A Saturday in the Park

上个星期六，天气特别好，太阳很大。

Shàng (fourth tone, falling) ge (neutral tone) xīngqīliù, (first tone, high and level) tiānqì (first tone, high and level) tèbié (fourth tone, falling) hǎo, (third tone, dipping) tàiyáng (fourth tone, falling) hěn (third tone, dipping) dà. (fourth tone, falling)

Last Saturday the weather was glorious and the sun was strong.

我和妻子决定带儿子去公园玩。

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) hé (second tone, rising) qīzi (first tone, high and level) juédìng (second tone, rising) dài (fourth tone, falling) érzi (second tone, rising) qù (fourth tone, falling) gōngyuán (first tone, high and level) wán. (second tone, rising)

My wife and I decided to take our son to the park.

公园离我们家不远，我们骑自行车去。

Gōngyuán (first tone, high and level) lí (second tone, rising) wǒmen (third tone, dipping) jiā (first tone, high and level) bù (fourth tone, falling) yuǎn, (third tone, dipping) wǒmen (third tone, dipping) qí (second tone, rising) zìxíngchē (fourth tone, falling) qù. (fourth tone, falling)

The park is not far from our flat, so we cycled there.

公园里有很多树，草也很绿。

Gōngyuán (first tone, high and level) lǐ (third tone, dipping) yǒu (third tone, dipping) hěn (third tone, dipping) duō (first tone, high and level) shù, (fourth tone, falling) cǎo (third tone, dipping) yě (third tone, dipping) hěn (third tone, dipping) lǜ. (fourth tone, falling)

The park is full of trees, and the grass was a deep green.

一些老人在树下面唱歌，还有几个阿姨在跳舞。

Yìxiē (fourth tone, falling) lǎorén (third tone, dipping) zài (fourth tone, falling) shù (fourth tone, falling) xiàmiàn (fourth tone, falling) chànggē, (fourth tone, falling) hái (second tone, rising) yǒu (third tone, dipping) jǐ (third tone, dipping) ge (neutral tone) āyí (first tone, high and level) zài (fourth tone, falling) tiàowǔ. (fourth tone, falling)

Some older men were singing under the trees, and a few women were dancing nearby.

我儿子今年六岁，他最喜欢看鸟。

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) érzi (second tone, rising) jīnnián (first tone, high and level) liù (fourth tone, falling) suì, (fourth tone, falling) tā (first tone, high and level) zuì (fourth tone, falling) xǐhuan (third tone, dipping) kàn (fourth tone, falling) niǎo. (third tone, dipping)

My son is six this year, and what he likes best is watching birds.

他跑过去问我：“爸爸，那是什么鸟？”

Tā (first tone, high and level) pǎo (third tone, dipping) guòqù (fourth tone, falling) wèn (fourth tone, falling) wǒ: (third tone, dipping) “Bàba, (fourth tone, falling) nà (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling) shénme (second tone, rising) niǎo?” (third tone, dipping)

He ran over and asked me, “Dad, what bird is that?”

我说：“我也不知道，我们回家上网找找。”

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) shuō: (first tone, high and level) “Wǒ (third tone, dipping) yě (third tone, dipping) bù (fourth tone, falling) zhīdào, (first tone, high and level) wǒmen (third tone, dipping) huí (second tone, rising) jiā (first tone, high and level) shàngwǎng (fourth tone, falling) zhǎozhao.” (third tone, dipping)

I said, “I have no idea either — we will look it up online when we get home.”

中午我们坐在树下吃面包和蛋糕。

Zhōngwǔ (first tone, high and level) wǒmen (third tone, dipping) zuò (fourth tone, falling) zài (fourth tone, falling) shù (fourth tone, falling) xià (fourth tone, falling) chī (first tone, high and level) miànbāo (fourth tone, falling) hé (second tone, rising) dàngāo. (fourth tone, falling)

At midday we sat under a tree and ate bread and cake.

