HSK 5 · Story · 323 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-eat-hot-pot-in-china

怎么吃火锅

How to eat hot pot in China

Name: ________________ Date: ________

汤姆tāngmǔ来lái成都chéngdū的de第一dìyī个gè晚上wǎnshang，朋友péngyǒu阿明āmíng带dài他tā去qù吃chī火锅huǒguō。还hái没méi坐下zuòxià，汤姆tāngmǔ就jiù说shuō：“我wǒ很hěn能néng吃chī辣là！”

这zhè句jù话huà，他tā后悔hòuhuǐ了le一yì晚上wǎnshang。

阿明āmíng笑xiào了le笑xiào，点diǎn了le一个yígè鸳鸯yuānyāng锅guō：一半yíbàn红hóng汤tāng，一半yíbàn白汤báitāng。他tā还hái点diǎn了le肥牛féiniú、羊肉yángròu和hé很hěn多duō菜cài。

服务员fúwùyuán问wèn：“红hóng汤tāng要yào什么shénme辣là？”

汤姆tāngmǔ大声dàshēng说shuō：“特tè辣là，我wǒ不怕búpà！”

服务员fúwùyuán看kàn了le看kàn汤姆tāngmǔ，又yòu看kàn了le看kàn阿明āmíng。

阿明āmíng说shuō：“微辣wēilà，谢谢xièxie。”

他们tāmen去qù拿ná调料tiáoliào。阿明āmíng的de碗wǎn里只有zhíyǒu一点儿yìdiǎnr香油xiāngyóu，汤姆tāngmǔ的de碗wǎn里什么shénme都dōu有yǒu，颜色yánsè很hěn奇怪qíguài。

汤tāng开kāi了le。阿明āmíng告诉gàosù汤姆tāngmǔ：“先xiān放fàng肉ròu，再zài放fàng菜cài。”

汤姆tāngmǔ把bǎ一片yípiàn肥牛féiniú放进fàngjìn红hóng汤tāng里，等děng了le一会儿yíhuìr，然后ránhòu放进fàngjìn了le嘴zuǐ里。他tā的de脸liǎn马上mǎshàng红hóng了le，眼睛yǎnjing也yě红hóng了le，半天bàntiān说不出shuōbuchū话huà。

最后zuìhòu，他tā小声xiǎoshēng问wèn：“这zhè是shì微辣wēilà？”

“是shì啊a，”阿明āmíng说shuō，“在zài成都chéngdū，这zhè就是jiùshì微辣wēilà。”

那天nàtiān晚上wǎnshang，汤姆tāngmǔ一直yìzhí吃chī白汤báitāng那nà一边yìbiān，喝hē了le五wǔ杯bēi水shuǐ，还hái学xué了le一yí句jù很hěn有用yǒuyòng的de中文zhōngwén：“我wǒ不太bútài能néng吃chī辣là。”

吃chī完wán，汤姆tāngmǔ站zhàn起来qǐlai：“今天jīntiān我wǒ请客qǐngkè！”他tā拿ná着zhe手机shǒujī去qù买单mǎidān，可是kěshì服务员fúwùyuán说shuō：“您nín的de朋友péngyǒu已经yǐjīng付fù过guo钱qián了le。”

汤姆tāngmǔ回到huídào座位zuòwèi上shàng。阿明āmíng笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“下次xiàcì你nǐ请客qǐngkè。我们wǒmen吃chī特tè辣là。”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
辣làhot; spicy
后悔hòuhuǐto regret
汤tāngsoup; broth
付fùto pay
座位zuòwèiseat
火锅huǒguōhot pot
锅guōpot; pan; wok
红hóngred
特tèvery; especially
调料tiáoliàoseasoning; condiment
香油xiāngyóusesame 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.”