duckish-Body
That furnace of mine came on halfway through choir practice, just as everybody else was pulling cardigans closer, and there I was trying to turn a music folder into a fan without losing my place. Opened the top button and stood a little away from the woman beside me, poor soul must've thought we'd quarrelled. It passed while we were doing the awkward bit again, leaving my neck damp and the rest of me quite ordinary. On the walk home the air felt lovely for about five minutes, then I wanted my coat properly buttoned. Some nuisance, dressing for three different temperatures all on the same body.
offsetbend-Mind
Bud, my boyfriend, asked why I keep saying my truck is fine if I spend every drive listing what I'd change on it. Different questions. It starts, it carries my gear, but in my head I've already moved everything into some future vehicle with my business name on the side. That's a lot to ask of a truck I haven't bought and a business I haven't started. Trying to work out what actually needs sorting now, before I turn looking at ads into another competitive sport. Dad will tell me to keep the thing until it dies. I can hear the whole conversation already, including him calling the cracked windshield 'not ideal' as if it's a diplomatic incident.
hangsangwich-Emotion
A friend told me something upsetting about her relationship and said, very gently, could I just listen and not work out what she was feeling for a minute. I was a small bit stung, which is embarrassing to admit when she was the one having a bad evening, but I had thought I was helping and suddenly felt like I was performing helping. I did listen after that. Still wanted to supply the right word every time she paused, as if she'd be marked down for leaving it unnamed. When we hung up I felt fond of her and slightly useless. Those can apparently happen together without either being a problem somebody needs me to solve.
chillybin-Body
river with the dog after work
only went in to my knees because the water was bloody cold and he kept splashing my shorts anyway
took a while for my feet to stop feeling prickly then it was nice standing there with the stones under them instead of gumboots
threw the stick with my left hand to give the wrist a break, terrible aim apparently, dog looked personally disappointed
sat on the bank drying off and realised how hungry i was
two pies in the chilly bin this morning and somehow neither made it past smoko
sand in my socks now but shoulders feel loose and i could happily stay here another hour
wrapupcode-Mind
On my remote day I finish a call, take off the headset, and I'm already in the room where I'm supposed to have an evening. I keep thinking I'll appreciate the time saved, but sometimes I just sit there replaying somebody's account problem. The bus ride used to put other people's conversations in between. I'm considering walking down to the corner after I sign out, even when I don't need anything. It sounds foolish to invent a commute after getting rid of one. Still, the barber downstairs can talk about a ball game for ten minutes without once asking me to verify a billing address, which might be enough.
windowseat-Body
Had the good bit of sun in the bay window and sat there with bare feet on the cushion until the tea went lukewarm. After a week in boots it's surprisingly nice to move your toes without meeting steel at the end. My partner opened a window in the next room and a draught found exactly one ankle, so I moved everything three inches and carried on doing absolutely nothing. No tramping achievement, no garden dug, just warm shoulders and somewhere comfortable to put my weight. Eventually I needed food and had to get up. There's a patch on that cushion where I keep sitting, and I should probably rotate it, but that would involve leaving the best position to perform maintenance on it.
译者注-Mind
在一本日文小说里碰到一句省略了主语的话，往下读可以理解成母亲在等儿子，也可以理解成儿子终于肯等母亲。我在纸上试了两个译法，越补充越像是替作者做决定。工作里的指示书不能留下这种空处，谁做、做什么、做到哪一步，都要明确；可小说有时就是让人站在没说完的地方想一会儿。我暂时保留了省略，读起来不够顺，却没有那么急着告诉读者答案。这个句子其实并没有人委托我翻译，改到第三遍才记起来。纸留在辞典里了。想翻一本书的念头也还在，只是每次都先从一个句子开始，而且一直停在这里。
chaindrag-Body
Took Rebar out before the kids got up. No harness, no tool bag, just a dog convinced every squirrel had personally insulted him. My knees were stiff for the first block, then warmed up enough that I stopped negotiating with each curb. Cool air felt good on my face. I could hear the tags on his collar without traffic over my head, though the ringing in my ears was still there underneath. Coming home I sat on the step instead of bending to undo the leash. MUCH better arrangement. He leaned his whole weight against my leg while I scratched his chest. Stayed there longer than planned. Coffee could wait five minutes.
ねえ聞いて-Emotion
委員会の好きな人が私じゃなくて隣の子にプリント見せて二人で笑ってて、別にプリントだし！って頭では思ってたのにめっちゃ入りたくなった。何それって聞けばよかっただけなのに、私その時わざと後ろの子に大声で話しかけたの、ださすぎない？あとでその人が普通に帰りの話してきて一瞬で機嫌直ったからさらにださい笑。誰に見せてもいいのにね。でも今日は私にも先に見せてほしかった、内容は教室の配置図でほんとに全然恋愛関係なかった。自分のテンション忙しすぎる。
指差し-Mind
息子が台所の道具を別の引き出しに戻す理由が分からず聞いたところ、使う場所からはこちらの方が近いと言う。置き場所はラベルで決めてあるのだから、まず守るべきだと思った。しかし実際に自分の動きを確認すると、息子の言う方が一歩少ない。父の工場で工具を並べ直した時も、私は同じことを言った気がする。だからといって全部変えてよいわけではない。包丁の近くに物を増やすのも困る。今は二つの引き出しを開けたまま、どちらに何を入れるか考えている。夕食の支度より長くかかっている。