Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: The Chili Sauce Encounter: A Day of Laughter in Ancient Beijing
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Story Transcript:

Zh: 在古老繁华的帝都北京，卡通一样的789楼是一种年轻人的象征。
En: In ancient and bustling Beijing, the cartoon-like 789 building was a symbol of youth.

Zh: 在楼的某个楼层上，三位青年李明，张伟和王健一前一后踏入了一家饺子店。
En: On one floor of the building, three young people, Li Ming, Zhang Wei, and Wang Jian, entered a dumpling restaurant one after another.

Zh: 这家饺子店毫无特色，甚至可以说有些破烂，但它却是三个人的重要记忆。
En: This restaurant had no special features, and some might even call it run-down, but it held important memories for the three of them.

Zh: 特别是那架辣椒酱罐，因为正是它，开启了他们那不可思议的一天。
En: Especially that jar of chili sauce, because it was this jar that opened up their incredible day.

Zh: 李明，是那种满身透出阳光气息的年轻人。他一副毫不在乎的样子，大口地吃着饺子，毫无顾忌地往碗里倒了一大勺辣椒。
En: Li Ming was the kind of young person who exuded a sunny aura. He ate the dumplings with an indifferent look on his face, pouring a big spoonful of chili sauce into his bowl without any concern.

Zh: 那个红色的诱惑，仿佛在向他示意，注定这顿饭不会如常一般。
En: The red temptation seemed to beckon to him, foretelling that this meal would not be ordinary.

Zh: 据说那辣椒的"来头"不小，是老板从四川亲自寄过来的。
En: It was said that this chili sauce had quite an impressive origin, sent personally by the owner from Sichuan.

Zh: 他光着头，围裙下露出破旧的汗衫，平日里笑嘻嘻的，但他亲手做的辣椒，足以让任何人的味蕾因爱而怕。
En: With his bald head and his worn-out undershirt peeking out from under his apron, the owner usually had a cheerful smile on his face. But the chili sauce he made was enough to make anyone's taste buds fearfully love it.

Zh: 硬邦邦的饺子下肚后，李明觉得喉咙像是火焰在燃烧。他一拍桌子，转瞬间，几乎可以看到他眼中闪烁的惊异。
En: After devouring the hard dumplings, Li Ming felt as if his throat was on fire. He slammed the table, and in an instant, you could almost see the astonishment twinkling in his eyes.

Zh: 而后，一串打嗝声犹如修罗般撞击在小店内，吸引了所有人的目光。
En: Then, a series of burping sounds burst out like demons crashing into the small shop, catching the attention of everyone.

Zh: 张伟和王健这两个一直安静的男子，突然间像被要挟的兔子跳了起来，他们手举饺子，眼睛瞪大，嘴巴张开，凝固在那美好瞬间。
En: Zhang Wei and Wang Jian, the two usually quiet men, suddenly jumped up like rabbits being threatened. They held their dumplings up in the air, their eyes wide open, their mouths agape, frozen in that beautiful moment.

Zh: 他们目睹了李明面部像变色龙般的变化，看着他的眼涙汪汪，怔怔地看着他，然后，他们再也忍不住，拼命地笑了起来，笑声震动了整个店。
En: They witnessed Li Ming's face undergo chameleon-like changes, stared at his teary eyes in a daze, and then, they couldn't help but burst into laughter, shaking the entire shop with their laughter.

Zh: 他们吃完饭，在笑声中离开。饺子店老板摇头笑道，"这三个，说不定哪天真能成为什么大人物。" 他握着那枚辣椒罐，又倒了一大勺在碗里。
En: After finishing the meal, they left amidst the laughter. The dumpling restaurant owner shook his head and smiled, "These three, they might just become someone important one day." He held the chili sauce jar, poured another big spoonful into the bowl.

Zh: 在那天笑声中培养出了更深的友谊。
En: In that day of laughter, this group of vibrant young people cultivated a deeper friendship.

Zh: 在他们的生活中，李明的这场打嗝，成为了让他们抵挡日常烦恼，和不顺心事的笑料。
En: In their lives, Li Ming's hiccup became the source of laughter that helped them withstand the daily troubles and frustrations.

Zh: 三个人如此简单，朝气，充满活力，正如这短篇小说所带给我们的感觉。
En: The three of them were so simple, energetic, and full of vitality, just like the feeling that this short story brings to us.


Vocabulary Words:

• Beijing: 北京
• cartoon-like: 卡通一样的
• 789 building: 789楼
• symbol: 象征
• youth: 年轻人
• floor: 楼层
• young people: 青年
• Li Ming: 李明
• Zhang Wei: 张伟
• Wang Jian: 王健
• dumpling restaurant: 饺子店
• run-down: 破烂
• special features: 特色
• memories: 记忆
• jar: 罐
• chili sauce: 辣椒酱
• incredible: 不可思议
• aura: 气息
• indifferent: 毫不在乎
• temptation: 诱惑
• ordinary: 如常一般
• impressive: 来头不小
• sent personally: 亲自寄过来
• Sichuan: 四川
• owner: 老板
• bald head: 光着头
• worn-out: 破旧
• undershirt: 汗衫
• apron: 围裙
• cheerful smile: 笑嘻嘻的