In this short story, two soldiers from warring countries discover they have more in common than they thought.
Key vocab
墙 – qiáng – wall
士兵 – shì bīng – soldier
无聊 – wú liáo – bored
安静 – ān jìng – quiet
吓了一跳 – xià le yí tiào – to be startled
家乡 – jiā xiāng – hometown
从来 – cóng lái – never (always)
对方 – duì fāng – the other party
漂亮 – piào liang – beautiful
墙的两边
很久以前, 两个国家打仗，中间有一堵很长很高的墙。
墙的左边是士兵小李。墙的右边是士兵小王。他们每天守在墙边，等着，等着。
有一天晚上，小李觉得很无聊，就对着墙说：”喂，你那边有人吗？”
墙的另一边安静了一会儿。然后有一个声音说：”有。”
小李吓了一跳。”你是谁？”
“我是士兵，”那个声音说。”你呢？”
“我也是士兵，”小李说。
两个人都不说话了。
但是第二天晚上，小李又说：”喂。”
“喂，”那个声音回答。
他们每天晚上说话。他们说家里的事，说妈妈做的饭，说家乡的天气。小李说他家乡有很大的河。小王说他家乡有很高的山。
他们从来不说自己叫什么名字。从来不问对方是哪个国家的人。
一个月过去了。
有一天晚上，小李说：”我不想打仗了。”
墙的另一边安静了很久。
“我也不想，”小王说。
又安静了很久。
“你家乡的山，现在应该很漂亮，”小李说。
“你家乡的河，现在应该也很漂亮，”小王说。
然后两个人都不说话了。
但是这次的安静，和以前不一样。
Both Sides of the Wall
A long time ago, two countries were at war, and between them was a very long and very tall wall.
On the left side of the wall was a soldier named Xiao Li. On the right side of the wall was a soldier named Xiao Wang. Every day they guarded the wall, waiting and waiting.
One night, Xiao Li felt very bored, so he spoke to the wall: “Hey, is there anyone on your side?”
The other side of the wall was quiet for a moment. Then a voice said: “Yes.”
Xiao Li was startled. “Who are you?”
“I’m a soldier,” the voice said. “And you?”
“I’m a soldier too,” Xiao Li said.
Neither of them spoke anymore.
But the next night, Xiao Li said again: “Hey.”
“Hey,” the voice answered.
They talked every night. They talked about things at home, about the food their mothers cooked, about the weather in their hometowns. Xiao Li said his hometown had a very big river. Xiao Wang said his hometown had a very tall mountain.
They never said what their names were. They never asked which country the other was from.
A month passed.
One night, Xiao Li said: “I don’t want to fight anymore.”
The other side of the wall was quiet for a long time.
“I don’t want to either,” Xiao Wang said.
It was quiet again for a long time.
“The mountain in your hometown must be very beautiful right now,” Xiao Li said.
“The river in your hometown must be very beautiful too right now,” Xiao Wang said.
Then neither of them spoke anymore.
But this time, the silence was different from before.
