Chinese vs. English--001: Hello, Gorgeous!(Snippet 01)

LISTEN-Text:

Hi, Friends, today, I opened a new section for helping you to improve your Chinese level via translating something from current English works.

I am lucky to know a great contemporary American writer -- Bruce Holland Rogers and got his permission to translate some of his works. So, now I would like to translate the first snippet of his last short story: Hello, Gorgeous! to help you to learn Chinese.

THE ORIGINAL ENGLISH:

Long ago, in his twenties, he had been something of a Romeo. He met girls at his job in the shoe department. After kneeling in front of them and
squeezing to feel the bones of their feet through the thin leather, it was no trouble at all to ask for their phone numbers at the cash register.


NEW WORDS LISTEN-Text:

Long ago: hen3 jiu3 yi3 qian2.
long: jiu3, chang2
ago: yi3 qian2
in his twenties: dang1 ta1 er4 shi1 duo1 shui4 de shi2 hou4.
in: dang1, zai4;
twenties: er4 shi1 duo1 shui4
he: ta1
had been: ceng2 jin1
something: mo3 xie1 (dong xi4, te4 dian3)
some:mo3 xie1
thingdong1 xi
Romeo: Luo2 Mi4 Ou1
meet: jian4, hui4 jian4, yu4 jian4
girl: gu1 nian; shao4 nu3;nu3 hai2.
shoes: xie2, xie2 zi
department: bu4 men2, ke1, xi4
after: zhi1 hou4
kneel: gui4 xia4, dun1 xia4
in front of: qian2 mian4
them: ta2 men2
squeezing:nie1, ji3
feel: gan3 jue2, gan3 dao4
bone: gu3, gu3 tou2
their:ta1 men2 de
through: tong1 guo4
thin:bao2; bao2 bao2 de
leather: pi2 ge2
trouble: ma2 fa; wen3 ti2
ask for: yao4, yao1 qiu2, qing3 qiu2
their: ta1 men2 de
phone number: dian4 hua4 hao4 ma3;
phone: dian4 hua4;
number: hao4 ma3.
cash register: shou1 yin2 ji1
cash: xian4 jin1, qian2



THE CHINESE PRONUCIATION & ChARACTERS:

很久以前，当他20岁的时候， 他是个罗密欧式的青年。他能在他工作的鞋柜旁见到许多姑娘。跪在她们面前为她们试过鞋后，他会在收银机旁顺利地得到她们的电话号码。

Not: the words "After kneeling in front of them and squeezing to feel the bones of their feet through the thin leather, "meant how he help the girls to test the shoes, so, I just translated it to be "跪在她们面前为她们试过鞋后" in Chinese instead of writing all of the actions as the original works.


I do hope it is helpful for your Chinese learning.

If you have any questions, comments and suggestions, please write toshirley@ebridge.cn, you are welcomed.

-- Shirley
Translated on 24th.,July, 2005
Edited and Recorded on 25th.,July,2005