▸ 莫mò医生yī shēng喝hē完wán茶chá，从cóng包bāo里lǐ拿出ná chū一yī张zhāng很hěn旧jiù的de纸zhǐ。

Dr. Mo finished his tea and took a very old piece of paper from his bag.

▸ “白bái家jiā有yǒu一个yī ge传说chuán shuō，已经yǐ jīng两liǎng百年bǎi nián了le。”他说tā shuō。

"The Bai family has a legend that is two hundred years old," he said.

▸ “两liǎng百年bǎi nián以前yǐ qián，白bái家jiā有yǒu一位yī wèi老爷lǎo ye，他tā是shì一个yī ge很hěn坏huài的de人rén。”

"Two hundred years ago, there was a Master Bai who was a cruel man."

▸ “有一天yǒu yī tiān晚上wǎn shang，村cūn里lǐ的de一个yī ge女孩nǚ hái从cóng老lǎo宅zhái逃了táo le出去chū qù，跑pǎo进jìn了le大dà沼泽zhǎo zé。”

"One night, a girl from the village fled the manor and ran into the great marsh."

▸ “那个nà ge坏huài老爷lǎo ye骑qí着zhe马mǎ，在zài黑hēi夜里yè li追zhuī她tā。”

"The cruel master rode after her on horseback through the black night."

▸ “沼泽zhǎo zé里lǐ到处dào chù都是dōu shì雾wù，到处dào chù都是dōu shì危险wēi xiǎn的de泥ní。”

"The marsh was full of fog, full of dangerous mud everywhere."

▸ “第二天dì èr tiān，人们rén men在zài沼泽zhǎo zé里lǐ找到zhǎo dào了le坏huài老爷lǎo ye的de身体shēn tǐ。”

"The next day, people found the cruel master's body out on the marsh."

▸ “他的tā de旁边páng biān站zhàn着zhe一只yī zhī很大hěn dà的de黑hēi狗gǒu，眼睛yǎn jing像xiàng火huǒ一样yī yàng。”

"Standing beside him was a huge black dog, its eyes like fire."

▸ “从cóng那天nà tiān起qǐ，大家dà jiā都dōu说shuō，白bái家jiā的de人rén死sǐ以前yǐ qián，妖yāo犬quǎn就jiù会huì出现chū xiàn。”

"From that day on, everyone says the demon hound appears before a Bai is about to die."

▸ “所以suǒ yǐ村cūn里lǐ人rén常常cháng cháng说shuō：晚上wǎn shang不要bù yào走进zǒu jìn沼泽zhǎo zé。”

"That is why the villagers always say: never walk into the marsh at night."

▸ 莫mò医生yī shēng说完shuō wán，屋子wū zi里lǐ安静ān jìng了le很久hěn jiǔ。

When Dr. Mo finished, the room stayed silent for a long time.

▸ 沈默shěn mò慢慢地màn màn de说shuō：“传说chuán shuō很hěn有意思yǒu yì si，可是kě shì我wǒ只zhǐ关心guān xīn事实shì shí。”

Shen Mo said slowly, "The legend is interesting, but I only care about facts."

▸ “请qǐng告诉gào sù我wǒ，那天nà tiān晚上wǎn shang，白bái老爷lǎo ye为什么wèi shén me站在zhàn zài大dà门口mén kǒu？”

"Tell me — why was Master Bai standing at the gate that night?"

▸ 莫mò医生yī shēng想xiǎng了le想xiǎng，说shuō：“他tā好像hǎo xiàng在zài等děng一个人yī gè rén。”

Dr. Mo thought for a moment and said, "It seemed he was waiting for someone."

▸ “他tā在zài门口mén kǒu站zhàn了le很久hěn jiǔ，地上dì shang有yǒu很多hěn duō他的tā de脚印jiǎo yìn。”

"He stood at the gate for a long time — the ground was covered with his footprints."

▸ “大门dà mén外面的wài miàn de路上lù shang，我wǒ看见了kàn jiàn le那些nà xiē大dà狗gǒu的de脚印jiǎo yìn。”

"On the road outside the gate, I found the giant dog's footprints."

▸ “脚印jiǎo yìn很hěn新xīn，也yě很大hěn dà，比bǐ我的wǒ de手shǒu还hái大dà。”

"They were fresh, and huge — bigger than my hand."

▸ 沈默shěn mò问wèn：“别人bié ren看见kàn jiàn那些nà xiē脚印jiǎo yìn了吗le ma？”

Shen Mo asked, "Did anyone else see those footprints?"

▸ “没有méi yǒu，那天nà tiān晚上wǎn shang下xià了le大雨dà yǔ，脚印jiǎo yìn很快hěn kuài就jiù不见了bù jiàn le。”

"No. Heavy rain fell that night, and the prints soon washed away."

▸ “只有zhǐ yǒu我wǒ一个人yī gè rén看见了kàn jiàn le，所以suǒ yǐ我wǒ来lái上海shàng hǎi找zhǎo您nín。”

"I was the only one who saw them — that is why I came to Shanghai to find you."

▸ 沈默shěn mò站起来zhàn qǐ lai，在zài屋子wū zi里lǐ走来走去zǒu lái zǒu qù。

Shen Mo stood up and paced back and forth across the room.

▸ “白bái老爷lǎo ye死了sǐ le，白bái家jiā还有hái yǒu别的bié de人rén吗ma？”他tā问wèn。

"Now that Master Bai is dead, is there anyone left in the Bai family?" he asked.

▸ “有yǒu，白bái老爷lǎo ye只有zhǐ yǒu一个yī ge亲人qīn rén，就是jiù shì白bái家jiā的de少爷shào ye。”

"Yes — Master Bai had only one relative, the young master of the family."

▸ “他tā叫jiào白bái景jǐng年nián，从小cóng xiǎo在zài南洋nán yáng长大zhǎng dà。”

"His name is Bai Jingnian, and he grew up in Southeast Asia."

▸ “明天míng tiān早上zǎo shang，他tā坐zuò的de船chuán就jiù到dào上海shàng hǎi了le。”

"Tomorrow morning, his ship arrives in Shanghai."

▸ 沈默shěn mò看着kàn zhe窗外chuāng wài，轻轻地qīng qīng de说shuō：“那nà我们wǒ men明天míng tiān去qù见jiàn见jiàn这位zhè wèi白bái少爷shào ye吧ba。”

Shen Mo looked out the window and said softly, "Then tomorrow, let us go and meet this young Master Bai."

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