The Second Cup of Tea: Season 2 · chapter 2 of 8
A Thousand Questions
一千个问题
Mama opens her notebook and starts on question one. Jiang Ning has a job, a secret and one hot pot of water to survive. Then Mama asks the worst question.
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Read what you hear
- Mama Lu 江宁，坐。第一个问题：你做什么工作？
Jiāng Níng, zuò. Dì yī gè wèntí: nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò?
Jiang Ning, sit. Question one: what work do you do?
- Jiang Ning 阿姨，我是老师。我教小朋友，每天都很开心。
Āyí, wǒ shì lǎoshī. Wǒ jiāo xiǎopéngyǒu, měi tiān dōu hěn kāixīn.
Auntie, I'm a teacher. I teach little kids, and I'm happy every day.
- Mama Lu 老师！好，好。第二个问题：你喜欢我儿子什么？
Lǎoshī! Hǎo, hǎo. Dì èr gè wèntí: nǐ xǐhuan wǒ érzi shénme?
A teacher! Good, good. Question two: what do you like about my son?
- Lu Wei 妈！姐姐问过这个了！
Mā! Jiějie wèn guò zhège le!
Mom! My sister already asked that!
- Mama Lu 她问她的，我问我的。江宁，说吧。
Tā wèn tā de, wǒ wèn wǒ de. Jiāng Níng, shuō ba.
She asks hers, I ask mine. Go on, Jiang Ning.
- Jiang Ning 他很会等人。我等了他六个月，他也等了我六个月。
Tā hěn huì děng rén. Wǒ děng le tā liù gè yuè, tā yě děng le wǒ liù gè yuè.
He's good at waiting. I waited for him six months, and he waited for me six months.
- Mama Lu 六个月？你们六个月都没说话？
Liù gè yuè? Nǐmen liù gè yuè dōu méi shuō huà?
Six months? You two didn't talk for six months?
- Lu Wei 我们说了！我们说了“你好”！
Wǒmen shuō le! Wǒmen shuō le “nǐ hǎo”!
We talked! We said "hello"!
- Mama Lu 就“你好”？我的儿子，真慢。
Jiù “nǐ hǎo”? Wǒ de érzi, zhēn màn.
Just "hello"? My son is so slow.
- Mama Lu 第三个问题：你喝什么茶？
Dì sān gè wèntí: nǐ hē shénme chá?
Question three: what tea do you drink?
- Jiang Ning 我……喝红茶。
Wǒ… hē hóngchá.
I... drink red tea.
- Mama Lu 红茶？我们家的人，都喝绿茶。阿伟，对不对？
Hóngchá? Wǒmen jiā de rén, dōu hē lǜchá. Āwěi, duì búduì?
Red tea? Everyone in our family drinks green tea. A-Wei, right?
- Lu Wei 对……我们家喝绿茶。我最爱。
Duì… wǒmen jiā hē lǜchá. Wǒ zuì ài.
Right... our family drinks green tea. I love it most.
- Jiang Ning 二十年了，他还在说“最爱”。
Èr shí nián le, tā hái zài shuō “zuì ài”.
Twenty years, and he's still saying "love it most."
- Mama Lu 好。江宁，你去给我泡一杯茶。我要看看你怎么泡。
Hǎo. Jiāng Níng, nǐ qù gěi wǒ pào yì bēi chá. Wǒ yào kànkan nǐ zěnme pào.
Good. Jiang Ning, go make me a cup of tea. I want to see how you do it.
- Jiang Ning 王阿姨，帮帮我！我不会泡茶！
Wáng Āyí, bāngbang wǒ! Wǒ bú huì pào chá!
Auntie Wang, help me! I don't know how to make tea!
- Auntie Wang 别怕。水不要太热，茶不要太多。
Bié pà. Shuǐ bú yào tài rè, chá bú yào tài duō.
Don't worry. The water shouldn't be too hot, and not too much tea.
- Jiang Ning 这样吗？
Zhèyàng ma?
Like this?
- Auntie Wang 对。慢一点儿，再慢一点儿。
Duì. Màn yìdiǎnr, zài màn yìdiǎnr.
Yes. Slower. A little slower.
- Mama Lu 啊……不太热，也不太苦。谁教你的？
A… bú tài rè, yě bú tài kǔ. Shuí jiāo nǐ de?
Ah... not too hot, not too bitter. Who taught you?
- Jiang Ning 是……我自己。
Shì… wǒ zìjǐ.
It's... myself.
- Auntie Wang 她泡得真好！
Tā pào dé zhēn hǎo!
She makes it so well!
- Jiang Ning 王阿姨，谢谢您。
Wáng Āyí, xièxiè nín.
Auntie Wang, thank you.
- Auntie Wang 我什么都没看见。
Wǒ shénme dōu méi kànjiàn.
I didn't see a thing.
- Mama Lu 好。这个问题，你过了。
Hǎo. Zhège wèntí, nǐ guò le.
Good. You pass that question.
- Mama Lu 最后一个问题：你会做饭吗？
Zuìhòu yí gè wèntí: nǐ huì zuòfàn ma?
Last question: can you cook?
- Jiang Ning 会……一点儿。
Huì… yìdiǎnr.
A... little.
- Mama Lu 太好了！明天中午，你做饭给我吃。
Tài hǎo le! Míngtiān zhōngwǔ, nǐ zuòfàn gěi wǒ chī.
Wonderful! Tomorrow at noon, you'll cook for me.
- Jiang Ning 做饭？我只会做泡面！
Zuòfàn? Wǒ zhǐ huì zuò pàomiàn!
Cook? All I can make is instant noodles!
What changed in the story?
- What is the first question Mama asks Jiang Ning?
“你做什么工作”
- What did Jiang Ning and Lu Wei say to each other for six months?
“我们说了“你好””
- What does Jiang Ning answer when Mama asks about tea?
“我……喝红茶”
- Who helps Jiang Ning make the tea?
“水不要太热，茶不要太多”
- What does Mama ask Jiang Ning to do tomorrow?
“明天中午，你做饭给我吃”