一封写给故乡的信 · A Letter to My Hometown

亲爱的qīn'ài de故乡:gùxiāng距离jùlí我wǒ离开líkāi你,nǐ已经yǐjīng十年。shí nián

Dear hometown — it has been ten years since I left.

我wǒ常常chángcháng梦见mèngjiàn村cūn口kǒu的de那nà口kǒu老lǎo井。jǐng

I often dream of the well at the end of the village.

母亲mǔqīn说shuō井jǐng已经yǐjīng被bèi填tián了,le取代qǔdài它tā的de是shì一个yí ge小小xiǎoxiǎo的de广场。guǎngchǎng

Mother said the well had been filled in — replaced by a small playground.

我wǒ小时候xiǎo shíhou读dú过guò书shū的de那nà棵kē柳树liǔshù也yě不bù在zài了。le

There is no longer the willow tree where, as a child, I once read.

巷xiàng中zhōng开裂kāiliè的de石头,shítou也yě被bèi换huàn成chéng了le整齐zhěngqí的de方fāng砖。zhuān

The cracked stones in the alley have all been replaced by neat brick.

故乡,gùxiāng你nǐ仍是réng shì你,nǐ却què已yǐ不再búzài是shì记忆jìyì中zhōng的de你。nǐ

Hometown, you are still you — but you are no longer the you of memory.

也许yěxǔ我wǒ也yě早zǎo已yǐ不是bú shì当年dāng nián那个nà ge小小xiǎoxiǎo的de我。wǒ

Perhaps I am also no longer that small me from back then.

但dàn我wǒ还是hái shì想xiǎng给gěi你nǐ写xiě一封yì fēng信,xìn说shuō给gěi自己zìjǐ的de过去guòqù听。tīng

Yet I still want to write you a letter — to say something to my own past.

我wǒ记得jìde夏天xiàtiān的de傍晚,bàngwǎn大人们dàrén men把bǎ凉席liángxí铺pū在zài门口。ménkǒu

I remember summer evenings, when the grown-ups spread bamboo mats by the door.

我们wǒmen躺tǎng在上面zài shàngmiàn数shǔ星星,xīngxing直到zhídào被bèi蚊子wénzi赶回gǎn huí屋里。wū lǐ

We lay on them counting stars until the mosquitoes drove us back inside.

那时候nà shíhou没有méiyǒu空调,kōngtiáo却què好像hǎoxiàng没有méiyǒu那么热。nàme rè

There was no air conditioning then, yet somehow it did not feel so hot.

现在xiànzài我wǒ住zhù在zài有yǒu二十四层èrshísì céng的de楼里。lóu lǐ

Now I live in a building of twenty-four floors.

邻居línjū换huàn了le三次,sān cì我wǒ一个yí ge也yě叫不出jiào bù chū名字。míngzi

The neighbours have changed three times, and I cannot name a single one.

去年qùnián过年guònián我wǒ回去huíqù了le一趟,yí tàng只zhǐ待dāi了le三天。sān tiān

Last New Year I went back once, and stayed only three days.

村里cūn lǐ的de年轻人niánqīng rén几乎jīhū都dōu走了,zǒu le只zhǐ剩shèng老人lǎorén和hé小孩。xiǎohái

Nearly all the young people have left the village; only the old and the children remain.

我wǒ在zài老屋lǎo wū门口ménkǒu站zhàn了le很久,hěn jiǔ却què没有méiyǒu进去。jìnqù

I stood a long while at the door of the old house, but did not go in.

也许yěxǔ我wǒ怕pà看见kànjiàn里面lǐmiàn已经yǐjīng空了。kōng le

Perhaps I was afraid of seeing that it was already empty inside.

故乡,gùxiāng原谅yuánliàng我wǒ把bǎ你nǐ留liú在zài了le记忆里。jìyì lǐ

Hometown, forgive me for leaving you behind in memory.

因为yīnwèi只有zhǐyǒu在zài记忆里,jìyì lǐ你nǐ才cái不会bú huì变。biàn

Because only in memory will you never change.