Dialogue and Translation for Exercise U

This conversation takes place in the Shànghāi Industrial Exhibition

Hall. An American (A) visiting the Hall of Light Industry and Textile
Industry talks with one of the exhibit guides (B).

B:   Nín hái yōu shénme wèntí ma?         Do you have any more
questions?

-   A: Yōu yíge xiào wèntí. Shànghāide     I have one small question.
    When did

jīqì fángzhī gōngyè shi shénme Shànghāi’s machine textile industry
shihou kāishīde?                     first come into being?

-   B: Hěn zāo yīqián Jiù yōule.             It started a long time ago.

-   A: Nàme, zhème duō nián lái, zài

jìshu fāngmiànde fāzhān shi bu shi hěn kuài ne?

-   B: WS xiXng chuántōng fāngzhī gōngyè fāzhānde bú màn, kěshi nílóng,
    huàxiān yílèide, fāzhānde bú gòu kuài.

A:   Wō tingshuō, Zhǒngguóde qīng

gōngyè guòqù dōu zài yánhāi, xiàng Tiānjīn, Shànghāi, Guāngdōng yídài.
Xiànzài nèidìde qíngxíng shi bu shi biànhua yě hen dà le ne?

A: Shide, gèdì qíngkuàng bù tong, búguò yōu yíge qíngkuàng shi gèdì dōu
yōude.

-   A: Shénme qíngkuàng?

-   B: Cóngqián shi nōngyèqūde dìfang, xiànzài yōu hen duō dōu
    fāzhān-qilai le, yōule qīng gōngyè, yōude hái yōule zhòng gōngyè.

-   A: Shi a! Jiāngsū yě shi yíyàng ma,

dàde Jīnshǔ gōngyè yě fāzhǎnqilai le.

-   B: Zài guò Jīnián hāiwān shiyou

gōngyè dà fāzhān, Shànghāi, Tiānjīn, Guāngdōng, Guāngxī yídài Jiù gèng
rènao le.

-   A: Zhēnde, dào nèige shihou, Shànghāi Jiu gèng piàoliang le. Wō
    yídìng yào zài lái cānguān.

-   B: Hāo a! Huānyíng nín zài lái!

Well, over all these years, has the technological development been very
rapid?

I’d say the traditional textile industry has developed rather rapidly,
but such things as nylon and synthetic fibers haven’t developed fast
enough.

I understand that China’s light industry used to be all on the coast,
for example in the region of Tiānjīn, Shànghāi, and Guāngdōng. Has the
situation in the interior also changed a great deal now?

Yes. The situation differs from place to place, but there’s one thing
that’s the same everywhere.

What’s that?

A lot of places that used to be agricultural regions have now started to
develop, and have light industry, or even heavy industry.

Yes! Jiāngsū is the same. A large metal industry has developed there.

In another few years the gulf oil industry will develop greatly. Then
Shànghāi, Tiānjīn, Guangdong, and Guāngxī will be even busier.

Really, when that time comes, Shànghāi will be even prettier. I have to
come back to visit it again.

Fine! You’ll be most welcome!