Travel in Chinese Lesson 41 Kite

丢钱包（小杰和人豪在放风筝）

小杰：（放风筝，但是放不起来）它怎么飞不起来呀？

人豪：放线，再放点儿，快跑。

小杰：还是不行。

人豪：现在风有点儿小，等一会儿有风的时候再放吧。

小杰：没想到风筝竟然这么难放。

人豪：别泄气，一会儿我们再试试。

小杰：爸爸，我渴了。

人豪：我去给你买点水。哎，我的钱包呢？

小杰：你刚才买风筝的时候还用来着。

人豪：对啊，我明明记得把钱包放在这个口袋里了啊，现在怎么没了呢？

小杰：会不会是我们刚才跑来跑去跑丢了？

人豪：有可能，可按理说不会呀。

小杰：我们顺着找找吧

（两人找了一圈）

人豪：甭在这儿找了，估计没丢在这儿。

小杰：爸爸，我们干脆去报案吧，把你的手机给我，我来拨911。

爸爸：小杰，在中国啊，不是拨911，应该是拨110，不过现在在公园里，我们找保安就行。

保安：请问你们有什么事情？

人豪：我们在那儿放风筝，也就一刻钟，就发现钱包不见了。

保安：放风筝的时候，钱包还在吗？

人豪：一直放风筝来着，没怎么注意。不过我记得买风筝的时候钱包还在呢。

保安：在哪儿买的风筝？

人豪：就在前边儿，不远。

保安：什么样的钱包？

人豪：是个方的皮钱夹，颜色和这条裤子差不多

保安：里边都有什么？

人豪：大约两百块钱，一张信用卡和一些出租车的发票。

保安：你叫什么名字？

人豪：黄人豪

保安：(拿出一个钱包)你看这个是不是你的？刚才有人送过来的，你把钱包落在放风筝的柜台上了。

人豪：没错，就是它。谢谢！谢谢！
 

Translation

Xiaojie：（tries to fly kite without success）Why doesn’t it fly？

Renhao：Let out the string，let out some more，quick, run!.

Xiaojie：No, it still doesn’t work.

Renhao：The wind’s a bit light now, wait till it gets stronger.

Xiaojie：I never thought flying a kite would be this hard.

Renhao：Don’t give up，we’ll try again later.

Xiaojie：Dad, I’m thirsty.

Renhao：I’ll get you something to drink. Hey, wher’s my wallet？

Xiaojie：You had it when you bought the kite.

Renhao：That’s right，I clearly remember putting the wallet in this pocket, why isn’t it here now？

Xiaojie：Could have you lost it when we were running around just now？

Renhao：Maybe，but I don’t think so.

Xiaojie：Let’s look for it here.

（the two look around）

Renhao：We should give up looking here. I don’t think I lost it here.

Xiaojie：Dad, let’s report it to the police. Give me your mobile phone and I’ll call 911.

Renhao：Xiaojie, you don’t dial 911, but 110 in China. But since we’re in a park, let’s just report it to the security guard.

Xiaojie：Hey, dad，there’s a security guard over there. Come on, let’s go.

Security Guard：What’s wrong？

Renhao：We were flying a kite over there，just about a quarter of an hour ago，then I found my wallet was missing.

Security Guard：Did you have the wallet when you were flying the kite？

Renhao：We were flying the kite and didn’t really notice. But I remember I used it to buy the kite.

Security Guard：wher did you buy the kite？

Renhao：Just up ahead, not far.

Security Guard：What sort of wallet is it？

Renhao：It’s a square wallet，the colour of this pair of trousers.

Security Guard：What’s in it？

Renhao：about two hundred yuan, a credit card and some taxi receipts.

Security Guard：What’s your name？

Renhao：Huang Renhao.

Security Guard：(takes out a wallet) Take a look at this, is it yours？Somebody handed it in just now. You left it on the counter wher you got the kite.

Renhao：That’s it. Thank you！Thank you！
 

Bookmarks

1）竟然 unexpectedly

(例）没想到竟然在这儿碰到他。

I didn't expect to meet him here.

（例）他竟然连这个问题的答案都不知道。

He doesn't even know the answer to this question.

2）干脆 simply

（例）那位导游非常干脆地回答了所有的问题。

That tour guide answered all of the questions very simply and straightforward.

（例）这个问题处理得很干脆。

This problem has been solved in a very straightforward manner.

Sign Posts

Kite

Rather than talking about the unpleasant business of having lost something, let’s focus on kites, which were invented in China. Even the National Aeronautics and Space Museum in Washington DC claims that the “earliest aircraft and were the kites of China”.

Chinese kites date back over two thousand years ago. Before the invention of paper, they were originally made with wood and bamboo. Some early kites were used for military purposes and were large enough to carry a man aloft so that he could observe enemy positions. Others were used to send messages.

The Chinese word for kite is 风筝. 筝 is a traditional Chinese musical instrument. In the Tang Dynasty from the 7th to 10th century AD, people would tie small strips of bamboo that would vibrate and hum in the breeze, sounding something like a 筝.

Today there are over 300 varieties of kites in China. Probably the best place to see them is during the national kite festival held every year in Weifang, Shandong Province.

Substitution and Extension

1）V+来+V+去

（例）跑来跑去、走来走去

To run around; to be walking around

（例）我们想来想去，也不知道到底该怎么办。

We've been thinking this all over the place, but we still don't know what we should do in the end.

2）和…差不多 not very different

（例）北京的天气和我们那儿的天气差不多。

The weather in Beijing and the weather wher we are is about the same.

（例）这种水果的味道跟梨的味道差不多。

This kind of fruit tastes quite a lot like pears.