The New Neighbour

上个月，我住的楼里搬来了一位新邻居。

Shàng (fourth tone, falling) ge (neutral tone) yuè, (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) zhù (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) lóu (second tone, rising) lǐ (third tone, dipping) bān (first tone, high and level) lái (second tone, rising) le (neutral tone) yí (second tone, rising) wèi (fourth tone, falling) xīn (first tone, high and level) línjū. (second tone, rising)

Last month a new neighbour moved into my building.

她是一位七十多岁的奶奶，就住在我旁边。

Tā (first tone, high and level) shì (fourth tone, falling) yí (second tone, rising) wèi (fourth tone, falling) qīshí (first tone, high and level) duō (first tone, high and level) suì (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) nǎinai, (third tone, dipping) jiù (fourth tone, falling) zhù (fourth tone, falling) zài (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) pángbiān. (second tone, rising)

She is a grandmother of seventy-odd, and she lives right next to me.

开始的时候，我有一点儿担心。

Kāishǐ (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) shíhou, (second tone, rising) wǒ (third tone, dipping) yǒu (third tone, dipping) yìdiǎnr (fourth tone, falling) dānxīn. (first tone, high and level)

At first I was a little uneasy about it.

因为每天早上六点，我都能听见旁边有音乐的声音。

Yīnwèi (first tone, high and level) měi (third tone, dipping) tiān (first tone, high and level) zǎoshang (third tone, dipping) liù (fourth tone, falling) diǎn, (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) dōu (first tone, high and level) néng (second tone, rising) tīngjiàn (first tone, high and level) pángbiān (second tone, rising) yǒu (third tone, dipping) yīnyuè (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) shēngyīn. (first tone, high and level)

Because every morning at six I could hear music through the wall.

我睡得很晚，六点太早了。

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) shuì (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) hěn (third tone, dipping) wǎn, (third tone, dipping) liù (fourth tone, falling) diǎn (third tone, dipping) tài (fourth tone, falling) zǎo (third tone, dipping) le. (neutral tone)

I go to bed late, and six is far too early for me.

后来有一天早上，我出门的时候看见了她。

Hòulái (fourth tone, falling) yǒu (third tone, dipping) yì (fourth tone, falling) tiān (first tone, high and level) zǎoshang, (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) chū (first tone, high and level) mén (second tone, rising) de (neutral tone) shíhou (second tone, rising) kànjiàn (fourth tone, falling) le (neutral tone) tā. (first tone, high and level)

Then one morning I saw her as I was going out.

她正在门外面运动，旁边放着音乐。

Tā (first tone, high and level) zhèngzài (fourth tone, falling) mén (second tone, rising) wàimiàn (fourth tone, falling) yùndòng, (fourth tone, falling) pángbiān (second tone, rising) fàng (fourth tone, falling) zhe (neutral tone) yīnyuè. (first tone, high and level)

She was exercising outside the door, with the music playing beside her.

我说：“奶奶，您起得真早。”

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) shuō: (first tone, high and level) “Nǎinai, (third tone, dipping) nín (second tone, rising) qǐ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) zhēn (first tone, high and level) zǎo.” (third tone, dipping)

I said, “You are up early, grandma.”

她笑着说：“老人都起得早。是不是我的音乐声音太大了？”

Tā (first tone, high and level) xiào (fourth tone, falling) zhe (neutral tone) shuō: (first tone, high and level) “Lǎorén (third tone, dipping) dōu (first tone, high and level) qǐ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) zǎo. (third tone, dipping) Shì (fourth tone, falling) bu (neutral tone) shì (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) yīnyuè (first tone, high and level) shēngyīn (first tone, high and level) tài (fourth tone, falling) dà (fourth tone, falling) le?” (neutral tone)

She laughed: “Old people always rise early. Is my music too loud?”

我说：“有一点儿大。”

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) shuō: (first tone, high and level) “Yǒu (third tone, dipping) yìdiǎnr (fourth tone, falling) dà.” (fourth tone, falling)

I admitted, “A little, yes.”

从那天以后，她运动的时候都把声音关小。

Cóng (second tone, rising) nà (fourth tone, falling) tiān (first tone, high and level) yǐhòu, (third tone, dipping) tā (first tone, high and level) yùndòng (fourth tone, falling) de (neutral tone) shíhou (second tone, rising) dōu (first tone, high and level) bǎ (third tone, dipping) shēngyīn (first tone, high and level) guān (first tone, high and level) xiǎo. (third tone, dipping)

From that day on she turned the volume down whenever she exercised.

我也开始早一点儿睡觉了。

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) yě (third tone, dipping) kāishǐ (first tone, high and level) zǎo (third tone, dipping) yìdiǎnr (fourth tone, falling) shuìjiào (fourth tone, falling) le. (neutral tone)

And I started going to bed a little earlier.

