Dialogue and Translation for Exercise h

In the office of a factory in Běijīng, are on the night shift:

-   A: Wáng Lǎo Shīfu, nín xiūxi yì-

huǐr ha. Wǒ zài zhèr kànzhe, nín hié dānxīn, wǒ hú huì shuì jiàode.

-   B: Ou, wǒ hú lèi, zánmen liǎ

liáoliao tiānr ha!

an older man (B) and a younger man (A)

Old Master Wáng, you rest a while. I’ll watch things here, don’t worry.
I won’t fall asleep.

I’m not tired. Let’s us two have a chat!

-   A: Wáng Lǎo Shīfu, wǒ tīngshuō,   Old Master Wáng, I’ve heard
    that

nín jiěfàng qian jiù cānjiǎ gé you joined the revolutionary ranks

mi ng le, nínde gùshi yídìng hù before liberation. You must have

shǎo, gěi wo jiǎngjiang ba!    a lot of stories; tell me one!

°liǎ: A colloquial word meaning liǎngge.

-   B: Nǐ zhǐdao, jiěfàng qian wǒ shi

zuò xiǎo mǎimaide, nèi shihou zuò xiǎo mǎimai duo nán! Neng bu néng
zhuàn yidiǎnr qián dōu yào kàn yùnqi hǎo huài.

-   A: Hòulái ne?

-   B: Hòulái Rìběn rén lái le, Rìběn

rén gēn zánmen dǎ zhàng. zhèi yí-xiàzi wǒde mǎimai . . .

-   A: Zuòbuxiàqu le.

-   B: Bu shi, wǒde mǎimai yuè zuò

yuè dà le.

-   A: Zěnme ne?

-   B: Nǐ xuéguo lìshǐ.  Nǐ zhīdao nèi

shihou Zhu Lǎozǒng gēn Rìběn rén dǎle yízhàng . . .

-   A: Zhǐdao, nèi yízhàng dǎle hǎo

jǐge yuè. Nèi shihou nín gàn shénme ne?

-   B: Wǒ? Wǒ yìtiān dào wǎn názhe

dānzi gěi Zhū Lǎozǒngde jūnduì mǎi dōngxi ya! Shénme chide, chuānde, yào
a, wǒ dōu néng mǎidào.

-   A: Ēi, zhēn you yìsi, nín zài gěi

wo jiǎngjiang.

-   B: Ou, xiànzài bù néng jiǎng le.

Zánmen gāi chūqu kànkan le. Yàoshi méiyou shénme wèntí, huílai wǒ zài
gěi nǐ jiǎng.

A: Nà zánmen zǒu ba!

You know, before liberation I was in small business. At that time, it
was so hard to do small business. Whether or not you could make a little
money depended on whether your luck was good or bad.

And later?

Later the Japanese came. After the Japanese went to war with us, my
business . . .

You couldn’t carry it on.

No, it got bigger and bigger.

How was that?

You’ve studied history. You know that at that time Zhū Lǎozǒng (Zhū Dé)
fought with the Japanese . . .

Yes, they fought for many months. What were you doing at that time?

Me? From morning to night T was carrying a list buying things for Zhū
Cé’s army. Food, clothes, medicine, T could buy them all.

Gee, that’s fascinating, tell me more.

I can’t now. It’s time we went out and took a look. If there aren’t any
problems, I’ll tell you more after we get back.

Then let’s go!