Travel in Chinese Lesson 43 Take a Bus

雪梅：（问一路人）麻烦你问一下儿，我们想去北京音乐厅，应该怎么坐车？

路人：北京音乐厅？呦，那可离这儿可不近？

雪梅：有公共汽车去那儿吧。

路人：有倒是有，不过得换车。你们得先坐公共汽车然后再换地铁。

小杰：坐几路公共汽车？

路人：坐323或者718都行。

雪梅：小杰，你帮我记一下儿，免得我忘了。

小杰：没问题。

雪梅：坐到什么地方换地铁呢？

路人：坐到公主坟，换地铁。

小杰：地铁坐到哪儿下车呢？

路人：坐到西单站，下车以后你再打听打听。

雪梅：谢谢。

小杰：妈妈，车站在这儿呢，快过来。

雪梅：这么多路车都在这儿。

小杰：车来了，快点儿。

雪梅：哎，你慢点儿吧，还不知道这车是往哪个方向开的呢？

小杰：反正是718，先上车再说吧。

雪梅：这可不行，得先问问清楚。（向一等车的人）请问，这个车是到公主坟的吗？

等车人：去公主坟？不对，方向反了，去公主坟的车到马路对面去坐。

雪梅：谢谢！（对小杰）你看，错了吧。你啊，多亏没上那辆车。我的感觉还是挺准的嘛！

小杰：恩，幸亏没听我的。唉，一会儿还得去做地铁，到时候可千万别坐反了。

雪梅：我以前和你姑姑一起坐过，绝对没问题。不过，小杰，你以后不管坐什么车，都得多问问，免得坐错了。

小杰：恩，我记住了。妈妈，对面来车了，快追车。
 

译文：

Xuemei: Sorry to trouble you, we want to go to Beijing Concert Hall, which bus should we take?

Pedestrian: Beijing Concert Hall? Oh, that’s pretty far from here.

Xuemei: There must be a bus that goes there.

Pedestrian: There is, but you have to change buses. First you take the bus, then change to subway.

Xiaojie: What number bus?

Pedestrian: you can take either the 323 or 718.

Xuemei: Xiaojie, help me remember this, in case I forget.

Xiaojie: Sure.

Xuemei: wher do we change to the subway?

Pedestrian: Get off at Gongzhu Fen, then change to the subway.

Xiaojie: Which subway station do I get off at?

Pedestrian: You get off at Xidan station, then ask around.

Xuemei: Thank you.

Xiaojie: Mom, the bus station is here, come over.

Xuemei: All these different buses stop here.

Xiaojie: the bus is here, hurry.

Xuemei: Hey, slow down, you don’t know which way the bus is going?

Xiaojie: It’s the 718, we can get on the bus first.

Xuemei: That won’t do, we’ve got to ask first. （asks a person waiting for the bus）Excuse me, does this bus go to Gongzhu Fen?

Person waiting for bus: To Gongzhu Fen? No, that’s the opposite direction, buses going to Gongzhu Fen leave from across the road.

Xuemei: Thanks！（ says to Xiaojie）see, it was wrong. Thank god we didn ’t get on that bus. My instinct was right！

Xiaojie: Just as well we didn’t do what I said. In a while we have to take the subway too, we’d better not take it in the wrong direction.

Xuemei: I’ve taken it with your aunt before, there’s definitely no problem. But remember Xiaojie, no matter what bus you take in the future, it pays to ask around, so you don’t take the wrong one.

Xiaojie: OK, I got it. Mum, the bus across the road is here, let’s run for it!
 

Bookmarks

1）免得 to avoid something

（例）带上一张地图吧，免得迷路。

You should bring a map so that you don't get lost.

（例）你最好给家里打个电话，免得妈妈担心。

It would be best for you to call home, so that mother doesn't become anxious.

2）多亏 fortunately

（例）多亏我们提前订好了酒店，要不然连住的地方都没有。

Fortunately, we reserved a hotel in advance. Otherwise, we wouldn't even have a place to stay.

（例）多亏我穿了件毛衣，否则这次一定会感冒的。

Fortunately, I wore a sweater. Otherwise I surely would have caught a cold this time.

Sign Posts

Bus

Taking a bus in China is an interesting experience you should at least try once. There are nice air conditioned buses with soft seats and lots of space, then there are the super crowded ones wher people are packed in like sardines. But no matter how packed the buses are, people still manage to get on and off when they need to.

On most buses, the driver doesn’t handle fares and tickets. That’s done by an attendant who sits near the door. Longer buses will have a second attendant at the back. If you don’t have a monthly pass, you will have to buy a ticket after boarding the bus. Hold on to the small ticket receipt as proof of purchase.

once I was on a bus that was so crowded I just didn’t think it would by physically possible for me to reach the ticket attendant. So I said to myself, forget about it, I’m only going a few stops anyway. Sure enough, there was a ticket inspector waiting for me when I got off. It just goes to show you, being too crowded is not an excuse for not buying a ticket. I had to pay a fine.

Note that when we ask for bus numbers in Chinese, we don’t say 几号车. We say 几路车. This specifies that you are asking for the route number, not the license number of a particular bus.

Because there are so many people, most buses will stop at every stop. You don’t have to ring a bell to get off, or wave your arms to flag down a bus. 
 

Substitution and Extension

1）不管……都 no matter what

（例）不管多累，我都要去爬长城。

No matter how tired, I still want to climb the Great Wall.