The Sailor's Advice

Illustration for the Chinese story “The Sailor's Advice”

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一yī个gè人rén在zài海边hǎi biān遇见yù jiàn一yī个gè刚gāng从cóng海上hǎi shàng回来huí lai的de水手shuǐ shǒu。A man met a sailor who had just returned from the sea.他们tā men开始kāi shǐ聊天liáo tiān。They started talking.

那个人nà gè rén问wèn水手shuǐ shǒu:The man asked the sailor:“你nǐ很hěn喜欢xǐ huan大海dà hǎi吗ma?”“Do you really like the sea?”

“当然dāng rán。”“Of course.”

水手shuǐ shǒu回答huí dá说shuō,“我的wǒ de家人jiā rén同tóng我wǒ一样yī yàng,也yě都dōu爱ài海hǎi。”The sailor replied, “My family loves the sea just like I do.”

“你nǐ父亲fù qīn现在xiàn zài在哪里zài nǎ lǐ?”“Where is your father now?”

“他tā死sǐ在zài海hǎi里lǐ。”“He died at sea.”

“你的nǐ de祖父zǔ fù呢ne?”“What about your grandfather?”

“他tā死sǐ在zài大西洋里dà xī yáng lǐ。”“He died in the Atlantic Ocean.”

“你的nǐ de哥哥gē ge……”“And your brother…”

“他tā在zài一yī场cháng风暴fēng bào中zhōng失踪shī zōng了le,那时nà shí他tā在zài印度洋yìn dù yáng捕鱼bǔ yú。”“He disappeared in a storm while fishing in the Indian Ocean.”

“如果rú guǒ我wǒ是shì你nǐ,”那个人nà gè rén说shuō,“If I were you,” the man said,

“我wǒ不bù会huì再zài去qù海上hǎi shàng。”“I would never go to sea again.”

水手shuǐ shǒu问wèn那个人nà gè rén:“你的nǐ de父亲fù qīn死sǐ在zài哪里nǎ lǐ?”The sailor asked the man: “Where did your father die?”

“他tā在zài床上chuáng shàng去世qù shì的de。”“He passed away in his bed.”

“你的nǐ de祖父zǔ fù呢ne?”“And your grandfather?”

“他tā也yě死sǐ在zài床上chuáng shàng。”“He also died in bed.”

水手shuǐ shǒu笑xiào着zhe说shuō:“如果rú guǒ我wǒ是shì你nǐ,我wǒ就jiù永远yǒng yuǎn不bù上shàng床chuáng!”The sailor smiled and said: “If I were you, I would never go to bed!”

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