HSK 3 · Story · 284 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-get-a-haircut-in-chinese

再短一点儿

How to get a haircut in Chinese

Name: ________________ Date: ________

明天míngtiān，大卫dàwèi要yào去qù新xīn公司gōngsī上班shàngbān。今天jīntiān晚上wǎnshang，他tā走进zǒujìn家jiā旁边pángbiān的de一个yígè小xiǎo理发店lǐfàdiàn。

老板láobǎn问wèn他tā：“你nǐ想xiǎng怎么zěnme剪jiǎn？”

“短duǎn一点儿yìdiǎnr。不要búyào太tài短duǎn。”

大卫dàwèi坐下zuòxià以后yǐhòu，就jiù拿出náchū手机shǒujī玩wán。老板láobǎn一边yìbiān剪jiǎn，一边yìbiān和hé他tā说话shuōhuà。大卫dàwèi也yě一边yìbiān玩wán，一边yìbiān说shuō“好hǎo”。

过guò了le一会儿yíhuìr，老板láobǎn问wèn他tā：“这样zhèyàng可以kéyǐ吗ma？”

大卫dàwèi没有méiyǒu看kàn，说shuō：“再zài短duǎn一点儿yìdiǎnr。”

又yòu过guò了le一会儿yíhuìr，老板láobǎn问wèn他tā：“这样zhèyàng呢ne？”

大卫dàwèi快要kuàiyào赢yíng了le。“好hǎo，好hǎo，再zài短duǎn一点儿yìdiǎnr。”

老板láobǎn又yòu剪jiǎn了le很hěn长cháng时间shíjiān。“好hǎo了le，你nǐ看看kànkan吧ba。”

大卫dàwèi放下fàngxià手机shǒujī，看kàn了le看kàn镜子jìngzi里的de自己zìjǐ。他tā没有méiyǒu头发tóufa了le！

“我wǒ……我wǒ说shuō的de是shì短duǎn一点儿yìdiǎnr啊a！”

“对duì啊a，”老板láobǎn说shuō，“你nǐ一共yígòng说shuō了le三次sāncì。”

第二天dì’èrtiān，大卫dàwèi很hěn不想bùxiǎng去qù上班shàngbān。可是kěshì新xīn公司gōngsī的de同事tóngshì看见kànjiàn他tā，都dōu说shuō：“你nǐ的de头发tóufa很hěn好看hǎokàn啊a！”经理jīnglǐ也yě笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“不错búcuò，看起来kànqilai年轻niánqīng了le十shí岁suì。”

一个yígè月yuè以后yǐhòu，大卫dàwèi又yòu来到láidào了le这个zhège理发店lǐfàdiàn。

老板láobǎn问wèn他tā：“这次zhècì也yě短duǎn一点儿yìdiǎnr？”

大卫dàwèi把bǎ手机shǒujī放fàng在zài桌子zhuōzi上shàng：“跟gēn上次shàngcì一样yíyàng。这次zhècì，我wǒ看kàn着zhe你nǐ剪jiǎn。”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
旁边	pángbiān	beside; next to; nearby
一会儿	yíhuìr	a moment; a while
这样	zhèyàng	like this; this way
长	cháng	long; length
笑	xiào	to laugh; to smile
短	duǎn	short; brief
以后	yǐhòu	later; afterwards; in the future
一边	yìbiān	at the same time; while (as in 一边吃一边说) (as in pairs)
头发	tóufa	hair (on the head)
一共	yígòng	altogether; in total
同事	tóngshì	colleague; coworker
经理	jīnglǐ	manager; director

English (for the teacher)

Tomorrow David starts at a new company. This evening he walks into the little barber’s next to his flat.

The barber asks him, “How would you like it?”

“A little shorter. Not too short.”

Once he sits down, David gets out his phone to play. The barber chats with him as he cuts. David keeps playing and keeps saying “OK”.

After a while, the barber asks him, “Is this all right?”

David doesn’t look up: “A little shorter.”

A while later, the barber asks him, “How about now?”

David is about to win. “Yeah, yeah, a bit shorter.”

The barber keeps cutting for a long time. “Done. Have a look.”

David puts down his phone and looks at himself in the mirror. His hair is gone!

“I… I said a little shorter!”

“That’s right,” says the barber. “You said it three times.”

The next day, David really doesn’t want to go to work. But when his new colleagues see him, they all say, “Your hair looks great!” The manager smiles too: “Not bad. You look ten years younger.”

A month later, David comes back to the same barber’s.

The barber asks him, “A little shorter again?”

David puts his phone on the table: “Same as last time. This time, I’m watching.”