I sold Baba’s VW bus and, to this day, I have not gone back to the flea¹ market. I would drive to his gravesite every Friday, and, sometimes, I’d find a fresh bouquet² of freesias by the headstone and know Soraya had been there too. 我卖掉爸爸的大众巴士，时至今日，我再也没回到跳蚤市场去。每逢周五，我会开车到墓地去，有时，我发现墓碑上摆着一束新鲜的小苍兰，就知道索拉雅刚刚来过。索拉雅和我的婚姻生活变得波澜不兴，像例行公事。我们共用牙刷和袜子，交换着看晨报。她睡在床的右边，我喜欢睡在左边。她喜欢松软的枕头，我喜欢硬的。她喜欢像吃点心那样干吃早餐麦片，然后用牛奶送下。

Soraya and I settled into the routines--and minor³ wonders-- of married life. We shared toothbrushes and socks, passed each other the morning paper. She slept on the right side of the bed, I preferred the left. She liked fluffy⁴ pillows, I liked the hard ones. She ate her cereal dry, like a snack, and chased it with milk. 那年夏天，我接到圣荷塞州立大学的录取通知，主修英文。我在桑尼维尔找到一份保安工作，轮班看守太阳谷某家家具仓库。工作极其无聊，但也带来相当的好处：下午六点之后，人们统统离开，仓库的沙发堆至天花板，一排排盖着塑料覆膜，阴影爬上它们之间的通道，我掏出书本学习。正是在家具仓库那间弥漫着松香除臭剂的办公室，我开始创作自己的第一本小说。

I got my acceptance at San Jose State that summer and declared an English major. I took on a security job, swing shift at a furniture warehouse⁵ in Sunnyvale. The job was dreadfully boring, but its saving grace was a considerable one: When everyone left at 6 P.M. and shadows began to crawl between aisles⁶ of plastic-covered sofas piled to the ceiling, I took out my books and studied. It was in the Pine-Sol-scented office of that furniture warehouse that I began my first novel. 第二年，索拉雅也跟着进了圣荷塞州立大学，主修教育，这令她父亲大为光火。

Soraya joined me at San Jose State the following year and enrolled⁷, to her father’s chagrin⁸, in the teaching track. “我搞不懂你干吗要这样浪费自己的天分，”某天用过晚饭后，将军说，“你知道吗，亲爱的阿米尔，她念高中的时候所有课程都得优秀？”他转向她，“像你这样的聪明女孩，应该去当律师，当政治科学家。并且，奉安拉之名，阿富汗重获

“I don’t know why you’re wasting your talents like this,” the general said one night over dinner. “Did you know, Amir jan, that she earned nothing but A’s in high school?” He turned to her. “An intelligent girl like you could become a lawyer, a political scientist. And, _Inshallah_, when Afghanistan is free, you could help write the new constitution. There would be a need for young talented Afghans like you. They might even offer you a ministry⁹ position, given your family name.” 自由之后，你可以帮忙起草新的宪法。像你这样聪明的年轻阿富汗人大有用武之地。他们甚至会让你当大臣，旌表你的家族。”

I could see Soraya holding back, her face tightening¹⁰. “I’m not a girl, Padar. I’m a married woman. Besides, they’d need teachers too.” 我看到索拉雅身子一缩，绷紧了脸。“我又不是女孩，爸爸。我是结了婚的妇女。还有，他们也需要教师。”

“Anyone can teach.” “谁都可以当教师。”

“Is there any more rice, Madar?” Soraya said. “还有米饭吗，妈妈？”索拉雅说。在将军找借口去海沃德看望朋友之后，雅米拉阿姨试着安慰索拉雅。

After the general excused himself to meet some friends in Hayward, Khala Jamila tried to console Soraya. “He means well,” she said. “He just wants you to be successful.” “他没有恶意，”她说，“他只是希望你出人头地。”

“So he can boast about his attorney daughter to his friends. Another medal for the general,” Soraya said. “那么他便可以跟他的朋友吹牛啦，说他有个当律师的女儿。又是一个军功章。”索拉雅说。

“Such nonsense you speak!” “胡说八道！”