▸ 那年nà nián春天chūn tiān的de一个yī ge早晨zǎo chén，天tiān还hái没有méi yǒu完全wán quán亮liàng。

One spring morning that year, it was not yet fully light.

▸ 华huà医生yī shēng被bèi一阵yī zhèn敲门声qiāo mén shēng吵醒chǎo xǐng了le。

Dr. Hua was woken by a burst of knocking at the door.

▸ 他tā走zǒu下楼xià lóu，看见kàn jiàn沈默shěn mò已经yǐ jīng站在zhàn zài客厅kè tīng里lǐ。

He went downstairs and saw that Shen Mo was already standing in the sitting room.

▸ “来了lái le一位yī wèi年轻nián qīng的de小姐xiǎo jie，”沈默shěn mò说shuō，“她tā非常fēi cháng害怕hài pà。”

"A young lady has come," said Shen Mo. "She is terribly afraid."

▸ 客厅kè tīng的de椅子yǐ zi上shàng坐着zuò zhe一个yī ge女人nǚ rén，大约dà yuē三十sān shí岁suì。

In the sitting-room chair sat a woman of about thirty.

▸ 她tā穿着chuān zhuó旅行lǚ xíng的de衣服yī fu，脸色liǎn sè很hěn白bái，全身quán shēn都dōu在zài发抖fā dǒu。

She wore travelling clothes, her face was pale, and her whole body was trembling.

▸ “您nín先xiān坐zuò到dào火huǒ边biān来lái，”沈默shěn mò轻轻地qīng qīng de说shuō，“我wǒ给gěi您nín倒dào一yī杯bēi热茶rè chá。”

"Come and sit by the fire first," Shen Mo said gently. "I will pour you a cup of hot tea."

▸ “我wǒ不是bù shì怕pà冷lěng，沈shěn先生xiān sheng，”女人nǚ rén小声xiǎo shēng说shuō，“我wǒ是shì怕死pà sǐ。”

"It is not the cold I fear, Mr. Shen," the woman said quietly. "It is death."

▸ 沈默shěn mò看了kàn le她tā一眼yī yǎn，说shuō：“您nín今天jīn tiān坐zuò了le最zuì早zǎo的de火车huǒ chē，天亮tiān liàng以前yǐ qián就jiù出门chū mén了le。”

Shen Mo glanced at her and said, "You took the earliest train today — you left home before daybreak."

▸ 女人nǚ rén吃惊chī jīng地de抬起tái qǐ头tóu：“您nín怎么zěn me知道zhī dào？”

The woman looked up, startled: "How do you know?"

▸ “您的nín de左zuǒ手里shǒu lǐ还hái拿ná着zhe一yī张zhāng回去huí qu的de火车票huǒ chē piào，”沈默shěn mò说shuō。

"You are still holding a return train ticket in your left hand," said Shen Mo.

▸ “您的nín de袖子xiù zi上shàng有yǒu新的xīn de泥ní点diǎn，只有zhǐ yǒu坐zuò人力车rén lì chē的de时候shí hou才cái会huì这样zhè yàng。”

"And there are fresh spots of mud on your sleeve — only a rickshaw ride leaves marks like that."

▸ 女人nǚ rén点点头diǎn diǎn tóu：“您nín说得shuō de都dōu对duì。我wǒ叫jiào周Zhōu兰lán。”

The woman nodded. "You are right about everything. My name is Zhou Lan."

▸ “我wǒ住zhù在zài青qīng溪xī镇zhèn附近fù jìn的de一座yī zuò老lǎo房子fáng zi里lǐ，和hé我的wǒ de继父jì fù罗luó医生yī shēng住zhù在一起zài yī qǐ。”

"I live in an old house near Qingxi Town, together with my stepfather, Dr. Luo."

▸ “从cóng那里nà li到dào上海shàng hǎi，火车huǒ chē要yào坐zuò半天bàn tiān。”

"From there to Shanghai the train takes half a day."

▸ “我wǒ实在shí zài没有méi yǒu别的bié de办法bàn fǎ了le，才cái来lái找zhǎo您nín。”

"I truly had no other way left, so I came to find you."

▸ 沈默shěn mò说shuō：“请qǐng慢慢màn màn讲jiǎng，把bǎ每měi一件yī jiàn事shì都dōu告诉gào sù我wǒ。”

Shen Mo said, "Please speak slowly, and tell me everything."

▸ 周Zhōu兰lán的de手shǒu紧紧jǐn jǐn地de抓zhuā着zhe自己的zì jǐ de衣服yī fu。

Zhou Lan's hands clutched tightly at her clothes.

▸ “我的wǒ de母亲mǔ qīn很多hěn duō年前nián qián就jiù去世qù shì了le，家里jiā lǐ只有zhǐ yǒu我wǒ和hé继父jì fù。”

"My mother passed away many years ago; at home there is only my stepfather and me."

▸ “我wǒ本来běn lái有yǒu一个yī ge双胞胎shuāng bāo tāi姐姐jiě jie，她tā叫jiào周Zhōu玉yù。”

"I used to have a twin sister — her name was Zhou Yu."

▸ “两liǎng年前nián qián，她tā死了sǐ le。”

"Two years ago, she died."

▸ 房间fáng jiān里lǐ安静ān jìng了le一会儿yī huìr，只能zhǐ néng听见tīng jiàn钟zhōng的de声音shēng yīn。

The room fell silent for a moment; only the ticking of the clock could be heard.

▸ “她tā死sǐ的de时候shí hou，离lí她tā结婚jié hūn只有zhǐ yǒu两个liǎng gè星期xīng qī。”

"When she died, it was only two weeks before her wedding."

▸ 华huà医生yī shēng轻轻地qīng qīng de问wèn：“她tā是shì怎么zěn me死sǐ的de？”

Dr. Hua asked softly, "How did she die?"

▸ “没有méi yǒu人rén知道zhī dào，”周Zhōu兰lán说shuō，“这zhè正是zhèng shì我要wǒ yào讲jiǎng的de事shì。”

"No one knows," said Zhou Lan. "That is exactly what I have come to tell you."

▸ 她tā抬起tái qǐ眼睛yǎn jing，看着kàn zhe沈默shěn mò：“现在xiàn zài，同样tóng yàng的de事情shì qing开始kāi shǐ了le，这次zhè cì是shì我wǒ。”

She raised her eyes and looked at Shen Mo: "Now the same thing has begun again — and this time it is me."

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