Asking the way
史密斯在去雍和宫的路上迷路了。
史密斯：你好，打扰了，请问你知道怎么去雍和宫么？
路人1：不好意思，我也是外地的，不大了解啊。
史密斯：没有关系，还是谢谢。
史密斯：你好，请问去雍和宫怎么走？
路人2：这个，好像还有点距离啊。应该是往那个方向，但是我不大记得具体怎么走。对了，你看那边有个咖啡馆，他们应该清楚的。
史密斯：哦， 哪边有咖啡馆？
路人2：就你后面的路口啊！那个Costa，应该是雍和宫分店。
史密斯：原来如此！北京居然还有这么多Costa分店。太神奇了。
路人2：是啊，好多的。之前星巴克都开到故宫里面去了，车站啊景点啊附近都有这些进口的咖啡馆。要不我帮你去那问问吧？
史密斯：嗯，我自己去问好了。谢谢啦！
路人2：没事。
史密斯：哎，等等，能不能麻烦你给我拍个照啊？在Costa店门口。
路人2：哈，这样啊？没问题。
史密斯跑到Costa面前，先拍了张店面的照片，然后把相机给路人。
路人2：好了！话说，你为什么要拍Costa啊？
史密斯：在北京看到我们那的Costa，感觉挺奇妙的。
路人2：原来是这样。Costa是哪个国家的啊？
史密斯：英国的。
路人2：我原来一直都没关注过，长知识了。那好的，我先走了，祝你旅途愉快！
史密斯：好的，谢啦！
柜台：您好，请问要点什么？
史密斯：嗯，不是。我是想问问路。我要去雍和宫，但是好像走错了出站口，现在完全不知道怎么走。
柜台：去雍和宫的话，我给您一张我们店的单子吧，背后有小地图。您看，这个红点标注的是我们店，这边的一大块就是雍和宫。你沿着这条小路过去，然后转两个弯儿，转到大路上，就会看到它大门了。
史密斯：有地图真是太好了，不然我实在是有点晕。太谢谢了！
柜台：不客气。
Asking the way
Shǐmìsī zài qù Yōnghégōng de lù shàng mílùle.
Shǐmìsī: Nǐ hǎo, dǎrǎole, qǐng wèn nǐ zhīdào zěnme qù Yōnghégōng me?
Lùrén yī: Bùhǎoyìsi, wǒ yě shì wàidì de, bú dà liǎojiě a.
Shǐmìsī: Méi yǒu guānxi, háishi xièxie.
Shǐmìsī: Nǐ hǎo, qǐng wèn qù Yōng Hégōng zěnme zǒu?
Lùrén èr: Zhège, hǎoxiàng hái yǒudiǎn jùlí a. Yīnggāi shì wǎng nàge fāngxiàng, dànshi wǒ bú dà jìde jùtǐ zěnme zǒu. Duìle, nǐ kàn nàbiān yǒu ge kāfēiguǎn, tāmen yīnggāi qīngchu de.
Shǐmìsī: Ó, nǎbiān yǒu kāfēiguǎn?
Lùrén èr: Jiù nǐ hòumian de lùkǒu a! Nàge Costa, yīnggāi shi Yōnghégōng fēndiàn.
Shǐmìsī: Yuánlái rúcǐ! Běijīng jūrán hái yǒu zhème duō Costa fēndiàn. Tài shénqíle.
Lùrén èr: Shì a, hǎo duō de. Zhīqián Xīngbākè dōu kāidào Gùgōng lǐmiàn qùle, chēzhàn a jǐngdiǎn a fùjìn dōu yǒu zhèxiē jìnkǒu de kāfēiguǎn. Yàobù wǒ bāng nǐ qù nà wènwen ba?
Shǐmìsī: Èn, wǒ zìjǐ qù wèn hǎole. Xièxiela!
Lùrén èr: Méi shìr.
Shǐmìsī: Éi, děngdeng, néng bu néng máfan nǐ gěi wǒ pāi ge zhào a? Zài Costa diàn ménkǒu.
Lùrén èr: Hā, zhèyàng a? Méi wèntí.
Shǐmìsī pǎodào Costa miànqián, xiān pāile zhāng diànmiàn de zhàopiàn, ránhòu bǎ xiàngjī gěi lùrén.
