A while back I did a casual interview with a vegan food photographer in China.
Get inspired by his quest to promote sustainable living while improving your Chinese listening skills & vocabulary!
Interview Dialogue Breakdown
Photographer Cao:
zhēnde hěn shénqí!
真的很神奇！
Really magical!
pāi wán zhīhòu dàjiā dōu xià de yī tiào.
拍完之后大家都吓得一跳。
After taking it, everyone was shocked.
Angel:
Today, I'm visiting a vegan restaurant called 唤觉.
nǐ hǎo! zěnme chēnghu nǐ?
你好！怎么称呼你？
Hello! How should I address you?
Photographer Cao:
wǒ jiào Cáo Měng.
我叫曹猛。
My name is Cao Meng.
Angel:
nǐ hǎo!
你好！
Hello!
zhè shì nǐ dì yī cì lái zhèlǐ chīfàn ma?
这是你第一次来这里吃饭吗？
Is this your first time eating here?
Photographer Cao:
wǒ bú shì zài dì yī cì lái zhèlǐ chīfàn.
我不是在第一次来这里吃饭。
This is not my first time eating here.
lái dào zhèlǐ yǒu yī nián duō le.
来到这里有一年多了。
I've been coming here for more than a year.
Angel:
nà wǒ xiǎng wèn yīxià nǐ wèishénme xǐhuān chī sù ne?
那我想问一下你为什么喜欢吃素呢？
So I want to ask why you like eating vegetarian food?
Photographer Cao:
yīnwèi wǒ shì zuò měishí shèyǐng,
因为我是做美食摄影，
Because I am a food photographer,
zuò yǐnshí wénhuà chuánbō de.
做饮食文化传播的。
and I work in promoting food culture.
yǐjīng zuòle jǐ shí nián le.
已经做了几十年了。
I have been doing it for decades.
rán hòu chéngshì zhè ge měishí chuánbō zhè fāngmiàn,
然后城市这个美食传播这方面，
Then in this city's food promotion area,
fāxiàn jiùshì zhème duō nián dōu shì gēn ròu lèi zài dǎ jiāodào.
发现就是这么多年都是跟肉类在打交道。
I found that over the years, it has always been dealing with meat.
ǒurán de jīhuì ràng wǒ jiēchù dàole sùshí.
偶然的机会让我接触到了素食。
By chance, I came into contact with vegetarian food.
jiēchù dàole sùshí.
接触到了素食。
I came into contact with vegetarian food.
dì yī cì jiēchù yīnggāi shì zài 2010 nián.
第一次接触应该是在2010年。
The first time I came into contact with it was in 2010.
yǒu yī wèi xiānshēng pǎo lái zhǎo wǒ,
有一位先生跑来找我，
A gentleman came to find me,
tā shuō wǒ yào zuò sùshí.
他说我要做素食。
and he said he wanted to make vegetarian food.
nàgè shíhòu kāishǐ jiù gēn sùshí jiéyuán le.
那个时候开始就跟素食结缘了。
Since then, I have been connected with vegetarian food.
fāxiàn sùshí kěyǐ bǎohù dòngwù,
发现素食可以保护动物，
I've discovered that eating vegetarian food can protect animals,
kěyǐ àihù huánjìng,
可以爱护环境，
can protect the environment,
kěyǐ àihù dìqiú,
可以爱护地球，
can protect the Earth,
ràng wǒmen de shēnghuó gèng měi,
让我们的生活更美，
make our lives more beautiful,
ràng shēngtài gèng héxié.
让生态更和谐。
make the ecosystem more harmonious.
zhè jiā cāntīng shì qùnián,
这家餐厅是去年，
This restaurant, last year,
ǒurán de jīhuì gēn tā jiéyuán le.
偶然的机会跟他结缘了。
by chance, I became connected with it.
rán hòu zài zhèbiān yě xiéshǒu zǒuguò le hǎoduō gè rìzi.
然后在这边也携手走过了好多个日子。
Then we have spent many days together here.
Angel:
hěn yǒu yìyì!
