HSK 5 · Chapter 2 · 553 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-taxi-driver-and-three-radishes

三个萝卜

The taxi driver’s three radishes

Name: ________________ Date: ________

第二天dì’èrtiān晚上wǎnshang，我wǒ盯dīng着zhe自动门zìdòngmén练liàn了le一百yìbǎi遍biàn“欢迎光临huānyíng-guānglín”，还是háishi比bǐ它tā慢màn。

两liǎng点diǎn，一yí辆liàng出租车chūzūchē停tíng在zài门口ménkǒu，下来xiàlái一yí个gè大个子dàgèzi，声音shēngyīn比bǐ门mén还hái大dà：“小伙子xiáohuǒzi，新xīn来lái的de？我wǒ姓xìng白bái，白天báitiān的de白bái，可kě我wǒ只zhǐ在zài夜里yèlǐ开车kāichē。老样子lǎoyàngzi，三sān个gè萝卜luóbo，多duō加jiā汤tāng！”

我wǒ还hái没méi反应过来fǎnyìng-guòlai，他tā已经yǐjīng自己zìjǐ打开dǎkāi了le关东煮guāndōngzhǔ的de盖子gàizi，一边yìbiān选xuǎn萝卜luóbo，一边yìbiān给gěi我wǒ讲课jiǎngkè：“关东煮guāndōngzhǔ里，最zuì重要zhòngyào的de就是jiùshì萝卜luóbo。肉ròu丸子wánzi谁shéi都dōu会huì做zuò，萝卜luóbo就jiù不bù一样yíyàng了le，得děi慢慢mànmàn煮zhǔ，煮zhǔ到dào一yì咬yǎo，汤tāng就jiù从cóng里面lǐmiàn流liú出来chūlái，那nà才cái是shì好hǎo萝卜luóbo。”

白bái师傅shīfu夜里yèlǐ开kāi出租车chūzūchē，一yì开kāi就是jiùshì二十èrshí年nián。车chē很hěn旧jiù，却què擦cā得de很hěn亮liàng。他tā话huà特别tèbié多duō，说shuō凌晨língchén两liǎng点diǎn以后yǐhòu，城里chénglǐ只zhǐ剩shèng三sān种zhǒng人rén：开车kāichē的de人rén，看病kànbìng的de人rén，还有háiyǒu睡不着shuìbuzháo的de人rén。

“你nǐ是shì哪nǎ种zhǒng？”

“睡不着shuìbuzháo的de。”

“那nà咱们zánmen差不多chàbuduō。”他tā哈哈大笑hāhā-dàxiào，“我wǒ是shì开车kāichē的de里面lǐmiàn睡不着shuìbuzháo的de。”

他tā说shuō，夜里yèlǐ的de客人kèren比bǐ白天báitiān有意思yǒuyìsi：有人yǒurén上车shàngchē就jiù哭kū，有人yǒurén上车shàngchē就jiù唱歌chànggē，还有háiyǒu一yí个gè人rén上车shàngchē说shuō“你nǐ随便suíbiàn开kāi吧ba”，结果jiéguǒ绕rào着zhe城chéng转了le一yì圈quān，最后zuìhòu又yòu回到huídào了le上车shàngchē的de地方dìfang。

奇怪qíguài的de是shì，他tā认认真真rènrèn-zhēnzhēn地de挑了le三sān个gè萝卜luóbo，自己zìjǐ却què一个yígè也yě不bù吃chī，打包dǎbāo就jiù走zǒu。

那天nàtiān我wǒ好奇hàoqí，走zǒu到dào窗chuāng前qián看kàn了le一眼yìyǎn。出租车chūzūchē开kāi到dào医院yīyuàn门口ménkǒu停下tíngxià，一个yígè穿chuān蓝色lánsè工作服gōngzuòfú的de女人nǚrén从cóng里面lǐmiàn走zǒu出来chūlái，坐zuò进jìn了le车chē里。白bái师傅shīfu打开dǎkāi盒子hézi，把bǎ萝卜luóbo一个yígè一个yígè递dì给gěi她tā，自己zìjǐ在zài旁边pángbiān看kàn着zhe，笑xiào得de像xiàng个gè孩子háizi。

