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Short story: 墙的两边 – Both Sides of the Wall

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Short story: 墙的两边 – Both Sides of the Wall

In this dialogue, two soldiers from warring countries discover they have more in common than they thought.

墙qiáng的de两边liǎng biān

很hěn久jǐu以前yǐ qián, 两liǎng个gě国家guó jiā打仗dǎ zhàng,中间zhōng jiān有yǒu一yī堵dú很hěn长cháng很hěn高Gāo的de墙qiáng。

墙qiáng的de左边zuǒ bian是shì士兵shì bīng小xiǎo李lí。墙qiáng的de右边yòu bian是shì士兵shì bīng小xiǎo王Wáng。他tā们men每天měi tiān守shǒu在zài墙qiáng边biān,等děng着zhāo,等děng着zhāo。

有yǒu一yī天tiān晚上wǎn shang,小xiǎo李lí觉得jué de很hěn无聊wú liáo,就jìu对duì着zhāo墙qiáng说shuì:”喂wéi,你nǐ那边nà bian有人yǒu rén吗má?”

墙qiáng的de另lìng一边yī biān安静ān jìng了le一会儿yī huì r。然rán后Hòu有yǒu一个yī ge声音shēng yīn说shuì:”有yǒu。”

小xiǎo李lí吓了一跳xià le yí tiào。”你nǐ是shì谁shéi?”

“我wǒ是shì士兵shì bīng,”那个nà ge声音shēng yīn说shuì。”你nǐ呢ne?”

“我wǒ也Yě是shì士兵shì bīng,”小xiǎo李lí说shuì。

两liǎng个人gè rén都Dū不bù说话shuō huà了le。

但dàn是shì第dì二èr天tiān晚上wǎn shang,小xiǎo李lí又yòu说shuì:”喂wéi。”

“喂wéi,”那个nà ge声音shēng yīn回答huí dá。

他tā们men每天měi tiān晚上wǎn shang说话shuō huà。他tā们men说shuì家里jiā lǐ的de事shì,说shuì妈妈mā ma做zuò的de饭fàn,说shuì家乡jiā xiāng的de天气tiān qì。小xiǎo李lí说shuì他tā家乡jiā xiāng有yǒu很hěn大dà的de河hé。小xiǎo王Wáng说shuì他tā家乡jiā xiāng有yǒu很hěn高Gāo的de山Shān。

他tā们men从来cóng lái不bù说shuì自己zì jǐ叫jiào什shén么má名字míng zi。从来cóng lái不问bù wèn对方duì fāng是shì哪nǎ个gě国家guó jiā的de人rén。

一个yī ge月yuè过去guò qù了le。

有yǒu一yī天tiān晚上wǎn shang,小xiǎo李lí说shuì:”我wǒ不想bù xiǎng打仗dǎ zhàng了le。”

墙qiáng的de另lìng一边yī biān安静ān jìng了le很hěn久jǐu。

“我wǒ也Yě不想bù xiǎng,”小xiǎo王Wáng说shuì。

又yòu安静ān jìng了le很hěn久jǐu。

“你nǐ家乡jiā xiāng的de山Shān,现xiàn在zài应Yīng该gāi很hěn漂亮piào liang,”小xiǎo李lí说shuì。

“你nǐ家乡jiā xiāng的de河hé,现xiàn在zài应Yīng该gāi也Yě很hěn漂亮piào liang,”小xiǎo王Wáng说shuì。

然rán后Hòu两liǎng个人gè rén都Dū不bù说话shuō huà了le。

但dàn是shì这zhè次cì的de安静ān jìng,和hé以前yǐ qián不一bù yī样yàng。

Hover a word for its pinyin & meaning; click to pin it.

