What does 太平間 (태평간) mean in China?

ANSWER: I don't want to tell you right now, but I will give you a hint. 太平間 (태평간) literally means "a very (太) peaceful (平) room (間)." To find out what that means, you need to read the story below.

 

一(일)位(위)醫(의)生(생)在(재)做(주)完(완)急(급)診(진)後(후)已(이)是(시)午(오)夜(야), 正(정)準(준)備(비)回(회)家(가).

When a doctor finishes his shift in the emergency room, it is already midnight as he prepares to go home.

走(주)到(도)電(전)梯(제)門(문)口(구), 見(견)一(일)女(여)護(호)理(리)師(사), 便(편)一(일)同(동)乘(승)電(전)梯(제)下(하)樓(루).

He walks to the elevator entrance and sees a female nurse. They then take the elevator down together.

可(가)電(전)梯(제)到(도)了(료)一(일)樓(루)還(환)不(불)停(정), 一(일)直(직)向(향)下(하).

But when the elevator arrives at the first floor, it doesn’t stop and still continues downward.

到(도)了(료)B3時(시)門(문)開(개)了(료)電(전)梯(제)門(문)開(개)了(료).

When it arrives at sublevel 3, and the elevator door opens.

一(일)個(개)小(소)女(여)孩(해)出(출)現(현)在(재)他(타)們(문)眼(안)前(전)低(저)著(저)頭(두)說(설)要(요)搭(탑)電(전)梯(제).

A little girl appears in front of them and, with her head lowered, she says she wants to get on the elevator.

醫(의)生(생)見(견)狀(상)急(급)忙(망)關(관)上(상)電(전)梯(제)門(문). 護(호)理(리)師(사)奇(기)怪(괴)地(지)問(문): “爲(위)什(십)麽(마)不(불)讓(양)她(타)上(상)來(래)?”

Upon seeing this, the doctor hastily closes the elevator door. Baffled, the nurse asks, “Why didn’t you let her get on?”

醫(의)生(생)說(설): B3是(시)我(아)們(문)醫(의)院(원)的(적)太(태)平(평)間(간).  醫(의)院(원)給(급)每(매)個(개)屍(시)體(처)的(적)右(우)手(수)都(도)綁(방)了(료) 一(일)根(근)紅(홍)絲(사)帶(대).她(타)的(적)右(우)手(수), 她(타)的(적)右(우)手(수)有(유)一(일)根(근)紅(홍)絲(사)帶(대).

The doctor says, “Sublevel 3 is our hospital’s morgue, and the hospital always ties a red ribbon around the right wrist of every corpse. Her right wrist, on her right wrist, there was a red ribbon.”

護(호)士(사)聽(청)了(료)漸(점)漸(점)伸(신)出(출)右(우)手(우)陰(음)笑(소)一(일)聲(성)說(설): “是(시)不(불)是(시)這(저)樣(양)的(적)一(일)根(근)紅(홍)絲(사)帶(대)啊(아)?”

Hearing this, the nurse gradually extends her right hand, and with an evil laugh asks, “Was it like this red ribbon?”