Complaining About Cafeteria Lunch
IntermediateSchool
Two students in the school cafeteria complain about the day's lunch menu and compare their favorite home-cooked dishes.
M
MingH
HuaM
今天的午饭也太难吃了吧，你觉得呢？
jīntiān de wǔfàn yě tài nánchī le ba, nǐ juéde ne?
Today's lunch is just way too bad, don't you think?
H
就是啊，这青菜一点味儿都没有，米饭还是凉的。
jiùshì a, zhè qīngcài yìdiǎn wèir dōu méiyǒu, mǐfàn háishì liáng de.
Exactly, this vegetable has no flavor at all, and the rice is even cold.
M
我现在特别想我妈做的红烧肉，又香又下饭。
wǒ xiànzài tèbié xiǎng wǒ mā zuò de hóngshāoròu, yòu xiāng yòu xiàfàn.
Right now I really miss my mom's braised pork—it's fragrant and great with rice.
H
红烧肉太好吃了！我奶奶做的肥而不腻，一点都不油。
hóngshāoròu tài hǎochī le! wǒ nǎinai zuò de féi ér bú nì, yìdiǎn dōu bù yóu.
Braised pork is so delicious! My grandma's is rich but not greasy—not oily at all.
M
被你这么一说，我更饿了。你家还有什么拿手菜？
bèi nǐ zhème yì shuō, wǒ gèng è le. nǐ jiā hái yǒu shénme náshǒucài?
The way you talk about it makes me even hungrier. What other specialty dishes does your family have?
H
我妈的糖醋排骨也特别拿手，酸酸甜甜的，我能吃一大盘。
wǒ mā de tángcù páigǔ yě tèbié náshǒu, suān suān tián tián de, wǒ néng chī yí dà pán.
My mom's sweet and sour ribs are also her specialty—sweet and sour, I can eat a whole big plate.
M
糖醋排骨我也爱吃！可惜食堂从来不做这种好菜。
tángcù páigǔ wǒ yě ài chī! kěxī shítáng cónglái bú zuò zhè zhǒng hǎo cài.
I love sweet and sour ribs too! Too bad the cafeteria never makes this kind of good dish.
H
是啊，食堂的菜不是太咸就是太油，很少有合我口味的。
shì a, shítáng de cài búshì tài xián jiùshì tài yóu, hěn shǎo yǒu hé wǒ kǒuwèi de.
Yeah, the cafeteria dishes are either too salty or too oily; hardly any suit my taste.
M
要不这个周末咱们一起出去搓一顿，怎么样？
yàobù zhège zhōumò zánmen yìqǐ chūqù cuō yí dùn, zěnmeyàng?
How about we go out together this weekend and have a good meal—what do you say?
H
好主意！学校附近新开了一家川菜馆，听说味道特别地道。
hǎo zhǔyì! xuéxiào fùjìn xīn kāi le yì jiā chuāncàiguǎn, tīngshuō wèidào tèbié dìdao.
Good idea! A Sichuan restaurant just opened near school—I heard the flavor is really authentic.
M
太好了，那咱们就点糖醋排骨和红烧肉，好好补一补！
tài hǎo le, nà zánmen jiù diǎn tángcù páigǔ hé hóngshāoròu, hǎohǎo bǔ yi bǔ!
Great, then let's order sweet and sour ribs and braised pork, and treat ourselves right!
H
一言为定！不过今天中午还得先把这顿难吃的午饭对付完。
yì yán wéi dìng! búguò jīntiān zhōngwǔ hái děi xiān bǎ zhè dùn nánchī de wǔfàn duìfu wán.
It's a deal! But at noon today we still have to make do with this awful lunch first.