Lesson vocabulary 98 words · 10 curated by the source

WordPinyinMeaning
打仗dǎ zhàngto fight a war
墙qiángwall
士兵shì bīngsoldier
无聊wú liáobored
安静ān jìngquiet
吓了一跳xià le yí tiàoto be startled
家乡jiā xiānghometown
从来cóng láinever (always)
对方duì fāngthe other party
漂亮piào liangbeautiful
很hěnvery; quite; (also, often used before an adjective without intensifying its meaning, i.e. as a meaningless syntactic element)
久jǐu(of a period of time) long
以前yǐ qiánbefore; formerly; previous; ago
两liǎngtwo; both; some; a few; tael, unit of weight equal to 50 grams (modern) or 1⁄16 of a catty 斤[jin1] (old)
个gěused in 自個兒|自个儿[zi4 ge3 r5]; variant of 個|个[ge4]
国家guó jiācountry; nation; state
中间zhōng jiānthe middle; the inside; in the middle; within; between; among; during; in the meantime
有yǒuto have; there is; (bound form) having; with; -ful; -ed; -al (as in 有意[you3 yi4] intentional)
一yīone; single; a (article); as soon as; entire; whole; all; throughout; "one" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 1); also pr. [yao1] for greater clarity when spelling out …
堵dúto block up (a road, pipe etc); (fig.) (of a person) choked up with anxiety or stress; (classifier for walls)
长chánglong; (bound form) length; (bound form) strong point; forte; (bound form) to be good at; (literary) surplus; spare (Taiwan pr. [zhang4])
高Gāosurname Gao
的deof; ~'s (possessive particle); (used after an attribute when it modifies a noun); (used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis); (used after a noun, verb or adjective to…
左边zuǒ bianleft; the left side; to the left of
是shìto be (followed by substantives only); correct; right; true; (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well; (adverb for emphatic assertion); variant of 是[shi4]
小xiǎosmall; tiny; few; young
李líplum; surname Li
右边yòu bianright side; right, to the right
王Wángsurname Wang
他tā(third-person singular) (since the early 20th century, usu. male) he; him; his; (bound form) other; another; some other (as in 他日[ta1 ri4] and 他人[ta1 ren2])
们menplural marker for pronouns, and nouns referring to individuals
每天měi tiānevery day
守shǒuto guard; to defend; to keep watch; to abide by the law; to observe (rules or ritual); nearby; adjoining
在zàito exist; to be alive; (of sb or sth) to be (located) at; (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress)
边biānside; edge; margin; border; boundary; CL:個|个[ge4]; simultaneously
等děngto wait for; to await; by the time; when; till; and so on; etc.; et al.; (bound form) class; rank; grade; (bound form) equal to; same as; (used to end an enumeration); (literary) (…
着zhāovariant of 著|着[zhao1]; a move in chess (Taiwan pr. [zhuo2]); trick; tactic; (dialect) okay; all right; (dialect) to put in; to add
天tiānday; sky; heaven
晚上wǎn shangevening; night; CL:個|个[ge4]; in the evening
觉得jué deto think that ...; to feel that ...; to feel (uncomfortable etc)
就jìu(after a suppositional clause) in that case; then; (after a clause of action) as soon as; immediately after; (same as 就是[jiu4 shi4]) merely; nothing else but; simply; just; precise…
对duìright; correct; towards; at; for; concerning; regarding; to treat (sb a certain way); to face; (bound form) opposite; facing; matching; to match together; to adjust; to fit; to sui…
说shuìto persuade; variant of 說|说[shuo1]
喂wéihello (when answering the phone); variant of 餵|喂[wei4]; to feed
你nǐyou (informal, as opposed to courteous 您[nin2]); you (Note: In Taiwan, 妳 is used to address females, but in mainland China, it is not commonly used. Instead, 你 is used to address both males and females.)
那边nà bianover there; yonder
有人yǒu rénsomeone; people; anyone; there is someone there; occupied (as in restroom)
