Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: A Night Market Mishap: Laughter in the Chaos
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.org/a-night-market-mishap-laughter-in-the-chaos

Story Transcript:

Zh: 在熙攘的北京夜市，叫卖声和人群嘈杂的谈笑声交织在一起，形成了一首属于都市夜晚的独特交响曲。三位好友，王伟、李明，张杰，这个夜晚，便在这曲终人散的交响曲中寻找他们的快乐。
En: In the bustling Beijing night market, the shouts of vendors and the noisy laughter of the crowd blend together, forming a unique symphony of the urban night. Three good friends, Wang Wei, Li Ming, and Zhang Jie, are seeking their happiness amidst the dispersing symphony.

Zh: 夜幕降临，夜市的霓虹灯亮起，繁华热闹的街道上，人头攒动。满眼的琳琅满目，各种各样的小摊贩排列在两旁。一个卖小吃的摊贩正忙着煎饼，另一个卖鞋的摊贩正在向人群展示他新款的鞋子。
En: As night falls, the neon lights of the night market light up, and the busy streets are crowded with people. With a plethora of sights to behold, various vendors line both sides of the street. One vendor selling snacks is busy frying pancakes, while another vendor selling shoes is showing off his new collection to the crowd.

Zh: 王伟肚子饿了，他的目光被一顶远处红色的小帽子吸引。他摇了摇李明和张杰的手指，"那儿的饺子摊怎么样?" 灯光下，他只看见了铺子里堆满的一叠叠盒子，认为那是包好的饺子。
En: Wang Wei's stomach growls with hunger, and his attention is drawn to a distant red cap. He nudges the fingers of both Li Ming and Zhang Jie, saying, "What do you think of the dumpling stall over there?" In the glow of the lights, all he sees is a stack of boxes, thinking they contain packaged dumplings.

Zh: 他迅速冲向那个摊子，把钱递到摊贩手里说: "来个鸡蛋韭菜的，快一点，我饿了。”摊贩愣住，他尴尬地看着王伟，然后看了看那些整齐的鞋盒，不知所措。
En: He quickly rushes towards the stall and hands the money to the vendor, saying, "Give me a dumpling with egg and chives, hurry up, I'm hungry." The vendor is dumbfounded, awkwardly looking at Wang Wei and then at the neatly stacked shoe boxes, unsure of what to do.

Zh: 这时，张杰和李明也赶了过来，看着王伟，愣住，然后大笑起来。张杰用手指了指鞋盒，"王伟，你看清楚，这是卖鞋的，不是卖饺子的！"
En: At this moment, Zhang Jie and Li Ming also catch up and, upon seeing Wang Wei, freeze before bursting into laughter. Zhang Jie points at the shoe boxes with his finger and says, "Wang Wei, did you look carefully? This is a shoe stall, not a dumpling stall!"

Zh: 夜市上的人群忍不住笑出声，王伟有些尴尬，却也不失礼貌地向摊贩道歉，并拿回了他的钱。摊贩拍了拍王伟的肩膀，笑着说：“没事，这种事常有，你们快去吃饺子吧。”
En: Laughter erupts from the crowd at the night market, and while Wang Wei feels embarrassed, he politely apologizes to the vendor and retrieves his money. The vendor pats Wang Wei on the shoulder and says with a smile, "No worries, it happens often. Go and have your dumplings now."

Zh: 整个夜市因为这个小插曲，又多了些欢乐。王伟虽然尴尬，却也因为自己的无意之举，给夜晚增添了笑声，内心却是欢快的。他们迅速找到了一个真正的饺子摊，肚子里填满了食物，心中充满了欢乐。
En: The whole night market is filled with even more joy because of this little incident. Although Wang Wei feels embarrassed, he also feels a sense of delight in adding laughter to the night with his unintentional act. They quickly find a real dumpling stall, fill their stomachs with food, and fill their hearts with joy.

Zh: 这个夜晚，于他们，于夜市，于那个卖鞋的摊贩，都是一场意外的喜剧，这种混乱和滑稽的互动，正是生活最真实的一面。对于王伟来说，这个夜晚，可能会成为他记忆中，最难忘的夜晚之一，那种尴尬，那种欢乐，都将成为生活的一部分，让人回味无穷。
En: To them, to the night market, and to the shoe vendor, this night is an unexpected comedy. The chaos and comical interaction represent the most authentic side of life. For Wang Wei, this night may become one of the most unforgettable memories. That awkwardness, that joy, will all become a part of life, leaving a lingering aftertaste.


Vocabulary Words:

• Beijing: 北京
• night market: 夜市
• vendors: 卖家
• noisy laughter: 嘈杂的笑声
• crowd: 人群
• blend: 交织
• symphony: 交响曲
• urban night: 都市夜晚
• good friends: 好友
• seeking: 寻找
• happiness: 快乐
• amidst: 在...中间
• disperse: 散开
• night falls: 夜幕降临
• neon lights: 霓虹灯
• plethora: 丰富
• sights: 景象
• vendors: 小摊贩
• snacks: 小吃
• frying pancakes: 煎饼
• shoes: 鞋子
• collection: 鞋子
• stomach: 肚子
• hunger: 饥饿
• attention: 注意力
• distant: 远处
• red cap: 红色的小帽子
• dumpling stall: 饺子摊
• glow: 灯光
• stack of boxes: 一叠叠盒子