我和爸爸

Text

Note: The text is pasted here in case you want to copy/paste one of the words into a dictionary app, but the above video and zip file download are best inputting the content as they have audio and text-tracking.

我的爸爸是一个工作很认真的人。所以他陪我的时间很少。他从早上到下午一直在工作。下班以后，他觉得太累了， 所以也不会陪我玩儿。我每天一个人吃饭。我长大以后就去了别的地方。我得到了别人的帮助，开了一家公司。到现在，公司至少成立5年了。但我再也没和我的爸爸联系过，因为我不想回到以前的生活。5年以后，我又回到了家乡。我的爸爸已经60岁左右了，我们见了面，然后一起吃了饭。爸爸对我说了对不起。我才发现我一点儿也不讨厌我的爸爸，相反，我一直都很爱他，也很想他。

Top-Down Words

爸爸 bàba - dad
所以 suóyǐ - so
陪 péi - to accompany
觉得 juéde - to feel, to think
累 lèi - tired
就 jiù - then
地方 dìfang - place
帮助 bāngzhù - help
家 jiā - (MW for companies)
成立 chénglì - established
生活 shēnghuó - life
家乡 jiāxiāng - hometown
已经 yǐjīng - already
都 dōu - all, every
爱 ài - to love

How to Use This Lesson

Step One

Watch the video here on the course platform. Feel free to take as much time as you'd like to understand the content, but don't feel obligated to understand the text right now fully. You'll download the video and return to it later. 

Step Two

Download the zip file from the sidebar (desktop/laptop) or below this description (Mobile APP). That zip file contains the following:

• Text tracking video(s) MP4 file(s)
• Audio MP3 file(s)
• Image file of the text & top-down words for your reference

Dialogues contain one text-tracking video file at 80% speed followed by native speed. 

Opinions & Short Stories contain two text tracking video files, one female voice, and one male voice. Both start at 80% speed, followed by native speed.

Step Three

At a time of your choosing, use the video files to practice shadowing. If you need a reminder, this lesson explains how to shadow. These video files are ideal for shadowing, especially if you download them to your phone because you can walk around while doing it.

Click Here to Navigate to All Phase 4 Dialogues, Opinions & Stories

Member Comments from 2019-mid-2020

Do you also want to leave a comment? You can do so below！

Alex Sumray

Hi all,
I just wondered how everything is getting on with these stories and longer form pieces?
How you go about it and you find the listening comprehension generally?
For me, I am finding that I can pick up on words and phrases after a few listens at the slower speed, but there will often be a sentence or two I just can't grasp and then lose the overall meaning.
I'll then be able to read it fairly easily at this stage, which is when I'll find myself going 'ah, of course'.
Hoping my listening skills will improve slowly, so that this comprehension can come before the reading part.
So ye, how you all getting on?

Mandarin Blueprint

Obviously I can't speak to how other members are doing, but I would say that how you're feeling about the story is pretty much exactly right for Phase 4. Reading "longer" content is hardest in Phase 4, because that's when you first start doing it. It will only get easier from here :)

Mandarin Blueprint

Hey Alex, this kind of question is perfect for the MB community forum! That way you'll get way more responses much quicker :D
- Luke

Alex Sumray

Thanks to you both.
Jeez, never knew this forum existed - what have I been doing!
Cheers Luke.

MB Team

Here's the link to where Phil & Luke talked about this comment in the Mandarin Blueprint Podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86aqw4g8EOE&t=1679s

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William Edmeades

Even though this story isn't long, I was quite touched!

Abigail

Me too!

Alex Sumray

Yep, very lovely and touching indeed.
Our mother tongue to the language in which we just heard this story in are so different but some things are universally binding!

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Georg Lohrer

There are numerous chinese dramas in TV about this topic. My favourite is 都挺好 (All is well). Available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtzqsA-a8MM&list=PLQqbdnAgoRmYhfPJgYB9YQxDsNQ-ErQBd

It describes the living and growing of a Chinese family. Starting from traditional roots with giving the eldest brother and they younger brother the most credits (even in money), both parents permanently negligit their daughter. She finally breaks off and finds her own way, becomes a successful manager, finally partial owner of a big company. All the furious hate, the overwhelming love and also the abyss'like impossibilities to find together are very well described in these >40 episodes. From a Westerner's perspective several topics seem to be rather weird, but I was told by Chinese natives that it is not too far fetched. In China they have this mind-boggling differences between urban and country.

You can also look at Thomas 阿福 (also in YouTube or Weibo). In some episodes he invites blue-collars to drive with him to their home-towns, see their family and let him join. It's very impressive how long such people (可能司机) stay off from their families to earn the money.

And, if you do not understand the full Chinese, there's hope: english sub-titles. I enabled them, in 都挺好, because the topic thrilled me and I wanted to really get it.

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Ric Santos

About a month ago I Iistened to Luke's encouragement to SHADOWING. Well, I took the piece that was there and it was this : 我和爸爸 ! I went to thru this peice for a week: reading, listening, shadowing and PERSPIRING ! In my rush I FAILED to read the smaller print "Level 25" ! I was at a lower level at that time ! I thought the new words and phrases was part of the I+1 method. I thought I did well...but in reality I did not.
Had I taken the readings for the level where I was at that time, I would have fared better...also because they were shorter! - But that's water under the bridge. My error !
However, the lessons prior to Level 25 REALLY prepared me to face squarely and readily 我和爸爸 !
There is indeed MUCH thought and MUCH experience involved in making the MB method.
So moving forward, I trust the MB method, because Luke and Phil went through these difficulties themselves . They are saving us many unnecessary troubles ahead. Whatever we study now...WE WILL SURELY MEET THEM AGAIN, so learn them well now...and Anki will remind us in due time.

MB Team 

Here's the link to where Phil and Luke talked about this comment in the Mandarin Blueprint Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiYrfenj6YQ&t=4436s

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William Beeman

I appreciated the many sentiments about this story. I think of the Harry Chapin Song "Cat's in the Cradle" also made so famous by Cat Stevens. Here is the YouTube link

https://youtu.be/KUwjNBjqR-c

But I do have a grammar question

In 我才发现我一点儿也不讨厌我的爸爸, I know all the words, but I can't see what function 一点儿 serves in the sentence. It seems it could be left out. Can you enlighten me?

MB Team

Here's the link to where Phil and Luke talked about this comment in the Mandarin Blueprint Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiYrfenj6YQ&t=4436s