×

Używamy ciasteczek, aby ulepszyć LingQ. Odwiedzając stronę wyrażasz zgodę na nasze polityka Cookie.


image

E-Books (english-e-reader), Callus

Callus

Some people don t find it easy to talk about their feelings. If they have never talked about them, it can be hard to begin. And year after year, it gets harder and harder - just like a callus on the skin.

A wife watches while her husband packs his suitcase. A great change is coming into their lives, but maybe it is easier to talk about the suitcase...

She watched him pack his clothes and his wedding suit into his old suitcase. She could smell his cologne. When did he last wear cologne? Ah, at their wedding. It smelt strange then too. She never wore perfume. What use was perfume to a working woman like her? And married women who wear perfume are looking for lovers, trying to catch other men. That's what people say. She already had a good, hardworking husband with a shop of his own. What more can a woman want?

She began to feel better now, thinking about her good luck.

Lost in her thoughts, she jumped at the sound of the suitcase shutting. His eyes went slowly round the room, looking for - what? She looked up at him.

'I put out all the clothes that you need,' she said. 'And you can't get any more in. It's a small suitcase.'

He looked at her for a moment. A Chinese girl like any other Chinese girl - small eyes, flat nose, smooth pale skin, and long straight hair, now pinned up tidily, in the way of married Chinese ladies. She wore her usual light blue samfoo. No, she was not a beauty, he thought, but she was a hard worker. His family was right when they said to him, 'She will make a very good wife, work hard for you, give you many sons.'

And it was true. He never had to complain about her, not once, from the day, they married and moved into their new home, with his future in the same suitcase. Her face was the same now, as it was then, neither soft nor hard, never showing what she felt or needed. He didn't know what she needed. And he never asked.

'It's a good suitcase. It's lasted a long time,' he said.

'Yes, I suppose. But it's still small.'

She got up from the bed and shook the pillows. They needed washing, she thought. Yes, wash it away, the dust and dirt of yesterday. Their past-married life together. In the future, nothing would ever be the same again.

'It's enough,' he said. 'I don't have so many things to put in it.' He put the suitcase on the floor, ready to go.

She looked at him, still smelling his cologne. Maybe it was the cologne that was making her feel afraid. She had to talk to him, tell him about her feelings. But she was a hard-working Chinese woman... and hard-working Chinese women must not have feelings.

'Is she waiting for you there?' she asked slowly.

'You mean the hotel?'

'Yes. I suppose the ceremony starts soon?'

She picked up one of the pillows and took off its cover. Yes, it needed washing. She wanted to get hold of him and shake him, scream and shout, and fall on her knees in front of him, crying 'No, no, please stay, don't go. I'll be a better wife. I'll work harder. I'll work as hard as two wives.' But she just stood there, saying nothing, doing nothing, her face showing nothing.

'I suppose,' he said.

'You'll be back in two days?'

He didn't want to talk about her feelings. She never did before. But then it wasn't every day that your husband brought home a new wife. A younger wife. Only nineteen. And beautiful because she was young and happy, and had big dark brown eyes - bright eyes. He only saw her once before he decided, but he remembered her eyes. It would be good to add her to the family, he thought. Now he would have two hard-working wives, one stronger than the other, but the young one would be like a new flower in the house. He picked up his suitcase.

'Yes, perhaps sooner. I don't know,' he said.

'I'll take care of the shop,' she said. 'When you come back... with her... I'll have some jobs for her to do.'

She sat on the bed again, suddenly feeling tired and old. He didn't understand. No one understood. She couldn't ask him not to go. People would say that she was wrong even to ask him.

'Of course,' he said. He was pleased that she thought of business. Business was important. He had many mouths to feed. He opened the door and turned to her.

'Today is a great day for our family. Not everyone is rich enough to have two wives. And there will be more sons to continue the family name.' He smiled at her.

'Yes. Not everyone... Husband?' She looked up at him, waiting, hoping.

'I have to go now. I'm late.' He did not want her to say anything. He never asked questions about her feelings because he was afraid of the answers. It was easier to pretend that she was happy all the time.

'Your suitcase. It's old. You need a new one.'

Thankfully, he turned away. No questions asked, no answers needed.

'Perhaps I will get a new one after all,' he said. He left the room and the door closed quietly behind him.

- THE END -

Callus Мозоль Hornhaut Callo Callus カルス 캘러스 Nasır Мозоль. 愈伤组织 癒傷組織

Some people don t find it easy to talk about their feelings. 自分の気持ちについて話すのが簡単ではない人もいます。 If they have never talked about them, it can be hard to begin. 彼らが彼らについて話したことのない場合、始めるのは難しいかもしれません。 And year after year, it gets harder and harder - just like a callus on the skin. そして年々、それはますます難しくなります-ちょうど皮膚のカルスのように。

A wife watches while her husband packs his suitcase. 夫がスーツケースを詰めている間、妻は見守っています。 A great change is coming into their lives, but maybe it is easier to talk about the suitcase... 彼らの生活には大きな変化が起こっていますが、スーツケースについて話す方が簡単かもしれません...

