Chapter 3.

One of Mariam's earliest memories was the sound of awheelbarrow's squeaky iron wheels bouncing over rocks. Thewheelbarrow came once a month, filled with rice, flour, tea,sugar, cooking oil, soap, toothpaste. It was pushed by two ofMariam's half brothers, usually Muhsin and Ramin, sometimesRamin and Farhad. Up the dirt track, over rocks and pebbles,around holes and bushes, the boys took turns pushing untilthey reached the stream. There, the wheelbarrow had to beemptied and the items hand-carried across the water. Then theboys would transfer the wheelbarrow across the stream andload it up again. Another two hundred yards of pushingfollowed, this time through tall, dense¹ grass and around thicketsof shrubs². Frogs leaped out of their way. The brothers wavedmosquitoes from their sweaty faces.
"He has servants," Mariam said. "He could send a servant.""His idea of penance," Nana said.
The sound of the wheelbarrow drew Mariam and Nanaoutside. Mariam would always remember Nana the way shelooked on Ration³ Day: a tall, bony, barefoot woman leaning inthe doorway⁴, her lazy eye narrowed to a slit⁵, arms crossed ina defiant⁶ and mocking way. Her short-cropped, sunlit hairwould be uncovered and uncombed. She would wear anill-fitting gray shirt buttoned to the throat. The pockets werefilled with walnut-sized rocks.
The boys sat by the stream and waited as Mariam and Nanatransferred the rations⁷ to thekolba They knew better than toget any closer than thirty yards, even though Nana's aim waspoor and most of the rocks landed well short of their targets.
Nana yelled at the boys as she carried bags of rice inside, andcalled them names Mariam didn't understand. She cursed theirmothers, made hateful faces at them. The boys never returnedthe insults.
Mariam felt sorry for the boys. How tired their arms and legsmust be, she thought pityingly, pushing that heavy load. Shewished she were allowed to offer them water. But she saidnothing, and if they waved at her she didn't wave back. Once,to please Nana, Mariam even yelled at Muhsin, told him hehad a mouth shaped like a lizard's ass-and was consumed laterwith guilt⁸, shame, and fear that they would tell Jalil. Nana,though, laughed so hard, her rotting front tooth in full display,that Mariam thought she would lapse⁹ into one of her fits. Shelooked at Mariam when she was done and said, "You're agood daughter."When the barrow was empty, the boys scuffled back andpushed it away. Mariam would wait and watch them disappearinto the tall grass and flowering weeds.
"Are you coming?""Yes, Nana.""They laugh at you. They do. I hear them.""I'm coming.""You don't believe me?""Here I am.""You know I love you, Mariam jo."* * *In the mornings, they awoke to the distant bleating¹⁰ of sheepand the high-pitched toot of a flute¹¹ as Gul Daman's shepherdsled their flock to graze on the grassy¹² hillside. Mariam andNana milked the goats, fed the hens, and collected eggs. Theymade bread together. Nana showed her how to knead dough¹³,how to kindle¹⁴ the tandoor and slap the flattened¹⁵ dough ontoits inner walls. Nana taught her to sew too, and to cook riceand all the different toppings:shalqam stew¹⁶ with turnip,spinachsabzi, cauliflower with ginger¹⁷.
Nana made no secret of her dislike for visitors-and, in fact,people in general-but she made exceptions for a select few.
And so there was Gul Daman's leader, the villagearbab, HabibKhan, a small-headed, bearded man with a large belly¹⁸ whocame by once a month or so, tailed by a servant, who carrieda chicken, sometimes a pot ofkichiri rice, or a basket of dyedeggs, for Mariam.
Then there was a rotund, old woman that Nana called Bibi jo,whose late husband had been a stone carver and friends withNana's father. Bibi jo was invariably accompanied by one ofher six brides and a grandchild or two. She limped and huffedher way across the clearing and made a great show of rubbingher hip¹⁹ and lowering herself, with a pained sigh, onto the chairthat Nana pulled up for her. Bibi jo too always broughtMariam something, a box ofdishlemeh candy, a basket ofquinces. For Nana, she first brought complaints about herfailing health, and then gossip from Herat and Gul Daman,delivered at length and with gusto, as her daughter-in-lawsatlistening quietly and dutifully behind her.
But Mariam's favorite, other than Jalil of course, was MullahFaizullah, the elderly village Koran tutor, itsakhund He came byonce or twice a week from Gul Daman to teach Mariam thefive dailynamaz prayers and tutor her in Koran recitation, justas he had taught Nana when she'd been a little girl It wasMullah Faizullah who had taught Mariam to read, who hadpatiently looked over her shoulder as her lips worked thewords soundlessly, her index finger lingering beneath eachword, pressing until the nail bed went white, as though shecould squeeze the meaning out of the symbols. It was MullahFaizullah who had held her hand, guided the pencil in it alongthe rise of eachalef, the curve of eachbeh, the three dots ofeachseh.
