HSK 2 · Story · 189 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-noisy-neighbour-easy-chinese-story

楼上的声音

The noisy neighbour

Name: ________________ Date: ________

晚上wǎnshang十shí点diǎn，楼上lóushàng有yǒu声音shēngyīn。

“咚咚dōngdōng，咚咚dōngdōng！”

第一dìyī天tiān，我wǒ想xiǎng：没关系méiguānxi。第二天dì’èrtiān，我wǒ想xiǎng：明天míngtiān就jiù好hǎo了le。第三dìsān天tiān，我wǒ坐zuò起来qǐlai说shuō：“我wǒ要yào去qù看看kànkan！”

我wǒ去qù楼上lóushàng敲门qiāomén。门mén开kāi了le，是shì一个yígè七qī岁suì的de小女孩xiáonǚhái。

“你nǐ在zài做zuò什么shénme？”我wǒ问wèn。

她tā说shuō：“我wǒ正在zhèngzài学xué钢琴gāngqín。老师lǎoshī说shuō，天天tiāntiān都dōu要yào弹tán。”

“现在xiànzài是shì晚上wǎnshang十shí点diǎn了le……”

她tā看看kànkan我wǒ，说shuō：“爸爸bàba妈妈māma工作gōngzuò很hěn忙máng，十shí点diǎn回家huíjiā。他们tāmen想xiǎng听tīng我wǒ弹tán。”

我wǒ没méi说话shuōhuà。

第二天dì’èrtiān晚上wǎnshang八bā点diǎn，我wǒ去qù了le楼上lóushàng。“我wǒ能néng听听tīngting吗ma？”她tā笑xiào了le。

现在xiànzài我们wǒmen是shì好hǎo朋友péngyǒu。八bā点diǎn，她tā弹tán钢琴gāngqín，我wǒ听tīng。十shí点diǎn，她tā爸爸bàba妈妈māma回家huíjiā，她tā再zài弹tán一次yícì，很hěn小声xiǎoshēng。

有yǒu一天yìtiān晚上wǎnshang，十shí点diǎn没有méiyǒu声音shēngyīn。我wǒ睡不着shuìbuzháo了le。

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
晚上	wǎnshang	evening; night
十	shí	ten
点	diǎn	to point out; to bring up
天	tiān	heaven; God
没关系	méiguānxi	it doesn't matter; never mind
明天	míngtiān	tomorrow
好	hǎo	good; nice
坐	zuò	to sit
说	shuō	to speak; to say
去	qù	to go
开	kāi	to turn on; to switch on
七	qī	seven

English (for the teacher)

Ten o’clock at night. A noise from upstairs.

“Bang-bang, bang-bang!”

On the first day, I thought: never mind. On the second day, I thought: it’ll be fine tomorrow. On the third day, I sat up and said, “I’m going to go and see!”

I went upstairs and knocked on the door. The door opened, and there stood a seven-year-old girl.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

She said, “I’m learning the piano. My teacher says I have to play every day.”

“It’s ten o’clock at night now…”

She looked at me and said, “Mum and Dad work very hard. They get home at ten. They want to hear me play.”

I didn’t say anything.

The next evening at eight, I went upstairs. “Can I listen?” She smiled.

Now we’re good friends. At eight, she plays the piano and I listen. At ten, when her mum and dad get home, she plays once more, very quietly.

Then one night, ten o’clock came and there was no sound. I couldn’t sleep.