May 26, 2025

Chasing Dragons: A Market Tale of Fate and Fortune

14 minutes

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Chasing Dragons: A Market Tale of Fate and Fortune
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-05-26-22-34-02-zh

Story Transcript:

Zh: 长安城的市场一片繁忙，各色小贩叫卖声此起彼伏，春天的阳光洒满大街小巷。
En: The market in Chang'an city was bustling, with the cries of various vendors resounding one after another, and the spring sunshine spreading across the streets and alleys.

Zh: 明、李和小正在摊位上准备销售他们的自制龙偶。
En: Ming, Li, and Xiao were at their stall preparing to sell their handmade dragon puppets.

Zh: 他们赶在端午节前，把这批精美的龙偶摆出来，希望吸引顾客。
En: They rushed to display these exquisite dragon puppets before the Dragon Boat Festival, hoping to attract customers.

Zh: 明是一个有才华的手工艺人，他的龙偶设计精致，独具匠心。
En: Ming is a talented craftsman; his dragon puppets are intricately designed and uniquely creative.

Zh: 他心里最大的愿望是成为一个表演者，给人们带来欢乐。
En: His greatest wish is to become a performer and bring joy to people.

Zh: 李则是他的生意伙伴，头脑聪明，总想着如何赚更多的钱。
En: Li is his business partner, clever and always thinking about how to make more money.

Zh: 小是他们的学徒，充满活力，但经常走神。
En: Xiao is their apprentice, full of energy but often distracted.

Zh: “今天真是个好日子，我们一定能把龙偶卖完！”李满怀信心地说。
En: "Today is such a good day, we are sure to sell out all the dragon puppets!" declared Li confidently.

Zh: 正当他们开始张罗时，忽然一阵大风刮来，把龙偶吹得满天飞。
En: Just as they began to set up, a sudden gust of wind blew, sending the dragon puppets flying everywhere.

Zh: 市场顿时乱作一团，路人纷纷避让，笑声、惊呼声此起彼伏。
En: The market turned into chaos as passersby dodged, with laughter and exclamations following one another.

Zh: 明心急如焚，他知道那个著名的赞助人就在附近，如果不能在他面前展示，他们失去这次机会就麻烦了。
En: Ming was anxious; he knew that a famous sponsor was nearby, and if they couldn't showcase their work, they would miss this opportunity.

Zh: “我们不能放弃！”明喊道，
En: "We can't give up!" shouted Ming.

Zh: “大家快追上去，捡回能拾到的龙偶！”
En: "Everyone, let's chase after them and pick up as many dragon puppets as we can!"

Zh: 他们四处奔跑，把散落在各处的龙偶一一找回。
En: They ran around, retrieving the dragon puppets scattered in various places.

Zh: 尽管丢失了一些，但终于集齐七八个。
En: Although some were lost, they managed to gather seven or eight.

Zh: 明灵机一动，他决定即兴演出。
En: An idea struck Ming; he decided to perform impromptu.

Zh: 市场的一角，明用简陋的舞台开始了表演。
En: In a corner of the market, Ming began his performance on a makeshift stage.

Zh: 李和小负责操控龙偶，配合着明的讲述。
En: Li and Xiao operated the dragon puppets, coordinating with Ming's narration.

Zh: 小偶尔出错却意外地增加了喜剧效果，吸引了一大群围观者。
En: Xiao occasionally made mistakes, which unexpectedly added comedic effect, attracting a large crowd of onlookers.

Zh: 此时，那个著名的赞助人被热闹的情景吸引住了，驻足观看。
En: At this time, the famous sponsor was drawn to the lively scene and stopped to watch.

Zh: 明感到一阵紧张，却也激发了他的灵感。
En: Ming felt a wave of nervousness but also a surge of inspiration.

Zh: 他在表演中加入了一场妙趣横生的情节转折，观众们哈哈大笑。
En: He incorporated a humorous twist into the performance, making the audience burst into laughter.

Zh: 赞助人也露出了满意的笑容。
En: The sponsor also showed a satisfied smile.

Zh: 表演结束，赞助人走上前来，对明钦佩地说：“你的才能让我刮目相看，我愿意为你提供一笔资助，让你在节日的表演中大展身手。”
En: After the performance, the sponsor stepped forward and said to Ming admirably, "Your talent is impressive. I'd like to provide you with funding so you can showcase your skills during the festival."

Zh: 明的心中一阵激动，他明白自己在即兴表演中的成长远超出自己的想象。
En: Ming felt a rush of excitement; he realized that his growth during the impromptu performance exceeded his imagination.

Zh: 他决定不再隐藏梦想，要在表演的道路上走得更远。
En: He decided not to hide his dreams anymore and to go further on the path of performing.

Zh: 长安的春季市场在一片欢声笑语中继续热闹着，暖暖的阳光洒在地上，让人感到无比温暖。
En: The spring market in Chang'an continued to buzz with laughter and joy, as the warm sunshine fell on the ground, making everyone feel incredibly warm.

Zh: 明、李和小对未来充满了期待，笑着离开了他们的摊位。
En: Ming, Li, and Xiao were full of expectations for the future, smiling as they left their stall.

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