FSI-Chinese/Module-7/FSI-43/Dialogue and translation for exercice 1.csv

Unit 3, Review Dialogue

On the flight from Washington to Hong Kong (via New York and Anchorage), Lǐ Ping (B) and Tom (A) are chatting.

A:	Zai fēijǐshang zuòle zhème yìtiān, gǎnjué zěnmeyàng?		How do you feel after being on a plane all day like this?
B:	Zhēn bu shūfu, měicì zuò fēi- jī dōu xiàng shēng bìng yíyàng. Tèbié shi zài fēijǐshang huànle shíjiān, bāitiān biànchengle hēiyè, hēiyè biànchengle bái-tiān, tài nánshòu le!		I don’t feel well at all. Every time I take a plane it’s like getting ill. Especially with the time change on the plane, daylight turning into night and night turning back into daylight, how uncomfortable! 
A:	Duì le, bù shūfude shihou yǐnggāi hē diǎnr bǐngshuǐr. Wǒ qù gěi ni nòng dianr bǐngshuǐr lai, hǎo bu hǎo?		Right; You should have some ice water when you don’t feel well. I’ll go get you some ice water, okay?
B:	Hǎo shi hǎo, kěshi wǒ shizài hēbuxiàqù le... Suàn le ba, women liàoliao tiānr, yěxǔ huì hǎo yidiǎnr.		Well, okay, but I really couldn’t drink any... Forget it, let’s just chat and maybe it’ll get a little better.
A:	Zài guò jǐge zhōngtóu nǐ jiu dào jiā le, xiǎng jiā ma?		Just another few hours and you’ll be home. Are you homesick?
B:	Xiǎng. Zài Měiguo liǎngniān le, yìtiān māng dào wǎn, méiyou xiǎngguo jiā, kěshi xiànzài xiǎngqi jiā lai le. Nǐ shuō qíguài bu qíguài?		Yes. The whole two years I was in America, I was busy all day long and never got homesick, but now here I am feeling homesick. Don’t you think that’s strange?
A:	Nà méiyou shénme qíguài. Rén ma, zǒng yào you diǎnr jiātíng guānniàn. Tèbié shi Zhōngguo rén; Zhōngguo rén shi jiǎng xiàoshunde.		There’s nothing strange about that. People are people! They have to have a sense of attachment to their family. Especially Chinese people; the Chinese put a lot of importance on filial obedience.
B:	Wǒ juéde zuò fùmǔ shi hěn bù rōngyide, háizi yǐnggāi xiàoshun fùmǔ.		I think that it’s very difficult to be parents, so children ought to be filial toward their parents.
A:	Zhèige xiǎngfǎ shi nǐ fùmǔ jiāo nide ma?		Did your parents teach you that way of thinking?
B:	Bu shi, shi shèhuì jiāo wode. Wǒ mǔqin conglái bù he wo tan xiàoshun.		No, society taught it to me. My mother never talks to me about filial obedience.

“hǎo shi hǎo, kěshi... means literally, ’’as for being all right, it is all right, but...” This means It is. okay, but... or in more idiomatic English, Well, okay, but...

A:	Zhēnde?		Really?
B:	Zhēnde. Wǒ dìyǐcì zhuàn qián- de shihou, cái shíwǔsuì. Hui dao Jiāli, Jiù bǎ kǒudàili suǒ-yǒude qián dōu gěi wǒ mǔqin le, hái shuō wǒ yǐhòu yào xiàoshun mama.		Really. The first time I made money I was only fifteen. When I got home. I gave all the money I had in my pocket to my mother, and I said that in the future I must be filial toward her.
A:	Nǐ mama zěnme shuō?		What did she say?
B:	Tǎ kū le. Tā shuō wǒ néng dull, néng zài shèhuishang zuò ge you yòngde rén Jiù shi zuì hǎode xiàoshun. Wǒ gěi tāde qián, tā dōu gěi wo mǎicheng shū. Yǐhòu, wǒ Jiu gèng yònggōng le.		She cried. She said that if I could be independent and be a useful person in society that would be the best way to show filial obedience. She used all the money I gave her to buy books for me. After that, I worked even harder.
A:	Zhēn shi yíwěi hǎo māma.		She's really a good mother.
B:	Shi. . . . Wǒ xiě xìn gěi tā, gàosu ta wǒ yào hé yíwèi Měiguó péngyou yìqǐ huilai guò shǔjià, tā hěn gāoxìng. Tā hěn huānyíng nǐ lái.		Yes, she is. . . . She was very happy when I wrote her telling her that I was going to come back with an American friend for the summer vacation. She's very glad to have you at (welcomes you to) our house.
C:	Duìbuqǐ, liǎngwèi xiānsēn, nǐmen yào hē diǎn sénme?		Excuse me, what would you two gentlemen like to drink?
B:	Wǒ bū dà shūfu, bǔ yào shenme.		I'm not feeling too well, I don't want anything.
C:	Ou, bú dà sūfǔ, yìbēi zè cá, hǎo bu hǎo?		Oh, you don't feel well? How about a cup of hot tea?
B:	Hǎode, xièxie ni.		All right, thank you.
A:	Wǒ lái yipíng píjiǔ. Nǐmen you méiyou Heineken?		I'd like a beer. Do you have Heineken?
C:	 Yǒu.		Yes.
A:	Xièxie.		Thank you.
C:	Bǔ kèqì.  Zèiwèi xiānsēn, nǐ hái yào sénme, qǐng gàosu wǒ.		You're welcome. Sir, if you want anything else, please let me know.

