呢個係卡麗。佢今年七歲。喺肯雅嘅當地方言入面,呢個名係「好人」嘅意思。
This is Khalai. She is seven years old. Her name means ‘the good one’ in her language, Lubukusu.
卡麗朝頭早瞓醒,同棵橙樹講:「橙樹吖,唔該你快高長大啦,生啲又大又甜嘅橙俾我哋!」
Khalai wakes up and talks to the orange tree. “Please orange tree, grow big and give us lots of ripe oranges.”
喺卡麗行路返學嘅路上佢就同草地講:「草地吖,唔該你一定要生綠啲,唔好枯乾晒吖。」
Khalai walks to school. On the way she talks to the grass. “Please grass, grow greener and don’t dry up.”
卡麗路過啲野花,佢就同啲野花講:「野花吖,唔該你哋一路開花唔好停啦,等我可以將你放喺頭上面。」
Khalai passes wild flowers. “Please flowers, keep blooming so I can put you in my hair.”
喺學校度,卡麗同操場中間嘅小樹就話:「小樹吖,唔該你生多啲又粗又大嘅樹枝啦,噉我哋就可以喺樹蔭中讀書啦。」
At school, Khalai talks to the tree in the middle of the compound. “Please tree, put out big branches so we can read under your shade.”
卡麗仲同學校左近嘅灌木叢就話:「灌木吖,唔該你哋生得強壯啲,噉啲衰人就唔入到嚟學校啦。」
Khalai talks to the hedge around her school. “Please grow strong and stop bad people from coming in.”
當卡麗由學校返到屋企,佢又去睇吓棵橙樹,問佢話:「你啲橙熟未呀?」
When Khalai returns home from school, she visits the orange tree. “Are your oranges ripe yet?” asks Khalai.
卡麗唉聲嘆氣噉話:「啲橙仔仲係綠色嘅,我聽日再嚟睇吓你啦!或者聽日你就會俾隻又熟又甜嘅橙我嘞!」
“The oranges are still green,” sighs Khalai. “I will see you tomorrow orange tree,” says Khalai. “Perhaps then you will have a ripe orange for me!”