Dialogue 1

Mark: Jingjing, you look tired today. Are you all right?
馬克：京晶，你看著有些疲倦。你還好吧？
Jingjing: Yeah, I'm usually more chipper than I am today.
京晶：沒錯，我平時比今天活潑。
Mark: What's going on?
馬克：怎么了？
Jingjing: I'm okay. I just have a lot of work to do before my vacation.
京晶：還好啦，主要是假期前有許多工作要做。
Mark: You mean that trip you'll take on the May holiday?
馬克：你是說五一假期你要去的那趟旅行嗎？
Jingjing: Oh, no. That one's a long way off. I'm going on a short trip to Japan next week. I have some leave that I have to use.
京晶：哦，不是的，那個還遠著呢。我下周要去日本來個短小的旅行。我還有些假必須要用了。
Mark: Wow, I had no idea you were going on an international trip.
馬克：哇奧，我完全不知道你要來一趟出國行。
Jingjing: Well, I made the arrangements at the drop of a hat, when I saw a great deal on the flight.
京晶：那個，當我看到機票有不錯的折扣后，不假思索立即做了安排。
Mark: What made you pick Japan?
馬克：為什么挑了去日本？
Jingjing: Um, like I said, the plane ticket was almost a give-away. Besides, I hear this is the perfect time of year to go there and see the cherry blossoms.
京晶：嗯，就像我說的，機票就等于是白送的。此外，我聽說這是一年中看櫻花最好的時間。
Mark: You're right about that. Most people think that's in late April or early May. But they start to bloom in March.
馬克：你說得對。大多數人認為最好的時間是四月末五月初，其實三月就開始綻放了。
Jingjing: We're seeing them in Beijing already. And I figure Japan's about the same, with the seasons and all.
京晶：我們在北京已經見到了，我猜日本也應該一樣吧，季節什么的都差不多吧。
Mark: Yeah, I was in Japan at the beginning of April a couple years ago. There were plenty of trees in bloom, and tons of cool wild flowers.
馬克：是的，幾年前，我四月初左右就在日本，許多樹都開花了，還有許多漂亮的野花。
Jingjing: That's something I've not heard about yet. What were they like?
京晶：這些我到從沒聽聞過。它們什么樣？
Mark: Well, there were a lot of different kinds. My favorite were these blood orange and black ones. They were pretty small. Oh, and keep your eyes open for wild irises!
馬克：有許多不同的種類，我最喜歡的是那種血橙色和黑色的。這些花兒很小。哦，對了，留心看那些野生的鳶尾花。
Jingjing: Wild irises—how are those different from the usual ones?
京晶：野生的鳶尾和平常的有何不同？
Mark: They're smaller, and look more like orchids. When I first saw them, I didn't know what they were.
馬克：它們更小一點，更像是蘭花。我第一次見到時，都不知它們是什么。
Jingjing: Ok. I'll take plenty of pictures. Let's meet for lunch after I get some more work done.
京晶：好，我會多拍點照片。等我完成一些工作后我們午餐見。

New words: 習語短語

chipper 活潑的
cheerful and energetic
a long way off 在未來 時間上還早
in the distant future, not something we have to plan now
at the drop of a hat 立即地，不假思索的
without much reason, sudden
a give-away 免費的，白給的
something for free

Dialogue 2

Mark: So, Jingjing, have you planned out your trip?
馬克：那，京晶，旅行計劃好了嗎？
Jingjing: I haven't had time. All the pointers you can give me would be great.
京晶：我還沒時間呢。所有你能給我的建議都會很棒的。
Mark: I did the same thing. I just had my flight booked, and hotels pre-paid.
馬克：我跟你一樣啊。就是把機票訂了，酒店訂了。
Jingjing: I hear it's pretty easy to get around if you buy a rail pass.
京晶：我聽說如果你買一張火車通票，四處走走看看就會很方便。
Mark: Yeah, you can get almost anywhere by rail. Which city are you flying into?
馬克：沒錯，幾乎任何地方坐火車都能去。你飛去哪個城市？
Jingjing: It's not one of the famous ones. Shuzouka—have you heard of it?
京晶：并不是著名景點，Shuzouka你聽說過嗎？
Mark: No way! That's where I went. It's just on the other side of Mt Fuji from Tokyo.
馬克：不會吧！我就是去的那兒。就在富士山的另一邊，和東京對著。
Jingjing: Yeah, but I want to see Osaka and Kyoto also. So it's kind of awkward being in the middle of all those places.
京晶：是啊，但是我也想去看大阪和京都。所以，在飛去這幾個地方的中間有點不方便。
Mark: Well, if you're flying in and out of Shuzhouka, you might try to get to Kyoto first, then make your way to Tokyo. And take a bullet train whenever you run short on time.
馬克：如果你在Shuzhouka中轉，你也許可以試著先去京都，然后再去東京。如果時間不夠就坐新干線列車。
Jingjing: I was thinking of going the opposite way. I don't plan on buying much in Tokyo. So, I could see that first,and try to leave more time for Kyoto and pick up some antiques.
京晶：我還想著相反的路線呢。我沒有計劃在東京買太多東西。所以，我可以先去那里看看，然后多留些時間給京都，挑一些古玩。
Mark: That's cool. Get me one of those iron teapots if you have the chance. I know they're heavy, but I was kicking myself for not buying one last time.
馬克：相當不錯。有機會的話給我帶一把鐵茶壺吧，我知道它們有些沉，但上次沒買一把已讓我追悔莫及。
Jingjing: OK, I will if I can. No promises.
京晶：如果能的話我會的。不敢保證哦。
Mark: Don't worry about it. Make sure you have fun and see lots of stuff.
馬克：別擔心。自己好好玩，多到處看看。
Jingjing: I bet I will. How many nights do you recommend staying in Tokyo?
京晶：那肯定。東京你建議我待幾天呢？
Mark: Um, if you mainly want to see Osaka and Kyoto, then two nights in Tokyo ought to do it. Also, Shuzouka is pretty nice. If you spend your final night there and have some time to wander around, you won't regret it.
馬克：如果你主要想去大阪和京都的話，東京兩晚足矣。而且，Shuzouka也非常棒。如果你最后一晚在那里度過，有時間到處走走，你不會后悔的。
Jingjing: Good advice.
京晶：好建議。

New words: 習語短語

pointers 建議
pieces of advice
No way! I can't believe it! 不會吧，我不相信
(here, expressing pleasant surprise)
make your way to 去……地方
go somewhere, but not too directly, see things along the way
was kicking myself 后悔………
regretting
ought to do it 應該就夠了
should be enough