Chinese · Episode 45
Coming Home
Spoken by 晓星
Coming home: the 圆顶 feels small for three days, then it feels like the right size again.
Listen first
Hear the episode
AI-generated audio Listen at your own pace
Read along
Episode text
回来以后，我总觉得圆顶离头太近了， After I came back, I always felt the dome was too close to my head,
走到哪儿都想抬头看一眼。 Wherever I went, I wanted to look up.
在上海住了一个学期， I'd lived in Shanghai for a semester,
已经习惯了头上没有东西挡着。现在回到家， and gotten used to having nothing overhead. Now that I was home,
反而有点不习惯。 it felt a little strange instead.
第一天我还按地球上的习惯走路， On the first day I still walked the way I did on Earth,
一用力就走得太快，几步就到了门口。 and as soon as I pushed off I went too fast—a few steps and I was at the door.
小美在后面喊：“你怎么又飞起来了？” Xiaomei called from behind, "Why are you flying again?"
我赶快停下来。身体还得慢慢改回来， I stopped right away. My body still had to slowly adjust back,
连走路都要重新习惯。 even walking had to be relearned.
妈妈让我去花园坐坐，我一过去， Mom told me to go sit in the garden, and as soon as I got there,
就看见绿绿把水浇到了路边。 I saw Lülü watering the roadside.
王奶奶说：“你看，它还等着你呢。” Grandma Wang said, "Look, it's still waiting for you."
我蹲下来修好它的手，看着水重新浇到土上。 I squatted down and fixed its hand, watching the water pour onto the soil again.
“谢谢，晓星。”它还是这么说， "Thank you, Xiaoxing." It still said the same thing,
声音一点也没变。 its voice hadn't changed a bit.
第二天，我还嫌走廊窄，晚上又觉得家里太静。 The next day I still found the hallway too narrow, and at night the house felt too quiet.
哥哥还没回来，我就去自己的房间收拾包。 My brother still hadn't come back, so I went to my room to unpack.
第三天早上，地球又蓝又亮，就在窗外。 On the third morning, Earth was blue and bright right outside the window.
我跟以前一样，对它说了声“早上好”， Just like before, I said "Good morning" to it,
然后下楼去找妈妈。 then went downstairs to find Mom.
走进花园的时候，我才发现， When I walked into the garden, I realized
今天没再觉得圆顶太小了。 I didn't feel the dome was too small anymore today.
我摸了摸左边的口袋， I felt my left pocket,
走时带的那片叶子早就没了。 the leaf I'd brought when I left was long gone.
不过花园就在旁边。我走近闻了闻， But the garden was right there. I stepped closer and smelled it,
还是家里的味道。 it still smelled like home.