He was a gaunt, stooping old man with a toothless smile anda white beard that dropped to his navel. Usually, he camealone to thekolba, though sometimes with his russet-haired sonHamza, who was a few years older than Mariam. When heshowed up at thekolba, Mariam kissed Mullah Faizullah'shand-which felt like kissing a set of twigs²⁰ covered with a thinlayer of skin-and he kissed the top of her brow before theysat inside for the day's lesson. After, the two of them satoutside thekolba, ate pine nuts and sipped²¹ green tea, watchedthe bulbul birds darting²² from tree to tree. Sometimes they wentfor walks among the bronze fallen leaves and alder²³ bushes,along the stream and toward the mountains. Mullah Faizullahtwirled the beads²⁴ of histasbeh rosary as they strolled, and, inhis quivering voice, told Mariam stories of all the things he'dseen in his youth, like the two-headed snake he'd found inIran, on Isfahan's Thirty-three Arch Bridge, or the watermelonhe had split once outside the Blue Mosque²⁵ in Mazar, to findthe seeds forming the wordsAllah on one half,Akbar on theother.
Mullah Faizullah admitted to Mariam that, at times, he did notunderstand the meaning of the Koran's words. But he said heliked the enchanting²⁶ sounds the Arabic words made as theyrolled off his tongue. He said they comforted him, eased hisheart.
"They'll comfort you too, Mariam jo," he said. "You cansummon them in your time of need, and they won't fail you.
God's words will never betray you, my girl"Mullah Faizullah listened to stories as well as he told them.
When Mariam spoke²⁷, his attention never wavered He noddedslowly and smiled with a look of gratitude²⁸, as if he had beengranted a coveted²⁹ privilege. It was easy to tell Mullah Faizullahthings that Mariam didn't dare tell Nana.
One day, as they were walking, Mariam told him that shewished she would be allowed to go to school.
"I mean a real school,akhund sahib. Like in a classroom. Likemy father's other kids."Mullah Faizullah stopped.
The week before, Bibi jo had brought news that Jalil'sdaughters Saideh and Naheed were going to the Mehri Schoolfor girls in Herat. Since then, thoughts of classrooms andteachers had rattled³⁰ around Mariam's head, images ofnotebooks with lined pages, columns of numbers, and pens thatmade dark, heavy marks. She pictured herself in a classroomwith other girls her age. Mariam longed to place a ruler on apage and draw important-looking lines.
"Is that what you want?" Mullah Faizullah said, looking at herwith his soft, watery³² eyes, his hands behind his stooping back,the shadow of his turban falling on a patch of bristlingbuttercups.
'Yes.
"And you want me to ask your mother for permission."Mariam smiled. Other than Jalil, she thought there was noone in the world who understood her better than her oldtutor.
"Then what can I do? God, in His wisdom, has given us eachweaknesses, and foremost among my many is that I ampowerless to refuse you, Mariam jo," he said, tapping hercheek with one arthritic³³ finger.
But later, when he broached³⁴ Nana, she dropped the knifewith which she was slicing onions. "What for?""If the girl wants to learn, let her, my dear. Let the girl havean education.""Learn? Learn what, Mullah sahib?" Nana said sharply. "Whatis there to learn?"She snapped her eyes toward Mariam.
Mariam looked down at her hands.
"What's the sense schooling³⁵ a girl like you? It's like shining aspittoon. And you'll learn nothing of value in those schools.
There is only one, only one skill a woman like you and meneeds in life, and they don't teach it in school. Look at me.""You should not speak like this to her, my child," MullahFaizullah said.
"Look at me."Mariam did.
"Only one skill And it's this:iahamuL Endure.""Endure what, Nana?""Oh, don't you fret³⁶ aboutthat, " Nana said. "There won't beany shortage of things."She went on to say how Mil's wives had called her an ugly,lowly stone carver's daughter. How they'd made her washlaundry outside in the cold until her face went numb³¹ and herfingertips burned.
"It's our lot in life, Mariam. Women like us. We endure. It'sall we have. Do you understand? Besides, they'll laugh at youin school. They will. They'll call youharaml They'll say the mostterrible things about you. I won't have it."Mariam nodded.
"And no more talk about school. You're all I have. I won'tlose you to them. Lookat me. No more talk about school.""Be reasonable- Come now. If the girl wants-" Mullah Faizullahbegan.
"And you,akhund sahib, with all due respect, you should knowbetter than to encourage these foolish ideas of hers. Ifyou reallycare about her, then you make her see that she belongs hereat home with her mother. Thereis nothing out there for her.
Nothing but rejection³⁷ and heartache. I know,akhund sahib.
Iknow. "

