The Thousand-Day Walk
她叫王红，那一年五十六岁。
She call Wang Hong, that one year fifty-six year.
Her name was Wang Hong, and she was fifty-six that year.
她的丈夫春天去世了，留下她一个人在山下的小村子里。
Her (POSS) husband spring pass-away (PERF), leave-behind her alone person at mountain under (POSS) small village inside.
Her husband had died in the spring, leaving her alone in their small village at the foot of the mountains.
夏末的一天早上，她锁好家门，把钥匙交给邻居。
Summer end (POSS) one day morning, she lock good home door, (DISP) key hand-give neighbor.
On a morning at the end of summer she locked her door and gave the key to a neighbor.
她说：“我出去走走。”
She say: "I go-out walk-walk."
She said, “I'm going out for a walk.”
邻居以为她去镇上买东西。
Neighbor think she go town on buy thing.
The neighbor thought she was off to town to buy something.
可是王红没有去镇上。她往西走。
But Wang Hong not have go town on. She toward west walk.
But Wang Hong did not go to town. She walked west.
她也没想清楚要走多远。她只是想走。
She also not think-clear want walk how far. She only is want walk.
She hadn't decided how far to go. She only wanted to walk.
第一天，她走过了三个村子。
First day, she walk-pass (PERF) three (M) village.
On the first day, she walked through three villages.
晚上她在一家茶馆门口的台阶上睡觉。
Evening she at one (M) tea-house door (POSS) step on sleep.
That night she slept on the steps of a teahouse.
茶馆的老板看见她，请她进去坐一坐。
Tea-house (POSS) boss see her, invite her enter sit one sit.
The owner saw her and invited her in to sit a while.
他没问她去哪儿。她也没说。
He not ask her go where. She also not say.
He didn't ask where she was going, and she didn't say.
一个礼拜过去了，她还在走。
One (M) week pass-go (PERF), she still at walk.
A week passed, and she was still walking.
她路过的村子越来越陌生，房子的样子越来越不一样。
She pass (POSS) village more-come-more strange, house (POSS) appearance more-come-more not same.
The villages she passed grew stranger, and the houses began to look different.
一个月过去了，村里人开始明白她不会很快回来。
One (M) month pass-go (PERF), village inside person start understand she not will very fast return.
A month passed, and the people in her village understood she would not be back soon.
邻居把她的钥匙放在抽屉里，没有动她的东西。
Neighbor (DISP) her (POSS) key put at drawer inside, not have move her (POSS) thing.
The neighbor put her key in a drawer and left her things alone.
王红一直往西走。
Wang Hong continuously toward west walk.
Wang Hong kept walking west.
秋天，她走进了一片大平原。
Autumn, she walk-enter (PERF) one (M) big flat-plain.
In autumn she walked onto a great flat plain.
天黑得早，风很冷。
Sky dark (DEG) early, wind very cold.
The sky grew dark early, and the wind was cold.
一个开拖拉机的农民送了她一段路。
One (M) drive tractor (POSS) farmer give (PERF) her one section road.
A farmer driving a tractor gave her a ride for part of the way.
他给她一个热土豆，让她放在口袋里暖手。
He give her one (M) hot potato, let her put at pocket inside warm hand.
He handed her a hot potato to keep in her pocket to warm her hands.
冬天来了，她到了一座山的脚下。
Winter come (PERF), she arrive (PERF) one (M) mountain (POSS) foot under.
Winter came, and she reached the foot of a mountain.
山上下雪，她不敢一个人走。
Mountain on fall snow, she not dare alone person walk.
There was snow on the mountain, and she didn't dare cross it alone.
她在山下的一个小庙里住了三个月，帮里面的人做饭、扫地。
She at mountain under (POSS) one (M) small temple inside live (PERF) three (M) month, help inside (POSS) person make food, sweep ground.
She stayed three months at a small temple at the mountain's foot, cooking and sweeping for the people there.
春天，雪开始化，她又上路了。
Spring, snow start melt, she again on-road (PERF).
In spring the snow began to melt, and she set out again.
山的那一边，她看到的天是新的。
Mountain (POSS) that one side, she see (POSS) sky is new (POSS).
On the other side of the mountain, the sky she saw was new.
夏天，她走进了一个大城市。
Summer, she walk-enter (PERF) one (M) big city.
In summer she walked into a great city.
城市的人匆匆忙忙，没有人注意她。
City (POSS) person hurry hurry busy busy, not have person notice her.
The city's people hurried by, and no one noticed her.
她在一个公园里坐了一整天，看人们带小孩跑来跑去。
She at one (M) park inside sit (PERF) one whole day, watch people bring small child run-come run-go.
She sat in a park for a whole day and watched people walk their children back and forth.
晚上她在公园的椅子上睡，第二天一早又走。
Evening she at park (POSS) chair on sleep, second day one morning again walk.
She slept on a park bench and walked on the next morning early.
秋天她走在山区的小路上。
Autumn she walk at mountain area (POSS) small road on.
In the autumn she walked on small paths in mountain country.
有一晚她迷路了，下了很大的雨。
Have one night she lose-road (PERF), fall (PERF) very big (POSS) rain.
One night she lost her way, and a heavy rain came down.
一个放羊的孩子带她到自己家里。
One (M) tend-sheep (POSS) child bring her to own home inside.
A child tending sheep brought her home to his family.
孩子的母亲给她一碗热汤，没问她任何事。
Child (POSS) mother give her one (M) hot soup, not ask her any matter.
