The Second Cup of Tea · chapter 7 of 8
The Teahouse Is Closing
茶馆要关门了
Jiang Ning goes to the teahouse on the wrong night and finds a sign on the counter. Then she learns that someone already knew.
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Read what you hear
- Jiang Ning 星期三晚上，我去了茶馆。
Xīngqīsān wǎnshang, wǒ qù le cháguǎn.
On Wednesday evening, I go to the teahouse.
- Jiang Ning 今天不是星期四。可是我不想一个人在家。
Jīntiān bú shì xīngqīsì. Kěshì wǒ bù xiǎng yí gè rén zài jiā.
It isn't Thursday. But I don't want to be home alone.
- Jiang Ning 茶馆里很安静。王阿姨的桌子上，有一张纸。
Cháguǎn lǐ hěn ānjìng. Wáng āyí de zhuōzi shang, yǒu yì zhāng zhǐ.
The teahouse is very quiet. There's a sign on Auntie Wang's counter.
- Jiang Ning “这个月以后，茶馆关门。谢谢大家！”
“Zhège yuè yǐhòu, cháguǎn guānmén. Xièxie dàjiā!”
“After this month, the teahouse will close. Thank you, everyone!”
- Jiang Ning 关门？王阿姨，这是真的吗？
Guānmén? Wáng āyí, zhè shì zhēn de ma?
Closing? Auntie Wang, is this true?
- Auntie Wang 江宁，你来了。是真的。坐吧，我给你拿红茶。
Jiāng Níng, nǐ lái le. Shì zhēn de. Zuò ba, wǒ gěi nǐ ná hóngchá.
Jiang Ning, you're here. Yes, it's true. Sit down, and I'll bring you your black tea.
- Jiang Ning 为什么要关门？
Wèi shénme yào guānmén?
Why does it have to close?
- Auntie Wang 房租贵了很多。我没有那么多钱。
Fángzū guì le hěn duō. Wǒ méiyǒu nàme duō qián.
The rent has gone way up. I don't have that kind of money.
- Auntie Wang 这个茶馆，我开了二十年了。
Zhège cháguǎn, wǒ kāi le èrshí nián le.
I've run this teahouse for twenty years.
- Jiang Ning 我看着窗边的桌子。我和陆伟，是在这里认识的。
Wǒ kànzhe chuāngbiān de zhuōzi. Wǒ hé Lù Wěi, shì zài zhèlǐ rènshi de.
I look at the table by the window. This is where Lu Wei and I met.
- Jiang Ning 王阿姨，没有这个茶馆，就没有我们。
Wáng āyí, méiyǒu zhège cháguǎn, jiù méiyǒu wǒmen.
Auntie Wang, without this teahouse, there'd be no us.
- Auntie Wang 我知道。六个月，你们只说“你好”和“再见”。
Wǒ zhīdào. Liù gè yuè, nǐmen zhǐ shuō “nǐ hǎo” hé “zàijiàn”.
I know. Six months, and all you two ever said was “hello” and “goodbye.”
- Auntie Wang 我在旁边看着，都急死了！
Wǒ zài pángbiān kànzhe, dōu jí sǐ le!
Watching from over here, I nearly went out of my mind!
- Jiang Ning 那以后……我们星期四去哪儿呢？
Nà yǐhòu… wǒmen xīngqīsì qù nǎr ne?
Then after this… where will we go on Thursdays?
- Auntie Wang 明天是最后一个星期四。你和陆伟一起来吧。
Míngtiān shì zuìhòu yí gè xīngqīsì. Nǐ hé Lù Wěi yìqǐ lái ba.
Tomorrow is the last Thursday. Come with Lu Wei.
- Jiang Ning 最后一个星期四……陆伟那天也说过这句话。
Zuìhòu yí gè xīngqīsì… Lù Wěi nà tiān yě shuō guo zhè jù huà.
The last Thursday… Lu Wei said those same words, that night.
- Jiang Ning 王阿姨，陆伟知道吗？
Wáng āyí, Lù Wěi zhīdào ma?
Auntie Wang, does Lu Wei know?
- Auntie Wang 我上个星期告诉了陆芳。她没告诉你们吗？
Wǒ shàng gè xīngqī gàosu le Lù Fāng. Tā méi gàosu nǐmen ma?
I told Lu Fang last week. Didn't she tell you?
- Jiang Ning 上个星期？那陆伟也知道。他为什么不告诉我？
Shàng gè xīngqī? Nà Lù Wěi yě zhīdào. Tā wèi shénme bú gàosu wǒ?
Last week? Then Lu Wei knows too. So why hasn't he told me?
- Jiang Ning 这时，陆伟给我发来一条消息。
Zhè shí, Lù Wěi gěi wǒ fā lái yì tiáo xiāoxi.
Just then, a message from Lu Wei comes in.
- Lu Wei 明天晚上七点，茶馆见。我有一句话要跟你说。
Míngtiān wǎnshang qī diǎn, cháguǎn jiàn. Wǒ yǒu yí jù huà yào gēn nǐ shuō.
Tomorrow, seven p.m., at the teahouse. I have one thing to tell you.
- Jiang Ning 一句话？……会是“再见”吗？
Yí jù huà? … Huì shì “zàijiàn” ma?
One thing? …What if it's “goodbye”?
What changed in the story?
- What does the sign on the counter say?
“这个月以后，茶馆关门。”
- Why does the teahouse have to close?
“房租贵了很多。我没有那么多钱。”
- Why does the teahouse matter so much to Jiang Ning?
“我和陆伟，是在这里认识的”
- Who did Auntie Wang tell about the closing last week?
“我上个星期告诉了陆芳”
- What does Lu Wei's message say?
“明天晚上七点，茶馆见。我有一句话要跟你说。”