Travel in Chinese Lesson 37 Rent a Car

雪梅：哎，看什么呢？这么入神，刚叫你好几声你都没听见。

人豪：哦，我在这儿看广告呢，琢磨一下儿周末去哪儿玩儿？

雪梅：（笑着说）那你琢磨出来了吗？

人豪：我初步打算到谭柘寺去，怎么样？

雪梅：谭柘寺？我好像听说过。听说那儿的历史特别长，也特别古老。

人豪：对，而且那儿的风景也特别好。

雪梅：那咱们周末就去谭柘寺吧。

人豪：现在都时兴自驾车旅游，咱们也租个车，叫上表姐，一起开车出去玩儿吧。

雪梅：好啊，那租车方便吗？

人豪：方便，现在有很多汽车租赁公司呢，我们可以“货比三家”。

雪梅：好，那你明天抽空问问吧。

（人豪在汽车租赁公司）

人豪：您好，我想租一辆车，需要办哪些手续？

工作人员：你想什么时候用车？

人豪：这个周末。

工作人员：你要多大的车？

人豪：大概可以坐四、五个人的吧。

工作人员：你来看一下儿，我们这儿有吉普车、越野车和一般轿车两类，你需要哪种？

人豪：这两种车价钱都一样吗？

工作人员：差不多，越野车贵一些。

人豪：那就吉普车吧。

工作人员：我们这儿的吉普车都是北京吉普。

人豪：就要一辆北京吉普。你这儿的车，车况没问题吧，我们要去谭柘寺，要走山路。

工作人员：我们的车都是新车，况且在租给您之前我们还会全面检查的。

人豪：这我就放心了。

工作人员：请您填一下预约单，再把的您驾照和身份证给我们看一下。

人豪：您看这样写行吗？

工作人员：还需要填一下您预约的时间

人豪：哦，来，填好了。

工作人员：顺便说一句，您来取车的时候，别忘了带押金？

人豪：押金?多少钱？

工作人员：吉普车的押金不多，3000块钱。

人豪：好吧，我记住了。

工作人员：谢谢，再见！
 

Translation

Xue Mei: Hey，what are you reading? You’re so engrossed, you didn’t hear me even though I called you several times.

Renhao: Oh，I’m reading the advertisements，trying to figure out wher to go for the weekend.

Xue Mei: Then have you figured it out yet?

Renhao: The tentative plan is to go to Tanzhe Temple.

Xue Mei: Tanzhe Temple? I think I’ve heard of it. It’s supposed to have a very long history, very ancient.

Renhao: Yes，the scenery there is great, too.

Xue Mei: So, let’s go to Tanzhe Temple on the weekend.

Renhao: Self-drive trips are all the rage now. We can hire a car，invite our cousin and go together.

Xue Mei: Great, is it easy to hire a car?

Renhao: Sure. There are many car hire companies around.

Xue Mei: OK，then why don’t you ask around first.

Renhao: Hello，I’d like to hire a car. What procedures do I need to go through?

Staff: When would you like to use the car?

Renhao: This weekend.

Staff: What size car do you need?

Renhao: One that seats four or five people.

Staff: Have a look here. We have jeeps, SUVs and ordinary cars. Which type do you need?

Renhao: Do they cost the same?

Staff: Around the same. SUVs cost a bit more.

Renhao: Then we’ll get a jeep.

Staff: The jeeps here are all Beijing Jeep brand.

Renhao: We’ll take a Beijing Jeep. What’s the condition of your cars here? We’re going to Tanzhe Temple. There are some hilly roads.

Staff: All our cars are new. Besides, we do a full check before we hire them out.

Renhao: I feel better knowing that.

Staff: Please fill out the booking form，then show us your license and ID.

Renhao: Is this alright?

Staff: You need to include the time you will be using it.

Renhao: Oh, here, it’s done.

Staff: By the way, don’t forget to bring a deposit when you come to pick up the car.

Renhao: Deposit? How much?

Staff: Not a lot for the Jeep，3000 yuan.

Renhao: OK，I’ve got it.

Staff: Thanks，bye！
 

Bookmarks

1）随着following

（例）随着互联网的发展,人们之间的联系更方便了。

Following the development of the Internet, it's much more convenient now for people to contact each other.

（例）随着收入的增长，买汽车的人也越来越多。

As people's income increases, more and more people are buying cars.

Sign Posts

Temple and Mosque

寺 is a temple or mosque. 寺庙 is usually a Buddhist temple. 清真寺 is a mosque.

Tanzhe Temple is the oldest temple in the Beijing municipality. In fact, being founded in the 3rd century AD, it pre-dates the city of Beijing itself. When you visit the temple they tell you, first there was this temple, then there was a city. It's still quite a ways out of the urban area, but well worth visiting. Apart from the temple buildings and the beautiful mountain valley, I think one of the main attractions are the ancient trees inside the temple grounds, some almost 1000 years old.

One of the most famous temples in Beijing is 雍和宫, sometimes called the Lama Temple in English, after the Tibetan Lamas that inhabit the temple. This is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple outside of of Tibet. It also boasts the largest wooden buddha in the world, carved out of a single white sandalwood tree. The statue is 18m high and 3m wide, filling up a 3 or 4 story temple building.

Daoist temples are usually called 观 instead of 寺. The main one in Beijing is the 白云观, the white cloud temple. This is the main centre of Daoism in Northern China.

While in Beijing, you can also check out the main Confucian Temple 孔庙, wher countless scholars studied to pass the imperial exams.

There are also several Christian churches that date back to the Qing dynasty, and a 100-year old Islamic mosque in the 牛街 area. Something for just about everyone!

Substitution and Extension

1）多少……点儿 at least there is a minimum amount

（例）这件事情我多少知道点儿。

At least I know a little bit about this thing.

2）你看着……吧 it's up to you

（例）我什么都能吃，你看着点吧。

I can eat anything. You pick what you like.