Lesson 079 Restaurants (3) 第七十九课 餐厅（3）

YJ: Welcome to Chinese Studio on CRI. Wo shi Yajie. 

Cam: And wo shi Cam.  I’m getting so excited Yajie, because we keep learning about delicious Chinese food.  And we have more plans for today.

YJ:  That's right. China has so many different cuisines from around the country, and we are going to learn a few today in Chinese Studio. So, let’s begin!

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Key Words of the Day 

spareribs in sweet-sour sauce糖醋排骨(tang2cu4 pai2gu3); baked bran，烤麸(kao3fu1). Braised eggplant红烧茄子(hong2shao1 qie2zi). Water-boiled fish, 水煮鱼(shui3 zhu3 yu2). All in today’s Chinese Studio.

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Yajie:  Cam, I know you really like Shanghai. The next time you go down there, you must try spareribs in sweet-and-sour sauce. Well, in Chinese it’s 糖醋排骨(tang2cu4 pai2gu3). 

Cam:  糖醋排骨(tang2cu4 pai2gu3). 

YJ: 糖(tang2), tang, the third tone, means sugar.

Cam: 糖(tang2). I know that Shanghai is famous for its sweet taste.

YJ: Yes.And 醋(cu4), cu, the fourth tone, means vinegar.

Cam: 醋(cu4).

YJ: 排骨 means sparerib. 排，the second tone, and 骨，the third tone.

Cam: 排骨 (pai2 gu3).

YJ: 糖醋排骨(tang2cu4 pai2gu3), spareribs in sweet-sour sauce.

Cam: 糖醋排骨(tang2cu4 pai2gu3), ok… I  love that. 

YJ: And you may also take a 烤麸(kao3fu1),baked bran. It’s another special Shanghai food. 

Cam: 烤麸(kao3fu1). Hmm… sounds interesting. 

YJ: 烤, kao, the third tone means bake. 

Cam: 烤(kao3).

YJ: 麸 (fu1), fu, the first tone, means bran. 

Cam: 麸 (fu1). 

YJ: 烤麸(kao3fu1). Baked bran. 

Cam: 烤麸(kao3fu1).

Conversation1:

Cam: So, I need to try vegetable dishes as well. 

YJ: Ok. How about braised eggplant, 红烧茄子(hong2shao1 qie2zi)? 

Cam: 红烧茄子(hong2shao1 qie2zi)? What does红烧(hong2shao1) mean?

YJ: 红烧 (hong2shao1) means braise in soy sauce. And 茄子means eggplant, the second tone and the light tone. So, together it’s红烧茄子(hong2shao1 qie2zi).

Cam: 红烧茄子(hong2shao1 qie2zi).

YJ: Right. 红烧茄子(hong2shao1 qie2zi).

Cam: Ok, I’ll take it.

Conversation2:

Cam: Yajie, you know I’m a big fan of spicy Sichuan food. So, could you recommend a dish? 

YJ: Sure, how about水煮鱼(shui3 zhu3 yu2), water boiled fish? 

Cam: 水煮鱼(shui3 zhu3 yu2). 

YJ: 水(shui3) means water, s-h-u-i, the third tone.

Cam: 水(shui3). 

YJ: 煮 (zhu3), z-h-u, also the third tone, means boil.

Cam: 煮 (zhu3).

YJ: And 鱼(yu2), y-u, the second tone, fish. 

Cam: 鱼(yu2). 

YJ: So together 水煮鱼(shui3 zhu3 yu2).

Cam: 水煮鱼(shui3 zhu3 yu2).

YJ: But Cam, for your information, 水煮鱼 is piping hot! But it has an exciting taste…sorry, my mouth is watering!

Conversation3:

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Key Words Reminder 

spareribs in sweet-sour sauce糖醋排骨(tang2cu4 pai2gu3); baked bran，烤麸(kao3fu1). Braised eggplant 红烧茄子(hong2shao1 qie2zi). Water-boiled fish, 水煮鱼(shui3 zhu3 yu2).

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Cam:  If I order all this food Yajie, I am going to have a big belly… not to mention be really full!

YJ: Well, make sure you order a couple of them each time you go out.  They are all very delicious.

Cam:  We’ve run out of time, I have to say. Our question of the day is, how do you say “braised eggplant” in Chinese?  Ming tian jian! 

YJ: Ming tian jian