A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo Read Free Book Online

me, like looking a Beijing opera.
    “Why you not eat?” I ask, busy chewing my pork in my mouth.
    “I am not very hungry,” you say.
    “You use chopsticks?” I think maybe that’s the reason.
    “Yes. Don’t worry.” You raise your chopsticks and perform to me.
    “But you waste the food. Not like Chinese food?”
    “I am a
vegetarian
,” you say picking up little bit rice. “This menu is a zoo.”
    I am surprised. I try find my dictionary. Damn, is not with me this time. I remember film
English Patient
I watch on pirate DVD in China to education me about British people. “What that word? Word describe a people fall asleep for long long time, like living dying?”
    “You mean coma?” You are confused.
    “Yes, that is the word! You are not like that, do you?”
    You put chopsticks down. Maybe you angry now.
    “I presume you are thinking of the
persistent vegetative state
,” you say. “
Vegetarian
means you don’t eat meat.”
    “Oh, I am sorry,” I say, swallowing big mouthful tofus and beefs.
    Now I understand why never buy piece of meat. I thought it is because you poor.
    “Why don’t eat meat? Meat very nutritious.”
    “…” You have no comments.
    “Also you be depression if you don’t eating meat.”
    “…” You still have no comments.
    “My parents beaten me if I don’t eating meat or any food on table in a meal. My parents curse me being picky and spoiled. Because others dying without any food to eat.”
    “…” Still don’t say anything.
    “How come man is vegetarian? Unless he is monk,” I say.
    Still no words from you, but laughing.
    You watch me eating all of meal. I try finish the duck, and the tofu and the beefs. My stomach painful. There are still porks left, and I order to take them away.
    While I eating, you write top ten favorite food on a napkin:
    avocado
    asparagus
    lentils
    spinach
    lettuce
    pumpkin
    radish
    broccoli
    aubergine
    carrot
    But, is this list will be the menu in our kitchen for rest of life? Is terrible! What about my meatball, my mutton, my beefs in black bean sauce? Who will be in charge of kitchen?
    noble   
adj.
showing or having high moral qualities; of the nobility; impressive and magnificent.
    noble
    Sunday. I want do shopping. I say we need buy some toilet paper, some candle, some garlic, some ginger, some greens. (I not say meat, but actually that what I want buy after eating vegetables with you every day.)
    “I want go to Sainsbury.” After saying that, I realising I need practise my English manner, so I ask you again: “Shall we go to Sainsbury?”
    You not look happy.
    “Hmm, right. Let’s worship in Sainsbury’s every Sunday.”
    “What worship?”
    “Worship? It’s how the Chinese feel about Mao.”
    I don’t know what say. Don’t you know now we worship America?
    “I don’t like Sainsbury’s,” you say. “I like the rubbish market. They have much more interesting things there.”
    “Which rubbish market?”
    You take me to the Brick Lane market. Is really a rubbish market. All kind of second-hand or third-hand radios, old CDs, used furniture, broken television set (who want buy a broken TV set?), old bicycles, tyres, nails, drilling machines, dusty shoes, pirate DVDs, cheap biscakes…I wonder if all these things made in China.
    You walk in the rubbish market with your old brown leather jacket and your dirty old leather shoes. The jacket is so old that the sleeves are wore out and the bottom is pieces. But you look great with these rubbish costumes in the rubbish market.
    I think you are a
noble
man with
noble
words. I am not noble. I am humble. And I speak humble English. I from poor town in south China. We never see noble.

surprise   
n.
1. an unexpected event; 2. amazement and wonder–
v.
1. to cause to feel amazement or wonder; 2. to come upon, attack, or catch suddenly and unexpectedly.
    surprise
    Suddenly another thing else new and unexpected:
    “I need to leave London for a few days.” You pack