Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Love Found in Beijing's Hot Pot: A Mandarin Romance
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Story Transcript:

Zh: 那天，张伟醒来时，阳光照在他的床上。他在心里简单练习了几句普通话，然后走出家门，一个人在北京的街头走走。“今天，就是今天。”他对自己说。
En: That day, when Zhang Wei woke up, the sunlight shone on his bed. He practiced a few simple Mandarin sentences in his mind, then walked out of the house alone in the streets of Beijing. "Today, is the day," he said to himself.

Zh: 张伟是一个具有中原口音的河南人，来到北京已经三个月，对于普通话仍然感觉比较笨拙。然而，他喜欢的人，刘英，是一个地道的北京人，普通话说得流利，让他感觉出奇的亲近。
En: Zhang Wei, a Henan native with a Central Plains accent, had been in Beijing for three months and still felt clumsy with Mandarin. However, the person he liked, Liu Ying, was a native Beijinger who spoke Mandarin fluently, making him feel surprisingly close.

Zh: 张伟邀请刘英出来吃饭，对于能和刘英独处他感到既期待又紧张。他练习了一整个晚上的北京话，想要给刘英留下深刻的印象。他们约定在一个叫“老北京涮肉馆”的地方见面，地点就在繁华的王府井，是一个具有浓重北京风情的老字号饭馆。
En: Zhang Wei invited Liu Ying out for dinner, feeling both excited and nervous about being able to spend time alone with her. He practiced Beijing dialect all night, hoping to leave a lasting impression on Liu Ying. They agreed to meet at a restaurant called "Old Beijing Hot Pot," located in bustling Wangfujing, a famous old restaurant with a strong Beijing atmosphere.

Zh: 两人相约的时候，张伟发现刘英穿着一件红色的旗袍，看上去十分惹眼。张伟心里一紧，强硬地对自己说：“没事的，就是普通话，我可以的。”他们相对笑了笑，然后坐下来点菜。
En: When they met, Zhang Wei noticed Liu Ying was wearing a bright red qipao, which caught his attention. Zhang Wei felt a tightness in his chest but firmly told himself, "It's okay, just Mandarin, I can do this." They exchanged smiles and then sat down to order.

Zh: 面对北京话组成的菜单，张伟紧张到不知所措。他看着那些听起来非常奇特的菜名，开始有点困惑。在一阵手忙脚乱中，他在菜单上随手点了几个他认为的“经典北京菜”。
En: Faced with a menu in Beijing dialect, Zhang Wei was so nervous that he didn't know what to do. He looked at the menu with its very peculiar dish names and started to feel confused. In a fluster, he randomly ordered what he thought were "classic Beijing dishes."

Zh: 待菜上来时，刘英看着那些他点的“包子炖鸡翅”、“炒疙瘩”和“豆腐脑炒肉”等奇特的组合，顿时笑出了声。张伟初一开始感到非常尴尬，但刘英摇头笑道：“我从来没尝试过这样搭配，很有创意。”听到这话，张伟的心顿时舒展开来。
En: When the dishes arrived, Liu Ying looked at the strange combinations like "baozi stewed chicken wings," "fried dough twists," and "tofu brain with stir-fried pork," and burst out laughing. Initially feeling embarrassed, Zhang Wei, but Liu Ying shook her head and said with a smile, "I've never tried such combinations before, very creative." Upon hearing this, Zhang Wei's heart instantly relaxed.

Zh: 他们在异样的菜品中度过了欢笑的时光，张伟的模糊普通话再也没有成为他们之间的障碍。他们相对而笑，心中都有了满意的答案。
En: They spent a joyful time laughing over the peculiar dishes, and Zhang Wei's imperfect Mandarin was no longer a barrier between them. They smiled at each other, both content with the evening.

Zh: 欢乐的晚餐过去后，张伟终于鼓起勇气，打开了心中的小宇宙，向刘英再次展示了他的“北京普通话”。而这一次，他不再紧张和尴尬，因为他知道，即便他的普通话再差，他所喜欢的人，也会喜欢他的坦诚和勇气。
En: After the joyful dinner, Zhang Wei finally mustered up the courage to open up his heart and once again showcase his "Beijing Mandarin" to Liu Ying. This time, he was no longer nervous or embarrassed because he knew that even if his Mandarin was poor, the person he liked would appreciate his honesty and courage.

Zh: 这个晚上，张伟找到了他的勇气，也找到了他所追求的爱情。这是一个美好的结束，也是一个崭新的开始。
En: That night, Zhang Wei found his courage and also found the love he sought. It was a beautiful ending and a fresh start.


Vocabulary Words:

• sunlight: 阳光
• bed: 床
• simple: 简单
• mind: 心里
• streets: 街头
• clumsy: 笨拙
• excited: 期待
• nervous: 紧张
• alone: 一个人
• dinner: 吃饭
• impression: 印象
• restaurant: 饭馆
• smiles: 微笑
• menu: 菜单
• confused: 困惑
• dishes: 菜品
• laughing: 笑
• creative: 创意
• joyful: 欢乐
• barrier: 障碍
• content: 满意
• courage: 勇气
• heart: 心
• love: 爱情
• ending: 结束
• fresh start: 崭新的开始