本文为编辑过的访谈录。课文内容由采访的对象——一对泰国夫妇的谈话内容组成，结构清晰。由于访谈的内容是老夫妇一番朴实的肺腑之言； 而且采访内容涉及大多数发展中国家在发展过程中与放松否认普遍而又严峻的问题，即农村经济受到现代文明的冲击， 许多优良的传统观念逐渐被淡忘，被遗弃，因此本篇采访录贴近生活。文章通俗易懂。文章通过一对祖祖辈辈居住在伊萨恩地区的农民夫妇的自述，揭示了他们居住地的生活和文化传统受到了现代社会经济发展的冲击，并表达了老一辈人对过去优良传统的珍视以及对家乡土地的眷恋之情。
I wanted to have a lot of children and grandchildren around me but now cities and foreign lands have attracted my children away and it seems that none of them will ever come back to live here again. To whom shall I give these rice fields when I die? For hundreds of years this strip of land has belonged to our family. I know every inch of it. My children grew up on it, catching frogs and mud crabs and gathering flowers. Still the land could not tie them down or call them back. When each of them has a pair of jeans, they are off like birds on the wing. Fortunately, my wife is still with me, and both of us are still strong. Wounds heal over time. Sickness comes and goes, and we get back on our feet again. I never want to leave this land. It's nice to feel the wet earth as my fingers dig into the soil, planting rice, to hear my wife sighing, " Old man, if I die first, I shall become a cloud to protect you from the sun." It's good to smell the scent of ripening rice in November. The soft cool breeze moves the sheaves, which ripple and shimmer like waves of gold. Yes, I love this land and I hope one of my children comes back one day to live, and gives me grandchildren so that I can pass on the land's secret messages to them.
我希望自己身边儿孙成群，但如今成立和国外的生活吸引着我的孩子们，让他们离开了我们。看来他们没有一个是会再回来这儿生活了。那我死后这些稻田留给谁呢？几百年来 我们家一直拥有这片土地。我熟悉我的每一寸土地。我的孩子就是在这儿长大的，他们捉青蛙、逮泥螃蟹、采花朵。但是这片土地还是没能拴住他们或是召回他们。当他们每人有了一条牛仔裤，就像鸟儿一样飞走了。 幸运的是，我老伴还在我的身边，我们俩身体还很硬朗。伤口会随着时间愈合的。疾病来了又去，接着我们又能站起来了。我从没想过要离开这片土地。我喜欢将我的手插进潮湿的泥土里栽稻子。我喜欢听我的老伴叹息道："老头子，如果我先死了，我要变成一片云为你遮挡太阳。"我喜欢闻11月份成熟的稻米散发的香味。凉爽的微风吹拂着水稻，水稻像金色的海浪一样起伏着。是的，我爱这片土地，我希望有一天有个孩子会回来生活，给我生几个孙子孙女，这样我就可以把这片土地的讯息传递给他们了。