▸ 很hěn多年duō nián以前yǐ qián的de上海shàng hǎi，冬天dōng tiān特别tè bié冷lěng。

Many years ago in Shanghai, the winters were especially cold.

▸ 阿ā俊jùn和hé小xiǎo兰lán是shì一对yī duì年轻nián qīng的de夫妻fū qī，住zhù在zài一yī间jiān很hěn小的xiǎo de房子fáng zi里lǐ。

Ah Jun and Xiaolan were a young married couple who lived in a tiny room.

▸ 他们tā men很hěn穷qióng，但是dàn shì他们tā men非常fēi cháng相爱xiāng ài。

They were poor, but they loved each other very much.

▸ 明天míng tiān就是jiù shì新年xīn nián了le，小xiǎo兰lán把bǎ手里shǒu lǐ的de钱qián数shǔ了le一遍yī biàn又yòu一遍yī biàn。

Tomorrow was New Year's Day, and Xiaolan counted the money in her hand again and again.

▸ 钱qián太tài少了shǎo le，连lián一件yī jiàn小小的xiǎo xiǎo de礼物lǐ wù都dōu买不起mǎi bù qǐ。

It was too little — not enough to buy even a small gift.

▸ 她tā坐在zuò zài窗chuāng前qián，看着kàn zhe外面的wài miàn de雪xuě，慢慢地màn màn de哭kū了le。

She sat by the window, watching the snow outside, and slowly began to cry.

▸ 小xiǎo兰lán有yǒu一样yī yàng宝贝bǎo bèi：一头yī tóu又yòu长cháng又yòu亮liàng的de黑hēi头发tóu fa。

Xiaolan had one treasure: long, shining black hair.

▸ 头发tóu fa放下fàng xià来lái的de时候shí hou，就像jiù xiàng一条yī tiáo黑色hēi sè的de河hé。

When she let it down, it flowed like a black river.

▸ 阿ā俊jùn也有yě yǒu一样yī yàng宝贝bǎo bèi：父亲fù qīn留给liú gěi他的tā de一块yī kuài旧jiù手表shǒu biǎo。

Ah Jun also had one treasure: an old watch his father had left him.

▸ 手表shǒu biǎo很好hěn hǎo，可是kě shì没有méi yǒu链子liàn zi，他tā只能zhǐ néng用yòng一块yī kuài旧jiù布bù包bāo着zhe它tā。

It was a fine watch, but it had no chain, so he kept it wrapped in an old cloth.

▸ 小xiǎo兰lán早就zǎo jiù想xiǎng好了hǎo le：她tā要yào送sòng阿ā俊jùn一条yī tiáo漂亮piào liang的de表biǎo链liàn。

Xiaolan had long since made up her mind: she would give Ah Jun a beautiful watch chain.

▸ 可是kě shì，钱qián从cóng哪里nǎ lǐ来lái呢ne？

But where would the money come from?

▸ 她tā站起来zhàn qǐ lai，看着kàn zhe镜子jìng zi里lǐ自己的zì jǐ de长cháng头发tóu fa，做了zuò le一个yī ge决定jué dìng。

She stood up, looked at her long hair in the mirror, and made a decision.

▸ 下午xià wǔ，小xiǎo兰lán走进zǒu jìn一家yī jiā买mǎi头发tóu fa的de小店xiǎo diàn。

That afternoon, Xiaolan walked into a little shop that bought hair.

▸ “你的nǐ de头发tóu fa真zhēn漂亮piào liang，”老板娘lǎo bǎn niáng说shuō，“我wǒ给gěi你nǐ一个yī ge好hǎo价钱jià qian。”

"Your hair is truly beautiful," said the shopkeeper. "I'll give you a good price."

▸ 剪头发jiǎn tóu fa的de时候shí hou，小xiǎo兰lán闭上bì shang眼睛yǎn jing，没有méi yǒu让ràng自己zì jǐ哭kū。

As her hair was cut, Xiaolan closed her eyes and did not let herself cry.

▸ 拿ná着zhe钱qián，她tā跑pǎo了le好几hǎo jǐ条tiáo街jiē，最后zuì hòu找到zhǎo dào了le一条yī tiáo最zuì漂亮piào liang的de银yín链子liàn zi。

With the money, she ran down street after street, and at last found the most beautiful silver chain.

▸ 晚上wǎn shang，阿ā俊jùn回家huí jiā了le，一yī开门kāi mén就jiù站住zhàn zhù了le。

That evening Ah Jun came home, opened the door — and stopped still.

▸ 他tā看着kàn zhe小xiǎo兰lán的de短duǎn头发tóu fa，一句话yī jù huà也yě说不出shuō bù chū来lái。

He stared at Xiaolan's short hair, unable to say a word.

▸ “别bié这样zhè yàng看kàn我wǒ，”小xiǎo兰lán说shuō，“头发tóu fa还hái会huì长zhǎng出来chū lái的de。”

"Don't look at me like that," Xiaolan said. "Hair grows back."

▸ “我wǒ把bǎ头发tóu fa卖mài了le，给gěi你nǐ买mǎi了le新年xīn nián礼物lǐ wù。”

"I sold my hair to buy you a New Year gift."

▸ 阿ā俊jùn慢慢地màn màn de笑了xiào le，从cóng口袋kǒu dài里lǐ拿出ná chū一个yī ge小包xiǎo bāo。

Ah Jun slowly smiled and took a small package from his pocket.

▸ “先xiān看看kàn kan我的wǒ de礼物lǐ wù吧ba。”他tā轻轻地qīng qīng de说shuō。

"Open my gift first," he said softly.

▸ 小xiǎo兰lán打开dǎ kāi一看yī kàn，是shì一对yī duì漂亮piào liang的de发夹fà jiā。

Xiaolan opened it — inside was a pair of beautiful hairpins.

▸ 就是jiù shì她tā在zài商店shāng diàn窗chuāng前qián看kàn过guò很hěn多次duō cì的de那nà一对yī duì。

The very pair she had admired so many times in the shop window.

▸ 她tā拿ná着zhe发夹fà jiā，又yòu哭kū又yòu笑xiào：“可是kě shì我的wǒ de头发tóu fa没有méi yǒu了le！”

Holding the hairpins, she laughed and cried at once: "But my hair is gone!"

▸ 小xiǎo兰lán忽然hū rán想起xiǎng qǐ什么shén me，问wèn：“你的nǐ de钱qián是shì从cóng哪里nǎ lǐ来lái的de？”

Then suddenly a thought struck her, and she asked: "Where did your money come from?"

▸ 阿ā俊jùn拿出ná chū那nà块kuài空空kōng kōng的de旧jiù布bù，轻轻地qīng qīng de说shuō：“我wǒ把bǎ手表shǒu biǎo卖mài了le，给gěi你nǐ买mǎi发夹fà jiā。”

Ah Jun took out the old cloth, now empty, and said softly: "I sold the watch to buy your hairpins."

▸ 两liǎng个人gè rén抱bào在一起zài yī qǐ，又yòu哭kū又yòu笑xiào。

The two of them held each other, laughing and crying.

▸ 其实qí shí，最好zuì hǎo的de礼物lǐ wù，他们tā men早就zǎo jiù收到shōu dào了le。

In truth, the best gift had been theirs all along.

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