Here is a suggested translation.
La petite fille de M Linh
The following day, the old man left the dormitory at the same time. He was dressed in the same clothes as the day before. He had dressed the little girl the same, too. The women and children laughed at him again. As for the men, they did not even look up. They were too busy playing.
Sometimes they argued. One would accuse another of cheating. Voices were raised. Coins and counters were thrown around. Then all of a sudden, everything would calm down again. They smoked cigarettes which left a grey cloud in the dormitory with a strong, irritating smell.
In the mornings the dormitory was quiet because the three wives used to go out with the children. The children were starting to make the town their own. When they came back, they would use words which Mr. Linh did not understand, and would shout them out in the dormitory. The women would be carrying the provisions they had fetched from the refugee aid bureau and then would make the meal. There was always a helping for Mr. Linh. Tradition insisted. M Linh was the oldest there. He was an old man. The women had to feed him. He knew that. He knew very well that they did not do this through kindness or love. Indeed when one or other of them brought his bowl, she would make a face which made it clear to him. She would put the bowl down in front of him, turn around and go away without saying a word. He would thank her by bowing his head, but she would not even see the gesture.
From La Petite Fille de Monsieur Linh by Philippe Claudel (2005)
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