Intermediate - The Trouble with Marrying a Foreigner (C2199)

A: 琳琳,我知道你现在很喜欢迈克,可是嫁给他以后,你们的交流会有问题吗?
Línlin, wǒ zhīdào nǐ xiànzài hěn xǐhuan Màikè, kěshì jiàgěi tā yǐhòu, nǐmen de jiāoliú huì yǒu wèntí ma?
Linlin, I know you really like Mike now, but after you get married, would you have communication problems?
B: 不会的,妈。我英语很好,他也在学中文。
bùhuì de, mā. wǒ Yīngyǔ hěn hǎo, tā yě zài xué Zhōngwén.
No, Mom. My English is good. He's also studying Chinese.
A: 毕竟不是母语,能很好地沟通吗?
bìjìng bù shì mǔyǔ, néng hěn hǎo de gōutōng ma?
But it's still not your mother tongue. Will you be able to communicate well?
B: 妈,感情的事很多时候是不需要语言的。
mā, gǎnqíng de shì hěn duō shíhou shì bù xūyào yǔyán de.
Mom, most of the time emotional matters aren't things that require language.
A: 那文化呢?
nà wénhuà ne?
What about culture?
B: 这个肯定会有不同。不过我相信我们都会慢慢了解对方的文化。
zhè gè kěndìng huì yǒu bùtóng. bùguò wǒ xiāngxìn wǒmen dōu huì mànmàn liǎojiě duìfāng de wénhuà.
There will definitely be differences there. However, I believe we can slowly understand each other's culture.
A: 还有饮食习惯,他要吃西餐,你要吃中餐,他爱喝冰的,你要喝热的,怎么解决?
háiyǒu yǐnshí xíguàn, tā yào chī xīcān, nǐ yào chī Zhōngcān, tā ài hē bīng de, nǐ yào hē rè de, zěnme jiějué?
There's also the food you're used to eating. He eats Western food and you eat Chinese food; he loves to drink cold things and you drink hot things. How can you resolve this?
B: 那就做两种饭呗!这些都不是问题。
nà jiù zuò liǎng zhǒng fàn bei! zhèxiē dōu bù shì wèntí.
Then you just make two kinds of food! These things aren't a problem.
A: 我听说外国人不负责任,没有激情了就要离婚。
wǒ tīngshuō wàiguórén bù fù zérèn, méiyǒu jīqíng le jiù yào líhūn.
I've heard that foreigners aren't trustworthy. If they don't feel passion, then they'll get divorced.
B: 妈,你听谁说的呀?不会的,你就别担心了!
mā, nǐ tīng shéi shuō de ya? bùhuì de, nǐ jiù bié dānxīn le!
Mom, who told you that? It won't happen, so don't worry!
A: 哎,我不管了!
āi, wǒ bù guǎn le!
Fine, I won't get involved!

Key Vocabulary

嫁给 jiàgěi to marry
交流 jiāoliú to communicate
毕竟 bìjìng after all
母语 mǔyǔ mother tongue, native language
沟通 gōutōng to communicate
感情 gǎnqíng emotions
需要 xūyào to need
语言 yǔyán language
文化 wénhuà culture
相信 xiāngxìn to believe
慢慢 mànmàn slowly
了解 liǎojiě to understand
对方 duìfāng counterpart, partner
饮食 yǐnshí drinking and eating
习惯 xíguàn customs
西餐 xīcān Western food
中餐 Zhōngcān Chinese food
解决 jiějué to resolve
bei makes a suggestion
不负责任 bù fù zérèn irresponsible
激情 jīqíng enthusiasm, passion
离婚 líhūn to divorce
guǎn to control, take charge of

Supplementary Vocabulary

to marry
事实 shìshí fact
婚姻 hūnyīn marriage
谈恋爱 tán liàn ài to date, fall in love
结婚 jiéhūn to get married

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