对面的新邻居
The new neighbour: a bowl that keeps coming back
Name: ________________ Date: ________
我家对面，来了一个新邻居。他二十多岁，一个人住。
妈妈做了包子，说：“给他拿几个吧。”
我拿了一碗包子，去了他家。他很高兴：“谢谢你们！”
第二天，他拿着碗来了我家。碗里有很多水果。“谢谢你们的包子！”
妈妈说：“碗不能空着回去。”她在碗里放了几个鸡蛋。
第三天，碗来了，里边是米饭和菜。
第四天，碗回去了，里边是面包。
一个星期，这个碗在我们两家走了七次。
星期天，妈妈说：“别送了，请他来我们家吃饭吧！”
晚上，新邻居来了，他也拿着一个碗。
妈妈看了看：“这个碗，是你的吧？”
他也看了看：“不是，是你们家的吧？”
我们看了很长时间，都不知道。
妈妈笑了：“好，这是我们两家的碗！”
Key words
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 来 | lái | to come |
| 新 | xīn | new; newly; just |
| 人 | rén | person; people |
| 住 | zhù | to live; to stay |
| 妈妈 | māma | mom; mother |
| 做 | zuò | to do |
| 包子 | bāozi | steamed bun (with filling) |
| 说 | shuō | to speak; to say |
| 去 | qù | to go |
| 家 | jiā | home; family |
| 高兴 | gāoxìng | happy; glad; pleased |
| 谢谢 | xièxie | thank you; thanks; to thank |
English (for the teacher)
A new neighbour moved in across from us. He’s in his twenties and lives on his own.
Mum made steamed buns and said, “Take him a few.”
I took a bowl of buns across to his place. He was delighted. “Thank you so much!”
The next day he came to our flat with the bowl. The bowl was full of fruit. “Thanks for the buns!”
Mum said, “A bowl can’t go back empty.” She put a few eggs in it.
On the third day the bowl came back, with rice and vegetables inside.
On the fourth day it went back, with bread inside.
In one week, that bowl went between our two homes seven times.
On Sunday, Mum said, “Let’s stop sending things. Let’s invite him round for dinner!”
That evening our new neighbour came, and he was carrying a bowl too.
Mum took a look. “This bowl is yours, isn’t it?”
He took a look too. “No, it’s yours, isn’t it?”
We all looked at it for a long time, and none of us knew.
Mum laughed. “Fine, then it’s both our families’ bowl!”