The House on Mango Street 3

But the house on Mango Street is not the way they told it at all. It's small and red with tight steps in front and windows so small you'd think they were holding their breath. Bricks are crumbling¹ in places, and the front door is so swollen² you have to push hard to get in. There is no front yard, only four little elms the city planted by the curb³. Our back is a small garage for the car we don't own yet and a small yard that looks smaller between the two buildings on either side. There are stairs in our house, but they're ordinary hallway stairs, and the house has only one washroom. Everybody has to share a bedroom—Mama and Papa, Carlos and Kiki, me and Nenny.

芒果街上的小屋 3

可是芒果街上的小屋全然不是他们讲的那样。它很小，是红色的，门前一方窄台阶，窗户小得让你觉得它们像是在屏着呼吸。几处墙砖蚀成了粉。前门那么鼓，你要用力推才进得来。这里没有前院，只有四棵市政栽在路边的小榆树。屋后有个小车库，是用来装我们还没买的小汽车的，还有个小院子，夹在两边的楼中间，越发显得小了。我们的房子里有楼梯，可那只是普通的门厅台阶，而且房子里只有一个卫生间.每个人都要和别人合用一间卧室——妈妈和爸爸、卡洛斯和奇奇、我和蕾妮。