Lùrén èr: Hǎole! Huàshuō, nǐ wèishénme yào pāi Costa a?
Shǐmìsī: Zài Běijīng kàndào wǒmen nà de Costa, gǎnjué tǐng qímiào de.
Lùrén èr: Yuánlái shì zhèyàng. Costa shì nǎ ge guójiā de a?
Shǐmìsī: Yīngguó de.
Lùrén èr: Wǒ yuánlái yìzhí dōu méi guānzhùguo, cháng zhīshile. Nà hǎo de, wǒ xiān zǒule, zhù nǐ lǚtú yúkuài!
Shǐmìsī: Hǎo de, xièla!
Guìtái: Nín hǎo, qǐng wèn yào diǎn shénme?
Shǐmìsī: Én, bú shì. Wǒ shì xiǎng wènwen lù. Wǒ yào qù Yōnghégōng, dànshi hǎoxiàng zǒucuòle chūzhànkǒu, xiànzài wánquán bù zhīdào zěnme zǒu.
Guìtái: Qù Yōnghégōng de huà, wǒ gěi nín yì zhāng wǒmen diàn de dānzi ba, bèihòu yǒu xiǎo dìtú. Nín kàn, zhège hóng diǎn biāozhù de shì wǒmen diàn, zhèbiān de yí dàkuài jiù shi Yōnghégōng. Nǐ yánzhè tiáo xiǎolù guòqù, ránhòu zhuǎn liǎng ge wānr, zhuǎndào dàlù shàng, jiù huì kàndào tā dàmén le.
Shǐmìsī: Yǒu dìtú zhēnshì tài hǎole, bùrán wǒ shízài shì yǒudiǎn yūn. Tài xièxiele!
Guìtái: Bú kèqì.
Vocab and notes
路上 lù shàng ‘on the way’
迷路 mílù ‘get lost’
打扰了 dǎrǎole ‘sorry for troubling you’
请问 qǐng wèn ‘may I ask, excuse me’
么 me = 吗 ma (indicating a question word)
路人 lùrén ‘passer by’
不好意思 bùhǎoyìsi ‘embarrassed, I’m sorry’
外地 wàidì ‘another part of the country’
不大了解 bú dà liǎojiě ‘I don’t really know’. 大 Dà is used like 太 tài ‘too’ in colloquial Chinese.
没有关系，还是谢谢。 Méi yǒu guānxi, háishi xièxie. ‘That doesn’t matter. Thank you anyway.’
这个，好像还有点距离啊。Zhège, hǎoxiàng hái yǒudiǎn jùlí ‘it seems to be a bit of a distance’
应该 ‘should’
往 wǎng ‘turn’
方向 fāngxiàng ‘direction’
记得具体 jìde jùtǐ ‘remember exactly’
咖啡馆 kāfēiguǎn ‘café’
清楚 qīngchu ‘clear’
后面 hòumian ‘behind’
路口 lùkǒu ‘corner’
分店 fēndiàn ‘branch’
原来如此 yuánlái rúcǐ ‘I see’
居然 jūrán ‘unexpectedly, to one’s surprise’
神奇 shénqí ‘magical; strange’
之前 zhīqián ‘previously, before’
星巴克 Xīngbākè ‘Starbucks’
开到 kāidào ‘open’. 到 Dào is a resultative complement.
车站 chēzhàn ‘railway stations’
景点 jǐngdiǎn ‘scenic spots, attractions’
附近 fùjìn ‘area near’
进口 jìnkǒu ‘imported’
要不 yàobù ‘otherwise; how about’
自己 zìjǐ ‘one’s self, on one’s own’
哎 éi ‘hey’
等等 děngdeng ‘wait’. Note that when verbs are repeated, the second time they lose their tone.
能 néng ‘can’
麻烦 máfan ‘trouble (someone to do something)’
拍个照 pāi ge zhào ‘take a photo’
门口 ménkǒu ‘entrance’
哈 hā ‘aha’
这样 zhèyàng ‘like this’
跑到 pǎodào ‘rush to’
Costa 面前 Costa miànqián ‘in front of Costa’
先 xiān ‘first’
店面 diànmiàn ‘front of the shop’
相机 xiàngjī ‘camera’
好了 Hǎole! ‘All done!, all right!’
