wǒ shì yī míng shà mén de jiàn zhù shī

我是一名厦门的建筑师

I am an architect in Xiamen

gēn wǒ tài tài yī qǐ jīng yíng zhù yī jiā xiǎo de shì wù suǒ

跟我太太一起经营著一家小的事务所

Run a small office with my wife

xiàn zài yī jiā rén sān kǒu

现在一家人三口

Now a family of three

zhù zài zhè gè fáng zi lǐ miàn

住在这个房子里面

Live in this house

jiāng jìn nián le

将近10年了

Almost 10 years

zhè wèi yú yuán lái shà mén dà xué xī xiào mén de duì miàn

（这位于）原来厦门大学西校门的对面

(This is located) opposite to the original West Gate of Xiamen University

cóng zhōu biān de fáng jià lái shuō

从周边的房价来说

From the surrounding housing prices

rú guǒ yào zài biān shàng huàn yī gè gèng hǎo de kōng jiān de huà

如果要在边上换一个更好的空间的话

If you want to change to a better space on the side

jīng jì shàng kě néng bù tài yǔn xǔ

经济上可能不太允许

May not be economically permissible

nián gàn cuì jiù yī gǔ zuò qì

2018年，干脆就一鼓作气

In 2018, just do it all in one go

zhòng xīn zhuāng xiū gǎi zào

重新装修改造

Redecorating

shǐ yòng miàn jī dà gài yī bǎi líng jǐ

使用面积大概一百零几

The usable area is about one hundred and ten

hù xíng bǐ jiào hūn àn

户型比较昏暗

The apartment is relatively dim

wǒ men jiù shùn zhù hūn àn de fāng shì qù zuò

我们就顺著昏暗的方式去做

We just follow the dark way

cháo zhù xī miàn yǒu yáng guāng

朝著西面有阳光

Sun towards the west

jiù shùn zhù xī miàn de yáng guāng qù zuò wǒ men chuāng wài de fēng jǐng

就顺著西面的阳光去做我们窗外的风景

Just follow the sunshine in the west to make the scenery outside our window

zhěng gè gǎi zào kè tīng de bù fēn bǐ jiào zhòng yào

整个改造客厅的部分比较重要

The whole part of remodeling the living room is more important

jiā lǐ què shí dāng shí yǐ jīng fēi cháng hùn luàn

家里确实当时已经非常混乱

The home was indeed very chaotic at the time

zǒu le yī cì duàn shě lí de guò chéng

走了一次断舍离的过程

Walked through the process of leaving

lù lù xù xù kuài diū le gè yuè

陆陆续续快丢了6个月

I've been losing for 6 months one after another

diū diào qǐ mǎ de dōng xī

丢掉起码60%-70%的东西

Throw away at least 60%-70% of things

yǒu shí hòu wǒ men zài zhè biān dǎ yǔ máo qiú

有时候我们在这边打羽毛球

Sometimes we play badminton here

shà mén qí shí zhè jǐ nián jiàn shè

厦门其实这几年建设

Xiamen has actually been under construction in recent years

huī chén hái shì bǐ jiào dà

灰尘还是比较大

The dust is still relatively large

yuán xiān zuò de yáng tái

原先做的阳台

Original balcony

liàng shài de shí hòu

晾晒的时候

When drying

yī pái yī fú dǎng zài wǒ men zhǔ yào de shì yě qián fāng

一排衣服挡在我们主要的视野前方

A row of clothes in front of our main field of view

wǒ men jué dé bù shì tè bié hǎo

我们觉得不是特别好

We don't think it's particularly good

suǒ yǐ jiù zuò le zhè yī kuài kōng jiān

所以就做了这一块空间

So I made this space

yáng guāng fáng yī yàng

阳光房一样

Like a sun room

shài tài yáng xià xiàng qí

晒太阳，下象棋

Bask in the sun, play chess

nǐ jiù tǎng zài nà biān yě shì yī gè hěn shū fú de zhuàng tài

你就躺在那边也是一个很舒服的状态

You are in a very comfortable state just lying there

bǎ yuán lái kè tīng gēn wò shì zhī jiān zhè dào qiáng gěi chāi diào

把原来客厅跟卧室之间这道墙给拆掉

Remove the original wall between the living room and the bedroom

zuò le yī gè jìn shēn bǐ jiào dà de guì zi

做了一个进深比较大的柜子

Made a cabinet with a larger depth

kě yǐ fàng hěn duō dōng xī