妻子还带了一些水果和果汁。

Qīzi (first tone, high and level) hái (second tone, rising) dài (fourth tone, falling) le (neutral tone) yìxiē (fourth tone, falling) shuǐguǒ (third tone, dipping) hé (second tone, rising) guǒzhī. (third tone, dipping)

My wife had brought fruit and juice as well.

儿子说：“今天比在家里有意思多了。”

Érzi (neutral tone) shuō: (first tone, high and level) “Jīntiān (first tone, high and level) bǐ (third tone, dipping) zài (fourth tone, falling) jiā (first tone, high and level) lǐ (third tone, dipping) yǒu (third tone, dipping) yìsi (fourth tone, falling) duō (first tone, high and level) le.” (neutral tone)

My son said, “This is far more fun than staying at home.”

下午三点，突然刮风了，天也阴了。

Xiàwǔ (fourth tone, falling) sān (first tone, high and level) diǎn, (third tone, dipping) tūrán (first tone, high and level) guā (first tone, high and level) fēng (first tone, high and level) le, (neutral tone) tiān (first tone, high and level) yě (third tone, dipping) yīn (first tone, high and level) le. (neutral tone)

At three in the afternoon the wind suddenly picked up and the sky clouded over.

我担心会下雨，就说：“我们回家吧。”

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) dānxīn (first tone, high and level) huì (fourth tone, falling) xià (fourth tone, falling) yǔ, (third tone, dipping) jiù (fourth tone, falling) shuō: (first tone, high and level) “Wǒmen (third tone, dipping) huí (second tone, rising) jiā (first tone, high and level) ba.” (neutral tone)

Afraid it would rain, I said, “Let us head home.”

妻子笑着说：“别担心，我带伞了。”

Qīzi (first tone, high and level) xiào (fourth tone, falling) zhe (neutral tone) shuō: (first tone, high and level) “Bié (second tone, rising) dānxīn, (first tone, high and level) wǒ (third tone, dipping) dài (fourth tone, falling) sǎn (third tone, dipping) le.” (neutral tone)

My wife smiled and said, “Do not worry — I brought an umbrella.”

我们在公园里又玩了一个小时。

Wǒmen (third tone, dipping) zài (fourth tone, falling) gōngyuán (first tone, high and level) lǐ (third tone, dipping) yòu (fourth tone, falling) wán (second tone, rising) le (neutral tone) yí (second tone, rising) ge (neutral tone) xiǎoshí. (third tone, dipping)

So we stayed on in the park another hour.

后来真的下雨了，我们三个人用一把伞回家。

Hòulái (fourth tone, falling) zhēn (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) xià (fourth tone, falling) yǔ (third tone, dipping) le, (neutral tone) wǒmen (third tone, dipping) sān (first tone, high and level) ge (neutral tone) rén (second tone, rising) yòng (fourth tone, falling) yì (fourth tone, falling) bǎ (third tone, dipping) sǎn (third tone, dipping) huí (second tone, rising) jiā. (first tone, high and level)

It did rain in the end, and the three of us walked home under a single umbrella.

虽然雨很大，但是我们都很快乐。

Suīrán (first tone, high and level) yǔ (third tone, dipping) hěn (third tone, dipping) dà, (fourth tone, falling) dànshì (fourth tone, falling) wǒmen (third tone, dipping) dōu (first tone, high and level) hěn (third tone, dipping) kuàilè. (fourth tone, falling)

The rain was heavy, but every one of us was happy.

儿子说，下个星期六他还要去公园。

Érzi (neutral tone) shuō, (first tone, high and level) xià (fourth tone, falling) ge (neutral tone) xīngqīliù (first tone, high and level) tā (first tone, high and level) hái (second tone, rising) yào (fourth tone, falling) qù (fourth tone, falling) gōngyuán. (first tone, high and level)

My son announced that he wants to go back to the park next Saturday.