Short video and social apps: a Chinese conversation with pinyin

The conversation

Speakers: Xiuying and Haoran.

1. Xiuying

   你(nǐ)这(zhè)屏(píng)幕(mù)上(shàng)怎(zěn)么(me)飘(piāo)过(guò)去(qù)这(zhè)么(me)多(duō)字(zì)儿(r)？

   What's all this text flying across your screen?

2. Haoran

   那(nà)是(shi)弹(dàn)幕(mù)。在(zài) B 站(zhàn)看(kàn)视(shì)频(pín)，大(dà)家(jiā)发(fā)的(de)信(xìn)息(xī)会(huì)实(shí)时(shí)飘(piāo)过(guò)去(qù)。

   That's bullet chat. When you watch videos on Bilibili, everyone's comments stream across in real-time.

3. Xiuying

   好(hǎo)家(jiā)伙(huo)，三(sān)百(bǎi)多(duō)号(hào)人(rén)对(duì)着(zhe)一(yí)座(zuò)大(dà)桥(qiáo)的(de)视(shì)频(pín)疯(fēng)狂(kuáng)刷(shuā)弹(dàn)幕(mù)。

   Good grief, over three hundred people are spamming bullet chat on a video of a bridge.

4. Haoran

   因(yīn)为(wèi)这(zhè)座(zuò)桥(qiáo)的(de)结(jié)构(gòu)设(shè)计(jì)确(què)实(shí)绝(jué)啊(a)。

   Well, the structural design of this bridge is genuinely top-notch.

5. Xiuying

   每(měi)次(cì)出(chū)门(mén)吃(chī)饭(fàn)前(qián)，我(wǒ)都(dōu)要(yào)先(xiān)用(yòng)哪(něi)个(gè) App 搜(sōu)攻(gōng)略(lüè)？

   Which app should I use to look up recommendations before going out to eat every time?

   1. 小(xiǎo)红(hóng)书(shū) Xiaohongshu
   2. 微(wēi)博(bó) Weibo
   3. 快(kuài)手(shǒu) Kuaishou

   Answer

   小(xiǎo)红(hóng)书(shū) Xiaohongshu

6. Haoran

   小(xiǎo)红(hóng)书(shū)呗(bei)。你(nǐ)今(jīn)晚(wǎn)晚(wǎn)饭(fàn)前(qián)在(zài)上(shàng)面(miàn)看(kàn)了(le)整(zhěng)整(zhěng)一(yí)个(ge)小(xiǎo)时(shí)。

   Xiaohongshu, duh. You spent a solid hour browsing it before dinner tonight.

7. Xiuying

   那(nà)可(kě)不(bù)，最(zuì)后(hòu)找(zhǎo)的(de)馆(guǎn)子(zi)多(duō)棒(bàng)，你(nǐ)还(hái)好(hǎo)意(yì)思(si)说(shuō)。

   Totally, the spot we ended up finding was amazing, so don't even start.

8. Haoran

   除(chú)了(le)这(zhè)个(ge)，还(hái)有(yǒu)刷(shuā)短(duǎn)视(shì)频(pín)的(de)抖(dǒu)音(yīn)，以(yǐ)及(jí)快(kuài)手(shǒu)。

   Besides that one, there's Douyin for short videos, plus Kuaishou.

9. Xiuying

   我(wǒ)姑(gū)妈(mā)天(tiān)天(tiān)抱(bào)着(zhe)快(kuài)手(shǒu)看(kàn)，比(bǐ)老(lǎo)农(nóng)懂(dǒng)的(de)种(zhòng)地(dì)知(zhī)识(shi)还(hái)多(duō)。

   My aunt holds onto Kuaishou all day long, she knows more about farming than an actual farmer.

10. Haoran

    光(guāng)是(shì)快(kuài)手(shǒu)这(zhè)一(yí)个(ge) App，日(rì)活(huó)用(yòng)户(hù)就(jiù)超(chāo)过(guò)了(le)四(sì)亿(yì)。

    Kuaishou alone pulls in over 400 million daily active users.

11. Xiuying

    那(nà)微(wēi)博(bó)呢(ne)？

    What about Weibo?

12. Haoran

    微(wēi)博(bó)主(zhǔ)要(yào)是(shì)看(kàn)实(shí)时(shí)热(rè)搜(sōu)、明(míng)星(xīng)八(bā)卦(guà)和(hé)公(gōng)共(gòng)讨(tǎo)论(lùn)。

    Weibo's mostly for breaking trending searches, celebrity gossip, and public discussions.

13. Xiuying

    合(hé)着(zhe)你(nǐ)看(kàn)大(dà)桥(qiáo)，我(wǒ)姑(gū)妈(mā)看(kàn)种(zhòng)地(dì)，我(wǒ)只(zhǐ)负(fù)责(zé)找(zhǎo)吃(chī)的(de)。

    So basically you're looking at bridges, my aunt's watching farming stuff, and I'm just in charge of finding food.

14. Haoran

    各(gè)司(sī)其(qí)职(zhí)，把(bǎ)大(dà)家(jiā)的(de)日(rì)常(cháng)生(shēng)活(huó)安(ān)排(pái)得(de)明(míng)明(míng)白(bái)白(bái)的(de)。

    Division of labor, we've got everyone's daily life totally covered.

Hear it read aloud in the app