怎么吃火锅
How to eat hot pot in China
Name: ________________ Date: ________
汤姆来成都的第一个晚上，朋友阿明带他去吃火锅。还没坐下，汤姆就说：“我很能吃辣！”
这句话，他后悔了一晚上。
阿明笑了笑，点了一个鸳鸯锅：一半红汤，一半白汤。他还点了肥牛、羊肉和很多菜。
服务员问：“红汤要什么辣？”
汤姆大声说：“特辣，我不怕！”
服务员看了看汤姆，又看了看阿明。
阿明说：“微辣，谢谢。”
他们去拿调料。阿明的碗里只有一点儿香油，汤姆的碗里什么都有，颜色很奇怪。
汤开了。阿明告诉汤姆：“先放肉，再放菜。”
汤姆把一片肥牛放进红汤里，等了一会儿，然后放进了嘴里。他的脸马上红了，眼睛也红了，半天说不出话。
最后，他小声问：“这是微辣？”
“是啊，”阿明说，“在成都，这就是微辣。”
那天晚上，汤姆一直吃白汤那一边，喝了五杯水，还学了一句很有用的中文：“我不太能吃辣。”
吃完，汤姆站起来：“今天我请客！”他拿着手机去买单，可是服务员说：“您的朋友已经付过钱了。”
汤姆回到座位上。阿明笑着说：“下次你请客。我们吃特辣。”
Key words
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 辣 | là | hot; spicy |
| 后悔 | hòuhuǐ | to regret |
| 汤 | tāng | soup; broth |
| 付 | fù | to pay |
| 座位 | zuòwèi | seat |
| 火锅 | huǒguō | hot pot |
| 锅 | guō | pot; pan; wok |
| 红 | hóng | red |
| 特 | tè | very; especially |
| 调料 | tiáoliào | seasoning; condiment |
| 香油 | xiāngyóu | sesame oil |
English (for the teacher)
On Tom’s first night in Chengdu, his friend Ah Ming took him out for hot pot. Before he had even sat down, Tom said, “I can really handle spicy food!”
He regretted those words all evening.
Ah Ming smiled and ordered a yin-yang pot: half red broth, half clear. He also ordered fatty beef, lamb and plenty of other dishes.
The waiter asked, “How spicy for the red broth?”
“Extra hot,” Tom said loudly. “I’m not scared!”
The waiter looked at Tom, then at Ah Ming.
Ah Ming said, “Mild, thanks.”
They went to get their sauces. Ah Ming’s bowl held just a little sesame oil; Tom’s held a bit of everything and was a very strange colour.
The broth came to the boil. Ah Ming told Tom, “Meat goes in first, then the vegetables.”
Tom dropped a slice of beef into the red broth, waited a moment, then put it in his mouth. At once his face went red, then his eyes, and for a long time he couldn’t say a word.
At last he asked in a small voice, “This is mild?”
“Yep,” said Ah Ming. “In Chengdu, this is mild.”
For the rest of the night Tom ate only from the clear side, drank five glasses of water, and learned a very useful phrase in Chinese: “I can’t really handle spicy food.”
When they had finished, Tom stood up. “Tonight’s on me!” He took his phone to go and pay, but the waiter said, “Your friend has already paid.”
Tom went back to his seat. Ah Ming grinned. “Next time, you’re paying. And we’re having extra hot.”