Old Place or New Place? (Part 1)

HSK 3 · 210 characters · Pretty Good, Actually

Two friends can't pick a restaurant, and every opinion comes with a hedge.

我wǒ和hé朋友péng you想xiǎng找zhǎo一家yī jiā饭馆fàn guǎn吃chī晚饭wǎn fàn，可是kě shì我们wǒ men的de口味kǒu wèi不太bù tài一样yī yàng。My friend and I wanted to find a restaurant for dinner, but our tastes aren't quite the same.

学校xué xiào附近fù jìn有yǒu两liǎng家jiā饭馆fàn guǎn，一家yī jiā是shì新xīn开kāi的de，一家yī jiā是shì老lǎo店diàn。There are two restaurants near the school — one newly opened, one an old place.

朋友péng you说shuō：“新xīn开kāi的de那nà家jiā比较bǐ jiào近jìn，走zǒu五wǔ分钟fēn zhōng就jiù到了dào liǎo。”My friend said, "The new one is relatively close — five minutes on foot."

我wǒ说shuō：“可是kě shì老lǎo店diàn的de菜cài挺好tǐng hǎo吃的chī de，我wǒ上个月shàng gè yuè去qù过guò一次yī cì。”I said, "But the old place's food is pretty good — I went there last month."

朋友péng you说shuō：“老lǎo店diàn比较bǐ jiào贵guì吧ba？我wǒ这个月zhè ge yuè的de钱qián不bù多了duō le。”My friend said, "Isn't the old place kind of expensive? I don't have much money left this month."

我wǒ想xiǎng了le想xiǎng，说shuō：“其实qí shí不算bù suàn太tài贵guì，而且ér qiě他们tā men的de汤tāng挺tǐng有名yǒu míng的de。”I thought about it and said, "It's actually not that expensive, and their soup is quite famous."

朋友péng you又yòu说shuō：“新xīn开kāi的de那nà家人jiā rén比较bǐ jiào少shǎo，不用bù yòng等děng很hěn长时间cháng shí jiān。”My friend added, "The new place has fewer people — you don't have to wait long."

我们wǒ men站在zhàn zài路口lù kǒu想xiǎng了le半天bàn tiān，最后zuì hòu决定jué dìng：今天jīn tiān去qù老lǎo店diàn，下个星期xià gè xīng qī去qù新的xīn de那nà家jiā。We stood at the intersection thinking forever, and finally decided: the old place today, the new one next week.

老lǎo店diàn的de菜cài果然guǒ rán挺tǐng不错bù cuò的de，朋友péng you吃chī得很de hěn高兴gāo xìng。The old place's food really was pretty good, and my friend ate happily.

他tā笑着xiào zhe说shuō：“你nǐ说得shuō de对duì，这zhè家jiā店diàn是shì比较bǐ jiào老lǎo，可是kě shì味道wèi dao真的zhēn de挺好tǐng hǎo的de。”He said with a smile, "You were right — this place is rather old, but the food really is quite good."