话说 huàshuō ‘by the way’
为什么 wèishénme ‘why’
看到 kàndào ‘see’. 到 Dào is a resultative complement.
感觉 gǎnjué ‘feel’
挺奇妙 tǐng qímiào ‘quite odd’
原来是这样。 Yuánlái shì zhèyàng. ‘I see.’
国家 guójiā ‘country’
原来 yuánlái ‘originally’
一直 yìzhí ‘always’
关注 guānzhù ‘pay attention to, be concerned, be interested’
长知识了。 Zhǎng zhīshile. ‘You learn something new every day.’
祝你旅途愉快 Zhù nǐ lǚtú yúkuài 'I wish you a good trip'
柜台 guìtái ‘counter’
嗯 èn 'mm, all right'
问路 wènlù ‘ask the way’
好像走错了出站口 hǎoxiàng zǒucuòle chūzhànkǒu ‘I seem to have taken the wrong exit from the subway station’
完全不知道 wánquán bù zhīdào ‘I really don’t know’
单子 dānzi ‘list of items’
背后 bèihòu ‘the back’
地图 dìtú ‘map’
红点 hóng diǎn ‘red dot’
标注 biāozhù ‘to mark’
店 diàn ‘shop’
大块 dàkuài ‘large piece’
沿 yán ‘to follow’
条 tiáo measure word for roads etc.
过去 guòqù ‘go through’
转两个弯儿 zhuǎn liǎng ge wānr ‘after two turns’
转到 zhuǎndào ‘turn on to’
大路 dàlù ‘large road’
大门 dàmén ‘large gate’
真是 zhēnshì ‘really’
不然我实在是有点晕 bùrán wǒ shízài shì yǒudiǎn yūn 'otherwise I would be a bit confused'
太谢谢了！ Tài xièxiele! ‘Thank you very much!’ Note that 谢谢 xièxie is grammatically an adjective here.
Asking the way
Mr Smith gets lost on the way to the Lama Temple.
Mr Smith: Hello, sorry to trouble you, but may I ask whether you know how to get to the Lama Temple?
Passer-by 1: I’m sorry, I’m not from round here either, so I don’t really know.
Mr Smith: That’s all right. Thank you.
Mr Smith: Hello, may I ask you how to get to the Lama Temple?
Passer-by 2: For that you’ve still got a bit further to go. You should take that direction, but I don’t really remember exactly how to go. Mm, do you see that café over there? They should know.
Mr Smith: Oh, where is there a café?
Passer-by 2: It’s just on the corner behind you! That Costa is probably the Lama Temple branch.
Mr Smith: I see! I didn’t expect Beijing to have so many branches of Costa. It’s quite a surprise.
Passer-by 2: Yes, there are lots of them. Recently Starbucks opened a branch in the Forbidden City. There are such foreign cafés near railway stations, scenic spots etc. How about I take you there to ask?
Mr Smith: Oh, I’d rather ask myself. Thank you!
Passer-by 2: That’s all right.
Mr Smith: Oh, just wait a moment, could I trouble you to take a picture of me? In front of the Costa entrance.
Passer-by 2: Aha, like this? No problem.
Mr Smith rushes in front of Costa, and first takes a picture of the front of the shop and then gives the camera to the passer-by.
Passer-by 2: All right! By the way, why do you want to take pictures of Costa?
Mr Smith: Seeing our Costa in Beijing feels quite odd.
Passer-by 2: I see. Which country is Costa from?
Mr Smith: The UK.
Passer-by 2: I never paid attention but now I know at last. Well, that’s good. I’ve got to go, I wish you a pleasant trip!
Mr Smith: All right. Thank you!
Person at counter: Hello, what would you like?
Mr Smith: Oh, no, I just want to ask for directions.
Person at counter: Let me give you a menu from our shop, there is a small map on the back. Have a look; this red dot indicates the shop, and this large space is the Lama Temple. If you walk along this small road, after two turns, turn in to the large road, and you will be able to see its large gate.
Mr Smith: Having the map is really good, otherwise I would be a bit confused. Many thanks!
Person at counter: You’re welcome.