Travel in Chinese Lesson 38 Beijing Tea House

人豪：雪梅，你看这是个典型的北京茶馆，这茶都是茉莉花茶。来，你也尝尝。

雪梅：我去过南方的茶馆，相比之下，北方的茶馆不太重视茶艺。

人豪：你说得非常对。

雪梅：北京一般的茶馆都是这样吗？

人豪：北京的茶馆在过去很兴盛，那时专买茶水，没有演出。后来，才出现了一边喝茶一边看演出的茶馆。

雪梅：现在北京这样的茶馆不太多了，是吗？

人豪：是啊，现在普通的茶馆越来越少了。

雪梅：演出快开始了吧。

人豪：快了，边喝茶边看演出，真是一种享受。

雪梅：一般都表演什么节目呢?

人豪：大部分是中国传统的戏曲节目。

雪梅：有京剧吧？

人豪：有一些京剧段子，还有相声、杂技和一些地方戏曲等。

雪梅：相声是什么呀？

人豪：演出开始了，以后我再告诉您。

人豪：第一个节目就是京剧片断，《三岔口》

雪梅（听到观众鼓掌）看京剧可以鼓掌？

人豪：对，而且演员在演出中很希望听到观众的叫好儿声和鼓掌声。

雪梅：啊，是这样的，这和西方的习惯完全不一样，有意思。

（《三岔口》表演结束）

人豪：看你，看得都入神了。

雪梅：太精彩了！紧张得我手都出汗了。

人豪：特别是那出黑暗中打斗的戏，惟妙惟肖的，完全不需要语言。

雪梅：我也很喜欢那出戏。

人豪：这是传统京剧剧目中非常有名的一段。

（中场休息）

雪梅：真好看。京剧不愧为中国的国粹。现在年轻人当中喜欢京剧的人多吗？

人豪：已经不太多了。

雪梅：我特别喜欢京剧演员脸上的图案。

人豪：你说的是脸谱吧？

雪梅：为什么每个人脸上的图案都不一样呢？

人豪：脸谱啊，主要是用来表现人物性格的，所以，每个角色的脸谱都不同。

雪梅：嘘，等会儿再说，节目又开始了！
 

Translation

Renhao: Xue Mei，this is a typical Beijing teahouse. The tea here is jasmine tea. Here，have a taste.

Xue Mei: I’ve been to teahouses in the south. By comparison，northern teahouses don’t pay much attention to the art of serving tea.

Renhao: You’re right.

Xue Mei: Are regular teahouses in Beijing like this?

Renhao: Beijing teahouses used to be highly popular in the past. Back then they just sold tea, there were no shows. Later on，teahouses wher you could drink and watch shows started to emerge.

Xue Mei: There aren’t that many teahouses like this in Beijing nowadays，right?

Renhao: That’s right. Now there are fewer and fewer traditional teahouses.

Xue Mei: Is the performance about to start?

Renhao: Very soon. Drinking tea while watching a show is such a treat.

Xue Mei: What sort of performances do they usually put on?

Renhao: Most are traditional theatre pieces.

Xue Mei: Will there be Peking opera?

Renhao: There will be some Peking opera pieces, cross talk, acrobatics and regional operas.

Xue Mei: What’s cross talk?

Renhao: The show’s started，I’ll tell you later.

Renhao: The first item is a piece of Peking opera called “San Chakou”.

Xue Mei: You can applaud while you’re watching Peking opera?

Renhao: Yes. The actors love to hear the cheers and clapping of the audience while they’re performing.

Xue Mei: Oh, right. That’s totally different to western custom. Interesting!

Renhao: Look at you，you’re mesmerized.

Xue Mei: That was spectacular！I was so excited my hands are sweating.

Renhao: Especially that fight scene in the dark. It’s so real. You don’t need to know the language to understand at all.

Xue Mei: I like that part, too.

Renhao: It’s a famous piece from traditional Peking opera.

（intermission）

Xue Mei: It’s so thrilling. No wonder Peking opera is regarded as the quintessence of Chinese culture. Are there many Peking opera fans among young people these days?

Renhao: Not many.

Xue Mei: I especially like the make-up on the Peking opera actors’ faces.

Renhao: You mean the face masks?

Xue Mei: Why is the make-up on everyone’s faces different?

Renhao: Face masks are mainly used to represent personality，so each character has a different mask.

Xue Mei: Shhh，we’ll talk later. The show’s starting again！
 

Bookmarks

1）本来originally or in the first place

（例）他本来就很喜欢中国，现在更喜欢了。

He's always liked China. He's liked China from the beginning. Now he liked it even more.

（例）这条路本来很窄，是后来才加宽的。

This road used to be very narrow. It was widened later on.

2）不愧the reputation is well deserved

（例）长城不愧为世界闻名的文化遗产。

The Great Wall deserves its reputation as a famous world culture heritage site.

（例）他不愧是20世纪最著名的科学家。

He deserves his reputation as the most famous scientist of the 20th century.

Substitution and Extension

1）相比之下in comparison

（例）相比之下，还是坐地铁比较方便。

In comparision, it's still more convenient to travel by subway.