Intermediate - Teaching English to the Neighbors (C1842)

A: 哎,你好,你是刚搬来的吧?
ài, nǐhǎo, nǐ shì gāng bān lái de ba?
Oh, hello. Did you just move in?
B: 对。
duì.
Yep.
A: 我就住在你楼上。哎,你能不能教我女儿学英语?
wǒ jiù zhù zài nǐ lóushàng. ài, nǐ néng bu néng jiāo wǒ nǚ'ér xué yīngyǔ?
I live upstairs. Hey, could you teach my daughter English?
B: 那个,我工作很忙,可能没时间。
nà ge, wǒ gōngzuò hěn máng, kěnéng méi shíjiān.
Um, I'm very busy with work. I don't really have time.
A: 哦。那你什么时候有空?
ò. nà nǐ shénme shíhou yǒukòng?
Oh. When will you have time?
B: 这个,很难说。要看公司的安排。不好意思,我到了,再见!
zhè ge, hěn nánshuō. yào kàn gōngsī de ānpái. bùhǎoyìsi, wǒ dào le, zàijiàn!
That's difficult to say. It depends on my work schedule. Oh, excuse me, this is my floor. Goodbye!
B: 你是?
nǐ shì?
You are...?
C: 不好意思,这么晚打扰你!我是你的邻居。
bùhǎoyìsi, zhème wǎn dǎrǎo nǐ! wǒ shì nǐ de línjū.
Sorry for disturbing you so late! I'm your neighbor.
B: 哦,有事吗?
ò, yǒushì ma?
Oh. What is it?
C: 我想请你帮个忙,我儿子的英语口语不太好,想请你教教他。
wǒ xiǎng qǐng nǐ bāng ge máng, wǒ érzi de yīngyǔ kǒuyǔ bùtài hǎo, xiǎng qǐng nǐ jiāo jiao tā.
I'd like to ask you to help me with something. My son's spoken English isn't very good. I'd like for you to teach him.
B: 阿姨,我很想帮你,可是英语不是我的母语,我也说得不标准。
āyí, wǒ hěn xiǎng bāng nǐ, kěshì yīngyǔ bùshì wǒ de mǔyǔ, wǒ yě shuō de bù biāozhǔn.
Miss, I'd really like to help you, but English isn't my native language. My spoken English isn't standard, either.
C: 哦。那你认不认识英语说得好的朋友?
ò. nà nǐ rèn bu rènshi yīngyǔ shuō de hǎo de péngyou?
Oh. Then do you have any friends who speak good English?
B: 我刚来上海,还没有朋友。
wǒ gāng lái Shànghǎi, hái méiyǒu péngyou.
I just came to Shanghai and don't have any friends yet.
C: 哦。
ò.
Oh.

Key Vocabulary

bān to move
jiù just
楼上 lóushàng upstairs
jiāo to teach
可能 kěnéng maybe
难说 nánshuō to be difficult to say
kàn to depend on
安排 ānpái schedule
打扰 dǎrǎo to disturb
邻居 línjū neighbor
帮忙 bāngmáng to help
口语 kǒuyǔ spoken language
母语 mǔyǔ mother tongue
标准 biāozhǔn standard
认识 rènshi to know

Supplementary Vocabulary

搬家 bānjiā to move
新来的 xīnlái de newly arrived
委婉 wěiwǎn tactful, indirect
直接 zhíjiē direct
拒绝 jùjué to refuse
礼貌 lǐmào manners
为难 wéinán to feel embarrassed
否则 fǒuzé otherwise
脸皮很厚 liǎnpí hěn hòu thick-skinned
借口 jièkǒu excuse

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