本文為編輯過的訪談錄。課文內(nèi)容由采訪的對象——一對泰國夫婦的談話內(nèi)容組成，結(jié)構(gòu)清晰。由于訪談的內(nèi)容是老夫婦一番樸實的肺腑之言； 而且采訪內(nèi)容涉及大多數(shù)發(fā)展中國家在發(fā)展過程中與放松否認(rèn)普遍而又嚴(yán)峻的問題，即農(nóng)村經(jīng)濟(jì)受到現(xiàn)代文明的沖擊， 許多優(yōu)良的傳統(tǒng)觀念逐漸被淡忘，被遺棄，因此本篇采訪錄貼近生活。文章通俗易懂。文章通過一對祖祖輩輩居住在伊薩恩地區(qū)的農(nóng)民夫婦的自述，揭示了他們居住地的生活和文化傳統(tǒng)受到了現(xiàn)代社會經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展的沖擊，并表達(dá)了老一輩人對過去優(yōu)良傳統(tǒng)的珍視以及對家鄉(xiāng)土地的眷戀之情。
I wanted to have a lot of children and grandchildren around me but now cities and foreign lands have attracted my children away and it seems that none of them will ever come back to live here again. To whom shall I give these rice fields when I die? For hundreds of years this strip of land has belonged to our family. I know every inch of it. My children grew up on it, catching frogs and mud crabs and gathering flowers. Still the land could not tie them down or call them back. When each of them has a pair of jeans, they are off like birds on the wing. Fortunately, my wife is still with me, and both of us are still strong. Wounds heal over time. Sickness comes and goes, and we get back on our feet again. I never want to leave this land. It's nice to feel the wet earth as my fingers dig into the soil, planting rice, to hear my wife sighing, " Old man, if I die first, I shall become a cloud to protect you from the sun." It's good to smell the scent of ripening rice in November. The soft cool breeze moves the sheaves, which ripple and shimmer like waves of gold. Yes, I love this land and I hope one of my children comes back one day to live, and gives me grandchildren so that I can pass on the land's secret messages to them.
我希望自己身邊兒孫成群，但如今成立和國外的生活吸引著我的孩子們，讓他們離開了我們。看來他們沒有一個是會再回來這兒生活了。那我死后這些稻田留給誰呢？幾百年來 我們家一直擁有這片土地。我熟悉我的每一寸土地。我的孩子就是在這兒長大的，他們捉青蛙、逮泥螃蟹、采花朵。但是這片土地還是沒能拴住他們或是召回他們。當(dāng)他們每人有了一條牛仔褲，就像鳥兒一樣飛走了。 幸運的是，我老伴還在我的身邊，我們倆身體還很硬朗。傷口會隨著時間愈合的。疾病來了又去，接著我們又能站起來了。我從沒想過要離開這片土地。我喜歡將我的手插進(jìn)潮濕的泥土里栽稻子。我喜歡聽我的老伴嘆息道："老頭子，如果我先死了，我要變成一片云為你遮擋太陽。"我喜歡聞11月份成熟的稻米散發(fā)的香味。涼爽的微風(fēng)吹拂著水稻，水稻像金色的海浪一樣起伏著。是的，我愛這片土地，我希望有一天有個孩子會回來生活，給我生幾個孫子孫女，這樣我就可以把這片土地的訊息傳遞給他們了。