Bonus 02: “No Seats Left”
About this lesson
A bonus dialogue using everyday, conversational Mandarin. A-Ming and Xiao Li are on the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), the local subway and light rail system in Taipei. Learn MRT etiquette while absorbing words and phrases about sitting, asking, politeness, and telling someone you don’t feel well.
Recommended usage
Without any preparation, just listen to the dialogue once. See what words are familiar, and how much you can understand already. Don’t be discouraged if the answer is “almost nothing.” Even if you don’t understand many words, can you infer anything about the dialogue based on the tone of voice? What’s the emotional state of the characters? Can you make any guesses as to where they are?
After the first listen, it can be helpful to read through the transcript. This is provided below in Chinese characters, and also with a translation and pinyin beneath that. If you are learning the Chinese characters already, you might choose to read through the Chinese character-only version first.
Listen to the dialogue again, while simultaneously following along with the transcript. Pause and go back if you need to. See if you can connect a meaning to every sound being spoken.
Finally, listen to the dialogue a third time, this time without looking at the transcript. See how much of the meaning you can still connect to what you hear, even without looking at the text.
In the following days, continue listening to the dialogue, at least once per day. Continue this until you feel comfortable with the dialogue, or you feel yourself becoming bored. Then move on.
During these listening sessions, I encourage you to “shadow” the dialogue: imitating what you hear by speaking it out loud.
Enjoy!
Dialogue transcript (Chinese characters only)
B：沒有位子了，怎麼辦？
A：你叫別人站起來吧！
B：這樣好嗎？
A：當然不好，這樣很不禮貌
B：那你為什麼叫我這樣做？
A：因為你問我怎麼辦，我就幫你想個辦法啊！
B：這不是一個辦法！
A：好吧，那就不要問我啊
B：唉，真是的... 唉...
A：你還好嗎？
B：我的頭有點暈
A：那你坐下來吧
B：坐哪裡？沒有位子了
A：不好意思，請問一下，我的朋友不太舒服，你的位子可以給他坐嗎？謝謝！好，現在你可以坐了
B：你真的問了！
A：當然，你是我的朋友，而且你看起來很不舒服
B：謝謝你
A：趕快坐，趕快坐
Dialogue transcript (w/ pinyin and translation)
L：沒有位子了，怎麼辦？
Méiyǒu wèizile, zěnme bàn?
There aren’t any seats, what do we do?
M：你叫別人站起來吧！
Nǐ jiào biérén zhàn qǐlái ba!
Tell someone else to stand up!
L：這樣好嗎？
Zhèyàng hǎo ma?
Is that OK?
M：當然不好，這樣很不禮貌
Dāngrán bù hǎo, zhèyàng hěn bù lǐmào
Of course it’s not OK, it’s very impolite.
L：那你為什麼叫我這樣做？
Nà nǐ wèishéme jiào wǒ zhèyàng zuò?
Then why did you tell me to do that?
M：因為你問我怎麼辦，我就幫你想個辦法啊！
Yīnwèi nǐ wèn wǒ zěnme bàn, wǒ jiù bāng nǐ xiǎng gè bànfǎ a!
Because you asked me what to do, so I helped you think of a way!
L：這不是一個辦法！
Zhè bùshì yīgè bànfǎ!
That isn’t a way!
M：好吧，那就不要問我啊
Hǎo ba, nà jiù bùyào wèn wǒ a
Fine, then don’t ask me.
L：唉，真是的... 唉...
Āi, zhēnshi de... Āi...
[Sigh]… For goodness sake! …[sigh]
M：你還好嗎？
Nǐ hái hǎo ma?
Are you alright?
L：我的頭有點暈
Wǒ de tóu yǒudiǎn yūn
My head is a little dizzy.
M：那你坐下來吧
Nà nǐ zuò xiàlái ba
Then how about you sit down.
L：坐哪裡？沒有位子了！
Zuò nǎlǐ? Méiyǒu wèizile!
Sit where? There aren’t any seats!
M：不好意思，請問一下。我的朋友不太舒服，你的位子可以給他坐嗎？謝謝！好，現在你可以坐了
Bù hǎoyìsi, qǐngwèn yīxià, wǒ de péngyǒu bù tài shūfú, nǐ de wèi zǐ kěyǐ gěi tā zuò ma? Xièxiè! Hǎo, xiànzài nǐ kěyǐ zuòle
(to another passenger) Excuse me, I have a question, my friend isn’t feeling well, could you let him sit in your seat? Thanks! (to L) OK, now you can sit.
L：你真的問了！
Nǐ zhēn de wènle!
You really asked!
M：當然，你是我的朋友，而且你看起來很不舒服
Dāngrán, nǐ shì wǒ de péngyǒu, érqiě nǐ kàn qǐlái hěn bú shūfú
Of course, you’re my friend. Also, you look pretty uncomfortable.
L：謝謝你
Xièxiè nǐ
Thank you.
M：趕快坐，趕快坐
Gǎnkuài zuò, gǎnkuài zuò
Hurry up and sit, hurry up and sit!
Great work!
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