吗má(coll.) what?
另lìngother; another; separate; separately
一边yī biānone side; either side; on the one hand; on the other hand; doing while
了le(completed action marker); (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now); (modal particle intensifying preceding clause); (bound form) clear in one's mind; to understand clearly
一会儿yī huì ra moment; a while; in a moment; now...now...; also pr. [yi1 hui3 r5]
然ráncorrect; right; so; thus; like this; -ly
后Hòusurname Hou; back; behind; rear; afterwards; after; later; post-
一个yī gea; an; one; the whole (afternoon, summer vacation etc)
声音shēng yīnsound; voice
谁shéiwho; also pr. [shui2]
我wǒI; me; my
那个nà gethat one; that thing; that (as opposed to this); (used before a verb or adjective for emphasis); (used to humorously or indirectly refer to sth embarrassing, funny etc, or when one…
呢ne(sentence-final particle) used in questions to link back to prior discourse or context ("what about...?", "and...?"); (sentence-final particle) indicating that a state or situation…
也Yěsurname Ye
个人gè rénan individual; oneself; (attributive) personal; one's own
都Dūsurname Du
不bùno; not so; (bound form) not; un-
说话shuō huàto speak; to say; to talk; to gossip; to tell stories; talk; word
但dànbut; yet; however; still; merely; only; just
第dì(prefix indicating ordinal number, as in 第六[di4 liu4] "sixth"); (literary) grades in which successful candidates in the imperial examinations were placed; (old) residence of a high…
二èrtwo; 2; (Beijing dialect) stupid
又yòu(once) again; also; both... and...; and yet; (used for emphasis) anyway
回答huí dáto reply; to answer; reply; answer
家里jiā lǐhome
事shìmatter; thing; item; work; affair; CL:件[jian4],樁|桩[zhuang1],回[hui2]
妈妈mā mamama; mommy; mother; CL:個|个[ge4],位[wei4]
做zuòto make; to produce; to write; to compose; to do; to engage in; to hold (a party etc); (of a person) to be (an intermediary, a good student etc); to become (husband and wife, frien…
饭fàncooked rice; CL:碗[wan3]; meal; CL:頓|顿[dun4]; (loanword) fan; devotee
天气tiān qìweather
大dàbig; large; great; older (than another person); eldest (as in 大姐[da4 jie3]); greatly; freely; fully; (dialect) father; (dialect) uncle (father's brother)
河hériver (CL:條|条[tiao2],道[dao4]); (bound form) the Yellow River; (bound form) the Milky Way; (bound form) (on restaurant menus) rice noodles 河粉[he2 fen3]
山Shānsurname Shan
自己zì jǐoneself; (attributive) one's own
叫jiàoto shout; to call; to order; to ask; to be called; by (indicates agent in the passive mood); variant of 叫[jiao4]
什shénwhat
么máexclamatory final particle; variant of 麼|么[me5]
名字míng ziname (of a person or thing)
不问bù wènto pay no attention to; to disregard; to ignore; to let go unpunished; to let off
哪nǎhow; which
人rénperson; people; CL:個|个[ge4],位[wei4],名[ming2]
月yuèmoon; month; monthly; CL:個|个[ge4],輪|轮[lun2]
过去guò qù(in the) past; former; previous; to go over; to pass by
不想bù xiǎngunexpectedly; to one's surprise
现xiànto appear; present; now; existing; current
应Yīngsurname Ying; Taiwan pr. [Ying4]
该gāishould; ought to; probably; must be; to deserve; to owe; to be sb's turn to do sth; that; the above-mentioned
这zhè(pronoun) this; these; (bound form) this; the (followed by a noun); (bound form) this; these (followed by a classifier) (in this sense, commonly pr. [zhei4], esp. in Beijing)
次cìnext in sequence; second; the second (day, time etc); secondary; vice-; sub-; infra-; inferior quality; substandard; order; sequence; hypo- (chemistry); classifier for enumerated e…
和héold variant of 和[he2]; surname He; (literary) harmonious (variant of 和[he2])
不一bù yīto vary; to differ
样yàngmanner; pattern; way; appearance; shape; classifier: kind, type