难忘的生日 An Unforgettable Birthday

去年qùnián过guò生日shēngrì的de时候shíhou，我wǒ正在zhèngzài别的biéde城市chéngshì工作gōngzuò，一yí个gè人rén住zhù在zài宾馆bīnguǎn里lǐ。

Last year on my birthday I was working in another city, staying alone in a hotel.

那nà天tiān下xià了le一yì天tiān的de雨yǔ，我wǒ又yòu累lèi又yòu想家xiǎng jiā，觉得juéde这zhè个gè生日shēngrì一定yídìng很hěn没意思méi yìsi。

It rained all day; I was both tired and homesick, and I was sure this birthday was going to be really dull.

晚上wǎnshang八bā点diǎn，我wǒ一yí个gè人rén坐zuò在zài房间fángjiān里lǐ吃chī方便面fāngbiànmiàn，房间fángjiān里lǐ安静ānjìng极了jíle。

At eight in the evening I sat alone in my room eating instant noodles; the room was extremely quiet.

突然tūrán，几jǐ个gè同事tóngshì给gěi我wǒ打电话dǎ diànhuà，让ràng我wǒ马上mǎshàng下xià楼lóu。

Suddenly a few colleagues called me and told me to come downstairs right away.

我wǒ下去xiàqu的de时候shíhou，看见kànjiàn他们tāmen站zhàn在zài门口ménkǒu，手shǒu里lǐ拿ná着zhe一yí个gè小xiǎo蛋糕dàngāo。

When I came down, I saw them standing in the doorway holding a small cake.

蛋糕dàngāo不bú大dà，也yě不bú太tài甜tián，可是kěshì那nà是shì我wǒ吃chī过guo的de最zuì好吃hǎochī的de蛋糕dàngāo。

The cake was not big and it was not very sweet, but it was the best cake I have ever eaten.

他们tāmen笑xiào着zhe说shuō：“我们wǒmen怎么zěnme会huì忘记wàngjì你nǐ的de生日shēngrì呢ne？”

Laughing, they said: "How could we ever forget your birthday?"

那nà天tiān晚上wǎnshang，虽然suīrán我wǒ离lí家jiā很hěn远yuǎn，但是dànshì我wǒ一点儿也不yìdiǎnr yě bù难过nánguò，那nà是shì我wǒ最zuì难忘nánwàng的de一yí个gè生日shēngrì。

That night, although I was far from home, I was not sad at all — it was the most unforgettable birthday I have ever had.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

难忘nánwàngunforgettable

宾馆bīnguǎnhotel

安静ānjìngquiet

蛋糕dàngāocake

忘记wàngjìto forget

想家xiǎng jiāto be homesick

又 A 又 B — both A and B

又…又… links two qualities or actions that are true at the same time. Both slots must be the same kind of word (two adjectives, or two verb phrases).

我又累又想家。 — I was both tired and homesick.

adjective + 极了 — extremely …

极了 comes after an adjective to mean 'extremely'. It replaces 很 or 非常, so never use them together.

房间里安静极了。 — The room was extremely quiet.

verb + 过 — have ever done sth

过 after a verb marks past experience. In 我吃过的最好吃的蛋糕 the whole 过-phrase describes the cake: 'the best cake I have ever eaten'.

那是我吃过的最好吃的蛋糕。 — That was the best cake I have ever eaten.

1. Where was the narrator on his birthday?

2. What was he eating alone in his room?

3. Why was the cake special to him?