Intermediate - Buying a Book  (C1799)

A:  你好,我要买一本书,能帮我找一下吗?
nǐhǎo, wǒ yào mǎi yī běn shū, néng bāng wǒ zhǎo yīxià ma?
Hi, I want to buy a book. Can you help me look for it?
B:  书名是什么?
shūmíng shì shénme?
What's the name of the book?
A:  好像是明朝什么什么,后面的我记不太清了。
hǎoxiàng shì Míngcháo shénme shénme, hòumian de wǒ jì bù tài qīng le.
I think it's 'Ming Dynasty' something or other. I can't really remember the rest.
B:  不知道书名怎么找啊,我们书店这么多书。那,讲什么的你知道不?
bù zhīdào shūmíng zěnme zhǎo a, wǒmen shūdiàn zhème duō shū. nà, jiǎng shénme de nǐ zhīdào bù?
How can we search for it if you don't know the name? Our bookstore has so many books. Do you know what the book is about?
A:  是讲明朝的历史的。
shì jiǎng Míngcháo de lìshǐ de.
It's about the history of the Ming Dynasty.
B:  那应该属于历史类的。出版社呢?
nà yīnggāi shǔyú lìshǐ lèi de. chūbǎnshè ne?
Then it's probably under history. Who's the publisher?
A:  这个我真的不知道。
zhè ge wǒ zhēnde bù zhīdào.
That I really don't know.
B:  作者是谁?
zuòzhě shì shéi?
Who's the author?
A:  作者是叫什么月的,是他的网名。这原来是一本网络小说,在网上很红。
zuòzhě shì jiào shénme yuè de, shì tā de wǎngmíng. zhè yuánlái shì yī běn wǎngluò xiǎoshuō, zài wǎngshàng hěn hóng.
The author is Yue something. It's his internet name. This book was originally an internet novel. It's really popular online.
B:  你看看,是不是这本?
nǐ kàn kan, shì bu shì zhè běn?
Take a look. Is it this one?
A:  对对对,就是这本!
duì duì duì, jiùshì zhè běn!
Yes, yes, yes! It's this one!
B:  在那边的书架上。
zài nàbiān de shūjià shàng.
It's over on that bookshelf.
A:  哦,谢谢!
ò, xièxie!
Oh, thanks!

Key Vocabulary

书名shūmíngbook name
好像hǎoxiàngto seem as if
明朝MíngcháoMing dynasty
to remember
记不清jìbuqīngto not remember clearly
书店shūdiànbookstore
jiǎngto discuss
历史lìshǐhistory
属于shǔyúto belong to
lèitype
出版社chūbǎnshèpublisher
作者zuòzhěauthor
yuèmoon
网名wǎngmínginternet name
原来yuánláioriginally
běn[measure word]
网络wǎngluòinternet
小说xiǎoshuōnovel
hóngpopular
书架shūjiàbookshelf

Supplementary Vocabulary

出版chūbǎnto publish
《明朝那些事儿》Míngcháo nàxiē shìr"Those Things from the Ming Dynasty" (book name)
当年明月DāngniánmíngyuèDang Nian Ming Yue (name)
编辑biānjíeditor
主编zhǔbiāneditor-in-chief

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