Chinese online short story 罪恶有痕 Traces of Sin 51 (Intermediate to Advanced)

While trying to figure out the reason behind Ke Yong’s behavior, Zhao Kaifeng observed a four-character motto that might have implicated Ke Yong’s unethical pursuit of power and wealth.

[simplified Chinese]
罪恶有痕 51

 

赵凯峰凝视着柯勇的脸，希望能在上面找到一些答案。然而他找到的只有冷漠。在他的头的上方，贴着一张书法作品，上书，“出人头地”。

这四个字也曾经伴随过赵凯峰成长。“出人头地”，在他年轻的生命中，这四个字也曾经激励过他。不过今天，它们的形象却显得如此扭曲。他悲哀地揣度，某一年的某一天，当柯勇和他现在一样注视这四个字的时候，他的心里是否正盘算着一个杀人劫财的计划呢？

此次抢劫案劫得的赃款，大部分都在农宅里被寻获。庄力群还没有等到分赃就被警方发现。而柯勇收买的“内线”, 也很快得到了确认。他逃过了柯勇的“灭口”, 却没有逃过法律的制裁。

 

[vocab table]

 
Chinese     Trad.     Pinyin     English Definition

冷漠
        leng3 mo4     cold and detached towards sb; lack of regard; indifference; neglect

出人头地
   

 出人頭地
    chu1 ren2 tou2 di4     outstanding (idiom); a pinnacle of virtue and ability

激励
   

 激勵
    ji1 li4     to encourage; to urge; motivation; incentive

扭曲
        niu3 qu1     to twist; to warp; to distort

揣度
        chuai3 duo2     to estimate; to surmise; to appraise

盘算
   

 盤算
    pan2 suan4     to plot; to scheme; to calculate

制裁
        zhi4 cai2     to punish; punishment; sanctions (incl. economic)

 

[pinyin]
 zuì’è yǒu hén 51

zhào kǎi fēng níngshì zhe kē yǒng de liǎn， xīwàng néng zài shàngmian zhǎodào yīxiē dá’àn。 rán’ér tā zhǎodào de zhǐyǒu lěngmò。 zài tā de tóu de shàng fāng， tiē zhe yī zhāng shūfǎ zuòpǐn， shàngshū，“ chūréntóudì”。

zhè sì gè zì yě céngjīng bànsuí guò zhào kǎi fēng chéngzhǎng。“ chūréntóudì”， zài tā niánqīng de shēngmìng zhōng， zhè sì gè zì yě céngjīng jīlì guò tā。 bùguò jīntiān， tāmen de xíngxiàng què xiǎnde rúcǐ niǔqū。 tā bēi’āi dì chuǎiduó， mǒu yī nián de mǒu yī tiān， dāng kē yǒng hé tā xiànzài yīyàng zhùshì zhè sì gè zì de shíhou， tā de xīnli shìfǒu zhèng pánsuàn zhe yī gè shārén jié cái de jìhuà ne？

cǐcì qiǎngjié’àn jié dé de zāngkuǎn， dàbùfen dōu zài nóng zhái lǐ bèi xún huò。 zhuāng lì qún hái méiyǒu děngdào fēnzāng jiù bèi jǐngfāng fāxiàn。 ér kē yǒng shōumǎi de“ nèi xiàn”, yě hěn kuài dé dàoliǎo quèrèn。 tā táo guò le kē yǒng de“ mièkǒu”, què méiyǒu táo guò fǎlǜ de zhìcái。

 

[traditional Chinese]
罪惡有痕 51

 

趙凱峯凝視着柯勇的臉，希望能在上面找到一些答案。然而他找到的只有冷漠。在他的頭的上方，貼着一張書法作品，上書，“出人頭地”。

這四個字也曾經伴隨過趙凱峯成長。“出人頭地”，在他年輕的生命中，這四個字也曾經激勵過他。不過今天，它們的形象卻顯得如此扭曲。他悲哀地揣度，某一年的某一天，當柯勇和他現在一樣注視這四個字的時候，他的心裏是否正盤算着一個殺人劫財的計劃呢？

此次搶劫案劫得的贓款，大部分都在農宅裏被尋獲。莊力羣還沒有等到分贓就被警方發現。而柯勇收買的“內線”, 也很快得到了確認。他逃過了柯勇的“滅口”, 卻沒有逃過法律的制裁。

 

 

[English translation]
Traces of Sin  51

Those four characters had been too familiar to him while he grew up. “Chu Ren Tou Di” – they had kept inspiring him through out his young life. However today, the meaning of the phrase felt twisted. The thoughts came to him sadly that, on a certain day of a year, while Ke Yong was standing here looking at the motto like he was, a plan of murder and robbery was actually hatching in his mind.

Most of the robbed money was found in the farm house. Zhuang Liqun was captured before he got a chance to take his share of money. The “insider” that Ke Yong used was soon identified. He escaped murder from Ke Yong, but couldn’t escape the penalty from the law.