那个nàge女人nǚrén吃chī得de很hěn慢màn，好像hǎoxiàng每měi一口yìkǒu都dōu很hěn费劲fèijìn。白bái师傅shīfu一直yìzhí等děng她tā吃chī完wán，才cái把bǎ车chē开走kāizǒu。开走kāizǒu以前yǐqián，他tā朝cháo马路mǎlù对面duìmiàn闪shǎn了le两下liǎngxià车灯chēdēng，也yě不bù知道zhīdào在zài跟gēn谁shéi打招呼dǎzhāohu。

三sān点diǎn，我wǒ卸xiè完wán货huò回来huílai，收银台shōuyíntái上shàng又yòu有yǒu一yì张zhāng纸条zhǐtiáo：

“萝卜luóbo要yào早点záodiǎn放fàng，两liǎng点diǎn才cái够gòu软ruǎn。他tā太太tàitai牙yá不好bùhǎo。”

我wǒ拿ná着zhe纸条zhǐtiáo，觉得juéde后背hòubèi有点yóudiǎn凉liáng。白bái师傅shīfu的de太太tàitai，我wǒ也yě是shì刚才gāngcái第一次dìyīcì看见kànjiàn。写xiě纸条zhǐtiáo的de人rén怎么zěnme会huì知道zhīdào？好像hǎoxiàng有人yǒurén一直yìzhí在zài看kàn着zhe这zhè条tiáo街jiē。

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
停	tíng	to stop; to halt
小伙子	xiáohuǒzi	young man; lad
汤	tāng	soup; broth
流	liú	to flow; current; stream
师傅	shīfu	(polite) form of address for a driver or tradesman
擦	cā	to wipe; to rub
亮	liàng	bright; shiny; to shine; to light up
剩	shèng	to remain; to be left over
结果	jiéguǒ	as a result; in the end; result; outcome
城	chéng	city; town
窗	chuāng	window
盒子	hézi	box; case

English (for the teacher)

The next night I stared at the automatic door and practised “welcome” a hundred times, and I was still slower than it.

At two, a taxi pulled up outside and a big man got out, louder than the door: “New here, young man? The name’s Bai, as in daytime, but I only drive nights. The usual: three radishes, extra soup!”

Before I could react, he’d opened the lid of the oden pot himself and was choosing radishes while he gave me a lecture: “In oden, the radish is what matters most. Anyone can make meatballs, but radish is different: you have to cook it slowly, until one bite makes the soup run out of it. That’s a good radish.”

Master Bai drives a taxi at night, and has done for twenty years. His car is old, but polished till it shines. He talks a lot, and he says that after two in the morning there are only three kinds of people left in the city: people who drive, people who are ill, and people who can’t sleep.

“Which kind are you?”

“Can’t sleep.”

“Then we’re about the same.” He roared with laughter. “I’m the kind who drives and can’t sleep.”

He said night passengers are more interesting than daytime ones: some start crying as soon as they get in, some start singing, and one man got in and said “just drive”, so they did a whole lap of the city and ended up right back where he’d got in.

The strange thing was, he picked his three radishes with great care, but didn’t eat a single one; he just took them away.

That night I was curious and went to the window to look. The taxi pulled up at the hospital entrance, and a woman in a blue work uniform came out and got into the car. Master Bai opened the box and passed her the radishes one by one, watching her and smiling like a child.

The woman ate very slowly, as if every mouthful was hard work. Master Bai waited until she’d finished before he drove off. Before he went, he flashed his headlights twice across the road, though I couldn’t tell who he was saying hello to.

At three I came back from unloading, and there was another note on the counter:

“Put the radishes in earlier, or they won’t be soft enough by two. His wife has bad teeth.”

Holding the note, I felt a chill down my back. I’d only just seen Master Bai’s wife for the first time myself. How could the person writing these notes know? It was as if someone was watching this street the whole time.