Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Flavors of Chengdu: A Tale of Spicy Discoveries
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.org/flavors-of-chengdu-a-tale-of-spicy-discoveries

Story Transcript:

Zh: 飞鸟掠过数千年的古都成都，伴着日落的余晖, 在川菜馆熙熙攘攘的人群中，一个名叫李伟的男子手拿菜单脸色微红，他正钻研着菜单上密密麻麻的菜品名字。
En: A flying bird glides over the ancient city of Chengdu, which has endured for thousands of years. Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, in the bustling crowd of a Sichuan cuisine restaurant, a man named Li Wei holds a menu in his hand, his face slightly flushed. He is studying the densely packed names of dishes on the menu.

Zh: 陪在他旁边的是他的朋友，一个魁梧的人物，那就是张雷，一个从不怕辣的四川男子。李伟是个南方人，不太能吃辣，而成都，这个深厚的川菜底蕴所在地，却让他少许无所适从。
En: Beside him is his friend, a strong and robust figure named Zhang Lei, a Sichuan native who is never afraid of spicy food. Li Wei, as a northerner, is not accustomed to spicy flavors, and in Chengdu, the birthplace of deep-rooted Sichuan cuisine, he feels somewhat overwhelmed.

Zh: 李伟压着纸质的菜单，眉头微皱。看着一道名字鹅毛般浅浅的菜品——麻辣烫。他觉得名字诺大非吃不可，于是毫不犹豫的向服务员点了这道菜。而李伟完全没有觉察到，张雷的脸色已经变得有些异样。
En: Li Wei presses the paper menu with a slightly furrowed brow. He looks at a dish with the name "Ma La Tang," which translates to "numb and spicy soup." He feels that with such a grand name, he cannot miss out on trying it, and thus decisively orders the dish from the waiter. However, Li Wei fails to notice that Zhang Lei's expression has already become somewhat strange.

Zh: 这道名叫麻辣烫的菜品端上桌时，就像一把熊熊的火焰，映在李伟的面孔。麻辣烫的辣，沁润到每一滴汤汁里。
En: When the dish named Ma La Tang is brought to the table, it appears like a blazing flame reflected on Li Wei's face. The spiciness of the Ma La Tang permeates every drop of broth.

Zh: 李伟抿了一口，辣的几乎让他无法呼吸，辣椒味在舌尖跳舞，普天之下仿佛没有任何可以安慰他的存在。而这时，张雷，那个不怕辣的人，却安静的一口接一口，毫无畏惧地享受着这份辣度带来的刺激。
En: Li Wei takes a sip, and the spiciness almost takes away his breath. The taste of chili peppers dances on his tongue, as if there is nothing else in the world that can console him. Meanwhile, Zhang Lei, the man who is not afraid of spiciness, calmly and fearlessly enjoys the stimulation brought by the level of spiciness.

Zh: 就在李伟正准备举白旗投降时，张雷推了他一把轻轻说道： "给自己一次机会，也许你会发现新的世界。"李伟看着张雷平静如水的脸，瞬间觉得被激励。
En: Just as Li Wei is about to surrender and wave the white flag, Zhang Lei nudges him gently and says, "Give yourself a chance, perhaps you will discover a new world." Li Wei looks at Zhang Lei's calm face, instantly feeling motivated.

Zh: 那么大的辣度，张雷都能一口下肚，他为什么不能呢？于是李伟又继续尝试，一口又一口，慢慢的，他开始适应那激烈的辣度，甚至开始欣赏这独有的味道。
En: If Zhang Lei can handle such spiciness, why can't he? So, Li Wei continues to try, one bite after another. Slowly, he begins to adapt to the intense spiciness, and even starts to appreciate this unique flavor.

Zh: 飞鸟已经消失在黄昏，夜色撒满成都，麻辣烫也见底了，李伟嘴角带笑，深受打动。品味到了他从未感受过的味道，体验了他以为自己永远也无法适应的辣度。
En: The flying bird has disappeared into the twilight, and night envelops Chengdu. The Ma La Tang is now finished, and a smile appears at the corner of Li Wei's mouth, deeply moved. He has tasted a flavor he has never experienced before, and has experienced a level of spiciness he thought he could never adapt to.

Zh: 而那边张雷，看着眼前的李伟，微笑着点点头，这只是他的一片重情的朴素心意，让这个朋友品尝他骨子里的味道，领略他的故乡。
En: Over there, Zhang Lei looks at Li Wei in front of him, smiling and nodding approvingly. This is merely a simple expression of his deep affection, allowing his friend to taste the essence of his hometown, to experience the flavor that runs in his veins.

Zh: 同样是麻辣烫，对于他们俩来说，却有着截然不同的意义。对李伟来说，这是一份超越困难的表彰，对张雷来说，这是他故乡的味道记忆，而他们所有都发生在这个美丽的城市-成都。
En: Although it is the same Ma La Tang, for the two of them, it holds completely different meanings. For Li Wei, it is a recognition that goes beyond difficulties. For Zhang Lei, it is a taste that evokes memories of his hometown. And all of this happens in this beautiful city - Chengdu.


Vocabulary Words:

• flying bird: 飞鸟
• ancient city: 古都
• endured: 持续
• thousands of years: 数千年
• bathed: 沐浴
• glow: 余晖
• setting sun: 日落
• bustling crowd: 熙熙攘攘的人群
• cuisine: 菜品
• restaurant: 川菜馆
• holds: 手拿
• menu: 菜单
• flushed: 脸色微红
• studying: 钻研
• names: 名字
• dishes: 菜品
• friend: 朋友
• strong: 魁梧
• robust figure: 魁梧的人物
• native: 四川男子
• spicy food: 辣的食物
• northerner: 南方人
• accustomed: 适应
• overwhelmed: 无所适从
• furrowed brow: 眉头微皱
• dish: 菜品
• numb and spicy soup: 麻辣烫
• grand name: 诺大
• miss out on: 错过
• decisively: 毫不犹豫地