▸ 上海shàng hǎi白bái鸽gē街jiē221号hào，住zhù着zhe一位yī wèi有名yǒu míng的de侦探zhēn tàn，他tā叫jiào沈默shěn mò。

At 221 Baige Street in Shanghai lived a famous detective named Shen Mo.

▸ 华huà医生yī shēng是shì他tā最好zuì hǎo的de朋友péng you，常常cháng cháng帮bāng他tā做事zuò shì。

Dr. Hua was his best friend and often helped him with his work.

▸ 一天yī tiān早上zǎo shang，华huà医生yī shēng看见kàn jiàn桌子zhuō zi上shàng有yǒu一根yī gēn手杖shǒu zhàng。

One morning, Dr. Hua noticed a walking stick on the table.

▸ 沈默shěn mò说shuō：“昨天zuó tiān晚上wǎn shang有yǒu一位yī wèi客人kè rén来lái找zhǎo我们wǒ men，我们wǒ men不bù在家zài jiā，他tā把bǎ手杖shǒu zhàng忘wàng在zài这里zhè lǐ了le。”

Shen Mo said, "A visitor came looking for us last night. We weren't home, and he left his walking stick behind."

▸ 华huà医生yī shēng拿起ná qǐ手杖shǒu zhàng，仔细zǐ xì地de看了kàn le看kàn。

Dr. Hua picked up the stick and examined it carefully.

▸ “沈shěn先生xiān sheng，你nǐ能néng从cóng这zhè根gēn手杖shǒu zhàng看出kàn chū什么shén me吗ma？”他tā问wèn。

"Mr. Shen, can you tell anything from this walking stick?" he asked.

▸ 沈默shěn mò笑了笑xiào le xiào，说shuō：“这位zhè wèi客人kè rén是shì一位yī wèi乡下xiāng xia的de医生yī shēng。”

Shen Mo smiled and said, "Our visitor is a country doctor."

▸ “他tā常常cháng cháng走zǒu很远hěn yuǎn的de路lù，所以suǒ yǐ手杖shǒu zhàng的de下面xià miàn很hěn旧jiù了le。”

"He often walks long distances, so the bottom of the stick is badly worn."

▸ “他tā还有hái yǒu一只yī zhī狗gǒu，狗gǒu喜欢xǐ huan帮bāng主人zhǔ rén拿ná手杖shǒu zhàng，你nǐ看kàn，上面shàng miàn有yǒu狗gǒu的de牙印yá yìn。”

"He also has a dog that likes to carry the stick for its master — look, there are tooth marks on it."

▸ 华huà医生yī shēng问wèn：“你nǐ怎么zěn me知道zhī dào他tā是shì医生yī shēng？”

Dr. Hua asked, "How do you know he's a doctor?"

▸ 沈默shěn mò说shuō：“手杖shǒu zhàng上shàng写xiě着zhe几个jǐ ge小xiǎo字zì：送给sòng gěi莫mò医生yī shēng。”

Shen Mo said, "There are a few small words on the stick: For Dr. Mo."

▸ 华huà医生yī shēng笑了xiào le：“这zhè也yě太tài简单jiǎn dān了le吧ba！”

Dr. Hua laughed. "That's far too easy!"

▸ 就jiù在zài这个zhè ge时候shí hou，有人yǒu rén敲门qiāo mén。

At that very moment, someone knocked at the door.

▸ 一个yī ge四十sì shí多duō岁suì的de男人nán rén走了zǒu le进来jìn lái，他tā看起来kàn qǐ lai很hěn累lèi，也yě很hěn着急zháo jí。

A man in his forties walked in, looking tired and anxious.

▸ “对不起duì bù qǐ，我wǒ昨天zuó tiān把bǎ手杖shǒu zhàng忘wàng在zài这里zhè lǐ了le。”他说tā shuō。

"Excuse me, I left my walking stick here yesterday," he said.

▸ “您nín就是jiù shì莫mò医生yī shēng吧ba？请坐qǐng zuò。”沈默shěn mò说shuō。

"You must be Dr. Mo? Please, sit down," said Shen Mo.

▸ 莫mò医生yī shēng很hěn吃惊chī jīng：“您nín怎么zěn me知道zhī dào我的wǒ de名字míng zi？”

Dr. Mo was astonished. "How do you know my name?"

▸ 沈默shěn mò说shuō：“请qǐng告诉gào sù我wǒ，您nín为什么wèi shén me从cóng那么nà me远yuǎn的de地方dì fāng来lái找zhǎo我wǒ？”

Shen Mo said, "Please tell me — why have you come so far to find me?"

▸ 莫mò医生yī shēng坐下zuò xia来lái，喝hē了le一口yī kǒu茶chá，慢慢地màn màn de说shuō：

Dr. Mo sat down, took a sip of tea, and began slowly:

▸ “我wǒ住zhù在zài雾wù山shān镇zhèn，那是nà shi一个yī ge很hěn小的xiǎo de镇zhèn，坐zuò火车huǒ chē要yào一天yī tiān。”

"I live in Fog Mountain Town — a very small town, a full day away by train."

▸ “镇zhèn的de外面wài miàn有yǒu一座yī zuò很hěn老lǎo的de房子fáng zi，大家dà jiā叫jiào它tā白bái家老jiā lǎo宅zhái。”

"Outside the town stands a very old house that everyone calls the old Bai manor."

▸ “两个liǎng gè星期xīng qī以前yǐ qián，白bái老爷lǎo ye死sǐ在zài老lǎo宅zhái的de大dà门口mén kǒu。”

"Two weeks ago, old Master Bai was found dead at the manor gate."

▸ “医生yī shēng说shuō他的tā de心脏xīn zàng不好bù hǎo，他tā是shì因为yīn wèi太tài害怕hài pà才cái死sǐ的de。”

"The doctors said his heart was weak — he died of sheer fright."

▸ 华huà医生yī shēng问wèn：“他tā一个人yī gè rén死sǐ在zài门口mén kǒu吗ma？”

Dr. Hua asked, "Did he die alone at the gate?"

▸ 莫mò医生yī shēng的de脸liǎn变biàn得很de hěn白bái，他tā小声xiǎo shēng地de说shuō：

Dr. Mo's face turned pale, and he said in a low voice:

▸ “在zài他的tā de身体shēn tǐ旁边páng biān，我wǒ看见了kàn jiàn le很大hěn dà很大hěn dà的de狗gǒu的de脚印jiǎo yìn。”

"Beside his body, I saw enormous dog footprints."

▸ “沈shěn先生xiān sheng，那nà不是bù shì普通pǔ tōng的de狗gǒu的de脚印jiǎo yìn。”

"Mr. Shen, those were not the footprints of an ordinary dog."

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