很有意义！
It's very meaningful!
wǒ xiǎng wèn yīxià:
我想问一下：
I would like to ask:
jīntiān nǐ lái zhè jiā fàndiàn shì zuò yī gè shénme huódòng?
今天你来这家饭店是做一个什么活动？
What event are you here for today?
kěyǐ gēn dàjiā jièshào yīxià ma?
可以跟大家介绍一下吗？
Can you introduce it to everyone?
Photographer Cao:
jīntiān wǒmen lái zuò de shì yī gè huánbǎo de yī gè huódòng.
今天我们来做的是一个环保的一个活动。
Today, we are here for an environmental protection event.
jiùshì dàjiā yǒu yīxiē chuān bùliǎo de yīfú,
就是大家有一些穿不了的衣服，
It's about exchanging clothes that people can't wear anymore,
kěyǐ yòng lái jiāohuàn,
可以用来交换，
so they can exchange them,
búyào qù rēng diào.
不要去扔掉。
Don't throw them away.
kěnéng nǐ chuān bùliǎo,
可能你穿不了，
Maybe you can't wear them,
nàme shuō, yǒurén shìhé chuān de, kěyǐ yòng.
那么说，有人适合穿的，可以用。
Then, someone who can wear them can use them.
yīnwèi dōu shì hěn piàoliang de yīfú.
因为都是很漂亮的衣服。
Because they are all beautiful clothes.
jiǎrú nǐ bǎ tā rēng diào le,
假如你把它扔掉了，
If you throw them away,
nàme shuō zhège dìqiú tā yě zēngjiā duō le lājī.
那么说这个地球它也增加多了垃圾。
then this Earth will have more garbage.
měi yīgèrén rúguǒ dōu qù fùchū nàme yī diǎn diǎn,
每一个人如果都去付出那么一点点，
If everyone contributes a little,
dìqiú kěnéng jiù gèng měi.
地球可能就更美。
the Earth might be more beautiful.
Angel:
hěn yǒu yìyì de yī jiàn shìqing.
很有意义的一件事情。
It's a very meaningful thing.
fēicháng hǎo!
非常好！
Very good!
nà hái yǒu yī gè gèrén de wèntí.
那还有一个个人的问题。
There's also a personal question.
wǒ juéde nǐ de fàxíng fēicháng de kù.
我觉得你的发型非常的酷。
I think your hairstyle is very cool.
nǐ kěyǐ shuō yīxià nǐ de fàxíng ma?
你可以说一下你的发型吗？
Can you talk about your hairstyle?
Photographer Cao:
wǒ de fàxíng shì wǒ zì chuàng de.
我的发型是我自创的。
My hairstyle is my own creation.
yīnwèi zuò shèyǐng ma,
因为做摄影嘛，
Because I do photography,
zǒng gǎnjué dào gèrén de xìnggé yǔ biérén bù yīyàng.
总感觉到个人的性格与别人不一样。
I always feel that my personality is different from others.
yīnwèi nǐ bù yīyàng, nǐ jiùshì nǐ.
因为你不一样，你就是你。
Because you are different, you are you.
zuò zìjǐ ba!
做自己吧！
Be yourself!
Angel:
hěn hǎo!
很好！
Very good!
Photographer Cao:
yīnwèi nǐ zuò zìjǐ cái zhīdào zìjǐ shì shéi.
因为你做自己才知道自己是谁。
Because you are yourself, you know who you are.
Angel:
zuìhòu yī gè wèntí,
最后一个问题，
One last question,
wǒ xiǎng wèn yīxià:
我想问一下：
I want to ask:
nǐ gèrén zuì xǐhuān chī nǎ yī dào sùcài?
你个人最喜欢吃哪一道素菜？
What is your favorite vegetarian dish?
Photographer Cao:
wǒ gèrén xǐhuān de shì shēngjī sùshí.
我个人喜欢的是生机素食。
Personally, I like raw vegetarian food.
yīnwèi shēngjī sùshí,
因为生机素食，
Because raw vegetarian food,
tā kěyǐ bǎochí tā yuán yǒu de yīxiē yíngyǎng chéngfèn.
