April 19, 2025

A Spice of Heritage: Lian's Quest on Qingdao Beer Street

14 minutes

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: A Spice of Heritage: Lian's Quest on Qingdao Beer Street
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-04-19-22-34-02-zh

Story Transcript:

Zh: 青岛啤酒街的春日午后，阳光温柔地洒在熙熙攘攘的人群中。
En: On a spring afternoon on Qingdao Beer Street, sunlight gently spilled over the bustling crowd.

Zh: 连和她的表弟强走在拥挤的街道上，为清明节晚餐采购食材。
En: Lian and her cousin Qiang walked down the crowded street, shopping for ingredients for the Qingming Festival dinner.

Zh: 空气中充满了香气，每个摊位都散发着诱人的气味。
En: The air was filled with aromas, with each stall emanating tempting scents.

Zh: “这次我要做出特别的晚餐，纪念祖先，也让家人们开心。”连说，眼里充满期待。
En: "This time I want to make a special dinner to honor our ancestors and make the family happy," Lian said, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Zh: 强笑道：“不用担心，我帮你找到最好的食材。”
En: Qiang laughed: "Don't worry, I'll help you find the best ingredients."

Zh: 他们走进了一家小店，店里陈列着各种调料和新鲜食材。
En: They entered a small shop, which displayed a variety of condiments and fresh ingredients.

Zh: 连拿起一袋糯米：“这是做艾草青团的主材料。”
En: Lian picked up a bag of glutinous rice: "This is the main ingredient for making ai cao qingtuan."

Zh: 艾草青团是清明节的重要食品，象征着春天来临和庄稼的丰收。
En: Ai cao qingtuan is an important food for the Qingming Festival, symbolizing the arrival of spring and the harvest of crops.

Zh: 但她需要的香料却不在架子上。
En: But the spices she needed were not on the shelf.

Zh: “少了香料，这青团的味道就不对了。”连有些沮丧地说。
En: "Without the spices, the flavor of the qingtuan won't be right," Lian said somewhat dejectedly.

Zh: 强拍拍她的肩膀：“我相信我们还能找到，一起去找找。”
En: Qiang patted her shoulder: "I believe we can still find them, let's keep looking together."

Zh: 于是他们继续在啤酒街寻找，经过了好几个摊位，还是没有找到。
En: So they continued searching on Beer Street, passing several stalls, but still found nothing.

Zh: 就在他们准备放弃时，一个拐角处的小店吸引了他们的注意。
En: Just as they were about to give up, a small shop at a corner caught their attention.

Zh: 店门口坐着一位和蔼的老店主。
En: At the entrance sat a kindly old shopkeeper.

Zh: 他注意到她们的徘徊，微笑着问：“你们在找什么？”
En: Noticing their hesitation, he asked with a smile, "What are you looking for?"

Zh: “我们在找一种特定的香料，想用来做艾草青团。”连解释道。
En: "We're looking for a specific spice to use in making ai cao qingtuan," Lian explained.

Zh: 老人点点头，走进店里，从一个陈旧的罐子里取出一点香料：“这个是你需要的吗？”
En: The old man nodded, went into the shop, and took out a bit of spice from an old jar: "Is this what you need?"

Zh: “是的，就是这个！谢谢您！”连激动不已。
En: "Yes, that's it! Thank you!" Lian exclaimed with excitement.

Zh: 老人微笑着告诉他们：“这种香料在我们老家非常珍贵，它蕴含了我们对自然的敬畏和对祖先的敬意。”
En: The old man smiled and told them: "This spice is very precious in our hometown, it contains our reverence for nature and respect for our ancestors."

Zh: 连向老人深深鞠了一躬：“谢谢您，不仅给了我香料，还让我们了解了它的意义。”
En: Lian bowed deeply to the old man: "Thank you, not only for the spice but also for letting us understand its meaning."

Zh: 在回家的路上，连感到心情格外轻松。
En: On the way home, Lian felt particularly light-hearted.

Zh: 回到家中，她开始忙碌地准备晚餐。
En: Back at home, she busily prepared the dinner.

Zh: 晚餐桌上，艾草青团的清香弥漫，家人们围坐在一起，其乐融融。
En: At the dinner table, the fragrance of ai cao qingtuan filled the air, and the family sat together joyfully.

Zh: 连微笑着看着大家，感受到深深的满足。
En: Lian smiled as she looked at everyone, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction.

Zh: 她明白了，在纪念传统的过程中，有时需要灵活应变，而这种过程中建立的连接与理解，更是无价之宝。
En: She realized that in commemorating tradition, sometimes flexibility is needed, and the connections and understanding formed in this process are priceless.

Zh: 这次的晚餐，不仅纪念了祖先，更融入了新的意义，令家族的纽带更加牢固。
En: This dinner not only honored the ancestors but also infused new meaning, strengthening the family bond.

Zh: 连学会了，有时候，意外的帮助会带来意想不到的指导和温暖。
En: Lian learned that sometimes, unexpected help can bring unforeseen guidance and warmth.

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