The boy's mother gave her a bowl of hot soup and asked her nothing.
第二个冬天，她又住在一个茶馆里。
Second (M) winter, she again live at one (M) tea-house inside.
Through her second winter she again stayed in a teahouse.
她帮老板娘洗碗。老板娘叫她“走路的姐姐”。
She help boss-wife wash bowl. Boss-wife call her "walk-road (POSS) elder-sister".
She helped the owner's wife wash dishes. The wife called her “the walking sister.”
在路上她遇到过坏人，也遇到过好人。
At road on she meet (EXP) bad person, also meet (EXP) good person.
On the road she met bad people, and she met good people.
有一次有人想抢她的包，她大声叫，一群女人从后面跑过来帮她。
Have one time have person want grab her (POSS) bag, she loud voice shout, one group woman from back side run-come help her.
Once someone tried to snatch her bag; she shouted, and a group of women came running to help.
还有一次，她生病躺在路边，一位老中医给她看了三天，不要钱。
Still have one time, she sick lie at road side, one (M) old Chinese-medicine give her see (PERF) three day, not want money.
Another time she fell sick at the roadside, and an old doctor of traditional medicine cared for her three days for nothing.
她也有寂寞的时候。
She also have lonely (POSS) time.
She had her lonely times.
晚上躺在陌生的屋子里，她想起丈夫，想起家。
Evening lie at strange (POSS) room inside, she think-up husband, think-up home.
Lying in strange rooms at night she thought of her husband, and of home.
她没有哭。她已经哭完了。
She not have cry. She already cry-finish (PERF).
She did not cry. She had finished crying long ago.
也有快乐。
Also have happy.
There were joys, too.
她第一次看见一群大马在草原上跑，她笑出了声。
She first time see one group big horse at grassland on run, she laugh-out (PERF) voice.
The first time she saw a herd of large horses running on the grassland, she laughed aloud.
她第一次吃到南方的水果，甜得让她流泪。
She first time eat-to south (POSS) fruit, sweet (DEG) let her flow tear.
The first time she tasted southern fruit, the sweetness made her eyes water.
九百多天的时候，她到了一片新的山。
Nine hundred more day (POSS) time, she arrive (PERF) one (M) new (POSS) mountain.
After more than nine hundred days, she reached a new range of mountains.
山的那一边有海。
Mountain (POSS) that one side have sea.
On the other side of those mountains was the sea.
她从来没见过海。
She from-not have see (EXP) sea.
She had never seen the sea before.
第一千天，她坐在沙滩上。
First thousand day, she sit at sand-beach on.
On the thousandth day, she sat on a beach.
海很蓝，风很轻，她一个人。
Sea very blue, wind very light, she alone person.
The sea was blue, the wind was soft, and she was alone.
她没有想到什么大道理。
She not have think-to anything great principle.
No great truths came to her.
她只是觉得脚很累，心很轻。
She only is feel foot very tired, heart very light.
Her feet only felt tired, and her heart felt light.
一位陌生的老人坐到她旁边，给她倒了一杯热茶。
One (M) strange (POSS) old-person sit-to her side, give her pour (PERF) one (M) hot tea.
A stranger, an old man, sat down beside her and poured her a cup of hot tea.
他们一句话也没说，看了很久的海。
They one sentence word also not say, watch (PERF) very long (POSS) sea.
They didn't speak a word, and watched the sea a long time.
王红喝完茶，慢慢站起来。
Wang Hong drink-finish tea, slowly stand up.
Wang Hong finished her tea and slowly stood up.
她想：我可以回家了。
She think: I able return home (PERF).
She thought: I can go home now.
她走到镇上的小火车站，买了一张往东的票。
She walk-to town on (POSS) small train station, buy (PERF) one (M) toward east (POSS) ticket.
She walked to the small train station in town and bought a ticket east.
可是她没有买直接到家的票。
But she not have buy direct arrive home (POSS) ticket.
But she didn't buy a ticket all the way home.
她每到一个地方就下车，住几天，再上车。
She every arrive one (M) place then off-car, live several day, again on-car.
At each place she got off, stayed a few days, then boarded another train.
回家的路比来的时候慢得多。
Return home (POSS) road than come (POSS) time slow (DEG) much.
The way home was much slower than the way out.
可是她已经不怕慢了。
But she already not fear slow (PERF).
But she was no longer afraid of being slow.
邻居开门那一天，看见她站在门口，头发白了一些，皮肤黑了一些。
Neighbor open door that one day, see her stand at door, hair white (PERF) some, skin black (PERF) some.
The day the neighbor opened the door, she saw Wang Hong standing there, her hair a little whiter, her skin a little darker.
邻居只问了一句话：“您要钥匙吗？”
Neighbor only ask (PERF) one sentence word: "You want key (Q)?"
The neighbor only asked her one question: “Do you want your key?”
王红笑了，说：“要。”
Wang Hong smile (PERF), say: "Want."
Wang Hong smiled and said, “Yes.”
她推开自己家的门，屋子里有一点灰，可是阳光还是从老地方照进来。
She push-open own home (POSS) door, room inside have one bit dust, but sunlight still from old place shine-enter come.
She pushed open her own door; the room was a little dusty, but sunlight still came in from the same old place.
她放下包，坐在椅子上，慢慢地喝了一杯水。
She put-down bag, sit at chair on, slowly (ADV) drink (PERF) one (M) water.
She set down her bag, sat in her chair, and slowly drank a cup of water.