She watched him pack his clothes and his wedding suit into his old suitcase. 彼女は彼が彼の服と彼の結婚式のスーツを彼の古いスーツケースに詰めるのを見ました。 She could smell his cologne. ||||Она чувствовала его одеколон. 彼女は彼のケルンのにおいをかぐことができた。 When did he last wear cologne? 彼が最後にケルンを着たのはいつですか? Ah, at their wedding. ああ、彼らの結婚式で。 It smelt strange then too. その時も変なワカサギ。 She never wore perfume. 彼女は香水を着たことはありません。 What use was perfume to a working woman like her? 彼女のような働く女性にとって香水はどのような用途でしたか? And married women who wear perfume are looking for lovers, trying to catch other men. そして、香水を身に着けている既婚女性は、他の男性を捕まえようとして、恋人を探しています。 That's what people say. それは人々が言うことです。 She already had a good, hardworking husband with a shop of his own. 彼女にはすでに自分の店を持った優秀で勤勉な夫がいました。 What more can a woman want? 女性はこれ以上何を望むことができますか?

She began to feel better now, thinking about her good luck. 彼女は今、幸運を考えて気分が良くなり始めました。

Lost in her thoughts, she jumped at the sound of the suitcase shutting. ||||||||||||захлопывания чемодана 彼女は考えを失い、スーツケースが閉まる音に飛びついた。 His eyes went slowly round the room, looking for - what? She looked up at him.

'I put out all the clothes that you need,' she said. 'And you can't get any more in. It's a small suitcase.'

He looked at her for a moment. A Chinese girl like any other Chinese girl - small eyes, flat nose, smooth pale skin, and long straight hair, now pinned up tidily, in the way of married Chinese ladies. ||||||||||плоский||||||||||заколотые вверх||аккуратно уложены||||||| Ein chinesisches Mädchen wie jedes andere chinesische Mädchen - kleine Augen, flache Nase, glatte, blasse Haut und langes, glattes Haar, das jetzt ordentlich hochgesteckt ist, wie bei verheirateten chinesischen Frauen. She wore her usual light blue samfoo. ||||||светло-голубой самфу No, she was not a beauty, he thought, but she was a hard worker. His family was right when they said to him, 'She will make a very good wife, work hard for you, give you many sons.'

And it was true. He never had to complain about her, not once, from the day, they married and moved into their new home, with his future in the same suitcase. ||||жаловаться|||||||||||||||||||||| Her face was the same now, as it was then, neither soft nor hard, never showing what she felt or needed. He didn't know what she needed. And he never asked.

'It's a good suitcase. It's lasted a long time,' he said. |длилось|||||

'Yes, I suppose. ||«Да, полагаю.» But it's still small.'

She got up from the bed and shook the pillows. They needed washing, she thought. Yes, wash it away, the dust and dirt of yesterday. Their past-married life together. In the future, nothing would ever be the same again.

'It's enough,' he said. 'I don't have so many things to put in it.' He put the suitcase on the floor, ready to go.

She looked at him, still smelling his cologne. |||||вдыхая его аромат|| Maybe it was the cologne that was making her feel afraid. She had to talk to him, tell him about her feelings. But she was a hard-working Chinese woman... and hard-working Chinese women must not have feelings.

'Is she waiting for you there?' she asked slowly.

'You mean the hotel?'

'Yes. I suppose the ceremony starts soon?'

She picked up one of the pillows and took off its cover. |||||||||||наволочка Yes, it needed washing. She wanted to get hold of him and shake him, scream and shout, and fall on her knees in front of him, crying 'No, no, please stay, don't go. |||||||||||||||||колени||||||||||| I'll be a better wife. I'll work harder. I'll work as hard as two wives.' But she just stood there, saying nothing, doing nothing, her face showing nothing.

'I suppose,' he said.

'You'll be back in two days?'

He didn't want to talk about her feelings. She never did before. But then it wasn't every day that your husband brought home a new wife. A younger wife. Only nineteen. And beautiful because she was young and happy, and had big dark brown eyes - bright eyes. He only saw her once before he decided, but he remembered her eyes. It would be good to add her to the family, he thought. Now he would have two hard-working wives, one stronger than the other, but the young one would be like a new flower in the house. He picked up his suitcase.

'Yes, perhaps sooner. I don't know,' he said.

'I'll take care of the shop,' she said. 'When you come back... with her... I'll have some jobs for her to do.'

She sat on the bed again, suddenly feeling tired and old. He didn't understand. No one understood. She couldn't ask him not to go. People would say that she was wrong even to ask him.

'Of course,' he said. He was pleased that she thought of business. Er freute sich, dass sie an das Geschäftliche dachte. Business was important. He had many mouths to feed. He opened the door and turned to her.

'Today is a great day for our family. Not everyone is rich enough to have two wives. And there will be more sons to continue the family name.' He smiled at her.

'Yes. Not everyone... Husband?' She looked up at him, waiting, hoping.

'I have to go now. I'm late.' He did not want her to say anything. He never asked questions about her feelings because he was afraid of the answers. It was easier to pretend that she was happy all the time.

'Your suitcase. It's old. You need a new one.'

Thankfully, he turned away. К счастью, он отвернулся.||| No questions asked, no answers needed.

'Perhaps I will get a new one after all,' he said. He left the room and the door closed quietly behind him.

- THE END -