This is part 3 of a series in which we practise storytelling in Mandarin Chinese.
Telling stories in Chinese is about more than "saying the right words".
Things like pauses, emphasis and your overall rhythm are key to making your story flow...
So how do you improve these skills so you can keep your listener engaged?
Well, one effective way is to "shadow" a native speaker.
So in today's lesson I'm going to help you practise telling a story out loud with me!
Summary Of Storytelling In Chinese from the video above
Chinese Story: Looking for a New Place
gāo hào zhù zài jiāo qū.
高浩住在郊区。
Gao Hao lives in the suburbs.
tā měi tiān xū yào huā liǎng gè duō xiǎo shí lái dào gōng sī.
他每天需要花两个多小时来到公司。
He spends more than two hours a day commuting to the company.
suī rán jiāo qū de fáng zū bǐ jiào pián yi，
虽然郊区的房租比较便宜，
Although the rent in the suburbs is cheaper,
dàn shì tā de fáng zi jù lí gōng sī shí zài shì tài yuǎn le.
但是他的房子距离公司实在是太远了。
his house is too far from the company.
gāo hào jué dìng zū yī gè zài gōng sī fù jìn de fáng zi.
高浩决定租一个在公司附近的房子。
Gao Hao decided to rent a house near the company.
tā zhǎo le gè fáng zhōng jiè wèn: "zhè lǐ fù jìn yǒu fáng zi zū ma?"
他找了个房中介问：“这里附近有房子租吗？”
He found a real estate agent and asked, "Is there a house for rent nearby?"
fáng zhōng jiè shuō: "yǒu, gāng hǎo zhè lǐ yǒu yī tào fáng zi zài chū zū."
房中介说：“有，刚好这里有一套房子在出租。”
The real estate agent said, "Yes, there just happens to be a house here for rent."
gāo hào yòu wèn zhōng jiè shuō: "zhè gè fáng zi yǒu shén me quē diǎn ya?"
高浩又问中介说：“这个房子有什么缺点呀？”
Gao Hao asked the agent again, "What are the disadvantages of this house?"
zhōng jiè hěn chéng shí jiù shuō le：
中介很诚实就说了：
The agent honestly said :
“tā dōng miàn shì lā jī chǎng，
“它东面是垃圾场，
"There's a garbage dump to the east,
xī miàn shì shāo kǎo chǎng，
西面是烧烤场，
a barbecue site to the west,
nán miàn yǒu huà gōng chǎng，
南面有化工厂，
a chemical factory to the south,
běi miàn yǒu yǎng jī chǎng.”
北面有养鸡场。”
and a chicken farm to the north."
gāo hào yī tīng， shǎ le，“nà nà nà， yōu diǎn ne？”
高浩一听，傻了，“那那那，优点呢？”
When Gao Hao heard this, he was dumbfounded, "Then, what about the advantages?"
zhōng jiè yòu shuō shí huà le: "nǐ suí shí néng duàn dìng jīn tiān guā shén me fēng."
中介又说实话了：“你随时能断定今天刮什么风。”
The agent told the truth again: "You can always tell what direction the wind is blowing today."
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