1 dense   

a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

2 shrubs   

灌木( shrub的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gardener spent a complete morning in trimming those two shrubs. 园丁花了整个上午的时间修剪那两处灌木林。
• These shrubs will need more light to produce flowering shoots. 这些灌木需要更多的光照才能抽出开花的新枝。

3 ration   

n.定量(pl.)给养，口粮；vt.定量供应

参考例句：

• The country cut the bread ration last year.那个国家去年削减面包配给量。
• We have to ration the water.我们必须限量用水。

4 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

5 slit   

n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂

参考例句：

• The coat has been slit in two places.这件外衣有两处裂开了。
• He began to slit open each envelope.他开始裁开每个信封。

6 defiant   

adj.无礼的，挑战的

参考例句：

• With a last defiant gesture,they sang a revolutionary song as they were led away to prison.他们被带走投入监狱时，仍以最后的反抗姿态唱起了一支革命歌曲。
• He assumed a defiant attitude toward his employer.他对雇主采取挑衅的态度。

7 rations   

定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量

参考例句：

• They are provisioned with seven days' rations. 他们得到了7天的给养。
• The soldiers complained that they were getting short rations. 士兵们抱怨他们得到的配给不够数。

8 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

9 lapse   

n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效

参考例句：

• The incident was being seen as a serious security lapse.这一事故被看作是一次严重的安全疏忽。
• I had a lapse of memory.我记错了。

10 bleating   

v.（羊，小牛）叫( bleat的现在分词 )；哭诉；发出羊叫似的声音；轻声诉说

参考例句：

• I don't like people who go around bleating out things like that. 我不喜欢跑来跑去讲那种蠢话的人。 来自辞典例句
• He heard the tinny phonograph bleating as he walked in. 他步入室内时听到那架蹩脚的留声机在呜咽。 来自辞典例句

11 flute   

n.长笛；v.吹笛

参考例句：

• He took out his flute, and blew at it.他拿出笛子吹了起来。
• There is an extensive repertoire of music written for the flute.有很多供长笛演奏的曲目。

12 grassy   

adj.盖满草的；长满草的

参考例句：

• They sat and had their lunch on a grassy hillside.他们坐在长满草的山坡上吃午饭。
• Cattle move freely across the grassy plain.牛群自由自在地走过草原。

13 dough   

n.生面团；钱，现款

参考例句：

• She formed the dough into squares.她把生面团捏成四方块。
• The baker is kneading dough.那位面包师在揉面。

