The Death of Mrs. Fan (Part 1)
A quiet town doctor's diary begins the morning a rich widow is found dead of too much sleeping medicine.
我是一个医生，住在江边的一个小城里。I am a doctor, and I live in a small town by the river.城里的人都认识我，生病的时候都来找我。Everyone in town knows me, and they all come to me when they are ill.我和姐姐住在一起，她比我大五岁。I live with my older sister, who is five years older than me.姐姐爱说话，城里的事，没有她不知道的。My sister loves to talk; there is nothing in this town she doesn't know.
那天早上，我还没吃完早饭，姐姐就快步走了进来。That morning, before I had finished breakfast, my sister came hurrying in.“范太太死了。”她说，“昨天晚上死的。”"Mrs. Fan is dead," she said. "She died last night."我放下茶杯，问她：“你怎么知道？”I put down my teacup and asked her, "How do you know?"“卖菜的告诉我的。她吃了太多安眠药。”"The vegetable seller told me. She took too much sleeping medicine."
范太太是城里最有钱的女人之一。Mrs. Fan was one of the richest women in town.一年前，她的丈夫病死了。A year ago, her husband died of an illness.他活着的时候，对她很不好，大家都知道。While he was alive, he treated her very badly — everyone knew it.他死了以后，有人小声说：那不是病，是毒药。After he died, some people whispered: it wasn't illness, it was poison.我没有说话，慢慢地喝我的茶。I said nothing and slowly drank my tea.
医生每天看很多人，也听很多话。A doctor sees many people every day, and hears many things.我的爱好是修理钟表和机器。My hobby is repairing clocks and machines.城里人说，坏了的东西，到了谢医生手里都能活过来。People in town say that anything broken comes back to life in Dr. Xie's hands.姐姐坐下来，眼睛亮亮的。My sister sat down, her eyes shining.
“我告诉你，”她说，“范太太不是不小心吃错药的。”"I'm telling you," she said, "Mrs. Fan did not take the wrong medicine by accident."“哦？”我说，“那是怎么回事？”"Oh?" I said. "Then what happened?"“一年前，她给丈夫吃了毒药，有人知道这件事。”"A year ago she gave her husband poison — and somebody knew about it."“那个人让她付钱，一个月又一个月，付了一年。”"That person made her pay, month after month, for a whole year."“她付不起了，也睡不着了。她是被秘密压死的。”"She couldn't pay any more, and she couldn't sleep. It was the secret that crushed her."我笑了笑，让她别把故事讲得太可怕。I gave a small laugh and told her not to make the story too frightening.
我比姐姐知道得多一点，可是有些事，医生不能说。I knew a little more than my sister did — but there are things a doctor cannot say.中午，我听到一个新的消息：范太太死以前写了一封信。At noon, I heard a new piece of news: before she died, Mrs. Fan wrote a letter.信是写给安老爷的——城里最有钱的人，也是她最好的朋友。The letter was addressed to Master An — the richest man in town, and her closest friend.没有人知道信里写了什么。Nobody knew what the letter said.那天晚上，我修好了一个旧钟，然后睡得很好。That night, I repaired an old clock, and then I slept very well.
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