有一次，我忘记带钥匙，进不去房间。

Yǒu (third tone, dipping) yí (second tone, rising) cì, (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) wàngjì (fourth tone, falling) dài (fourth tone, falling) yàoshi, (fourth tone, falling) jìn (fourth tone, falling) bú (second tone, rising) qù (fourth tone, falling) fángjiān. (second tone, rising)

One day I forgot my key and could not get into my room.

那天下雨，天气很冷，我在门外站了半个小时。

Nà (fourth tone, falling) tiān (first tone, high and level) xià (fourth tone, falling) yǔ, (third tone, dipping) tiānqì (first tone, high and level) hěn (third tone, dipping) lěng, (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) zài (fourth tone, falling) mén (second tone, rising) wài (fourth tone, falling) zhàn (fourth tone, falling) le (neutral tone) bàn (fourth tone, falling) ge (neutral tone) xiǎoshí. (third tone, dipping)

It was raining and cold, and I stood outside the door for half an hour.

奶奶看见了，让我进她家里等，还给了我一杯热茶。

Nǎinai (third tone, dipping) kànjiàn (fourth tone, falling) le, (neutral tone) ràng (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) jìn (fourth tone, falling) tā (first tone, high and level) jiā (first tone, high and level) lǐ (third tone, dipping) děng, (third tone, dipping) hái (second tone, rising) gěi (third tone, dipping) le (neutral tone) wǒ (third tone, dipping) yì (fourth tone, falling) bēi (first tone, high and level) rè (fourth tone, falling) chá. (second tone, rising)

My neighbour saw me, asked me in to wait, and handed me a cup of hot tea.

我们一起聊天，她给我讲了很多以前的故事。

Wǒmen (third tone, dipping) yìqǐ (fourth tone, falling) liáotiān, (second tone, rising) tā (first tone, high and level) gěi (third tone, dipping) wǒ (third tone, dipping) jiǎng (third tone, dipping) le (neutral tone) hěn (third tone, dipping) duō (first tone, high and level) yǐqián (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) gùshi. (fourth tone, falling)

We chatted, and she told me a great many stories from the old days.

她说她年轻的时候是一位老师，教了三十年的书。

Tā (first tone, high and level) shuō (first tone, high and level) tā (first tone, high and level) niánqīng (second tone, rising) de (neutral tone) shíhou (second tone, rising) shì (fourth tone, falling) yí (second tone, rising) wèi (fourth tone, falling) lǎoshī, (third tone, dipping) jiāo (first tone, high and level) le (neutral tone) sānshí (first tone, high and level) nián (second tone, rising) de (neutral tone) shū. (first tone, high and level)

She had been a teacher when she was young, she said — thirty years of it.

我告诉她，我是从摩洛哥来的留学生。

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) gàosu (fourth tone, falling) tā, (first tone, high and level) wǒ (third tone, dipping) shì (fourth tone, falling) cóng (second tone, rising) Móluògē (second tone, rising) lái (second tone, rising) de (neutral tone) liúxuéshēng. (second tone, rising)

I told her I was an international student from Morocco.

她说：“你的汉语说得很好，以后有问题就来找我。”

Tā (first tone, high and level) shuō: (first tone, high and level) “Nǐ (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) Hànyǔ (fourth tone, falling) shuō (first tone, high and level) de (neutral tone) hěn (third tone, dipping) hǎo, (third tone, dipping) yǐhòu (third tone, dipping) yǒu (third tone, dipping) wèntí (fourth tone, falling) jiù (fourth tone, falling) lái (second tone, rising) zhǎo (third tone, dipping) wǒ.” (third tone, dipping)

She said, “Your Chinese is good. Come to me whenever you have a problem.”

现在我常常帮她买东西，她也常常问我吃饭了没有。

Xiànzài (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) chángcháng (second tone, rising) bāng (first tone, high and level) tā (first tone, high and level) mǎi (third tone, dipping) dōngxi, (first tone, high and level) tā (first tone, high and level) yě (third tone, dipping) chángcháng (second tone, rising) wèn (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) chī (first tone, high and level) fàn (fourth tone, falling) le (neutral tone) méiyǒu. (second tone, rising)

These days I often do her shopping, and she often asks whether I have eaten.

我以前觉得，邻居只是住在旁边的人。

Wǒ (third tone, dipping) yǐqián (third tone, dipping) juéde, (second tone, rising) línjū (second tone, rising) zhǐshì (third tone, dipping) zhù (fourth tone, falling) zài (fourth tone, falling) pángbiān (second tone, rising) de (neutral tone) rén. (second tone, rising)

I used to think a neighbour was simply somebody who lived next door.

现在我知道，好邻居可以像家人一样。

Xiànzài (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) zhīdào, (first tone, high and level) hǎo (third tone, dipping) línjū (second tone, rising) kěyǐ (third tone, dipping) xiàng (fourth tone, falling) jiārén (first tone, high and level) yíyàng. (second tone, rising)

Now I know that a good neighbour can be like family.