The Cat's Conditions (Part 1)

HSK 3 · 222 characters · Unless…

A cat with conditions for everything finally reveals the one condition that actually works.

我们wǒ men家jiā的de猫māo脾气pí qi很大hěn dà，做zuò什么事shén me shì都有dōu yǒu自己的zì jǐ de条件tiáo jiàn。Our cat has quite a temper — everything she does comes with her own conditions.

早上zǎo shang你nǐ叫jiào它tā，它tā不理bù lǐ你nǐ；除非chú fēi你nǐ拿出ná chū它tā最zuì爱ài吃的chī de鱼yú，它tā才cái会huì慢慢màn màn走过来zǒu guò lái。Call her in the morning and she ignores you; only if you bring out her favorite fish will she slowly wander over.

它tā也yě不bù随便suí biàn喝hē水shuǐ，除非chú fēi水shuǐ是shì刚gāng换huàn的de，否则fǒu zé它tā一口yī kǒu都dōu不bù喝hē。She's picky about water too — unless it's freshly changed, she won't drink a single sip.

想xiǎng让ràng它tā进jìn小xiǎo房间fáng jiān？除非chú fēi里面lǐ miàn有yǒu太阳tài yang，它tā才cái愿意yuàn yì进去jìn qù。Want her to go into the little room? Only if there's sunshine inside is she willing to go in.

晚上wǎn shang我wǒ想xiǎng一个人yī gè rén睡shuì，可是kě shì除非chú fēi我wǒ关上guān shàng门mén，否则fǒu zé它tā一定yī dìng会huì跳tiào到dào我的wǒ de床上chuáng shàng。At night I'd like to sleep alone, but unless I close the door, she will definitely jump onto my bed.

妈妈mā ma笑着xiào zhe说shuō：“除非chú fēi它tā饿è了le，否则fǒu zé它tā根本gēn běn不会bù huì看kàn你nǐ一眼yī yǎn。”Mom laughed and said, "Unless she's hungry, she won't so much as glance at you."

昨天zuó tiān我wǒ试shì了le一个yī ge新xīn办法bàn fǎ：我wǒ坐在zuò zài沙发shā fā上shàng，不bù叫jiào它tā，也yě不bù看kàn它tā。Yesterday I tried a new trick: I sat on the sofa, didn't call her, didn't even look at her.

没méi过guò几分钟jǐ fēn zhōng，它tā自己zì jǐ跳tiào到了dào liǎo我的wǒ de腿tuǐ上shàng，还hái叫jiào了le两liǎng声shēng。Within a few minutes, she jumped onto my lap all by herself and even meowed twice.

我wǒ终于zhōng yú明白míng bai了le：除非chú fēi你nǐ不理bù lǐ它tā，它tā才cái会huì来lái找zhǎo你nǐ。I finally got it: only if you ignore her will she come looking for you.

跟gēn猫māo住zhù在一起zài yī qǐ就是jiù shì这样zhè yàng：条件tiáo jiàn都是dōu shì它tā的de，答应dā ying的de都是dōu shì你nǐ。That's life with a cat: the conditions are all hers, and the one agreeing is always you.