A Saturday of Choices (Part 1)

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星期六xīng qī liù早上zǎo shang,我wǒ问wèn弟弟dì di今天jīn tiān想xiǎng做zuò什么shén me。Saturday morning, I asked my little brother what he wanted to do today.

他说tā shuō:“要么yào me我们wǒ men去qù爬山pá shān,要么yào me去qù河边hé biān钓鱼diào yú,你nǐ选xuǎn一个yī ge吧ba。”He said, "Either we go hiking, or we go fishing by the river — you pick."

我wǒ看了kàn le看kàn天tiān,说shuō:“可能kě néng会huì下雨xià yǔ,还是hái shi在家zài jiā吧ba。”I looked at the sky and said, "It might rain — let's just stay home."

在家zài jiā也yě要yào做zuò决定jué dìng:要么yào me看kàn电影diàn yǐng,要么yào me玩wán游戏yóu xì,我们wǒ men又yòu想xiǎng了le半天bàn tiān。Staying home still meant deciding: either watch a movie or play games — and we spent forever thinking again.

弟弟dì di说shuō:“中午zhōng wǔ呢ne?要么yào me自己zì jǐ做zuò面条miàn tiáo,要么yào me出去chū qù吃chī,我wǒ都dōu可以kě yǐ。”My brother said, "What about lunch? Either we make noodles ourselves or we eat out — I'm fine with both."

我wǒ说shuō:“家里jiā lǐ没有méi yǒu菜cài了le,所以suǒ yǐ只能zhǐ néng出去chū qù吃chī。”I said, "There are no groceries at home, so eating out it is."

到了dào liǎo饭馆fàn guǎn,问题wèn tí更多gèng duō了le:要么yào me吃chī辣là的de,要么yào me吃chī不bù辣là的de,弟弟dì di跟gēn我wǒ想要的xiǎng yào de不一样bù yī yàng。At the restaurant there were even more questions: either spicy or not spicy — and my brother and I wanted different things.

最后zuì hòu我们wǒ men点diǎn了le两个liǎng gè菜cài,一个yī ge辣là的de,一个yī ge不bù辣là的de,问题wèn tí解决jiě jué了le。In the end we ordered two dishes, one spicy and one not, and the problem was solved.

吃完chī wán饭fàn,弟弟dì di问wèn:“下午xià wǔ我们wǒ men喝茶hē chá或者huò zhě喝hē咖啡kā fēi,怎么样zěn me yàng?”After lunch, my brother asked, "This afternoon we could have tea or coffee — how about it?"

我wǒ笑了xiào le:“今天jīn tiān你nǐ终于zhōng yú不bù说shuō‘要么yào me’了le!”I laughed: "You finally stopped saying 'either-or' today!"

他tā想xiǎng了le想xiǎng,说shuō:“那nà要么yào me你nǐ请客qǐng kè,要么yào me我wǒ请客qǐng kè——还是hái shi你nǐ请qǐng吧ba!”He thought for a second and said, "Then either you treat or I treat — actually, you treat!"

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