twenty-five year (PERF).
They had been married twenty-five years.
孩子早就工作了，房子里只剩他们两个。
Child early then work (PERF), house inside only remain them two (M).
Their kids had moved out long ago; only the two of them were left in the house.
天色一点一点变深，远处的灯亮了起来。
Sky color one bit one bit change deep, far place (POSS) light bright-up (PERF).
The sky was slowly darkening, and distant lights had begun to come on.
王云在切西瓜。老周一边喝茶一边看楼下的人。
Wang Fang at cut watermelon. Old Zhou one-side drink tea one-side look building-below (POSS) person.
Wang Fang was slicing watermelon. Old Zhou drank tea and watched the people down below.
“今天楼下那个老头吵架的样子，跟我爸一模一样。”老周忽然说。
"Today building-below that (M) old head argue (POSS) appearance, with my dad one-mold-one-sample." Old Zhou suddenly say.
“That old man arguing downstairs today — he looked exactly like my dad,” Old Zhou said out of nowhere.
王云停下了手里的刀，看着他。
Wang Fang stop-down (PERF) hand inside (POSS) knife, look (CONT) him.
Wang Fang stopped cutting and looked at him.
“你爸不是很安静吗？”她说。
"Your dad not is very quiet (Q)?" she say.
“Wasn't your dad quiet?” she said.
“在外面是。在家里不是。”
"At outside is. At home inside not is."
“In public, yes. At home, no.”
王云没说话。她跟老周一起去过他老家三次，每次都觉得他爸是个安静的老人。
Wang Fang not speak. She with Old Zhou together go (EXP) his old home three time, every time all feel his dad is one (M) quiet (POSS) old person.
Wang Fang said nothing. She had been to his hometown with him three times, and every time his father had seemed like a quiet old man.
“他在家里很厉害。我妈一句话都不敢回。”
"He at home inside very fierce. My mom one (M) word all not dare reply."
“At home he was tough. My mom didn't dare answer him back.”
“你以前没说过。”
"You previously not say (EXP)."
“You've never told me that.”
“没什么好说的。”
"Not have what good speak (POSS)."
“Nothing worth saying.”
王云把切好的西瓜放在他面前，自己坐回椅子上。
Wang Fang (BA) cut-good (POSS) watermelon place at his face front, self sit-back chair on.
Wang Fang set the cut watermelon down in front of him and sat back in her chair.
“老周，再跟我说一件我不知道的事。”
"Old Zhou, again with me say one (M) I not know (POSS) matter."
“Old Zhou, tell me one more thing I don't know.”
他看了她一眼，没说话。
He look (PERF) her one glance, not speak.
He glanced at her but didn't speak.
天上的星星出来了一颗。然后又一颗。
Sky on (POSS) star come-out (PERF) one (M). Then again one (M).
A star appeared. Then another.
过了好一会儿，他才开口。
Pass (PERF) good a-while, he only open mouth.
It took a long while before he spoke.
“我小时候，村里人都不喜欢我。我太瘦，又爱哭。”
"I small time, village inside person all not like me. I too thin, also love cry."
“When I was little, the kids in the village didn't like me. I was too skinny and I cried a lot.”
“别人打我，我从来不还手。”
"Other person hit me, I from come not return hand."
“When others hit me, I never hit back.”
“后来我爸知道了，又打了我一次。说男孩子不能这样。”
"Later my dad know (PERF), again hit (PERF) me one time. Say boy child not can this-way."
“When my dad found out, he hit me too. Said a boy couldn't act like that.”
王云的心一下子紧了。
Wang Fang (POSS) heart one-down-now tighten (PERF).
Wang Fang's chest tightened.
“你从来没跟我提过。”
"You from come not with me mention (EXP)."
“You've never told me any of this.”
“没什么用。”他喝了一口茶。
"Not have what use." He drink (PERF) one mouth tea.
“Wouldn't have done any good.” He took a sip of tea.
她轻轻地问：“那……你小时候想做什么？”
She lightly (ADV) ask: "That ... you small time want do what?"
Quietly she asked, “Then ... what did you want to be when you were little?”
老周笑了一下。这个笑她从来没见过——有一点儿不好意思，有一点儿苦。
Old Zhou laugh (PERF) one bit. This (M) smile she from come not see (EXP) — have one bit not good meaning, have one bit bitter.
Old Zhou smiled — a smile she had never seen on him. A little embarrassed, a little sad.
“我想当老师。教孩子读书的那种。”
"I want serve teacher. Teach child read book (POSS) that kind."
“I wanted to be a teacher. The kind that teaches kids to read.”
“可是我爸说，那不是男人的工作。”
"But my dad say, that not is man (POSS) work."
“But my dad said that wasn't a man's job.”
“所以我去了厂里。一干就是四十年。”
"So I go (PERF) factory inside. Once do then is forty year."
“So I went to work at the factory. And that became forty years.”
王云看着他的脸。这个跟她过了半辈子的人，今天忽然有了她不认识的样子。
Wang Fang look (CONT) his (POSS) face. This (M) with her pass (PERF) half lifetime (POSS) person, today suddenly have (PERF) she not recognize (POSS) appearance.
Wang Fang looked at his face. The man she had spent half her life with suddenly had a face she didn't recognize.
“你后悔过吗？”她问。
"You regret (EXP) (Q)?" she ask.
“Have you ever regretted it?” she asked.
“后悔有什么用。可是有的时候，看到学校门口的孩子，心里有点儿……怪怪的。”
"Regret have what use. But have (POSS) time, see-to school gate (POSS) child, heart inside have-bit ... strange-strange (POSS)."
“What good is regret? But sometimes, when I see kids at the school gate, something feels ... a little strange in here.”
他用手指了指自己的心。
He use hand point (PERF) point self (POSS) heart.
He pointed at his own chest.
王云没说话。她只是把椅子往他那边坐了过去。
Wang Fang not speak. She only is (BA) chair toward him that side sit (PERF) past-go.
Wang Fang said nothing. She just moved her chair a little closer to his.
“还有什么？”她说。
"Still have what?" she say.
“What else?” she said.
“你今天怎么了？”他笑着问。
"You today how-PERF?" he laugh (CONT) ask.
“What's gotten into you tonight?” he asked, smiling.
“我突然觉得，我跟你一起住了二十五年，可是我对你了解得太少了。”
"I suddenly feel, I with you together live (PERF) twenty-five year, but I toward you understand (DEG) too few (PERF)."
“I just realized — I've lived with you twenty-five years, and I know so little about you.”
老周看着她，眼睛里有一点儿亮。
Old Zhou look (CONT) her, eye inside have one bit bright.
Old Zhou looked at her, his eyes a little brighter.
那一晚，他们一直坐到很晚。
That one night, they continuously sit to very late.
That night they sat out there until very late.
他讲了村里的河、他第一次坐火车、他最害怕的一件事。
He tell (PERF) village inside (POSS) river, he first time sit train, he most afraid (POSS) one (M) matter.
He told her about the river in his village, his first time on a train, the thing he was most afraid of.
王云听着，像是第一次见到他一样。
Wang Fang listen (CONT), like is first time meet him same.
Wang Fang listened as if meeting him for the first time.
他说完最后一件，看着她说：“说完了。”
He speak-finish last one (M), look (CONT) her say: "Speak-finish (PERF)."
When he had finished the last one, he looked at her. “That's it.”
她轻轻地笑：“再跟我说一件，我不知道的。”
She lightly (ADV) laugh: "Again with me say one (M), I not know (POSS)."
She smiled softly. “Tell me one more — one I don't know.”