HSK 4 · Story · 500 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/stuck-in-the-lift-with-the-neighbour

电梯里的四十分钟

Stuck in the lift with the neighbour

Name: ________________ Date: ________

我wǒ在zài这zhè栋dòng楼lóu里住zhù了le两liǎng年nián，还hái不bù知道zhīdào邻居línjū们men叫jiào什么shénme。大家dàjiā在zài电梯diàntī里见面jiànmiàn，都dōu低dī着zhe头tóu看kàn手机shǒujī，谁shéi也yě不bù说话shuōhuà。

那天nàtiān晚上wǎnshang十shí点diǎn，我wǒ下班xiàbān回来huílái。电梯diàntī里只有zhíyǒu一yí位wèi白头发báitóufa的de老先生lǎoxiānshēng，他tā住zhù在zài我wǒ楼上lóushàng。我wǒ只zhǐ知道zhīdào，他tā每天měitiān早上zǎoshang六liù点diǎn出门chūmén散步sànbù。电梯diàntī到dào了le十二shí’èr楼lóu，突然tūrán“咚dōng”的de一声yìshēng，停住tíngzhù了le。灯dēng也yě暗àn了le一半yíbàn。

我wǒ按àn了le紧急jǐnjí按钮ànniǔ，里面lǐmiàn传来chuánlái一yí个gè声音shēngyīn：“别bié着急zháojí，维修wéixiū师傅shīfu四十sìshí分钟fēnzhōng以后yǐhòu到dào。”四十sìshí分钟fēnzhōng！我wǒ和hé老lǎo先生xiānsheng互相hùxiāng看kàn了le一眼yìyǎn，都dōu笑xiào了le一下yíxià，有点儿yóudiǎnr尴尬gāngà。

过guò了le一会儿yíhuìr，他tā先xiān开口kāikǒu了le：“你nǐ是shì1502的de吧ba？”我wǒ点diǎn点头diǎntóu。他tā又yòu问wèn：“晚上wǎnshang弹tán钢琴gāngqín的de，是shì你nǐ？”

我wǒ的de脸liǎn一下子yíxiàzi红hóng了le。上个星期shànggè-xīngqī，我们wǒmen这zhè栋dòng楼lóu的de微信wēixìn群qún里有人yǒurén留言liúyán：“1502的de朋友péngyǒu，都dōu晚上wǎnshang11点diǎn了le还hái在zài弹琴tánqín，能不能néngbunéng早zǎo一点儿yìdiǎnr？”原来yuánlái是shì他tā。

我wǒ连忙liánmáng说shuō对不起duìbuqǐ。我wǒ是shì工作gōngzuò以后yǐhòu才cái开始kāishǐ学xué钢琴gāngqín的de，白天báitiān没méi时间shíjiān，只能zhǐnéng晚上wǎnshang练liàn。

他tā摆bǎi了le摆手báishǒu：“声音shēngyīn不是búshì问题wèntí。问题wèntí是shì，你nǐ那nà首shǒu曲子qǔzi，第二dì’èr段duàn每次měicì都dōu在zài同tóng一个yígè地方dìfang弹tán错cuò。我wǒ在zài楼上lóushàng听tīng着zhe，着急zháojí啊a，睡不着shuìbuzháo觉jiào。”

原来yuánlái，他tā姓xìng郑zhèng，退休tuìxiū以前yǐqián是shì音乐yīnyuè老师lǎoshī，教jiāo了le四十sìshí年nián钢琴gāngqín。

剩下shèngxia的de半bàn个gè小时xiǎoshí，我们wǒmen一直yìzhí在zài聊天liáotiān。他tā把bǎ电梯diàntī的de墙qiáng当成dàngchéng钢琴gāngqín，用yòng手指shóuzhǐ“弹tán”那nà一yí段duàn给gěi我wǒ看kàn，嘴zuǐ里还hái唱chàng着zhe：“这里zhèlǐ要yào慢màn，这里zhèlǐ要yào轻qīng……”我wǒ跟着gēnzhe他tā唱chàng，越yuè唱chàng越yuè想xiǎng笑xiào。

电梯diàntī门mén终于zhōngyú开kāi了le。维修wéixiū师傅shīfu看见kànjiàn我们wǒmen两liǎng个gè人rén站zhàn在zài里面lǐmiàn，一边yìbiān唱chàng一边yìbiān打拍子dǎpāizi，愣lèng了le半天bàntiān。

现在xiànzài，每个měigè星期六xīngqīliù下午xiàwǔ，郑zhèng老师lǎoshī都dōu会huì下楼xiàlóu来lái我家wǒjiā，听tīng我wǒ弹琴tánqín。上个星期shànggè-xīngqī，微信wēixìn群qún里又yòu有人yǒurén留言liúyán了le：“1502的de琴声qínshēng，最近zuìjìn好听hǎotīng多duō了le。”我wǒ问wèn郑zhèng老师lǎoshī，是不是shìbúshì他tā写xiě的de。他tā笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“不是búshì我wǒ。我wǒ还hái没méi那么nàme满意mǎnyì呢ne。”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
邻居línjūneighbor
电梯diàntīelevator; lift
见面jiànmiànto meet; to see each other
只有zhíyǒuonly; only if; unless
突然tūránsuddenly; abruptly; sudden; unexpected
灯dēnglamp; light
声音shēngyīnsound; voice
以后yǐhòulater; afterwards; in the future
先xiānfirst; in advance
脸liǎnface
只能zhǐnéngcan only; have no choice but to
练liànto practice; to train; to drill

English (for the teacher)

I'd lived in this building for two years and still didn't know my neighbours' names. When we met in the lift, everyone kept their heads down over their phones, and nobody said a word.

That night I got home from work at ten. The only other person in the lift was a white-haired old man who lived upstairs from me. All I knew about him was that he went out for a walk at six every morning. When the lift reached the twelfth floor, there was a sudden thud, and it stopped dead. Half the lights went out too.

I pressed the emergency button, and a voice came through: “Don't worry, the repairman will be there in forty minutes.” Forty minutes! The old man and I glanced at each other and both gave a little smile; it was a bit awkward.

After a while he spoke first: “You're in 1502, aren't you?” I nodded. Then he asked: “The one who plays the piano at night, is that you?”

My face went red at once. Last week someone had left a message in our building's WeChat group: “Friend in 1502, it's eleven at night and you're still playing the piano. Could you stop a bit earlier?” So it was him.

I apologised straight away. I'd only started learning piano after I began working; I had no time during the day, so I could only practise at night.

He waved his hand: “The noise isn't the problem. The problem is that piece of yours: in the second part you get the same spot wrong every single time. I lie upstairs listening, and it drives me mad. I can't sleep.”

It turned out his name was Zheng, and before he retired he'd been a music teacher; he'd taught piano for forty years.

We spent the remaining half hour talking. He used the lift wall as a piano and “played” the passage with his fingers to show me, singing as he went: “Slow here, soft here…” I sang along with him, and the more we sang, the more I wanted to laugh.

At last the lift doors opened. The repairman saw the two of us standing inside, singing and beating time, and just stared for ages.

Now, every Saturday afternoon, Mr Zheng comes downstairs to my flat to listen to me play. Last week someone left a message in the WeChat group again: “The piano in 1502 has been sounding much better lately.” I asked Mr Zheng if he'd written it. He smiled and said: “Not me. I'm not that pleased yet.”