Upper-Intermediate - Dogs and Wealth (D1338)

A:  欢迎光临!
huānyíng guānglín!
Welcome.
B:  你好。快救救我们家小黑。它这两天一直不吃不喝的,整天耷拉着脑袋。
nǐhǎo. kuài jiù jiu wǒmen jiā Xiǎohēi. tā zhèliǎngtiān yīzhí bùchībùhē de, zhěngtiān dālā zhe nǎodài.
Hi. Quick, save our Little Blacky. He hasn't been eating or drinking these past few days and his head has been drooping all day.
A:  哦,我来看看,把项圈解开。应该是肠胃出了问题,你们一定是给它吃了杂七杂八的东西。
ò, wǒ lái kàn kan, bǎ xiàngquān jiěkāi. yīnggāi shì chángwèi chū le wèntí, nǐmen yīdìng shì gěi tā chī le záqīzábā de dōngxi.
Okay, let me have a look. Let's take off the collar. He's probably having some stomach issues. You guys have definitely been giving him random things to eat.
B:  我们养这小家伙也没太上心,一般我们吃什么它就吃什么。偶尔给他买点肉骨头啃啃。
wǒmen yǎng zhè xiǎojiāhuǒ yě méi tài shàngxīn, yībān wǒmen chī shénme tā jiù chī shénme. ǒuěr gěi tā mǎi diǎnr ròugǔtou kěn ken.
We haven't been too attentive while raising this little guy. Usually he just eats whatever we eat. Sometimes we buy him some meat on a bone to gnaw on.
A:  这怎么能行,狗狗应该吃自己的食物啊,比如说狗粮。
zhè zěnme néng xíng, gǒugou yīnggāi chī zìjǐ de shíwù a, bǐrú shuō gǒuliáng.
How is that acceptable? Dogs should eat their own food. For example, dog food.
B:  哎呀,平时不怎么关心它,现在病了,又觉得它挺可怜的。
āiyā, píngshí bù zěnme guānxīn tā, xiànzài bìng le, yòu juéde tā tǐng kělián de.
Ah, geez. We're usually not too concerned with him. Now that he's sick though, I'm starting to feel sorry for him.
A:  以后对它好点儿吧。这次别担心,我给它打一针就好了。
yǐhòu duì tā hǎo diǎnr ba. zhècì bié dānxīn, wǒ gěi tā dǎ yī zhēn jiù hǎole.
In the future, treat him a little better. This time, don't worry. I'll give him an injection and he'll be alright.
B:  好的!小黑,勇敢点儿。唉,小姐,那只是贵宾犬吧?怎么身上五颜六色的。
hǎode! Xiǎohēi, yǒnggǎn diǎnr. ài, xiǎojie, nà zhī shì guìbīnquǎn ba? zěnme shēnshàng wǔyánliùsè de.
Okay! Little Blacky! Be brave. Hey, Miss. That one is a poodle, right? Why is it so colorful?
A:  对,是贵宾犬。呵呵,毛色是染上去的,狗主人要求的。
duì, shì guìbīnquǎn. hēhē, máosè shì rǎn shàngqu de, gǒuzhǔrén yāoqiú de.
Yes, that's a poodle. Hehe, the color has been dyed in. The owner wanted it done.
B:  哟,我还以为是谁家孩子调皮给画的呢。那它头上套的是什么?
yō, wǒ hái yǐwéi shì shéi jiā háizi tiáopí gěi huà de ne. nà tā tóushàng tào de shì shénme?
Oh, I thought it was that their kid was being naughty and colored all over it. Then what's that thing around its head?
A:  哦,那是在做离子烫,过会儿我还要给它掏掏耳朵,做做按摩呢。
ò, nà shì zài zuò lízǐtàng, guò huǐr wǒ hái yào gěi tā tāotao ěrduo, zuòzuo ànmó ne.
Oh, that's for hair straightening. In a little bit I have to clean out its ears and give it a massage.
B:  这么懂得享受!
zhème dǒngde xiǎngshòu!
It really knows how to live!
A:  那是。它可是我们隔壁王老板的爱犬,一个月的消费抵得上我半个月的工资呢。
nà shì. tā kěshì wǒmen gébì Wáng lǎobǎn de àiquǎn, yī ge yuè de xiāofèi dǐdeshàng wǒ bàngèyuè de gōngzī ne.
That's right. It's our neighbor, Boss Wang's, beloved dog. One month of its expenses is equal to half of my monthly salary.
B:  那它可是跟对主人了。跟了我,只能灰头土脸的了。
nà tā kěshì gēn duì zhǔrén le. gēn le wǒ, zhǐnéng huītóutǔliǎn de le.
That dog really has found the right owner. If it were mine, it would end up a depressing, dirty little thing.
A:  它可是我们这宠物中心的VIP,名字叫旺财。
tā kěshì wǒmen zhè chǒngwùzhōngxīn de VIP, míngzi jiào Wàngcái.
It's our pet center's VIP client. Its name is Wangcai.
B:  旺财?名字这么土啊,还不如我们家小黑好听。
Wàngcái? míngzi zhème tǔ a, hái bùrú wǒmen jiā Xiǎohēi hǎotīng.
Wangcai? What an unsophisticated name. It's not as even good as 'Little Blacky'.
A:  猫来穷狗来富。狗能旺财的。王老板本来就很有钱,加上这只旺财狗,最近几年他可是旺上加旺了。
māo lái qióng gǒu lái fù. gǒu néng wàngcái de. Wáng lǎobǎn běnlái jiù hěn yǒuqián, jiāshàng zhè zhī wàngcáigǒu, zuìjìn jǐ nián tā kěshì wàngshàngjiāwàng le.
“With cats, comes poverty. With dogs, comes prosperity”. Dogs can bring about good fortune. Boss Wang already had a lot of money at first, but after getting Wangcai, these last few years he's been even more successful.
B:  是嘛。小黑,从今往后我一定会对你好的。
shì ma. Xiǎohēi, cóngjīnwǎnghòu wǒ yīdìng huì duì nǐ hǎo de.
Is that so? Little Blacky, from today on, I'm definitely going to treat you better.

