Older or yonger than Ampere?

[v0031]

Ampere was born on 20 January 1775. His father was a prosperous businessman. Ampere had two sisters.

Andre Marie Ampere‘s family suffered a tragedy when one of his sisters died in 1792. Another tragedy followed when the Jacobin faction seized control of the Revolutionary government in 1792 and guillotined his father in November 1793. Devastated by these terrible losses, he abandoned his studies for a year.

In Chinese, we called the elder 姐姐 an the younger 妹妹。 So I want to make it clear.

[Figueira]

In English, the word "sister" refers to both older and younger sisters if that's what you're asking.

[muon2]

Presumably the author felt that it wouldn't add to the story by saying which sister Ampere lost. Thus one cannot tell from the paragraph which Chinese word should be used in translation.

According to famousscientists.org, his older sister Antionette was born two years before Andre-Marie. She was the one who died in 1792. If the translation is to be accurate but not literal, then older sister could be used.