Upper-Intermediate - Reading Fortunes (D1859)

A: 小姐,你面相很好,天方地圆,让我给你看个相吧。
xiǎojie, nǐ miànxiàng hěn hǎo, tiānfāngdìyuán, ràng wǒ gěi nǐ kàn ge xiàng ba.
Miss, your facial features are excellent: "heaven square and earth round." Allow me to read your physical features.
B: 不了,我们旅游团马上要集合了。
bùle, wǒmen lǚyóutuán mǎshàng yào jíhé le.
I can't. I have to meet up with my tour group soon.
A: 我看相极准,耽误不了几分钟的。这不是迷信,面相不足的后天要想办法弥补。
wǒ kànxiàng jí zhǔn, dānwù bùliǎo jǐ fēnzhōng de. zhè bùshì míxìn, miànxiàng bùzú de hòutiān yào xiǎng bànfǎ míbǔ.
My readings are quite accurate and won't take more than a few minutes. This isn't superstition; if your facial features have issues you must think of a way to make up for them later.
C: 面相还能弥补?
miànxiàng hái néng míbǔ?
You can offset facial features?
A: 当然能。你看韩国女星都很漂亮吧?为什么那么多人自杀?就是因为面相不好。
dāngrán néng. nǐ kàn Hánguó nǚxīng dōu hěn piàoliang ba? wèishénme nàme duō rén zìshā? jiùshì yīnwèi miànxiàng bù hǎo.
Of course you can. Female Korean celebrities are really beautiful, right? Why do so many of them commit suicide? It's because they have poor facial features.
C: 那你先帮我看看吧。看一次多少钱?
nà nǐ xiān bāng wǒ kàn kan ba. kàn yīcì duōshǎo qián?
Take a look at me first, then. How much for one time?
A: 今天我们也算有缘。不准不要钱,准的话你看着办。
jīntiān wǒmen yě suàn yǒuyuán. bù zhǔn bù yào qián, zhǔn dehuà nǐ kànzhebàn.
Fate brought us together today. If I'm inaccurate there's no need to pay; if I'm correct, you may pay as much as you see fit.
C: 行,那你说吧,主要说说事业。
xíng, nà nǐ shuō ba, zhǔyào shuō shuo shìyè.
OK. Go ahead. Tell me about my career.
A: 小伙子鼻梁高而且挺直,是贵相。但印堂发青,最近想必有烦扰之事。我说的对不对?
xiǎohuǒzi bíliáng gāo érqiě tǐngzhí, shì guìxiàng. dàn yìntáng fā qīng, zuìjìn xiǎngbì yǒu fánrǎo zhī shì. wǒ shuō de duìbùduì?
The bridge of your nose is high and quite straight, which is a noble feature. However, the center of your forehead has turned slightly blue; you've most likely been dealing with stress recently. Am I right?
C: 嗯,你继续说。
ng4, nǐ jìxù shuō.
Yeah. Go on.
A: 北方对你不利,你的吉星在南方。想要发财你得去南边。
běifāng duì nǐ bùlì, nǐ de jíxīng zài nánfāng. xiǎngyào fācái nǐ děi qù nánbiān.
The north holds no profit for you. Your lucky star lies in the south. If you want to get rich you must go to the south.
C: 哦,我近期还真打算去南方发展。行了,不说我了,你给这位小姐也看看。
ò, wǒ jìnqī hái zhēn dǎsuàn qù nánfāng fāzhǎn. xíng le, bù shuō wǒ le, nǐ gěi zhè wèi xiǎojie yě kàn kan.
Oh, I'm actually planning to go to the south for my own personal development. OK, enough about me. Take a look at this young lady.
B: 我想听你说说感情。
wǒ xiǎng tīng nǐ shuō shuo gǎnqíng.
I'd like to hear you talk about relationships.
A: 那我帮你看手相吧。男左女右,给我看看右手。
nà wǒ bāng nǐ kàn shǒuxiàng ba. nán zuǒ nǚ yòu, gěi wǒ kàn kan yòushǒu.
Then let me read your palms. The left is for men, the right is for women. Let me see your right hand.
A: 小姐感情线深且长,是重感情之人。但有一些细的分叉。应该要经历三段感情才能遇到真命天子。
xiǎojie gǎnqíngxiàn shēn qiě cháng, shì zhòng gǎnqíng zhī rén. dàn yǒu yīxiē xì de fēnchà. yīnggāi yào jīnglì sān duàn gǎnqíng cái néng yùdào zhēnmìngtiānzǐ.
Your love line is deep and long, which means you're someone who takes relationships seriously. However, there are some small forks coming from the line. You will experience three relationships before you meet your true soulmate.
B: 这怎么说?
zhè zěnme shuō?
Why do you say that?
A: 你碰到的第一个男人不太可靠,第二个老实可靠但各方面配不上你。第三个跟你郎才女貌,定能百年好合,幸福美满。
nǐ pèngdào de dì yī ge nánrén bùtài kěkào, dì èr ge lǎoshi kěkào dàn gèfāngmiàn pèi bu shàng nǐ. dì sān ge gēn nǐ lángcáinǚmào, dìng néng bǎiniánhǎohé, xìngfú měimǎn.
The first man you meet won't be very reliable. The second will be reliable, but will fall short in every way. The third and you will be the perfect couple. You will live happily together for the rest of your lives.
B: 哦。这也太玄了,我才不相信这些。
ò. zhè yě tài xuán le, wǒ cái bù xiāngxìn zhèxiē.
Oh, that's really too mysterious. I don't believe that.
C: 就当好玩儿,凑个热闹。老先生,那我们给你50块吧。
jiù dāng hǎowánr, còu ge rènao. lǎo xiānsheng, nà wǒmen gěi nǐ wǔshí kuài ba.
Don't take it too seriously, it's just for fun. We'll give you 50 RMB, sir.
A: 一百不嫌少,一千不嫌多。算命看相,心诚则灵。祝二位好运。
yībǎi bù xián shǎo, yīqiān bù xián duō. suànmìng kànxiàng, xīnchéngzélíng. zhù èrwèi hǎoyùn.
100 is not too little and 1000 not too much. For these readings to be effective, you must believe in them wholeheartedly. Good luck to both of you.
C: 好像他说得还有点道理。对了,你愿意跟我去南方吗?
hǎoxiàng tā shuō de hái yǒudiǎnr dàolǐ. duìle, nǐ yuànyì gēn wǒ qù nánfāng ma?
It seems there was a bit of truth to what he said. By the way, are you willing to head south with me?
B: 这......
zhè......
Um...

