Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: The Beijing Bargain: Unraveling Hidden Tales in the Peculiar Streets
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Story Transcript:

Zh: 北京，一座充满了传统与现代交融之气息的城市。在与水墨画相媲美的背景下，有一群热心的游客，由张伟领队，王梅和李明作为队员，正在寻找有品味的纪念品。然而他们陌生的面孔和不伦不类的中文方言，立刻引来一个街头小贩的注意。
En: Beijing, a city full of the blend of tradition and modernity. Against the backdrop comparable to ink paintings, a group of enthusiastic tourists, led by Zhang Wei, with Wang Mei and Li Ming as members, were searching for tasteful souvenirs. However, their unfamiliar faces and odd Chinese dialect immediately caught the attention of a street vendor.

Zh: 刘叔，一个脸上总带着狡黠笑容，年纪不小却精神矍铄的小贩。他满推车的玩意儿有颜色斑斓的扇子、古怪有趣的泥人、五彩瓷器等等，吸引过游客张伟他们。
En: Uncle Liu, a vendor with a mischievous smile on his face, who despite his advanced age was still full of spirit. His cart was filled with colorful fans, peculiar and interesting clay figurines, colorful porcelain, and more, all of which attracted tourists like Zhang Wei and his companions.

Zh: 张伟低头仔细端详着一只画有北京风景的花瓶，盯得他的眼睛都快凸出来了。在一旁的王梅已经开始向刘叔砍价。李明，沉默不语的运筹帷幄。
En: Zhang Wei lowered his head and carefully examined a vase painted with the scenery of Beijing, his eyes almost popping out. Wang Mei, standing beside him, had already started haggling with Uncle Liu. Li Ming, strategizing in silence.

Zh: 他们这一砍不成，反倒让刘叔陡增了锐气。他嗤之以鼻，假装觉得他们的出价有些冒犯，说：“这瓷瓶古董一样，不打折！”
En: Their attempts at bargaining only fueled Uncle Liu's determination. He sneered, pretending to be offended by their offer, and said, "This porcelain vase is like an antique, no discounts!"

Zh: 刘叔决定借此机会大幅提高价格，以此作为对他们“低价”的回应。但游客并未被击垮，他们开始一场熟练的买卖角逐。
En: Uncle Liu decided to take this opportunity to dramatically increase the price as a response to their "low offer". However, the tourists were not discouraged, and a skilled trade-off ensued.

Zh: 王梅挤出点空位，李明悄悄地与刘叔说：“这瓷瓶破了个大洞，不能漏水了！”刘叔惊异地研究瓷瓶，却发现是他们捡了一个废弃的烟灰缸。他哈哈大笑，拿起手里的寿桃精美瓷器旋转在手指间，说：“你们眼光不错，看出这可是高品质的瓷器，这价格绝不可以讲的。”
En: Wang Mei managed to find an opening, and Li Ming quietly said to Uncle Liu, "There is a big hole in the vase, it can't hold water anymore!" Surprised, Uncle Liu examined the vase and realized that they had picked up a discarded ashtray. He burst into laughter, picked up an exquisite porcelain peach in his hand, and spun it between his fingers, saying, "You have a good eye, this is high-quality porcelain, the price cannot be negotiated."

Zh: 张伟忍不住笑出声，道：“你先别太贪心，我们压价，你不肯讲价。那我们就带走这破烟灰缸好了，你拿你的瓷器去寻找更好的买家。”话音刚落，刘叔亲自将那只“破烟灰缸”打包好，热情地送上。而张伟他们，满心欢喜地带着此趟旅途的独特纪念品离开。
En: Zhang Wei couldn't help but laugh and said, "Don't be too greedy. We bargain, but you refuse to negotiate. Then we'll just take this broken ashtray and you can find a better buyer for your porcelain." As soon as he finished speaking, Uncle Liu personally packed up the "broken ashtray" and warmly presented it to them. Zhang Wei and his friends left with joy in their hearts, carrying this unique souvenir from their journey.

Zh: 于是，北京的古怪街头深藏的一个故事就此产生，这是滑稽可笑，却真实而温暖的旅途瞬间。而对于张伟，王梅，李明，以及那位脸上始终挂着笑容的刘叔来说，这就是他们对于北京回忆中的一笔生动的涂鸦。
En: And so, a hidden story in the peculiar streets of Beijing was born, a moment that was comical and absurd yet real and heartwarming. For Zhang Wei, Wang Mei, Li Ming, and Uncle Liu whose face always carried a smile, this was a vivid doodle in their memories of Beijing.


Vocabulary Words:

• Beijing: 北京
• city: 城市
• blend: 交融
• tradition: 传统
• modernity: 现代
• enthusiastic: 热心
• tourists: 游客
• Zhang Wei: 张伟
• Wang Mei: 王梅
• Li Ming: 李明
• souvenirs: 纪念品
• unfamiliar: 陌生
• faces: 面孔
• odd: 不伦不类
• Chinese dialect: 中文方言
• attention: 注意
• Uncle Liu: 刘叔
• vendor: 小贩
• mischievous smile: 狡黠笑容
• advanced age: 年纪不小
• spirit: 精神矍铄
• cart: 推车
• fans: 扇子
• clay figurines: 泥人
• porcelain: 瓷器
• attracted: 吸引
• head: 低头
• examined: 仔细端详
• vase: 花瓶
• scenery: 风景
• haggling: 砍价
• determination: 锐气
• sneered: 嗤之以鼻
• pretending: 假装
• offended: 冒犯
• bargaining: 买卖角逐
• skilled: 熟练
• opening: 机会
• big hole: 大洞
• can't hold water: 不能漏水
• surprised: 惊异
• examined: 研究
• discarded: 废弃
• ashtray: 烟灰缸
• laughed: 大笑
• exquisite: 精美
• peach: 寿桃
• spun: 旋转
• eye: 眼光
• high-quality: 高品质
• greedy: 贪心
• broken: 破
• buyer: 买家
• packing: 打包
• warmly: 热情地
• presented: 送上
• unique: 独特
• journey: 旅途
• hidden: 隐含
• story: 故事
• peculiar: 古怪
• comical: 滑稽
• absurd: 可笑
• real: 真实
• heartwarming: 温暖
• vivid: 生动
• doodle: 涂鸦