▸ 我wǒ是shì一个yī ge医生yī shēng，住zhù在zài江边jiāng biān的de一个yī ge小xiǎo城里chéng lǐ。

I am a doctor, and I live in a small town by the river.

▸ 城里chéng lǐ的de人rén都dōu认识rèn shi我wǒ，生病shēng bìng的de时候shí hou都dōu来lái找zhǎo我wǒ。

Everyone in town knows me, and they all come to me when they are ill.

▸ 我wǒ和hé姐姐jiě jie住zhù在一起zài yī qǐ，她tā比bǐ我wǒ大dà五wǔ岁suì。

I live with my older sister, who is five years older than me.

▸ 姐姐jiě jie爱ài说话shuō huà，城里chéng lǐ的de事shì，没有méi yǒu她tā不知道bù zhī dào的de。

My sister loves to talk; there is nothing in this town she doesn't know.

▸ 那天nà tiān早上zǎo shang，我wǒ还没hái méi吃完chī wán早饭zǎo fàn，姐姐jiě jie就jiù快步kuài bù走了zǒu le进来jìn lái。

That morning, before I had finished breakfast, my sister came hurrying in.

▸ “范fàn太太tài tai死了sǐ le。”她tā说shuō，“昨天zuó tiān晚上wǎn shang死sǐ的de。”

"Mrs. Fan is dead," she said. "She died last night."

▸ 我wǒ放下fàng xià茶杯chá bēi，问wèn她tā：“你nǐ怎么zěn me知道zhī dào？”

I put down my teacup and asked her, "How do you know?"

▸ “卖mài菜cài的de告诉gào sù我的wǒ de。她tā吃chī了le太多tài duō安眠药ān mián yào。”

"The vegetable seller told me. She took too much sleeping medicine."

▸ 范fàn太太tài tai是shì城里chéng lǐ最zuì有钱yǒu qián的de女人nǚ rén之一zhī yī。

Mrs. Fan was one of the richest women in town.

▸ 一yī年前nián qián，她的tā de丈夫zhàng fu病死bìng sǐ了le。

A year ago, her husband died of an illness.

▸ 他tā活着huó zhe的de时候shí hou，对duì她tā很hěn不好bù hǎo，大家dà jiā都dōu知道zhī dào。

While he was alive, he treated her very badly — everyone knew it.

▸ 他tā死了sǐ le以后yǐ hòu，有人yǒu rén小声xiǎo shēng说shuō：那nà不是bù shì病bìng，是shì毒药dú yào。

After he died, some people whispered: it wasn't illness, it was poison.

▸ 我wǒ没有méi yǒu说话shuō huà，慢慢地màn màn de喝hē我的wǒ de茶chá。

I said nothing and slowly drank my tea.

▸ 医生yī shēng每天měi tiān看kàn很多人hěn duō rén，也yě听tīng很多hěn duō话huà。

A doctor sees many people every day, and hears many things.

▸ 我的wǒ de爱好ài hào是shì修理xiū lǐ钟表zhōng biǎo和hé机器jī qì。

My hobby is repairing clocks and machines.

▸ 城里chéng lǐ人rén说shuō，坏了huài le的de东西dōng xi，到了dào liǎo谢xiè医生yī shēng手里shǒu lǐ都dōu能néng活huó过来guò lái。

People in town say that anything broken comes back to life in Dr. Xie's hands.

▸ 姐姐jiě jie坐下zuò xia来lái，眼睛yǎn jing亮亮liàng liàng的de。

My sister sat down, her eyes shining.

▸ “我wǒ告诉gào sù你nǐ，”她tā说shuō，“范fàn太太tài tai不是bù shì不小心bù xiǎo xīn吃错药chī cuò yào的de。”

"I'm telling you," she said, "Mrs. Fan did not take the wrong medicine by accident."

▸ “哦ó？”我wǒ说shuō，“那是nà shi怎么回事zěn me huí shì？”

"Oh?" I said. "Then what happened?"

▸ “一yī年前nián qián，她tā给gěi丈夫zhàng fu吃chī了le毒药dú yào，有人yǒu rén知道zhī dào这件zhè jiàn事shì。”

"A year ago she gave her husband poison — and somebody knew about it."

▸ “那个人nà gè rén让ràng她tā付钱fù qián，一个yī ge月yuè又yòu一个yī ge月yuè，付fù了le一yī年nián。”

"That person made her pay, month after month, for a whole year."

▸ “她tā付fù不bù起qǐ了le，也yě睡不着shuì bù zháo了le。她tā是shì被bèi秘密mì mì压死yā sǐ的de。”

"She couldn't pay any more, and she couldn't sleep. It was the secret that crushed her."

▸ 我wǒ笑了笑xiào le xiào，让ràng她tā别bié把bǎ故事gù shì讲jiǎng得de太tài可怕kě pà。

I gave a small laugh and told her not to make the story too frightening.

▸ 我wǒ比bǐ姐姐jiě jie知道zhī dào得de多duō一点yī diǎn，可是kě shì有些yǒu xiē事shì，医生yī shēng不能bù néng说shuō。

I knew a little more than my sister did — but there are things a doctor cannot say.

▸ 中午zhōng wǔ，我wǒ听到tīng dào一个yī ge新的xīn de消息xiāo xi：范fàn太太tài tai死sǐ以前yǐ qián写了xiě le一封yī fēng信xìn。

At noon, I heard a new piece of news: before she died, Mrs. Fan wrote a letter.

▸ 信xìn是shì写xiě给gěi安ān老爷lǎo ye的de——城里chéng lǐ最zuì有钱yǒu qián的de人rén，也是yě shì她tā最好zuì hǎo的de朋友péng you。

The letter was addressed to Master An — the richest man in town, and her closest friend.

▸ 没有méi yǒu人rén知道zhī dào信xìn里lǐ写了xiě le什么shén me。

Nobody knew what the letter said.

▸ 那天nà tiān晚上wǎn shang，我wǒ修好xiū hǎo了le一个yī ge旧jiù钟zhōng，然后rán hòu睡shuì得很de hěn好hǎo。

That night, I repaired an old clock, and then I slept very well.

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