The Legend (Part 2)

HSK 3 · 438 characters · The Hound of Bai Manor

Dr. Mo tells the two-hundred-year-old legend of the demon hound that appears before a Bai dies.

莫mò医生yī shēng喝hē完wán茶chá，从cóng包bāo里lǐ拿出ná chū一yī张zhāng很hěn旧jiù的de纸zhǐ。Dr. Mo finished his tea and took a very old piece of paper from his bag.“白bái家jiā有yǒu一个yī ge传说chuán shuō，已经yǐ jīng两liǎng百年bǎi nián了le。”他说tā shuō。"The Bai family has a legend that is two hundred years old," he said.

“两liǎng百年bǎi nián以前yǐ qián，白bái家jiā有yǒu一位yī wèi老爷lǎo ye，他tā是shì一个yī ge很hěn坏huài的de人rén。”"Two hundred years ago, there was a Master Bai who was a cruel man."“有一天yǒu yī tiān晚上wǎn shang，村cūn里lǐ的de一个yī ge女孩nǚ hái从cóng老lǎo宅zhái逃了táo le出去chū qù，跑pǎo进jìn了le大dà沼泽zhǎo zé。”"One night, a girl from the village fled the manor and ran into the great marsh."“那个nà ge坏huài老爷lǎo ye骑qí着zhe马mǎ，在zài黑hēi夜里yè li追zhuī她tā。”"The cruel master rode after her on horseback through the black night."“沼泽zhǎo zé里lǐ到处dào chù都是dōu shì雾wù，到处dào chù都是dōu shì危险wēi xiǎn的de泥ní。”"The marsh was full of fog, full of dangerous mud everywhere."“第二天dì èr tiān，人们rén men在zài沼泽zhǎo zé里lǐ找到zhǎo dào了le坏huài老爷lǎo ye的de身体shēn tǐ。”"The next day, people found the cruel master's body out on the marsh."“他的tā de旁边páng biān站zhàn着zhe一只yī zhī很大hěn dà的de黑hēi狗gǒu，眼睛yǎn jing像xiàng火huǒ一样yī yàng。”"Standing beside him was a huge black dog, its eyes like fire."“从cóng那天nà tiān起qǐ，大家dà jiā都dōu说shuō，白bái家jiā的de人rén死sǐ以前yǐ qián，妖yāo犬quǎn就jiù会huì出现chū xiàn。”"From that day on, everyone says the demon hound appears before a Bai is about to die."“所以suǒ yǐ村cūn里lǐ人rén常常cháng cháng说shuō：晚上wǎn shang不要bù yào走进zǒu jìn沼泽zhǎo zé。”"That is why the villagers always say: never walk into the marsh at night."

莫mò医生yī shēng说完shuō wán，屋子wū zi里lǐ安静ān jìng了le很久hěn jiǔ。When Dr. Mo finished, the room stayed silent for a long time.沈默shěn mò慢慢地màn màn de说shuō：“传说chuán shuō很hěn有意思yǒu yì si，可是kě shì我wǒ只zhǐ关心guān xīn事实shì shí。”Shen Mo said slowly, "The legend is interesting, but I only care about facts."“请qǐng告诉gào sù我wǒ，那天nà tiān晚上wǎn shang，白bái老爷lǎo ye为什么wèi shén me站在zhàn zài大dà门口mén kǒu？”"Tell me — why was Master Bai standing at the gate that night?"

莫mò医生yī shēng想xiǎng了le想xiǎng，说shuō：“他tā好像hǎo xiàng在zài等děng一个人yī gè rén。”Dr. Mo thought for a moment and said, "It seemed he was waiting for someone."“他tā在zài门口mén kǒu站zhàn了le很久hěn jiǔ，地上dì shang有yǒu很多hěn duō他的tā de脚印jiǎo yìn。”"He stood at the gate for a long time — the ground was covered with his footprints."“大门dà mén外面的wài miàn de路上lù shang，我wǒ看见了kàn jiàn le那些nà xiē大dà狗gǒu的de脚印jiǎo yìn。”"On the road outside the gate, I found the giant dog's footprints."“脚印jiǎo yìn很hěn新xīn，也yě很大hěn dà，比bǐ我的wǒ de手shǒu还hái大dà。”"They were fresh, and huge — bigger than my hand."沈默shěn mò问wèn：“别人bié ren看见kàn jiàn那些nà xiē脚印jiǎo yìn了吗le ma？”Shen Mo asked, "Did anyone else see those footprints?"“没有méi yǒu，那天nà tiān晚上wǎn shang下xià了le大雨dà yǔ，脚印jiǎo yìn很快hěn kuài就jiù不见了bù jiàn le。”"No. Heavy rain fell that night, and the prints soon washed away."“只有zhǐ yǒu我wǒ一个人yī gè rén看见了kàn jiàn le，所以suǒ yǐ我wǒ来lái上海shàng hǎi找zhǎo您nín。”"I was the only one who saw them — that is why I came to Shanghai to find you."

沈默shěn mò站起来zhàn qǐ lai，在zài屋子wū zi里lǐ走来走去zǒu lái zǒu qù。Shen Mo stood up and paced back and forth across the room.“白bái老爷lǎo ye死了sǐ le，白bái家jiā还有hái yǒu别的bié de人rén吗ma？”他tā问wèn。"Now that Master Bai is dead, is there anyone left in the Bai family?" he asked.“有yǒu，白bái老爷lǎo ye只有zhǐ yǒu一个yī ge亲人qīn rén，就是jiù shì白bái家jiā的de少爷shào ye。”"Yes — Master Bai had only one relative, the young master of the family."“他tā叫jiào白bái景jǐng年nián，从小cóng xiǎo在zài南洋nán yáng长大zhǎng dà。”"His name is Bai Jingnian, and he grew up in Southeast Asia."“明天míng tiān早上zǎo shang，他tā坐zuò的de船chuán就jiù到dào上海shàng hǎi了le。”"Tomorrow morning, his ship arrives in Shanghai."

沈默shěn mò看着kàn zhe窗外chuāng wài，轻轻地qīng qīng de说shuō：“那nà我们wǒ men明天míng tiān去qù见jiàn见jiàn这位zhè wèi白bái少爷shào ye吧ba。”Shen Mo looked out the window and said softly, "Then tomorrow, let us go and meet this young Master Bai."