After Twenty Years

HSK 3 · 514 characters · Twist Endings

Twenty years after a promise, a man waits outside a closed noodle shop on a cold winter night.

二十èr shí年前nián qián，阿ā龙lóng和hé大伟dà wěi是shì最好zuì hǎo的de朋友péng you。Twenty years ago, Ah Long and Dawei were the best of friends.他们tā men在zài同一tóng yī条tiáo街上jiē shang长大zhǎng dà，天天tiān tiān在zài老lǎo李Lǐ面馆miàn guǎn吃chī面miàn。They grew up on the same street and ate noodles at Old Li's noodle shop every day.后来hòu lái，阿ā龙lóng决定jué dìng去qù南方nán fāng做生意zuò shēng yì。Then Ah Long decided to go south to seek his fortune in business.走zǒu以前yǐ qián，两liǎng个人gè rén在zài面馆miàn guǎn门口mén kǒu做了zuò le一个yī ge约定yuē dìng。Before he left, the two made a promise at the noodle shop's door.“二十èr shí年nián后hòu的de今天jīn tiān，晚上wǎn shang十shí点diǎn，不管bù guǎn我们wǒ men在哪里zài nǎ lǐ，一定yī dìng回到huí dào这里zhè lǐ见面jiàn miàn。”"Twenty years from today, at ten o'clock at night — no matter where we are, we meet here again."

二十èr shí年nián过去guò qù了le。Twenty years passed.一个yī ge冬天dōng tiān的de夜晚yè wǎn，风fēng很大hěn dà，街上jiē shang几乎jī hū没有méi yǒu人rén。On a winter night, the wind blew hard and the street was nearly empty.老lǎo李Lǐ面馆miàn guǎn早就zǎo jiù关门guān mén了le，门口mén kǒu站zhàn着zhe一个yī ge男人nán rén。Old Li's noodle shop had long since closed for the night, and a man stood at its door.他tā穿着chuān zhuó一件yī jiàn很hěn贵guì的de大衣dà yī，在zài冷lěng风fēng里lǐ等着děng zhe。He wore an expensive coat and waited in the cold wind.

一个yī ge警察jǐng chá慢慢地màn màn de走了zǒu le过来guò lái。A policeman came walking slowly down the street.“我wǒ在zài等děng一个yī ge老朋友lǎo péng you，”男人nán rén笑着xiào zhe说shuō，“这是zhè shì二十èr shí年前nián qián的de约定yuē dìng。”"I'm waiting for an old friend," the man said with a smile. "It's a promise from twenty years ago."他tā点diǎn了le一根yī gēn烟yān，火光huǒ guāng照亮zhào liàng了le他的tā de脸liǎn。He lit a cigarette, and the small flame lit up his face.警察jǐng chá看了kàn le看kàn他tā，又yòu看了kàn le看kàn手里shǒu lǐ的de表biǎo。The policeman looked at him, then looked at his watch.

“你的nǐ de朋友péng you会huì来lái吗ma？”警察jǐng chá问wèn。"Will your friend come?" the policeman asked.“一定yī dìng会huì。大伟dà wěi是shì世界上shì jiè shàng最好zuì hǎo的de人rén，”男人nán rén说shuō，“我wǒ从cóng南方nán fāng回来huí lai，就是jiù shì为了wèi le见jiàn他tā。”"He will. Dawei is the finest man in the world," the man said. "I came all the way back from the south just to see him."“这些zhè xiē年nián我wǒ赚zhuàn了le很多hěn duō钱qián，”他tā笑着xiào zhe说shuō，“用了yòng le一些yī xiē特别tè bié的de办法bàn fǎ。”"I've made a lot of money these years," he said with a laugh, "— by some rather special methods."警察jǐng chá站zhàn了le一会儿yī huìr，说shuō：“希望xī wàng你的nǐ de朋友péng you准时zhǔn shí到dào。”The policeman stood a moment, then said: "I hope your friend arrives on time."

然后rán hòu他tā转身zhuǎn shēn走了zǒu le，消失xiāo shī在zài冷冷lěng lěng的de夜里yè li。Then he turned and walked away, disappearing into the cold night.男人nán rén又yòu等děng了le二十èr shí分钟fēn zhōng。The man waited another twenty minutes.这时zhè shí，一个yī ge高高的gāo gāo de男人nán rén从cóng街jiē的de那nà头tóu快步kuài bù走zǒu来lái。Then a tall man came hurrying up from the far end of the street.

“阿ā龙lóng？真的zhēn de是shì你nǐ吗ma？”"Ah Long? Is it really you?"“大伟dà wěi！”男人nán rén高兴地gāo xìng de叫jiào了le起来qǐ lai，“我wǒ就jiù知道zhī dào你nǐ会huì来lái！”"Dawei!" the man cried out happily. "I knew you would come!"两liǎng个人gè rén握wò着手zhuó shǒu，一边yī biān走zǒu一边yī biān说shuō这zhè二十èr shí年nián的de事shì。The two shook hands and walked on, talking over the twenty years.走到zǒu dào一家yī jiā商店shāng diàn门口mén kǒu，明亮míng liàng的de灯光dēng guāng照zhào在zài他们tā men的de脸liǎn上shàng。They came to a shop doorway, where bright light fell on their faces.

阿ā龙lóng忽然hū rán站住zhàn zhù了le，放开fàng kāi了le手shǒu。Ah Long suddenly stopped and let go of the man's hand.“你nǐ不是bù shì大伟dà wěi，”他tā冷冷lěng lěng地de说shuō，“二十èr shí年nián可以kě yǐ改变gǎi biàn很多hěn duō，可是kě shì不会bù huì把bǎ一个人yī gè rén的de鼻子bí zi变biàn了le。”"You're not Dawei," he said coldly. "Twenty years can change many things — but not the shape of a man's nose."

高个子gāo gè zi男人nán rén笑了xiào le：“阿ā龙lóng，你nǐ已经yǐ jīng被捕bèi bǔ十shí分钟fēn zhōng了le。大伟dà wěi就是jiù shì刚才gāng cái那位nà wèi警察jǐng chá。”The tall man smiled. "Ah Long, you've been under arrest for ten minutes. Dawei was that policeman just now."“他tā认出rèn chū了le你的nǐ de脸liǎn，可是kě shì他tā做不到zuò bù dào亲手qīn shǒu抓zhuā老朋友lǎo péng you，所以suǒ yǐ他tā让ràng我wǒ来lái。”"He recognized your face — but he couldn't bring himself to arrest an old friend with his own hands. So he sent me."他tā把bǎ一yī张zhāng小xiǎo纸条zhǐ tiáo放进fàng jìn阿ā龙lóng手里shǒu lǐ，上面shàng miàn写xiě着zhe：“我wǒ来了lái le，也yě认出rèn chū了le你nǐ。对不起duì bù qǐ。——大伟dà wěi”He pressed a small note into Ah Long's hand. It read: "I came. And I recognized you. I'm sorry. — Dawei"