HSK 3 · Story · 332 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/ktv-in-china-the-boss-picks-the-song

老板点的歌

KTV in China: the boss picks the first song

Name: ________________ Date: ________

我wǒ来lái公司gōngsī的de第一dìyī个gè星期五xīngqīwǔ,同事tóngshì们men说shuō:“今天jīntiān晚上wǎnshang我们wǒmen去qùKTV,欢迎huānyíng你nǐ!”

坐zuò在zài我wǒ旁边pángbiān的de同事tóngshì小声xiǎoshēng告诉gàosù我wǒ:“在zài我们wǒmen这儿zhèr,第一dìyī首shǒu歌gē一定yídìng是shì老板láobǎn选xuǎn。”

我wǒ有点儿yóudiǎnr紧张jǐnzhāng。为了wèile这个zhège晚上wǎnshang,我wǒ在家zàijiā练liàn了le一yí个gè星期xīngqī的de歌gē。那nà是shì一yì首shǒu很hěn难nán的de歌gē,我wǒ想xiǎng让ràng大家dàjiā知道zhīdào,我wǒ唱chàng得de很hěn好hǎo。

到dào了leKTV,大家dàjiā都dōu坐好zuòhǎo了le,没有méiyǒu人rén去qù点歌diǎngē。老板láobǎn站zhàn起来qǐlai说shuō:“第一dìyī首shǒu歌gē,我wǒ来lái选xuǎn。”房间fángjiān里一下子yíxiàzi安静ānjìng了le。

电视diànshì上shàng出来chūlái了le四sì个gè大字dàzì:《两只老虎liǎngzhī-láohǔ》。

老板láobǎn把bǎ话筒huàtǒng给gěi我wǒ:“新xīn同事tóngshì,你nǐ来lái唱chàng!”

我wǒ看kàn着zhe大家dàjiā,大家dàjiā都dōu看kàn着zhe我wǒ。这zhè不是búshì给gěi小孩子xiǎoháizi唱chàng的de歌gē吗ma?

音乐yīnyuè开始kāishǐ了le,我wǒ只好zhíhǎo唱chàng:“两只老虎liǎngzhī-láohǔ,两只老虎liǎngzhī-láohǔ……”

我wǒ刚gāng唱chàng了le一yí句jù,大家dàjiā都dōu站zhàn了le起来qǐlai,跟gēn我wǒ一起yìqǐ唱chàng,声音shēngyīn比bǐ我wǒ还hái大dà。老板láobǎn唱chàng得de最zuì大声dàshēng,也yě最zuì不bù好听hǎotīng。

唱chàng完wán了le,大家dàjiā都dōu给gěi我wǒ鼓掌gúzhǎng。老板láobǎn说shuō:“唱chàng得de真zhēn好hǎo,欢迎huānyíng你nǐ!”

后来hòulái我wǒ才cái知道zhīdào,每个měigè新xīn同事tóngshì来lái公司gōngsī以后yǐhòu,第一dìyī首shǒu歌gē都dōu是shì《两只老虎liǎngzhī-láohǔ》。老板láobǎn说shuō,这zhè首shǒu歌gē谁shéi都dōu会huì唱chàng,谁shéi也yě不会búhuì紧张jǐnzhāng。

那nà首shǒu很hěn难nán的de歌gē,我wǒ到dào现在xiànzài还hái没méi唱chàng过guò。

上个星期shànggè-xīngqī,公司gōngsī来lái了le一个yígè新xīn同事tóngshì。这zhè一次yícì,是shì我wǒ去qù点diǎn的de歌gē。

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
旁边pángbiānbeside; next to; nearby
告诉gàosùto tell; to inform
站zhànstation; stop
开始kāishǐto begin; to start; beginning
一起yìqǐtogether
过guò(particle) marks a past experience: have ever
同事tóngshìcolleague; coworker
欢迎huānyíngto welcome; welcome
一定yídìngsurely; certainly; must
选xuǎnto choose; to select
练liànto practice; to train; to drill
难nándifficult; hard

English (for the teacher)

On the first Friday at my new company, my colleagues said, “Tonight we're going to KTV to welcome you!”

The colleague sitting next to me told me quietly, “Here, the boss always picks the first song.”

I was a bit nervous. I had practised singing at home for a whole week for this night. It was a very hard song, and I wanted everyone to know I could sing well.

At KTV, everyone sat down and nobody went to pick a song. The boss stood up and said, “I'll choose the first song.” The room went quiet at once.

Four big characters came up on the screen: Two Tigers.

The boss handed me the microphone. “New colleague, you sing!”

I looked at everyone, and everyone looked at me. Wasn't this a song for little kids?

The music started, so I had no choice but to sing: “Two tigers, two tigers …”

I'd only sung one line when everyone stood up and sang along with me, louder than I was. The boss sang the loudest, and the worst.

When it was over, everyone clapped for me. The boss said, “Really well sung, welcome!”

Only later did I find out that every new colleague's first song at the company is Two Tigers. The boss says everyone can sing it, so nobody gets nervous.

I still haven't sung that hard song.

Last week a new colleague joined the company. This time, I was the one who picked the song.