HSK 4 · Chapter 2 · 301 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-guard-who-saw-nothing

门口的保安

The guard who saw nothing

Name: ________________ Date: ________

出门chūmén以前yǐqián，爷爷yéye在zài家里jiālǐ找来找去zhǎolái-zhǎoqù：“找zhǎo猫māo，怎么zěnme能néng不bú戴dài警察jǐngchá帽子màozi？我wǒ的de帽子màozi呢ne？”

“在zài车棚chēpéng的de箱子xiāngzi里，”乐乐lèlè说shuō，“你nǐ昨天zuótiān早上zǎoshang不是búshì去qù找zhǎo过guò吗ma？”

“箱子xiāngzi里都dōu是shì旧jiù衣服yīfu，我wǒ没méi找到zhǎodào。”爷爷yéye说shuō，“下午xiàwǔ再zài去qù拿ná吧ba。”

阿亮āliàng是shì小区xiǎoqū门口ménkǒu的de保安bǎo’ān，二十多岁èrshí-duōsuì，每天měitiān都dōu在zài看kàn手机shǒujī。

“阿亮āliàng，星期天xīngqītiān晚上wǎnshang，你nǐ看见kànjiàn一yì只zhī白bái猫māo了le吗ma？”

“没méi看见kànjiàn。”阿亮āliàng还hái在zài看kàn手机shǒujī。

“那nà我们wǒmen看看kànkan摄像头shèxiàngtóu。”

阿亮āliàng的de脸红liǎnhóng了le。“摄像头shèxiàngtóu……不能bùnéng用yòng了le，两liǎng个gè星期xīngqī了le。我wǒ没méi告诉gàosù别人biéren。”

乐乐lèlè看kàn了le看kàn桌子zhuōzi下面xiàmiàn，那里nàlǐ有yǒu十几shíjǐ根gēn火腿肠huótuǐcháng的de皮pí。阿亮āliàng的de椅子yǐzi上shàng，都dōu是shì白色báisè的de猫māo毛máo。

“阿亮āliàng哥哥gēge，”乐乐lèlè说shuō，“你nǐ喂wèi豆腐dòufu了le吧ba？”

阿亮āliàng只好zhíhǎo说shuō了le：“它tā每天měitiān晚上wǎnshang八bā点diǎn来lái，吃chī一yì根gēn火腿肠huótuǐcháng，吃chī完wán看看kànkan我wǒ再zài走zǒu，跟gēn老板láobǎn一样yíyàng。所以suóyǐ我wǒ叫jiào它tā‘老板láobǎn’。”

爷爷yéye问wèn：“星期天xīngqītiān晚上wǎnshang呢ne？”

“它tā来lái了le，可是kěshì只zhǐ吃chī了le一半yíbàn，就jiù慢慢mànmàn地de往wǎng小区xiǎoqū后面hòumiàn走zǒu了le。它tā从来没有cóngláiméiyǒu吃不完chībuwán过guò。”

阿亮āliàng小声xiǎoshēng说shuō：“你们nǐmen去qù问问wènwen钱阿姨吧ba。上个星期shànggè-xīngqī，她tā说shuō要yào把bǎ这zhè只zhī猫māo送走sòngzǒu！”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
以前	yǐqián	before; previously; formerly
箱子	xiāngzi	box; chest; suitcase
旧	jiù	old; used; worn
小区	xiǎoqū	residential compound; housing estate
用	yòng	to use; use; usefulness
别人	biéren	other people; others; someone else
毛	máo	surname Mao
戴	dài	to wear (a hat, glasses, jewelry, etc.)
警察	jǐngchá	police officer; police
帽子	màozi	hat; cap
只好	zhíhǎo	to have no choice but to; to be forced to
保安	bǎo’ān	security guard

English (for the teacher)

Before they went out, Grandpa searched the whole flat. “How can I look for a cat without my police hat? Where’s my hat?”

“In the box in the bike shed,” said Lele. “Didn’t you go and look for it yesterday morning?”

“That box is full of old clothes. I couldn’t find it.” Grandpa said, “I’ll fetch it this afternoon.”

A-Liang was the security guard at the compound gate, in his twenties and always on his phone.

“A-Liang, did you see a white cat on Sunday night?”

“Nope.” A-Liang was still looking at his phone.

“Then let’s check the camera.”

A-Liang went red. “The camera… doesn’t work. It hasn’t for two weeks. I didn’t tell anyone.”

Lele looked under the desk: a dozen or so ham sausage wrappers. A-Liang’s chair was covered in white cat hair.

“A-Liang,” said Lele, “you’ve been feeding Tofu, haven’t you?”

A-Liang had to come clean. “It comes at eight every night, eats one ham sausage, looks me over and leaves, like a boss. So I call it ‘the Boss’.”

Grandpa asked, “And on Sunday night?”

“It came, but it only ate half, then walked off slowly towards the back of the compound. It’s never left one unfinished before.”

A-Liang lowered his voice. “Go and ask Auntie Qian. Last week she said she’d have that cat sent away!”