可以放很多东西

Can put many things

cóng wài qiáng dào cān tīng nà dǔ qiáng yǒu mǐ zuǒ yòu

从外墙到餐厅那堵墙有9米左右

From the outer wall to the restaurant wall is about 9 meters

xiǎo péng yǒu cóng tái zi tiào dào zhè biān zài tiào xià qù

（小朋友）从台子跳到这边再跳下去

(Children) Jump from the stage to this side and then jump down

wǒ jué dé bìng bù shì shuō

我觉得并不是说

I don't think it means

hái zi nǐ jiù wán quán shì fàng tiān xìng

孩子你就完全释放天性

Baby you just let go

hái shì xī wàng shuō tā néng guǎn lǐ hǎo zì jǐ de wù pǐn

还是希望说他能管理好自己的物品

I still hope that he can manage his belongings well

yǐ qián shì mǎn dì de wù pǐn

以前是满地的物品

It used to be stuff all over the floor

nà jiù shì yī gè zhǎo zé dì

那就是一个沼泽地

That is a swamp

jīn tiān jiù xiàng yī gè shān gǔ yī yàng

今天就像一个山谷一样

Today is like a valley

tā kě yǐ tiào lái tiào qù

他可以跳来跳去

He can jump around

wǒ jué dé zhǐ yào tā yǒu xiǎng xiàng lì

我觉得只要他有想像力

I think as long as he has imagination

zhè biān kào jìn xī miàn

这边靠近西面

This side is close to the west

bǎ zhè miàn qiáng jiù huàn chéng le bō lí zhuān

把这面墙就换成了玻璃砖

Replace this wall with glass brick

zǎo chén de shí hòu

早晨的时候

In the morning

dōng miàn de yáng guāng zhào dào le wǒ men xī miàn de nà xiē jiàn zhù

东面的阳光照到了我们西面的那些建筑

The sun from the east shines on the buildings to the west

fǎn shè huí lái de guāng xiàn

反射回来的光线

Reflected light

yǐ jīng shì tǐng liàng de le

已经是挺亮的了

It's pretty bright

yuán lái wǒ men chū rù kǒu shì zhí jiē duì zhù ér tóng fáng

原来我们出入口是直接对著儿童房

It turns out that our entrance and exit are directly facing the children's room

wǒ men yě zài nà biān shè jì le yī tiáo jīn sè jīn shǔ tiáo

我们也在那边设计了一条金色金属条

We also designed a golden metal strip over there

xià wǔ wǔ diǎn bàn dào liù diǎn zhī jiān

（下午）五点半到六点之间

(Afternoon) Between 5:30 and 6:00

guāng xiàn huì zhào dào nà tiáo xì fèng

光线会照到那条细缝

The light will hit that slit

wǒ men guī jiā de shí hòu

我们归家的时候

When we return home

nǐ huì gǎn jué hǎo xiàng fáng zi yǒu yī zhǒng

你会感觉好像房子有一种

You will feel as if the house has a

zài huān yíng wǒ men de zhuàng tài

在欢迎我们的状态

In the welcome state

lǜ sè cí zhuān hēi sè cí zhuān

绿色瓷砖，黑色瓷砖

Green tiles, black tiles

bāo kuò hēi sè de dǐng péng

包括黑色的顶棚

Including black roof

jiù xíng chéng le zhè yàng zi yī gè zài yōu àn de huán jìng dāng zhōng

就形成了这样子一个在幽暗的环境当中

It formed such a place in a dark environment

hěn yǒu jīng shén xìng de yī gè zhuàng tài

很有精神性的一个状态

A very spiritual state

bù shì yǒu yī běn shū yīn yì lǐ zàn

不是有一本书《阴翳礼赞》

There is not a book "Yinyi Praise"

wǒ jué dé zhè cì hái shì cháng shì chū lái le

我觉得这次还是尝试出来了

I think I tried it this time

yīn wèi zài zhè biān shà mén qí shí dāi le kuài nián

因为在这边（厦门）其实呆了快40年

Because I actually stayed here (Xiamen) for almost 40 years

shēng huó qí shí màn màn jìn rù jiǎn dān de yī gè zhuàng tài

生活其实慢慢进入简单的一个状态

In fact, life slowly enters a simple state

gōng zuò lǚ xíng rán hòu gēn jiā rén zài yī qǐ

工作，旅行，然后跟家人在一起

Work, travel, and be with family

qí shí shùn cóng yú mǒu gè zhuàng tài

其实顺从于某个状态

Actually submissive to a certain state

yǒu shí hòu yě bìng fēi bù kě

有时候也并非不可

Sometimes it’s not impossible