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Short story: 李师傅的五十年 – Master Li’s Fifty Years

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Short story: 李师傅的五十年 – Master Li’s Fifty Years

What can a barber learn from fifty years of cutting hair? Turns out, quite a lot about human nature.

李lí师Shī傅Fù的de五十wǔ shí年Nián

李lí师Shī傅Fù是shì一个yī ge理发师lǐfàshī。他tā今年jīn nián七十qī shí岁suì了le。他tā从cóng二十èr shí岁suì开始kāi shǐ剪Jiǎn头tóu发fā,已经yǐ jīng五十wǔ shí年Nián了le。

他tā的de店diàn很hěn小xiǎo。门口ménkǒu有yǒu一个yī ge旧jìu的de红Hóng白Bái蓝Lán的de灯dēng。窗户chuāng hu上shǎng写xiě着zhāo三Sān个gě字zì:”李lí师Shī傅Fù”。

客人kèrén坐下zuò xia,李lí师Shī傅Fù就jìu开始kāi shǐ剪Jiǎn。他tā不问bù wèn”你nǐ要yāo什shén么má样yàng的de”。他tā看一看kàn yī kàn,就jìu知道了zhī dào le。

“你nǐ最近zuì jìn忙máng吗má?”他tā会huì问wèn。

或者huò zhě:”你nǐ妈妈mā ma好hǎo吗má?”

或者huò zhě,他tā什shén么má都Dū不问bù wèn。只是zhǐ shì剪Jiǎn。

很hěn多duō客人kèrén三十sān shí年前nián qián就jìu来lái这里zhè lǐ。现xiàn在zài他tā们men带dài自己zì jǐ的de儿子ér zi来lái。有的yǒu de还Huán带dài孙子sūnzi来lái。

“李lí师Shī傅Fù,”一个yī ge老客lǎo kè人rén说shuì,”五十wǔ shí年Nián了le。你nǐ看kān了le多少duō shǎo人rén?”

李lí师Shī傅Fù笑xiào了le。”我wǒ没méi数shǔ过Guō。”

“你nǐ学到xué dào了le什shén么má?”

李lí师Shī傅Fù想xiǎng了le想xiǎng。

“我wǒ学到xué dào,”他tā说shuì,”人rén很hěn简单jiǎndān。”

“简单jiǎndān?”

“对duì。年轻人nián qīng rén想xiǎng变biàn好看hǎo kàn。中年zhōngnián人rén想xiǎng变biàn年轻niánqīng。老年人lǎo nián rén——”

他tā停tíng了le一下yī xià。

“老年人lǎo nián rén只zhī想xiǎng有人yǒu rén听yǐn他tā们men说话shuō huà。”

老客lǎo kè人rén笑xiào了le,但dàn是shì眼睛yǎn jing有一点yǒu yī diǎn湿shī。

“那Nā你nǐ呢ne,李lí师Shī傅Fù?你nǐ想xiǎng什shén么má?”

李lí师Shī傅Fù看看kàn kan自己zì jǐ的de手shǒu。这zhè双手shuāng shǒu剪Jiǎn了le五十wǔ shí年Nián的de头tóu发fā。

“我wǒ?”他tā说shuì,”我wǒ想xiǎng——明天míng tiān还有hái yǒu客人kèrén来lái。”

