都市夜归人 · City Nightcomers

夜里yè lǐ十一点shíyī diǎn过后,guò hòu街道jiēdào渐渐jiànjiàn安静ānjìng下来。xiàlái

Past 11 p.m., the streets gradually quiet down.

但dàn高楼gāolóu底下,dǐxia深夜shēnyè食堂shítáng依然yīrán灯火dēnghuǒ通明,tōngmíng像xiàng一座座yí zuò zuò温暖wēnnuǎn的de小岛。xiǎo dǎo

But beneath the high-rises, late-night canteens are still lit, like islands of warmth.

加班jiābān的de白领báilǐng一边yìbiān松sōng领带,lǐngdài一边yìbiān走zǒu进jìn店里。diàn lǐ

Office workers loosen their ties as they walk in.

刚gāng下班xiàbān的de司机sījī默默mòmò地de喝hē完wán一yī碗wǎn牛肉面。niúròu miàn

Drivers, just off shift, quietly gulp down a bowl of beef noodles.

还hái有yǒu三sān两liǎng成chéng群qún的de年轻人,niánqīng rén在zài过guò着zhe"夜宵"。yèxiāo

There are also young people, having an after-midnight feast in twos and threes.

城市chéngshì的de灯光dēngguāng温柔,wēnróu城市chéngshì的de孤独gūdú也yě温柔。wēnróu

City lights are gentle, but city loneliness is also gentle.

在zài放下fàngxià筷子kuàizi以前,yǐqián没有méiyǒu人rén急jí着zhe离开。líkāi

Before the chopsticks are put down, no one is in a rush to leave.

夜归,yè guī成chéng了le这座zhè zuò城市chéngshì最zuì安静ānjìng的de仪式。yíshì

Returning home from the night becomes the city's quietest ritual.

深夜食堂shēnyè shítáng的de老板lǎobǎn往往wǎngwǎng话不多。huà bù duō

The owner of a late-night canteen is usually a man of few words.

他tā知道zhīdào谁shéi刚gāng失恋,shīliàn谁shéi刚gāng被bèi辞退,cítuì却què从来cónglái不问。bú wèn

He knows who has just been left and who has just been let go, and never asks.

他tā只是zhǐshì把bǎ面miàn煮zhǔ得de更久gèng jiǔ一点,yìdiǎn汤tāng盛chéng得de更满gèng mǎn一些。yìxiē

He only boils the noodles a little longer and fills the bowl a little fuller.

有人yǒu rén喝完hē wán酒,jiǔ趴pā在zài桌子上zhuōzi shàng睡着了。shuì zháo le

Someone finished his drink and fell asleep slumped over the table.

老板lǎobǎn给gěi他tā盖gài了le一件yí jiàn外套,wàitào没有méiyǒu叫醒jiào xǐng他。tā

The owner laid a coat over him and did not wake him.

凌晨língchén两点,liǎng diǎn最后zuìhòu一班yì bān地铁dìtiě早已zǎo yǐ停运。tíngyùn

At two in the morning, the last subway has long since stopped running.

街上jiē shàng只zhǐ剩下shèng xià代驾dàijià和hé网约车wǎngyuē chē的de灯。dēng

Only the lights of substitute drivers and ride-hailing cars are left on the street.

他们tāmen也yě在等,zài děng等着děng zhe把bǎ别人biérén送sòng回家。huí jiā

They are waiting too — waiting to carry other people home.

天tiān快亮kuài liàng的时候,de shíhou卖早点mài zǎodiǎn的de摊子tānzi开始kāishǐ支起来。zhī qǐlái

As the sky begins to lighten, the breakfast stalls start going up.

城市chéngshì的de夜yè和hé城市chéngshì的de早晨,zǎochen在zài这一刻zhè yí kè交接。jiāojiē

The city's night and the city's morning hand over to each other at this moment.

谁shéi也yě没有méiyǒu说话,shuōhuà但dàn一切yíqiè都dōu在zài继续。jìxù

Nobody says a word, but everything goes on.