Chat attack

speed skating/ 速度滑冰 / (sùdù huábīnɡ)

A: You look excited. Did something make you happy?

你看起来很激动,有什么让你开心的事情吗？

(nǐ kànqǐlái hěn jīdònɡ, yǒu shenme rànɡnǐ kāixīn de shìqínɡ ma?)

B: I just saw a speed skating athlete from China win the championship at the World Cup, so I'm very excited. 

我刚看了中国一位速度滑冰运动员在世界杯上取得了冠军,心情很激动。

(wǒ ɡānɡ kànle zhōnɡɡuó yīwèi sùdù huábīnɡ yùndònɡyuán zài shìjiè bēi shànɡ qǔdéle ɡuànjūn, xīnqínɡ hěn jīdònɡ.)

A: Really? I'm happy for him. 

是吗？我为他感到高兴。

(shìma? wǒ wéitā ɡǎndào ɡāoxīnɡ.)

B: I'm also happy for him, but I can't tell the difference between the speed skating and short track speed skating events. 

我也为他开心,但是,我分不清速度滑冰和短道速滑的区别。

(wǒ yě wéitā kāixīn, dànshì, wǒ fēnbùqīnɡ sùdù huábīnɡ hé duǎndào sùhuá de qūbié.)

A: The difference is distance. Speed skating tracks are 400 meters long, while for short track speed skating, the tracks are 111.12 meters long. 

区别在于距离。实际速度滑冰赛道长400米,而短道速滑赛道较短,赛道长111.12米。

(qūbié zàiyú jùlí.shíjì sùdù huábīnɡ sàidào chánɡ 400 mǐ, ér duǎndào sùhuá sàidào jiàoduǎn, sàidào chánɡ 111.12 mǐ.)

B: It seems that there are two different skills sets for these events. I prefer to watch short track speed skating events. 

对,那这么看来,或许两者的技术要领会很不一样。 我更喜欢看短道速滑。

(duì, nà zhème kànlái, huòxǔ liǎnɡzhě de jìshù yàolǐnɡ huì hěn bù yīyànɡ. wǒ ɡènɡ xǐhuān kàn duǎndào sùhuá.)

Illustration: Liu Xidan/GT