外面wài miàn,红Hóng白Bái蓝Lán的de灯dēng慢màn慢màn地de转zhuǎi。

里面lǐ miàn,李lí师Shī傅Fù又yòu拿起ná qǐ了le剪刀jiǎndāo。

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

Lesson vocabulary 119 words · 9 curated by the source

WordPinyinMeaning
理发师lǐfàshībarber
门口ménkǒuentrance/doorway
客人kèréncustomer/guest
孙子sūnzigrandson
简单jiǎndānsimple
年轻niánqīngyoung
中年zhōngniánmiddle-aged
剪刀jiǎndāoscissors
湿shīwet/moist
李líplum; surname Li
师Shīsurname Shi
傅Fùsurname Fu
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]
一个yī gea; an; one; the whole (afternoon, summer vacation etc)
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])
今年jīn niánthis year
七十qī shíseventy; 70
岁suìvariant of 歲|岁[sui4], year; years old; classifier for years (of age); year; year (of crop harvests)
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
从cóngvariant of 從|从[cong2]; surname Cong
二十èr shítwenty; 20
开始kāi shǐto begin; to start; beginning; start
剪Jiǎnsurname Jian
头tóuhead; hair style; the top; end; beginning or end; a stub; remnant; chief; boss; side; aspect; first; leading; classifier for pigs or livestock; CL:個|个[ge4]
发fāto send out; to show (one's feeling); to issue; to develop; to make a bundle of money; classifier for gunshots (rounds); hair; Taiwan pr. [fa3]
已经yǐ jīngalready
五十wǔ shífifty
年Niánsurname Nian; grain; harvest (old); variant of 年[nian2]
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…
店diàninn; old-style hotel (CL:家[jia1]); (bound form) shop; store
很hěnvery; quite; (also, often used before an adjective without intensifying its meaning, i.e. as a meaningless syntactic element)
小xiǎosmall; tiny; few; young
有yǒuto have; there is; (bound form) having; with; -ful; -ed; -al (as in 有意[you3 yi4] intentional)
旧jìuold; opposite: new 新; former; worn (with age)
红Hóngsurname Hong
白Báisurname Bai; Bai ethnic group
蓝Lánsurname Lan
灯dēnglamp; light; lantern; CL:盞|盏[zhan3]
窗户chuāng huwindow; CL:個|个[ge4],扇[shan4]
上shǎngused in 上聲|上声[shang3 sheng1]
写xiěto write
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
三Sānsurname San
个gěused in 自個兒|自个儿[zi4 ge3 r5]; variant of 個|个[ge4]
字zìletter; symbol; character; word; CL:個|个[ge4]; courtesy or style name traditionally given to males aged 20 in dynastic China
坐下zuò xiato sit down
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…
不问bù wènto pay no attention to; to disregard; to ignore; to let go unpunished; to let off
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.)
要yāo(bound form) to demand; to coerce
什shénwhat
么máexclamatory final particle; variant of 麼|么[me5]
样yàngmanner; pattern; way; appearance; shape; classifier: kind, type
看一看kàn yī kànto have a look
知道了zhī dào leOK!; Got it!
最近zuì jìnrecently; soon; nearest
忙mángbusy; hurriedly; to hurry; to rush
吗má(coll.) what?
会huìcan; to have the skill; to know how to; to be likely to; to be sure to; to meet; to get together; meeting; gathering; (suffix) union; group; association; (bound form) a moment (Tai…
问wènto ask; to inquire
或者huò zhěor; possibly; maybe; perhaps
妈妈mā mamama; mommy; mother; CL:個|个[ge4],位[wei4]
好hǎogood; appropriate; proper; all right!; (before a verb) easy to; (before a verb) good to; (before an adjective for exclamatory effect) so; (verb complement indicating completion); (…
都Dūsurname Du
只是zhǐ shìmerely; only; just; nothing but; simply; but; however
多duōmany; much; more; a lot of; too many; in excess; (after a numeral) ... odd; how (to what extent) (Taiwan pr. [duo2]); (bound form) multi-; poly-
三十sān shíthirty; 30
年前nián qiánby the end of the year; at the end of the year; shortly before New Year
来láito come; (used as a substitute for a more specific verb); hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回來|回来[hui2 lai5]); ever since (as in 自古以來|自古以来[zi4 gu3…
这里zhè lǐvariant of 這裡|这里[zhe4 li3]
现xiànto appear; present; now; existing; current
在zàito exist; to be alive; (of sb or sth) to be (located) at; (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress)
们menplural marker for pronouns, and nouns referring to individuals
带dàiband; belt; girdle; ribbon; tire; area; zone; region; CL:條|条[tiao2]; to wear; to carry; to take along; to bear (i.e. to have); to lead; to bring; to look after; to raise
自己zì jǐoneself; (attributive) one's own
儿子ér zison
有的yǒu de(there are) some (who are...); some (exist)
还Huánsurname Huan
老客lǎo kèpeddler; old or regular customer
人rénperson; people; CL:個|个[ge4],位[wei4],名[ming2]
说shuìto persuade; variant of 說|说[shuo1]
看kānto look after; to take care of; to watch; to guard
多少duō shǎonumber; amount; somewhat
笑xiàoold variant of 笑[xiao4]; to laugh; to smile; to laugh at
我wǒI; me; my
没méi(negative prefix for verbs) have not; not
数shǔto count; to count as; to regard as; to enumerate; to list
过Guōsurname Guo
学到xué dàoto learn (sth); to learn about
想xiǎngto think (about); to think of; to devise; to think (that); to believe (that); to desire; to want (to); to miss (feel wistful about the absence of)
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…
年轻人nián qīng rényoung people; youngster
变biànto change; to become different; to transform; to vary; rebellion
好看hǎo kàngood-looking; nice-looking; (of a movie, book, TV show etc) good; in an embarrassing situation
老年人lǎo nián rénold people; the elderly
停tíngto stop; to halt; to park (a car)
一下yī xià(after a verb) a bit; a little (indicating brief duration, or softening the tone, or suggesting giving sth a try); all at once; suddenly
只zhīvariant of 隻|只[zhi1]; variant of 只[zhi3]; grain that has begun to ripen; classifier for birds and certain animals, one of a pair, some utensils, vessels etc
有人yǒu rénsomeone; people; anyone; there is someone there; occupied (as in restroom)
听yǐnsmile (archaic); to listen to; to hear; to heed; to obey; a can (loanword from English "tin"); classifier for canned beverages; to let be; to allow (Taiwan pr. [ting4]); (literary) to administer; t…
说话shuō huàto speak; to say; to talk; to gossip; to tell stories; talk; word
但dànbut; yet; however; still; merely; only; just
眼睛yǎn jingeye; CL:隻|只[zhi1],雙|双[shuang1]
有一点yǒu yī diǎna little; somewhat
那Nāsurname Na
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…
看看kàn kanto take a look at; to examine; to survey; (coll.) pretty soon
手shǒuhand; (formal) to hold; person engaged in certain types of work; person skilled in certain types of work; personal(ly); convenient; classifier for skill; CL:雙|双[shuang1],隻|只[zhi1]
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)
双手shuāng shǒuboth hands
明天míng tiāntomorrow
还有hái yǒuthere still remain(s); there is (or are) still; in addition
外面wài miànoutside (also pr. [wai4 mian5] for this sense); surface; exterior; external appearance
慢mànslow
地de-ly; structural particle: used before a verb or adjective, linking it to preceding modifying adverbial adjunct
转zhuǎisee 轉文|转文[zhuai3 wen2]
里面lǐ miànvariant of 裡面|里面[li3 mian4]
又yòu(once) again; also; both... and...; and yet; (used for emphasis) anyway
拿起ná qǐto pick up