ChinesePod
aChinesePod
@ 41149 Getting Old Isn't Easy
A 老趙，很久沒看你出來遛鳥了？
Lǎo Zhào, hěn jiǔ méi kàn nǐ chūlai liùniǎo le?
Seems like I haven't seen you take your bird for a walk in a long time, Lao Zhao.
B 哪有心情遛啊？家裡鬧得雞飛狗跳的，把我給煩死了。
nǎyǒu xīnqíng liù a? jiālǐ nào de jīfēigǒutiào de, bǎ wǒ gěi fán sǐ le.
How could I been in the mood to walk my bird? They're fighting and carrying on at home. It's driving me crazy!
A 怎麼啦？
zěnme la?
What's wrong?
B 我還沒嚥氣呢，幾個孩子就開始爭房子了。
wǒ hái méi yànqì ne, jǐ ge háizi jiù kāishǐ zhēng fángzi le.
I haven't even croaked, and my kids are already fighting over the house.
A 哎，我們做父母的，操勞一輩子，最怕看到這種結果了。不過你看開點兒，現在好多家庭都是這樣。
ài, wǒmen zuò fùmǔ de, cāoláo yībèizi, zuì pà kàndào zhèzhǒng jiéguǒ le. bùguò nǐ kàn kāi diǎnr, xiànzài hǎo duō jiātíng dōu shì zhèyàng.
Agh-- parents like us work hard all our lives. More than anything, we hate to see things come to this. But get used to it-- a lot of households are like this these days.
B 我真沒想到，家裡四個孩子為了一點財產，撕破臉皮，手足之情都不要了。 那天他們在家裡吵，氣得我差點兒心臟病發作！
wǒ zhēn méixiǎngdào, jiālǐ sì ge háizi wèile yīdiǎn cáichǎn, sīpò liǎnpí, shǒuzú zhī qíng dōu bù yào le. nà tiān tāmen zài jiāli chǎo, qì de wǒ chàdiǎnr xīnzàngbìng fāzuò!
I really had no idea. All four kids are willing to destroy their relationship just for a little bit of property. Once, I got so angry when they were fighting that I almost had a heart attack!
A 你可得當心身體，現在生不起病。
nǐ kě děi dāngxīn shēntǐ, xiànzài shēngbuqǐ bìng.
You really need to take care of yourself. You really can't afford to get sick now!
B 還是你好啊，生了個孝順女兒。
háishì nǐ hǎo a, shēng le ge xiàoshùn nǚ ér.
You're better off. You have a daughter who treats her parents right.
A 也不好啊。我閨女到現在還是單身呢。我們介紹的她看不上，自己找的又都沒談出結果。
yě bù hǎo a. wǒ guīnv dào xiànzài hái shì dānshēn ne. wǒmen jièshào de tā kànbushàng, zìjǐ zhǎo de yòu dōu méi tán chū jiéguǒ.
Actually, I'm no better. My little girl is still single. She doesn't like the people we introduce her to. And nothing has ever come of the ones she finds on her own.
B 哎，我們乾著急也沒用。再說有閨女在身邊照顧你，多好啊。
ài, wǒmen gān zháojí yě méiyòng. zài shuō yǒu guīnv zài shēnbiān zhàogu nǐ, duō hǎo a.
Ah, it doesn't do any good for us to worry pointlessly. And anyway, you've got your daughter at your side to take care of you. That's great.
A 哎，你說得對，我們老的乾著急也沒用。
ài, nǐ shuō de duì, wǒmen lǎo de gān zháojí yě méiyòng.
Agh, you're right. It doesn't do any good for us old guys to get antsy.
C 老趙、老陸，你們在這兒啊！
Lǎo Zhào, Lǎo Lù, nǐmen zài zhèr a!
Lao Zhao, Lao Lu-- here you are!
A 喲，老陳，聽說你到臺灣去玩兒了。
yō, Lǎo Chén, tīngshuō nǐ dào Táiwān qù wánr le.
Hey, Lao Chen. I hear you went on a trip to Taiwan.
C 對，帶老伴兒走了一圈。真不錯！你們有機會，也要出去走走。
duì, dài lǎobànr zǒu le yī quān. zhēn bùcuò! nǐmen yǒu jīhuì, yě yào chūqù zǒu zou.
Yeah. I took my wife all around. It was great! If you guys get a chance, you should go, too.
B 哪有你這麼有福氣啊？
nǎyǒu nǐ zhème yǒu fúqì a?
How could we get as lucky as you?
C 我們老年人福氣要自己找。我要去公園唱戲了。下次請你們來我家，看我在臺灣拍的照片。我先走了！
wǒmen lǎoniánrén fúqì yào zìjǐ zhǎo. wǒ yào qù gōngyuán chàngxì le. xiàcì qǐng nǐmen lái wǒ jiā, kàn wǒ zài Táiwān pāi de zhàopiàn. wǒ xiān zǒu le!
Old folks like us have to look for our own happiness. I'm going to the park to sing opera. Soon I'll have you over to my house to look at the pictures I took in Taiwan. So long!
A 老陳活得真瀟灑。
Lǎo Chén huó de zhēn xiāosǎ.
Lao Chen really lives the good life.
Key Vocabulary
遛鳥 liùniǎo
雞飛狗跳 jīfēigǒutiào
嚥氣 yànqì
操勞 cāoláo
撕破臉皮 sīpò liǎnpí
手足之情 shǒuzú zhī qíng
心臟病 xīnzàngbìng
發作 fāzuò
生不起 shēngbuqǐ
孝順 xiàoshùn
閨女 guīnv
乾著急 gān zháojí
老伴兒 lǎobànr
福氣 fúqì
唱戲 chàngxì
瀟灑 xiāosǎ
Supplementary Vocabulary
遛狗 liùgǒu
退休 tuìxiū
晚年 wǎnnián
老齡化 lǎolínghuà
嘮家常 làojiācháng
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