14 kindle   

v.点燃，着火

参考例句：

• This wood is too wet to kindle.这木柴太湿点不着。
• A small spark was enough to kindle Lily's imagination.一星光花足以点燃莉丽的全部想象力。

15 flattened   

[医]（水）平扁的，弄平的

参考例句：

• She flattened her nose and lips against the window. 她把鼻子和嘴唇紧贴着窗户。
• I flattened myself against the wall to let them pass. 我身体紧靠着墙让他们通过。

16 stew   

n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑

参考例句：

• The stew must be boiled up before serving.炖肉必须煮熟才能上桌。
• There's no need to get in a stew.没有必要烦恼。

17 ginger   

n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气

参考例句：

• There is no ginger in the young man.这个年轻人没有精神。
• Ginger shall be hot in the mouth.生姜吃到嘴里总是辣的。

18 belly   

n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛

参考例句：

• The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
• His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

19 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

20 twigs   

细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some birds build nests of twigs. 一些鸟用树枝筑巢。
• Willow twigs are pliable. 柳条很软。

21 sipped   

v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sipped his coffee pleasurably. 他怡然地品味着咖啡。
• I sipped the hot chocolate she had made. 我小口喝着她调制的巧克力热饮。 来自辞典例句

22 darting   

v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔

参考例句：

• Swallows were darting through the clouds. 燕子穿云急飞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Swallows were darting through the air. 燕子在空中掠过。 来自辞典例句

23 alder   

n.赤杨树

参考例句：

• He gave john some alder bark.他给了约翰一些桤木树皮。
• Several coppice plantations have been seeded with poplar,willow,and alder.好几个灌木林场都种上了白杨、柳树和赤杨。

24 beads   

n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链

参考例句：

• a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链
• Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。

25 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

26 enchanting   

a.讨人喜欢的

参考例句：

• His smile, at once enchanting and melancholy, is just his father's. 他那种既迷人又有些忧郁的微笑，活脱儿象他父亲。
• Its interior was an enchanting place that both lured and frightened me. 它的里头是个吸引人的地方，我又向往又害怕。

27 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

28 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

29 coveted   

adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图

参考例句：

• He had long coveted the chance to work with a famous musician. 他一直渴望有机会与著名音乐家一起工作。
• Ther other boys coveted his new bat. 其他的男孩都想得到他的新球棒。 来自《简明英汉词典》

30 rattled   

慌乱的，恼火的

参考例句：

• The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
• Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里，窗户都格格作响。

31 numb   

adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木

参考例句：

• His fingers were numb with cold.他的手冻得发麻。
• Numb with cold,we urged the weary horses forward.我们冻得发僵，催着疲惫的马继续往前走。

32 watery   

adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的

参考例句：

• In his watery eyes there is an expression of distrust.他那含泪的眼睛流露出惊惶失措的神情。
• Her eyes became watery because of the smoke.因为烟熏，她的双眼变得泪汪汪的。

33 arthritic   

adj.关节炎的

参考例句：

• Somehow the geriatric Voyager 2, arthritic and partially deaf, managed to reach Neptune. 得了关节炎而且局部变聋、衰老的“旅行者2号”最后总算抵达海王星。 来自百科语句
• Femoral head ostectomy is a surgery performed on severely arthritic dogs. 股骨断截骨术’都是针对关节炎严重的狗狗的手术。 来自互联网

34 broached   

v.谈起( broach的过去式和过去分词 )；打开并开始用；用凿子扩大（或修光）；（在桶上）钻孔取液体

参考例句：

• She broached the subject of a picnic to her mother. 她向母亲提起野餐的问题。 来自辞典例句
• He broached the subject to the stranger. 他对陌生人提起那话题。 来自辞典例句

35 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

36 fret   

v.(使)烦恼；(使)焦急；(使)腐蚀，(使)磨损

参考例句：

• Don't fret.We'll get there on time.别着急，我们能准时到那里。
• She'll fret herself to death one of these days.她总有一天会愁死的.

37 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。