HSK 4 · Story · 296 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-hand-pulled-noodles-are-made

第一碗拉面

How hand-pulled noodles are made: the apprentice's first bowl

Name: ________________ Date: ________

我wǒ在zài一家yìjiā牛肉面niúròumiàn店diàn学xué拉面lāmiàn。来lái了le三sān个gè月yuè，老板láobǎn一次yícì也yě没méi让ràng我wǒ拉面lāmiàn，每天měitiān只zhǐ让ràng我wǒ洗碗xíwǎn。

老板láobǎn拉面lāmiàn的de时候shíhou，我wǒ就jiù在zài旁边pángbiān看kàn。一yí块kuài面团miàntuán，老板láobǎn两liǎng只zhī手shǒu一yì拉lā，就jiù变得biànde很hěn长cháng。两头liǎngtóu放fàng在zài一起yìqǐ，再zài一yì拉lā，就jiù成chéng了le两liǎng条tiáo；再zài来lái，四sì条tiáo，八bā条tiáo……这样zhèyàng做zuò七qī次cì，就jiù有yǒu一百二十八yìbǎi’èrshíbā条tiáo面条miàntiáo了le。

面条miàntiáo在zài他tā手里shǒuli，好像hǎoxiàng在zài跳舞tiàowǔ，“啪pā”的de一声yìshēng打dǎ在zài桌子zhuōzi上shàng，又yòu细xì又yòu白bái。

今天jīntiān中午zhōngwǔ，客人kèren特别tèbié多duō，老板láobǎn忙不过来mángbu-guòlái。他tā看kàn了le看kàn我wǒ：“你nǐ来lái，一yì碗wǎn细xì的de！”

我wǒ很hěn紧张jǐnzhāng。我wǒ拿起náqǐ面团miàntuán，两liǎng只zhī手shǒu一yì拉lā，又yòu一yì拉lā。面条miàntiáo有的yǒude地方dìfang粗cū，有的yǒude地方dìfang细xì，还hái断duàn了le一yì条tiáo。最后zuìhòu放进fàngjìn锅guō里的de，有的yǒude像xiàng筷子kuàizi，有的yǒude像xiàng线xiàn。

我wǒ把bǎ面条miàntiáo拿ná给gěi客人kèren，是shì一个yígè白头发báitóufa的de老爷爷lǎoyéye。“对不起duìbuqǐ，这zhè是shì我wǒ第一次dìyīcì拉面lāmiàn……”

老爷爷lǎoyéye看kàn了le看kàn碗wǎn，没méi说话shuōhuà，一口yìkǒu一口yìkǒu地de吃chī完wán了le，连lián汤tāng也yě喝hē完wán了le。

走zǒu的de时候shíhou，他tā笑xiào着zhe对duì我wǒ说shuō：“好吃hǎochī。三十sānshí年nián前qián，你们nǐmen老板láobǎn做zuò的de第一dìyī碗wǎn，比bǐ这个zhège还hái难看nánkàn。”

我wǒ一yí看kàn，老板láobǎn站zhàn在zài锅guō旁边pángbiān，脸liǎn都dōu红hóng了le。

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
放	fàng	to put; to place
客人	kèren	guest; visitor
碗	wǎn	bowl
地方	dìfang	place
最后	zuìhòu	finally; in the end; last; final
筷子	kuàizi	chopsticks
像	xiàng	like; as
脸	liǎn	face
拉	lā	to empty one's bowels; to have (diarrhea)
细	xì	thin; slender; fine
粗	cū	thick; wide
汤	tāng	soup; broth

English (for the teacher)

I'm learning to make hand-pulled noodles at a beef noodle shop. I've been here three months, and the boss hasn't let me pull noodles once; every day he only lets me wash the bowls.

When the boss pulls noodles, I watch from the side. One piece of dough: he pulls it with both hands, and it gets very long. He puts the two ends together, pulls again, and it becomes two strands; again, four, eight … Do that seven times, and there are a hundred and twenty-eight noodles.

In his hands the noodles seem to dance; they hit the table with a slap, thin and white.

Today at lunch there were loads of customers, and the boss couldn't keep up. He looked at me. “You do it, one bowl, thin!”

I was very nervous. I picked up the dough and pulled with both hands, then pulled again. The noodles were thick in some places and thin in others, and one strand broke. What finally went into the pot was partly as thick as chopsticks, partly as thin as thread.

I took the noodles out to the customer, an old man with white hair. “I'm sorry, it's my first time pulling noodles …”

The old man looked at the bowl and said nothing; he ate it bite by bite, down to the last drop of soup.

As he was leaving, he smiled and said to me, “Delicious. Thirty years ago, the first bowl your boss made looked even worse than this.”

I looked over: the boss was standing by the pot, and his face had gone red.