We have altered the spelling to show the stewardess's non-standard pronunciation.

B:	Hǎode, xièxie ni.		All right. Thank you.
A:	Women shuō dao nǎr le? Duì le, nīmen jiāli chúle nǐ fùmǔ he zǔmǔ yǐwài hái you shénme rén ma?		Now, where were we? Oh yes:	Is there anyone else in your family besides your parents and your grandmother?
B:	Nǐ wangle, wo hái you yíge mèimei, zài yínháng zuò shìde.		You’ve forgotten that I also have a younger sister who works in a bank.
A:	Ou, duì le, n? gēn wo shuōguo, wǒ zěnme wangle ne!		Oh, of course. You told me before. How could I have forgotten!
B:	Shuōdao wo mèimei, Jiù xiǎngdào wǒ mǔqin. Nǐ zhidao zài Zhōng-guō, zhòng nán qīng nude guānniàn háishi yǒude. Kěshi wǒ mèimei shi líkāi dàxué yǐhòu you zài Yīngguó niànle liǎngnián shū cái zuò shìde. Zhèi yě yào gǎnxiè wǒ mǔqin.		Mentioning my sister reminds me of my mother again. You know, in China people still have the concept that men are superior to women. But after my sister graduated from college, she studied for two more years in England before she started working. That was also thanks to my mother.
A:	Nǐ mèimei xiànzài zh? zuò shi, háishi yě niàn diǎnr shū?		Does your sister Just work now, or does she also take some classes?
B:	Tā zhǐ zuò shi. Buguò tā hěn rèxīn yánjiū dàlùde qíngxing, cháng kàn hěn duō guānyu dàlùde shū. Tā cháng shuō, Wo shi Zhōngguo rén, dàlùshang you shí-yì Zhōngguo rén, wǒ zěnme kéyi bù zhídào tāmende shēnghuó, gōngzuò, hé xuéxíde qíngkuàng ne?		She’s Just working, but she studies the mainland situation very enthusiastically. She reads a lot of books about the mainland. She often says, I’m Chinese, and there are one billion Chinese on the mainland. How can I be ignorant of the way they live, work, and study?
A:	Tāde huà hěn you dàolǐ.		What she says is quite right.
B:	Tā you hěn duō dàlù láide péngyou; nǐ hé tā tántan, yě huì Juéde hěn you yìsi.		She has a lot of friends from the mainland; you’ll find it very interesting to talk with her.
A:	Tā duì dàlùde qíngxing zenme rèxǐn, nǐ mǔqin you shénme kànfa ma?		Does your mother have anything to say about her enthusiastic interest in the situation on the mainland?
B:	Tā cháng shuō:	Háizi zhǎngdàle, tāmen yào zǒu shénme lù yīnggāi zìjī kǎolū.		She often says, When children grow up, they should decide for themselves what road they want to take.
A:	Zhēn hǎo, shízài shi tài hǎo le.		That’s great! That’s really wonderful.

*gǎnxiè, to be grateful/thankful to

B:	Deng dao nǐ jiàndao tade shihou, nǐ yídìng huì xǐhuan ta, yě huì xǐhuan wǒmen jiāde.		When you meet her I’m sure you’ll like her, and our home, too. 
A:	Yídìng!		I’m sure I will, too!