Explore Chapter 1 of "To Live" with the original Chinese text, English translation, detailed HSK vocabulary and explanations, and audio of the Chinese original. Listen and improve your reading skills.
Mr. Shen lifted his long gown and sat down, saying to the three other gamblers, "Please."
People in the brothel had never seen Mr. Shen lose. When his hands, with bulging veins, shuffled the cards, all we heard was the whistling wind. The deck grew long and short in his hands, swishing in and out, making my eyes sore to watch.
"Gambling relies entirely on a pair of eyes and a pair of hands. The eyes must be trained to be like claws, and the hands must be trained to be as slippery as loaches."
In the year when the Japanese surrendered, Long Er arrived. Long Er spoke with a mixed accent; just hearing his tone, one could tell he was no ordinary person, having traveled extensively and seen the world. Long Er did not wear a long gown; instead, he wore a white silk shirt. He was accompanied by two people who helped him carry two large wicker trunks.
The gambling match between Mr. Shen and Long Er that year was truly spectacular. The gambling hall in the brothel was packed with people, and Mr. Shen gambled with the three of them. Behind Long Er stood a waiter holding a tray of dry towels, from which Long Er would occasionally take one to wipe his hands. He used dry towels instead of wet ones to wipe his hands, which we found peculiar. His manner while wiping his hands was as if he had just finished a meal. At first, Long Er kept losing, but he seemed not to care. Instead, the two people he brought grew restless, one chattering away and the other sighing. Mr. Shen kept winning, yet there was not a hint of victory on his face. Mr. Shen frowned as if he had lost a lot. His head was bowed, but his eyes were nailed like spikes to Long Er's hands. Mr. Shen was getting old, and after a night of gambling, he began to breathe heavily, with sweat seeping out on his forehead. Mr. Shen said:
Long Er took the last towel from the tray, wiping his hands and saying, "Alright."
They spread all the money on the table, nearly covering the entire surface, leaving only a space in the middle. Each person was dealt five cards. After revealing four cards, Long Er's two companions immediately lost heart, pushing their cards away and saying, "It's over, we lost again."
Saying this, Long Er revealed his last card, which was the Ace of Spades. His two companions giggled immediately upon seeing it. Actually, Mr. Shen's last card was also the Ace of Spades. He had three Aces and two Kings, while one of Long Er's companions had three Queens and two Jacks. Long Er revealed the Ace of Spades first, and Mr. Shen was stunned for a while before collecting his cards and saying, "I lost."
Long Er's Ace of Spades and Mr. Shen's were both switched from their sleeves. A deck cannot have two Aces of Spades. Long Er took the lead, and Mr. Shen understood but had to admit defeat. That was the first time we saw Mr. Shen lose. Mr. Shen pushed the table to stand up, bowed to Long Er and his companions, turned around, and walked out. When he reached the door, he smiled slightly and said, "I'm old."
Later, no one saw Mr. Shen again. It was said that at the crack of dawn that day, he left in a horse-drawn carriage.