The Dawn Visitor (Part 1)

HSK 3 · 436 characters · The Speckled Band

A terrified young woman arrives at dawn — and Detective Shen Mo already knows how she got there.

那年nà nián春天chūn tiān的de一个yī ge早晨zǎo chén，天tiān还hái没有méi yǒu完全wán quán亮liàng。One spring morning that year, it was not yet fully light.华huà医生yī shēng被bèi一阵yī zhèn敲门声qiāo mén shēng吵醒chǎo xǐng了le。Dr. Hua was woken by a burst of knocking at the door.他tā走zǒu下楼xià lóu，看见kàn jiàn沈默shěn mò已经yǐ jīng站在zhàn zài客厅kè tīng里lǐ。He went downstairs and saw that Shen Mo was already standing in the sitting room.“来了lái le一位yī wèi年轻nián qīng的de小姐xiǎo jie，”沈默shěn mò说shuō，“她tā非常fēi cháng害怕hài pà。”"A young lady has come," said Shen Mo. "She is terribly afraid."

客厅kè tīng的de椅子yǐ zi上shàng坐着zuò zhe一个yī ge女人nǚ rén，大约dà yuē三十sān shí岁suì。In the sitting-room chair sat a woman of about thirty.她tā穿着chuān zhuó旅行lǚ xíng的de衣服yī fu，脸色liǎn sè很hěn白bái，全身quán shēn都dōu在zài发抖fā dǒu。She wore travelling clothes, her face was pale, and her whole body was trembling.“您nín先xiān坐zuò到dào火huǒ边biān来lái，”沈默shěn mò轻轻地qīng qīng de说shuō，“我wǒ给gěi您nín倒dào一yī杯bēi热茶rè chá。”"Come and sit by the fire first," Shen Mo said gently. "I will pour you a cup of hot tea."“我wǒ不是bù shì怕pà冷lěng，沈shěn先生xiān sheng，”女人nǚ rén小声xiǎo shēng说shuō，“我wǒ是shì怕死pà sǐ。”"It is not the cold I fear, Mr. Shen," the woman said quietly. "It is death."

沈默shěn mò看了kàn le她tā一眼yī yǎn，说shuō：“您nín今天jīn tiān坐zuò了le最zuì早zǎo的de火车huǒ chē，天亮tiān liàng以前yǐ qián就jiù出门chū mén了le。”Shen Mo glanced at her and said, "You took the earliest train today — you left home before daybreak."女人nǚ rén吃惊chī jīng地de抬起tái qǐ头tóu：“您nín怎么zěn me知道zhī dào？”The woman looked up, startled: "How do you know?"“您的nín de左zuǒ手里shǒu lǐ还hái拿ná着zhe一yī张zhāng回去huí qu的de火车票huǒ chē piào，”沈默shěn mò说shuō。"You are still holding a return train ticket in your left hand," said Shen Mo.“您的nín de袖子xiù zi上shàng有yǒu新的xīn de泥ní点diǎn，只有zhǐ yǒu坐zuò人力车rén lì chē的de时候shí hou才cái会huì这样zhè yàng。”"And there are fresh spots of mud on your sleeve — only a rickshaw ride leaves marks like that."女人nǚ rén点点头diǎn diǎn tóu：“您nín说得shuō de都dōu对duì。我wǒ叫jiào周Zhōu兰lán。”The woman nodded. "You are right about everything. My name is Zhou Lan."

“我wǒ住zhù在zài青qīng溪xī镇zhèn附近fù jìn的de一座yī zuò老lǎo房子fáng zi里lǐ，和hé我的wǒ de继父jì fù罗luó医生yī shēng住zhù在一起zài yī qǐ。”"I live in an old house near Qingxi Town, together with my stepfather, Dr. Luo."“从cóng那里nà li到dào上海shàng hǎi，火车huǒ chē要yào坐zuò半天bàn tiān。”"From there to Shanghai the train takes half a day."“我wǒ实在shí zài没有méi yǒu别的bié de办法bàn fǎ了le，才cái来lái找zhǎo您nín。”"I truly had no other way left, so I came to find you."沈默shěn mò说shuō：“请qǐng慢慢màn màn讲jiǎng，把bǎ每měi一件yī jiàn事shì都dōu告诉gào sù我wǒ。”Shen Mo said, "Please speak slowly, and tell me everything."

周Zhōu兰lán的de手shǒu紧紧jǐn jǐn地de抓zhuā着zhe自己的zì jǐ de衣服yī fu。Zhou Lan's hands clutched tightly at her clothes.“我的wǒ de母亲mǔ qīn很多hěn duō年前nián qián就jiù去世qù shì了le，家里jiā lǐ只有zhǐ yǒu我wǒ和hé继父jì fù。”"My mother passed away many years ago; at home there is only my stepfather and me."“我wǒ本来běn lái有yǒu一个yī ge双胞胎shuāng bāo tāi姐姐jiě jie，她tā叫jiào周Zhōu玉yù。”"I used to have a twin sister — her name was Zhou Yu."“两liǎng年前nián qián，她tā死了sǐ le。”"Two years ago, she died."房间fáng jiān里lǐ安静ān jìng了le一会儿yī huìr，只能zhǐ néng听见tīng jiàn钟zhōng的de声音shēng yīn。The room fell silent for a moment; only the ticking of the clock could be heard.

“她tā死sǐ的de时候shí hou，离lí她tā结婚jié hūn只有zhǐ yǒu两个liǎng gè星期xīng qī。”"When she died, it was only two weeks before her wedding."华huà医生yī shēng轻轻地qīng qīng de问wèn：“她tā是shì怎么zěn me死sǐ的de？”Dr. Hua asked softly, "How did she die?"“没有méi yǒu人rén知道zhī dào，”周Zhōu兰lán说shuō，“这zhè正是zhèng shì我要wǒ yào讲jiǎng的de事shì。”"No one knows," said Zhou Lan. "That is exactly what I have come to tell you."她tā抬起tái qǐ眼睛yǎn jing，看着kàn zhe沈默shěn mò：“现在xiàn zài，同样tóng yàng的de事情shì qing开始kāi shǐ了le，这次zhè cì是shì我wǒ。”She raised her eyes and looked at Shen Mo: "Now the same thing has begun again — and this time it is me."