Two friends bump into each other

MP3 sound recording (link)

 宋先生：小李，好久不见啦！ Sòng xiānsheng: Xiǎo Lǐ, hǎo jiǔ bú jiànla!

 李先生：老宋啊！半年没见你了，最近忙什么呢？ Lǐ xiānsheng: Lǎo Sòng a! Bàn nián méi jiàn nǐ le, zuìjìn máng shénme ne?

 宋先生：公司的事呗。感觉你瘦了啊，怎么回事？ Sòng xiānsheng: Gōngsī de shì bei. Gǎnjué nǐ shòule a, zěnme huíshì?

 李先生：生意太忙，老是顾不上吃饭。 Lǐ xiānsheng: Shēngyi tài máng, lǎoshi gùbushàng chīfàn.

 宋先生：生意重要，身体更重要啊。这么说最近生意做得不错咯？ Sòng xiānsheng: Shēngyi zhòngyào, shēntǐ gèng zhòngyào a. Zhème shuō zuìjìn shēngyi zuò de búcuò lo?

 李先生：都是小生意，你知道的。你呢，公司怎么样？ Lǐ xiānsheng: Dōu shi xiǎo shēngyi, nǐ zhīdào de. Nǐ ne, gōngsī zěnmeyàng?

 宋先生：正常吧。前两天开了个会，刚刚结束。太累了，这几天休息休息。 Sòng xiānsheng: Zhèngcháng ba. Qián liǎng tiān kāile ge huì, gānggāng jiéshù. Tài lèile, zhè jǐ tiān xiūxi xiūxi.

 李先生：不错啊，什么样的会？ Lǐ xiānsheng: Bú cuò a, shénmeyàng de huì?

 宋先生：文化交流，邀请了一些国外的学者来参加。 Sòng xiānsheng: Wénhuà jiāoliú, yāoqǐngle yìxiē guówài de xuézhě lái cānjiā.

 李先生：你的公司越来越国际化了。 Lǐ xiānsheng: Nǐ de gōngsī yuèláiyuè guójìhuàle.

 宋先生：还有很长的路要走呐。 Sòng xiānsheng: Hái yǒu hěn cháng de lù yào zǒu na.

 李先生：不跟你说了，我还赶着去见客户呢。 Lǐ xiānsheng: Bù gēn nǐ shuōle, wǒ hái gǎnzhe qù jiàn kèhù ne.

 宋先生：你还真是忙。行吧，等你有空再聚。 Sòng xiānsheng: Nǐ hái zhēnshì máng. Xíng ba, děng nǐ yǒukòng zài jù.

 李先生：没问题，再见。 Lǐ xiānsheng: Méi wèntí, zàijiàn.

 宋先生：注意身体啊！再见。 Sòng xiānsheng: Zhùyì shēntǐ a! Zàijiàn.

Vocab and notes

好久不见 hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn. This is where the English ‘long time no see’ comes from.

 啦 la = 了 le + 啊 a

 老宋啊！Lǎo Sòng a! Note how 啊 a is used gently to call someone.

 半年 bàn nián ‘half a year’

 见 jiàn ‘see (somebody)’

 最近忙什么(麼)呢？ Zuìjìn máng shénme ne? ‘What’s been keeping you busy recently?’ 呢 Ne softens the question. Note how 忙 máng has an object here; it’s behaving as a verb.

 呗 Bei is similar to 啊 a.

 感觉(覺)你瘦了啊。 Gǎnjué nǐ shòule a. ‘I reckon you’re thinner.’

 怎么(麼)回事？ Zěnme huíshì? ‘How did that happen?’

 生意 shēngyi ‘business’

 顾(顧)不上 gùbushàng chīfàn ‘don’t have time to’. This is a potential complement.

 咯 lo =了 le + 哦

 都是小生意，你知道的。Dōu shì xiǎo shēngyì, nǐ zhīdào de. ‘It’s all small bits of business, you know.’ 的 De adds a matter-of-fact tone.

 正常 zhèngcháng ‘usual’

 前两(兩)天 qián liǎng tiān ‘a couple of days ago’

 开(開)了个(個)会(會) kāile ge huì ‘had a conference’

 刚(剛)刚结束。 Gānggāng jiéshù. ‘It’s just finished. Note that 了 le is not necessary.

 太累了，这(這)几(幾)天休息休息。 Tài lèile, zhè jǐ tiān xiūxi xiūxi. ‘I’m so tired. I am having a rest for a couple of days.’

 什么样的会(什麼樣的會)？ Shénmeyàng de huì? ‘What sort of conference?’

 文化交流 wénhuà jiāoliú ‘cultural exchange’

 邀请了一些国(國)外的学(學)者来(來)参(參)加。 Yāoqǐngle yìxiē guówài de xuézhě lái cānjiā. ‘We invited some foreign scholars to come and take part in it.’

 你的公司越来(來)越国际(國際)化了。 Nǐ de gōngsī yuèláiyuè guójìhuàle. ‘Your company has become more and more internationalized.’

 还(還)有很长(長)的路要走呐。 Hái yǒu hěn cháng de lù yào zǒu na. ‘There is still a long way we need to go.’ Note how the 呢 ne part of 还…呢 hái … ne ‘still’ elides with exclamatory 啊 a to become 呐 na.

 不跟你说了 Bù gēn nǐ shuōle. ‘I didn’t talk of it to you’, I forgot to mention it.’

我还(還)赶着(趕著)去见客户呢。 Wǒ hái gǎnzhe qù jiàn kèhù ne. ‘I’m (still) hurrying to (go to) meet a client.’

 行吧，等你有空再聚。Xíng ba, děng nǐ yǒukòng zài jù. ‘All right. Let’s meet again when you have time.’ 吧 Ba adds very little here, but gives a spoken tone.

Two friends bump into each other

Mr Song: Mr Li, I haven’t seen you for ages!

 Mr Li: Mr Song! I haven't seen you for half a year. What are you busy with these days?

 Mr Song: Just company stuff. I think you are thinner. What’s going on?

 Mr Li: Business is so busy. I don’t have time for dinner sometimes.

 Mr Song: Business is important, but the body is more important. So business is doing well recently?

 Mr Li: It's all small business, you know. What about you, how’s your company?

 Mr Song: As usual. We had a conference a couple of days ago, we’re just finished. I’m so tired. I am taking a break for a couple of days.

 Mr Li: That’s good. What kind of conference?

 Mr Song: Cultural exchange. We invited some foreign scholars to attend.

 Mr Li: Your company is getting more and more international.

 Mr Song: There is still a long way to go.

 Mr Li: I have to go. I am in a hurry to meet a client.

 Mr Song: You are really busy. Well, let’s get together when you have time.

 Mr Li: No problem. Goodbye.

 Mr Song: Take care. Goodbye.