Languages / Mandarin / Level 5 · Unit 3

叙事的声音 — Narrative Voice and Storytelling

Lesson 132 of 170 · Level 5 of 6All lessons
In this lesson

You are learning narrative voice and storytelling: you will read the scene it happens in, learn 10 words and phrases, take apart the pattern behind them (叙事句式 — narrative constructions for storytelling), hear them in a conversation, rehearse them, and finish by saying one thing out loud to be graded.

The scene

An evening at Jia Jia Tang Bao on Huanghe Road, a legendary soup dumpling stall, telling stories through food memories

黄河路的汤包记忆

黄河路,晚上七点。佳家汤包门口照例排着长队。我和作家朋友老何挤在小桌前,一人一笼汤包,一碟醋。「记得那年第一次来上海,」老何说,「就在这条街上,我吃到了人生第一个汤包。咬破皮,汤汁涌出来,我整个人愣住了。」

「每当闻到醋的香味,就会想起那个下午。」他把醋倒进小碟子里。「我外婆也做汤包,但没有这家好。不过每当我吃佳家汤包,就会想起她的版本。味觉的记忆就是这样——一种味道唤醒另一种味道。」

我环顾四周。黄河路以前全是大饭店,现在只剩下几家小店了。「不知不觉中,这条街已经变了样子。」老何叹气。「但佳家汤包还在。有些东西变不了。」

回想起来,每个人的上海记忆里都有一个黄河路的版本。老何的版本是汤包,我的版本是葱油饼。「写你的黄河路,」他说,「每个人的上海都不一样。但每个人的上海,都有一条黄河路。」