HSK 3 · Story · 358 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/job-interview-in-chinese-the-man-upstairs

地铁上的面试官

A job interview in Chinese: the man on the metro

Name: ________________ Date: ________

早上zǎoshang八bā点diǎn,地铁dìtiě里人rén很hěn多duō。苏晴站zhàn在zài门边ménbiān,心里xīnli很hěn紧张jǐnzhāng。今天jīntiān上午shàngwǔ十shí点diǎn,她tā有yǒu一个yígè很hěn重要zhòngyào的de面试miànshì。

她tā旁边pángbiān的de一yí个gè男人nánrén戴dài着zhe耳机ěrjī,一直yìzhí在zài唱歌chànggē。他tā唱chàng得de很hěn大声dàshēng,也yě不太bútài好听hǎotīng。

大家dàjiā都dōu在zài看kàn他tā,可是kěshì他tā好像hǎoxiàng什么shénme也yě不bù知道zhīdào。

过guò了le一会儿yíhuìr,他tā还hái在zài唱chàng。苏晴对duì他tā说shuō:“您好nínhǎo,能不能néngbunéng请qǐng您nín别bié唱chàng了le?我wǒ在zài准备zhǔnbèi面试miànshì。”

男人nánrén马上mǎshàng停tíng了le下来xiàlai,很hěn不好意思bùhǎoyìsi:“对不起duìbuqǐ,对不起duìbuqǐ!我wǒ一yì紧张jǐnzhāng就jiù唱歌chànggē。”

九点五十jiúdián-wǔshí,苏晴来到láidào一yì家jiā公司gōngsī。她tā穿chuān得de很hěn漂亮piàoliang,也yě准备zhǔnbèi得de很hěn好hǎo。

她tā走进zǒujìn一yí个gè房间fángjiān。坐zuò在zài桌子zhuōzi后面hòumiàn的de人rén看kàn了le她tā一眼yìyǎn,两liǎng个gè人rén都dōu不bù说话shuōhuà了le。

是shì地铁dìtiě上shàng的de那nà个gè男人nánrén。

“请qǐng坐zuò,”他tā说shuō,“我们wǒmen……见jiàn过guò。”

苏晴想xiǎng:“完wán了le。”

男人nánrén看kàn了le看kàn她tā的de简历jiǎnlì,问wèn了le她tā很hěn多duō问题wèntí。苏晴都dōu回答huídá得de很hěn好hǎo。

最后zuìhòu,他tā问wèn:“你nǐ觉得juéde自己zìjǐ有yǒu什么shénme缺点quēdiǎn?”

苏晴想xiǎng:“说shuō真话zhēnhuà吧ba。”然后ránhòu她tā说shuō:“我wǒ说话shuōhuà有时候yǒushíhou太tài直接zhíjiē了le。”

男人nánrén笑xiào了le:“今天jīntiān早上zǎoshang,我wǒ已经yǐjīng知道zhīdào了le。我wǒ也yě有yǒu一个yígè缺点quēdiǎn:我wǒ一yì紧张jǐnzhāng就jiù唱歌chànggē。今天jīntiān是shì我wǒ第一次dìyīcì面试miànshì别人biéren。”

一yí个gè星期xīngqī以后yǐhòu,苏晴接到jiēdào了le他tā的de电话diànhuà:“你nǐ下xià个gè星期一xīngqīyì能néng来lái上班shàngbān吗ma?”

“能néng,”苏晴说shuō,“可是kěshì……星期一xīngqīyì早上zǎoshang,您nín在zài地铁dìtiě上shàng能不能néngbunéng别bié唱歌chànggē?”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
地铁dìtiěsubway; metro
站zhànstation; stop
旁边pángbiānbeside; next to; nearby
一会儿yíhuìra moment; a while
准备zhǔnbèito prepare; to get ready; preparation
后面hòumiànback; rear; behind
过guò(particle) marks a past experience: have ever
有时候yǒushíhousometimes
笑xiàoto laugh; to smile
心里xīnliin one's heart; in one's mind
重要zhòngyàoimportant
男人nánrénman; men

English (for the teacher)

It’s eight in the morning, and the metro is packed. Su Qing stands by the doors, feeling very nervous. At ten this morning she has a very important interview.

The man next to her has his earphones in and won’t stop singing. He sings loudly, and not very well.

Everyone is looking at him, but he doesn’t seem to notice a thing.

A few minutes later, he’s still singing. Su Qing says to him, “Excuse me, could I ask you to stop singing? I’m preparing for an interview.”

The man stops at once, very embarrassed: “Sorry, sorry! Whenever I’m nervous, I sing.”

At ten to ten, Su Qing arrives at a company. She’s dressed beautifully, and she’s well prepared.

She walks into a room. The person sitting behind the desk glances at her, and neither of them says a word.

It’s the man from the metro.

“Please sit down,” he says. “We’ve… met.”

Su Qing thinks, “That’s it, then.”

The man looks over her CV and asks her lots of questions. Su Qing answers them all well.

Finally he asks, “What do you think your weaknesses are?”

Su Qing thinks, “Just tell the truth.” Then she says, “Sometimes I’m too direct.”

The man laughs: “I found that out this morning. I have a weakness too: whenever I’m nervous, I sing. Today is my first time interviewing anyone.”

A week later, Su Qing gets a call from him: “Can you start work next Monday?”

“Yes,” says Su Qing. “But… on Monday morning, could you not sing on the metro?”