MP3 sound recording (link)
李小姐：史密斯先生以前来过中国国家博物馆吗？ Lǐ xiǎojie: Shǐmìsī xiānsheng yǐqián láiguo Zhōngguó Guójiā Bówùguǎn ma?
史密斯先生：没有，这是我第一次来。 Shǐmìsī xiānsheng: Méi yǒu, zhè shì wǒ dì-yī cì lái.
李小姐：我看你对中国的文化特别感兴趣，所以觉得你应该会喜欢这里。 Lǐ xiǎojie: Wǒ kàn nǐ duì Zhōngguó de wénhuà tèbié gǎn xìngqu, suǒyǐ juéde nǐ yīnggāi huì xǐhuān zhèlǐ.
史密斯先生：没错，我觉得我可以在这里呆一整天。 Shǐmìsī xiānsheng: Méi cuò, wǒ juéde wǒ kěyǐ zài zhèlǐ dāi yì zhěng tiān.
李小姐：那我是选对地方了。我们进去看看吧。 Lǐ xiǎojie: Nà wǒ shì xuǎn duì dìfang le. Wǒmen jìnqù kànkan ba.
史密斯先生：好的。这些画是什么，看起来很漂亮。 Shǐmìsī xiānsheng: Hǎo de. Zhèxiē huà shì shénme, kànqǐlái hěn piàoliang.
李小姐：我也不是很清楚，我们去看看介绍吧！ Lǐ xiǎojie: Wǒ yě bú shi hěn qīngchu, wǒmen qù kànkan jièshào ba!
史密斯先生：是“中华文明历史题材美术创作工程”的作品。 Shǐmìsī xiānsheng: Shì "Zhōnghuá wénmíng lìshǐ tícái měishù chuàngzuò gōngchéng" de zuòpǐn.
李小姐：嗯！有165件作品展出啊，怪不得一整个展厅里都是。 Lǐ xiǎojie: Èn! Yǒu yìbǎi liùshíwǔ jiàn zuòpǐn zhǎnchū a, guàibudé yì zhěnggè zhǎntīng lǐ dōu shì.
史密斯先生：这幅画是黄河啊！真壮观！ Shǐmìsī xiānsheng: Zhè fú huà shì Huánghé a! Zhēn zhuàngguān!
李小姐：黄河本来就很壮观嘛！你看过黄河吗？ Lǐ xiǎojie: Huánghé běnlái jiù hěn zhuàngguān ma! Nǐ kànguo Huánghé ma?
史密斯先生：没有，但我很想去，可惜这次没有时间了。 Shǐmìsī xiānsheng: Méi yǒu, dàn wǒ hěn xiǎng qù, kěxī zhè cì méi yǒu shíjiān le.
李小姐：那下次再来中国的时候去看吧，还有长江。 Lǐ xiǎojie: Nà xià cì zài lái Zhōngguó de shíhou qù kàn ba, hái yǒu Chángjiāng.
史密斯先生：一定。这一幅是什么？雕版印刷吗？ Shǐmìsī xiānsheng: Yídìng. Zhè yì fú shì shénme? Diāobǎn yìnshuā ma?
李小姐：让我看一看介绍。真的是，你真厉害！ Lǐ xiǎojie: Ràng wǒ kànyikàn jièshào. Zhēnde shì, nǐ zhēn lìhai!
史密斯先生：我只是对中国文化略懂而已。 Shǐmìsī xiānsheng: Wǒ zhǐ shì duì Zhōngguó wénhuà luèdǒng éryǐ.
李小姐：你看，那时候的雕版印刷，多麻烦，每一块板都不一样。 Lǐ xiǎojie: Nǐ kàn, nà shíhou de diāobǎn yìnshuā, duō máfan, měi yí kuài bǎn dōu bù yíyàng.
史密斯先生：是啊，但是那个时候已经很先进了。 Shǐmìsī xiānsheng: Shì a, dànshi nàge shíhou yǐjīng hěn xiānjìnle.
李小姐：后来我们就有了活字印刷。 Lǐ xiǎojie: Hòulái wǒmen jiù yǒule huózì yìnshuā.
史密斯先生：我好像听说过这个词，是一个字一个字的刻好，然后拼成一块完整的板吗？ Shǐmìsī xiānsheng: Wǒ hǎoxiàng tīngshuōguo zhège cí, shì yí ge zì yí ge zì de kèhǎo, ránhòu pīnchéng yí kuài wánzhěng de bǎn ma?
李小姐：没错。这样可以重复利用，效率就可以提高很多。 Lǐ xiǎojie: Méi cuò. Zhèyàng kěyǐ chóngfù lìyòng, xiàolǜ jiù kěyǐ tígāo hěn duō.
史密斯先生：古代的中国人真的很聪明。 Shǐmìsī xiānsheng: Gǔdài de Zhōngguórén zhēnde hěn cōngming.
李小姐：是的。不过到了清朝就不行了。 Lǐ xiǎojie: Shì de. Búguò dàole Qīngcháo jiù bù xíngle.
史密斯先生：这都是历史了，中国现在也很厉害啊！ Shǐmìsī xiānsheng: Zhè dōu shì lìshǐ le, Zhōngguó xiànzài yě hěn lìhai a!
李小姐：您过奖了。我们再去别的展厅看看吧！ Lǐ xiǎojie: Nín guòjiǎngle. Wǒmen zài qù biéde zhǎntīng kànkan ba!
史密斯先生：好的！ Shǐmìsī xiānsheng: Hǎo de!