Key Vocabulary

面相 miànxiàng facial features
看相 kànxiàng ‘to tell someone‘s fortune through physical features‘
耽误 dānwù to delay
不了 bùliǎo to be unable to
弥补 míbǔ to make up for, to remedy
有缘 yǒuyuán to be fated
看着办 kànzhebàn 'to do as one sees fit'
事业 shìyè career
鼻梁 bíliáng nose bridge
印堂 yìntáng center of one's forehead
想必 xiǎngbì presumably
烦扰 fánrǎo stressful
不利 bùlì unfavourable
吉星 jíxīng lucky star
手相 shǒuxiàng palm-reading
感情线 gǎnqíngxiàn 'love line'
zhòng to take seriously
分叉 fēnchà fork
真命天子 zhēnmìngtiānzǐ true male soulmate
配不上 pèi bu shàng to not be good enough for
郎才女貌 lángcáinǚmào a perfect match between a man and a woman
百年好合 bǎiniánhǎohé ’long-lasting harmonious union‘
xuán mysterious
算命 suànmìng to tell a fortune
心诚则灵 xīnchéngzélíng ‘to work only when believed in sincerely‘

Supplementary Vocabulary

整容 zhěngróng face-lift
富贵 fùguì wealthy and high-ranking
乌青 wūqīng black and blue
生命线 shēngmìngxiàn lifeline
事业线 shìyèxiàn career path
智慧线 zhìhuìxiàn wisdom line
真命天女 zhēnmìngtiānnǚ true female soulmate
深奥 shēn'ào profound

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