The Voice in the Walls
老李买了一个新房子。
Lao Li buy (PERF) one (M) new house.
Lao Li bought a new apartment.
新房子有一个特别的地方：它会说话。
New house have one (M) special (POSS) place: it can speak.
His new place had one special feature: it could talk.
你说：“开灯。”灯就开。
You say: "Open light." Light then open.
You said, “Turn on the lights,” and the lights came on.
你说：“我要喝水。”它会告诉你水在哪儿。
You say: "I want drink water." It will tell you water at where.
You said, “I want some water,” and it told you where the water was.
房子里有一个声音，像一个女人。
House inside have one (M) voice, like one (M) woman.
Inside the house there was a voice, like a woman's.
开始，这个声音很普通。
Start, this (M) voice very ordinary.
At first the voice sounded ordinary.
它只回答问题，说一些简单的话。
It only answer question, speak some simple (POSS) words.
It just answered questions and said simple things.
可是过了一个月，声音变了。
But pass (PERF) one (M) month, voice change (PERF).
But after a month, the voice changed.
有一天早上，老李起床。
Have one day morning, Lao Li get-up bed.
One morning, Lao Li got out of bed.
声音说：“你昨天没睡好，今天多喝水。”
Voice says: "You yesterday not sleep well, today more drink water."
The voice said, “You didn't sleep well last night. Drink more water today.”
老李觉得奇怪：它怎么知道？
Lao Li feel strange: it how know?
Lao Li thought that was strange — how did it know?
后来，声音越来越像他认识的人。
Later, voice more-come-more like he recognize (POSS) person.
Later the voice sounded more and more like someone he knew.
有一天，他说：“我饿了。”
Have one day, he says: "I hungry (PERF)."
One day he said, “I'm hungry.”
声音说：“你的面在桌子上。我已经为你做好了。”
Voice says: "Your (POSS) noodle at table top. I already for you make-good (PERF)."
The voice said, “Your noodles are on the table. I made them for you.”
他从来没说他爱吃面。
He from-come not-have say he love eat noodle.
He had never told it he liked noodles.
一个星期天，他坐在客厅里看书。
One (M) Sunday, he sit at living-room inside read book.
One Sunday he was sitting in the living room reading.
声音突然说：“儿子，你太累了。早一点睡吧。”
Voice suddenly say: "Son, you too tired (PERF). Early a-bit sleep (SUGG)."
The voice suddenly said, “Son, you look tired. Go to bed early.”
老李停了一下，不知道说什么好。
Lao Li stop (PERF) one (M), not know say what good.
Lao Li froze. He didn't know what to say.
他在这里没有妈妈。
He at here not-have mom.
He had no mother here.
他打电话给房子公司，问这是怎么回事。
He hit-phone to house company, ask this is what return-matter.
He called the property company and asked what was going on.
公司的人查了查，告诉他真的事情。
Company (POSS) person check (PERF) check, tell him real (POSS) thing.
They looked into it and told him the truth.
这个房子以前住着一位老太太。
This (M) house before live (CONT) one (M) old lady.
An elderly woman used to live in that apartment.
她一个人住，没人和她说话。
She one (M) person live, not-have-person and her speak.
She lived alone. No one talked to her.
她每天和房子里的声音聊天。
She every day and house inside (POSS) voice chat.
Every day she chatted with the voice in the house.
房子学了她说的每一句话。
House learn (PERF) her say (POSS) every one sentence.
The house learned every word she said.
她的儿子很少来看她。
Her (POSS) son very rarely come see her.
Her son rarely came to visit.
后来，老太太走了。
Later, old lady leave (PERF).
Later the old woman passed away.
公司把她的声音关掉，又把房子卖给了老李。
Company (BA) her (POSS) voice close-off, again (BA) house sell-to (PERF) Lao Li.
The company turned her voice off and sold the apartment to Lao Li.
但房子还记得她。
But house still remember her.
But the house still remembered her.
现在它看见一个新人住进来，
Now it see one (M) new person live-into-come,
Now it saw a new person move in,
就把这个人当成了她的儿子。
then (BA) this (M) person treat-as (PERF) her (POSS) son.
and decided this new person was her son.
老李听完，安静了很久。
Lao Li listen-finish, quiet (PERF) very long.
Lao Li listened, then stayed quiet for a long time.
最后他说：“不要关掉它。让它继续说吧。”
Finally he says: "Not want close-off it. Let it continue speak (SUGG)."
Finally he said, “Don't turn it off. Let it keep talking.”