它可以保持它原有的一些营养成分。
it can retain some of its original nutrients.
dāngrán lái jiǎng,
当然来讲，
Of course,
yě yǒu xiē sùshí ne shì xūyào jiāgōng yī xià de.
也有些素食呢是需要加工一下的。
some vegetarian foods need to be processed.
ǒuěr kěnéng dāpèi yī xià lái chī ba.
偶尔可能搭配一下来吃吧。
Occasionally, you can mix them together to eat.
duì, xīwàng gèng duō rén jiārù dào zhège
对，希望更多人加入到这个
Yes, I hope more people join this
huánbǎo sùshí de hángyè dāngzhōng.
环保素食的行业当中。
environmental vegetarian industry.
ràng wǒmen zhège dìqiú,
让我们这个地球，
Make our Earth,
ràng wǒmen de shēnghuó gèng měi.
让我们的生活更美。
make our lives more beautiful.
Angel:
fēicháng hǎo, xièxie nǐ!
非常好，谢谢你！
Very good, thank you!
Photographer Cao:
xièxie, gǎnxiè, gǎnxiè!
谢谢，感谢，感谢！
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Angel:
kěyǐ pāi gè zhào ma?
可以拍个照吗？
Can we take a photo?
Small Talk Before The Interview:
Photographer Cao:
zhè shì shàng yī qī a.
这是上一期啊。
This is the last event.
shàng yī qī nǐ bù zài.
上一期你不在。
You were not at the last event.
Angel:
méi zài.
没在。
I wasn't.
Photographer Cao:
zhè shàng qī wǒ zuò de.
这上期我做的。
I did this last event.
Angel:
hěn bàng a!
很棒啊！
Awesome!
hěn hǎo!
很好！
Very good!
hěn hǎo a!
很好啊！
Very good!
Photographer Cao:
yīcì bǐ yīcì bàng.
一次比一次棒。
Better and better each time.
Angel:
duì, hěn hǎo a!
对，很好啊！
Yes, very good!
fēicháng zhuānyè, fēicháng hǎo!
非常专业，非常好！
Very professional, very good!
Photographer Cao:
zhè shì wǒ!
这是我！
This is me!
Angel:
duì!
对！
Yes!
bùcuò, háishì nàme kù nàge fàxíng.
不错，还是那么酷那个发型。
Not bad, still that cool hairstyle.
hěn hǎo!
很好！
Very good!
Photographer Cao:
tā méi lái a zhè cì a.
他没来啊这次啊。
He didn't come this time.
Angel:
pāi de hěn hǎo yé!
拍得很好耶！
The shots are great!
Photographer Cao:
nǐ kàn wǒ shàngcì pāi zhège zhàopiàn, kàn dào méiyǒu?
你看我上次拍这个照片，看到没有？
Look at this photo I took last time, do you see it?
Angel:
duì.
对。
Yes.
kàn zhè zìrán xíng de yī gè xīnxíng.
看这自然形的一个心形。
Look at this naturally formed heart shape.
Angel:
duì, àixīn.
对，爱心。
Yes, a heart.
Photographer Cao:
yī gè àixīn.
一个爱心。
A heart.
Angel:
měi a!
美啊！
Beautiful!
Photographer Cao:
zhēnde hěn shénqí!
真的很神奇！
Really magical!
pāi wán zhīhòu dàjiā dōu xià de yī tiào.
拍完之后大家都吓得一跳。
After taking it, everyone was shocked .
Angel:
duì!
对！
Yes!
Photographer Cao:
wa! zěnme biàn chéng ge xīnxíng le?
哇！怎么变成个心形了？
Wow! How did it become a heart shape?
Angel:
hǎo, wǒmen kěyǐ kāishǐ ma?
好，我们可以开始吗？
Alright, can we start?
Photographer Cao:
OK, kěyǐ kāishǐ.
OK, 可以开始。
OK, we can start.
Angel:
wǒmen jiù xiān liáo yīxià a!
我们就先聊一下啊！
Let's chat first!
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