Key Vocabulary

耷拉dālāto droop
项圈xiàngquānneckband, collar
解开jiěkāito undo
肠胃chángwèiintestines and stomach
杂七杂八záqīzábāassorted, miscellaneous
上心shàngxīnattentive
kěnto gnaw
狗粮gǒuliángdog food
打针dǎzhēnto get an injection
勇敢yǒnggǎnbrave
贵宾犬guìbīnquǎnpoodle
五颜六色wǔyánliùsècolorful
毛色máosèfur color
rǎnto dye
调皮tiáopínaughty
tàoto enclose in
离子烫lízǐtànghair straightening
掏耳朵tāo érduoto clean out ears
按摩ànmómassage
享受xiǎngshòuto enjoy
爱犬àiquǎnbeloved dog
消费xiāofèiexpenditure
抵得上dǐdeshàngto be equal to
主人zhǔrénmaster
灰头土脸huītóutǔliǎndirt-covered face, appearance of a dejected mood
unrefined
旺财wàngcáifinancial prosperity
旺上加旺wàngshàngjiāwàngto be more and more financially prosperous

Supplementary Vocabulary

沙皮狗shāpígǒuShar Pei
兴旺xīngwàngflourishing, prosperous
喜上加喜xǐshàngjiāxǐtwo happy events that come one after the other
吉娃娃犬jíwáwáquǎnChihuahua
牧羊犬mùyángquǎnshepherd dog
金毛犬jīnmáoquǎnGolden Retriever
京巴犬jīngbāquǎnPekingese
西施犬xīshīquǎnShih Tzu

Online Review and Discussion.   ©2010 Praxis Language Ltd.