Vocab and notes

小姐 xiǎojie ‘young woman, miss’. Pronounced xiáojie.
以前 yǐqián ‘before’
国(國)家 guójiā ‘country, state’
博物馆 bówùguǎn ‘museum’
第一次 dì-yī cì ‘first time’
我看你对(對)中国的文化特别感兴(興)趣 Wǒ kàn nǐ duì Zhōngguó de wénhuà tèbié gǎn xìngqu ‘I think you are especially interested in Chinese culture’
所以 suǒyǐ ‘so’
觉得 juéde ‘feel, think (that)’
应(應)该 yīnggāi ‘should’
没错 méi cuò ‘you’re right’
我觉得我可以在这里(這裡)呆一整天。Wǒ juéde wǒ kěyǐ zài zhèlǐ dāi yì zhěng tiān. ‘I think I could spend the whole day here.’
选(選) xuǎn ‘choose’
对(對)地方 duì dìfang ‘the right place’
进(進)去 jìnqù ‘go in’
画(畫) huà ‘picture’
看起来 kànqǐlái ‘seem’
漂亮 piàoliang ‘beautiful’
清楚 qīngchu ‘clear’
介绍 jièshào ‘introduce, explanation’
中华(華) Zhōnghuá ‘China’
文明 wénmíng ‘civilization’
历(歷)史 lìshǐ ‘history’
题材 tícái ‘subject matter’
美术(術) měishù ‘fine art, painting’
创(創)作 chuàngzuò ‘creative work, creation’
工程 gōngchéng ‘project’
作品 zuòpǐn ‘works’
嗯 èn ‘mm, yes, all right’
件 jiàn (measure word for things)
展出 zhǎnchū ‘to display’
怪不得 guàibudé ‘no wonder’
一整个(個)展厅(廳) yì zhěnggè zhǎntīng ‘a whole exhibition hall’
幅 fú (measure word for pictures)
黄河 Huánghé ‘Yellow River’
壮观(觀) zhuàngguān ‘spectacular, magnificent sight’. 黄河本来就很壮观嘛！ Huánghé běnlái jiù hěn zhuàngguān ma! ‘The Yellow River is by its very nature spectacular.’
可惜这(這)次没有时(時)间了。 Kěxī zhè cì méi yǒu shíjiān le. ‘It’s a shame that I’ve run out of time on this occasion.’
下次再来中国(國)的时候 xià cì zài lái Zhōngguó de shíhou ‘next time you come to China’
一定 yídìng ‘certainly’
雕版印刷 diāobǎn yìnshuā ‘block printing’
让(讓) ràng ‘let, cause’
真厉(厲)害 zhēn lìhai ‘really good’
略懂 luèdǒng ‘basic understanding’
而已 éryǐ ‘and that’s all’
麻烦 máfan ‘nuisance’
块 kuài (measure word for small lumpy things)
板 bǎn ‘block’
先进(進) xiānjìn ‘advanced’
后(後)来 hòulái ‘later (in the past)’
活字 huózì ‘movable type’
我好像听(聽)说过(過)这个(這個)词 Wǒ hǎoxiàng tīngshuōguo zhège cí ‘I seem to have heard this word’
刻好 kèhǎo ‘carve, engrave, cut’. 好 Hǎo is a resultative complement.
拼成 pīnchéng ‘put together’
完整 wánzhěng ‘complete’
重复(複)利用 chóngfù lìyòng 'use repeatedly’
效率 xiàolǜ ‘efficiency’
提高 tígāo ‘raise’
古代 gǔdài ‘ancient times’
聪(聰)明 cōngming ‘wise’
不行了 bù xíngle ‘went wrong’
过奖(過獎) guòjiǎng ‘to flatter’

Visiting a museum

Miss Li: Have you been to the National Museum of China before, Mr Smith?
Mr Smith: No. This is my first time.
Miss Li: I see that you are very interested in Chinese culture, so I think you will like this place.
Mr Smith: That’s right. I think I can stay here for a whole day.
Miss Li: I chose the right place then. Let’s go in and have a look.
Mr Smith: All right. What are these pictures? They look so beautiful.
Miss Li: I’m not sure, either. Let’s read the explanation.
Mr Smith: They are works from the “Artistic Creation Project on Chinese Civilization and History”.
Miss Li: Yes. There are 165 pieces on display. That is the reason why they’ve nearly occupied the entire exhibition room.
Mr Smith: It is the Yellow River in this picture! It is so magnificent!
Miss Li: The Yellow River IS magnificent. Have you seen it?
Mr Smith: No. But I’d like to. It’s shame that I don’t have time this time.
Miss Li: Go and see it next time when you come to China then, and the Yangzi River as well.
Mr Smith: I will. What is this picture? Block printing?
Miss Li: Let me read the instruction. It is indeed, you are so smart!
Mr Smith: I just know a little about Chinese culture.
Miss Li: See, at that time, how complicated the block printing was. Every single board was different.
Mr Smith: Indeed. But it was very advanced at that time.
Miss Li: After that, we had movable-type printing.
Mr Smith: I think I’ve heard that word before. Was every character carved separately and put together to form an integrated board?
Miss Li: That’s right. By doing that, we could use the boards repeatedly. The efficiency was improved a lot.
Mr Smith: The ancient Chinese were so clever.
Miss Li: That’s true. But the situation was different in the Qing Dynasty.
Mr Smith: That’s all history. China is brilliant now!
Miss Li: I’m flattered. Let’s look at the other exhibition rooms!
Mr Smith: All right!