The room was dimly lit， and on first glance， appeared to be empty. A few moments later， the padded chair behind the desk moved， and the man seated there reached for the telephone. He tapped the button
The room was dimly lit， and on first glance， appeared to be empty. A few moments later， the padded chair behind the desk moved， and the man seated there reached for the telephone. He tapped the buttons without looking at them， then waited patiently for his call to be answered.
“Hello？” came the voice of an elderly woman.
“Mrs. Hannah Gelbman？” asked the man in a low， soothing tone.
“Yes， this is Hannah Gelbman. Who am I speaking to？”
“It’s time to rest， Hannah. You’ve lived a long， troubled life， overcoming countless hardships and disappointments. It’s time for your suffering to end.”
“Who is this？ What kind of stupid joke are you trying to play？ I can have the police trace this call， you know that？”
“Please calm yourself， Hannah. I mean you no harm. I only wish to help you achieve peace. Haven’t you endured more than your fair share of suffering？ Isn’t it time for something better？”
“Who are you？ Are you a member of some parasitic1 religious group？ If you’re looking for a donation， you’re wasting both your time and my time， because I’m not giving you a penny.”
“No. I don’t represent any particular group. But all religions acknowledge me， and try their best to understand the cosmic logic of my work.”
“Who are you？” the old woman asked again， her voice betraying her uncertainty. She had no idea what this man wanted from her， but she sensed that she needed to know his purpose.
“I am the Angel of Death. Haven’t you recently prayed that I would come to release you from your suffering？ Aren’t you so very tired of the constant pain of old age， and the indifference of your relatives？ If not for the change in the programs you watch on television， would you even know what day it was？”
“This is really a cruel and sick-minded joke to play on an elderly person. You’re nothing but a filthy lunatic. I’m not going to tolerate this nonsense any longer. I’m going to hang up right this minute.”
“You are Hannah Gelbman. You have lived at 42 Forest Lane for the last forty-two years. You had two sisters； Abigail， who moved to Florida in 1953， then remained there until her death in 1969； and Esther， who lived on the street directly behind you before she was tragically killed in an automobile accident in 1971. You were married to Asher Gelbman for sixty-three years until a stroke took him in 1993. Shall I continue？ How much will it take to convince you of my identity？”
In 2006， I was 50—and I was falling apart. Until then， I had always known exactly who I was： an exceptionally fortunate and happy woman， full of irrational exuberance2 and everyday joy. I knew who I
Now winter downs the dying of the year， And night is all a settlement of snow； From the soft street the rooms of houses show A gathered light， a shapen atmosphere， Like frozen-over lakes whose ice
习近平总书记在多个场合都用“绿水青山就是金山银山”这句话强调环境保护的重要性。对于此句，《十九大报告》和《习近平谈治国理政》（第二卷）的英文版中分别给出了两种译文： 《十九大报告》：Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. 《习近平谈治国理政》（第二卷）：Clear waters and green mountains are
If you’re lucky enough to see something truly remarkable， keep your phone in your pocket. 若你有幸看到真正美好的東西，请不要掏出手机。 Here’s a paradox1： we are a people obsessed with visiting the world’s most alluring s