Dialogue and Translation for Exercise H

In Hong Kong, a student (A) talks with in their dorm.

A: Chén Bīn, jīntiān wǎnshang bù

chūqu ma?

-   B: Wàimian zài xià yǔ, bù xiǎng

chūqu le, nǐ ne?

-   A: Wǒ yě bù chūqu, women xià qí

hǎo bu hǎo?

-   B: Hǎo a!

another student from mainland China (B)

Chén Bīn, aren’t you going out tonight?

It’s raining outside. I don’t want to go out. How about you?

I don’t want to go out either.

How about playing chess?

Okay!

-   A: Duì le, nǐ xià qí xiàde zhème

hǎo, shi zài nǎr xuéde?

-   B: Nnnn . . .

-   A: Duìbuqī, rúguo nǐ bú jièyìde

huà, jiù jiǎng gěi wo tíngting.

-   B: Méiyou shenme.  Nǐ zhǐdao,

wǒ zài nongcūn zhùguo shinian.

-   A: Wǒ zhǐdao.

-   B: Wǒ zhùde nèige dìfang zài shān-

li, méiyou gōnggòng qìchē, gèng méiyou huǒchē. Erqiě, nèige shihou wǒ
jiālide rén yě dōu cōng chéngshì bān dao xiāngxià qu le.

-   A: Nà, nī yìnián sānbǎi liùshiwǔ-

tiān bù líkāi nèige dìfang le?

-   B: Jiù shi.

-   A: Nǐ měitiān zuò shénme ne?

-   B: Nèige dìfang you ge xiǎo tú

shūguǎn .

-   A: Lībianr you shénme shū?

-   B: Ou, chúle zhèngzhi shū yīwài,

jiù shi értong gùshi, méi shénme yìsi.

-   A: Nà nǐ zěnme bàn?

-   B: Túshūguǎnli yě you rén xià qí,

wǒ gēn tāmen xué, mànmànde, wǒ xià qí xiàde bú cuò le.

-   A: Chúle xià qí nī hái zuò shénme?

-   B: Ou, xiěguo yidiǎn duǎnpiān

xiǎoshuō.

-   A: Òu! Nǐ shi ge wénxuéjiā! You

jǐhui gěi wo kànkan, xíng bu xíng?

Say, you play chess so w*»ll. Where did you learn it?

Mnnn . . .

Excuse me, if you don’t mind, tell me about it.

That’s all right. You know I lived in the country for ten years.

I know.

The place I lived was in the mountains. There were no buses, much less
trains. Also, at that time my whole family had moved from the city to
the country.

Then you didn’t leave the place 365 days a year?

That’s right.

So what did you do every day?

There was a small library there.

What kind of books did it have?

Oh, apart from political books, there were only children’s stories,
which weren’t very interesting.

Well then, what did you do?

There were people who played chess in the library. I learned from them.
By and by I began to play chess pretty well.

What did you do besides playing chess?

Oh, I wrote a few short stories.

Oh, you’re a writer! When you have a chance, let me read some, okay?

-   B: Xiěde bù hǎo.

-   A: Hai, hu yào kèqi ma! Duì le,

you yíge wèntí, wǒ hěn zǎo jiù xiǎng wen ni.

-   B: Shénme wèntí?

-   A: Xiànzài nǐ dàole Xianggang,

kàndàole hù tōngde shìjiè, nǐ xiǎng shénme? Nǐ hú hèn nèi shíniánde
shenghuo ma?

-   B: Měi yícì xiǎngdào nèi shí

niánde shēnghuo, wǒ dōu hěn nánshòu, kěshi nèi hú shi wǒ yíge rénde shi,
shi shèhuìde wèntí. Wǒ xiǎng xiànzài zhèngfǔde zhèngcè yǒule gǎihiàn. Wǒ
xí-wàng zài zhèige zhèngfǔ lǐngdǎo-xiàde Zhōngguo rén hú yào zài you nèi
shíniánde qíngkuàng.

A: Wǒ yě xǐwàng. Hǎo, women

xià qí ha.

They’re not very good.

Oh, don’t he polite! Oh yes, there’s a question I’ve heen wanting to ask
you for a long time.

What?

Now that you’ve come to Hong Kong and seen a different world, what do
you think? Aren’t you hitter about life during those ten years?

I’m always sad whenever I think of those ten years of life. But I am not
alone in this, it’s a problem of society. I think that the government’s
policy has changed. I hope that under the leadership of this government,
what went on during those ten years will never happen to the Chinese
people again.

Me too. Okay, let’s play chess.