该句使用时间状语after引导背景说明过程。
Tan Qian was a prominent historian of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties in China. Historical records suggest that he was not a man of exceptional brilliance; he was known to be slow-witted with a poor memory. However, moved by the many omissions and evasions in the Ming histories of his era, he resolved to compile a detailed history of the Ming dynasty to serve as a guide for future generations. Under incredibly harsh conditions, he gathered extensive data and, through 26 years of painstaking labor, completed this monumental 108-volume work of over four million words at the age of 54. Unexpectedly, his manuscripts were stolen by a thief one night, a shock that struck him like a thunderbolt and left him nearly unconscious. The loss of 26 years of life's work was a crushing blow for a man in his fifties. Yet, Tan Qian did not succumb to despair. He famously remarked, "The thief may have stolen my manuscripts, but I still have my hands; with my hands, how could I fail to write Guoque?" He immediately returned to work, day and night. Despite the hardships of life and the burden of illness, his indomitable will remained unshaken. After four more years of effort, he finally completed the first draft once again. Thus, the highly valuable historical masterpiece of the Ming dynasty, Guoque, was finally brought to light.
谈迁是中国明末清初著名的历史学家。据史料记载，他并非天资聪颖之人，甚至显得有些迟钝、记忆力也较差。但他感于当时明史书籍记载有许多疏漏与讳避之处，便决心撰写一部详实的明史以供后人借鉴。在极其艰苦的环境下，他广泛搜集资料，历经26载寒暑，直至54岁时才完成了这部400多万字、108卷的巨著。不料，书稿竟在某夜被小偷窃走，这对他而言犹如晴天霹雳，令他几近昏厥。26年的心血毁于一旦，对于年过半百的他来说，是何等沉重的打击。然而，谈迁并未因此颓然倒下。他坦言：“小偷虽然偷走了我的书稿，但我还有双手，有双手何愁写不出《国榷》？”随后，他便投身于没日没夜的工作中。尽管生活困苦、疾病缠身，却始终无法动摇他顽强的意志。经过4年的努力，他终于重新完成了初稿。一部具有极高文献价值的明代史书——《国榷》，就这样问世了。