Favorite MSG Dishes

大家好,我的名字叫无名氏。我很喜欢中文,可是我更喜欢吃中国菜。今天我想介绍一些很有名的中国菜。

Dàjiā hǎo, wǒde míngzì jiào Wu Mingshi.  Wǒ hěn xǐhuan Zhōngwén, kěshì wǒ gèng xǐhuan chī Zhōngguócài.  Jīntiān wǒ xiǎng jièshào yīxiē hěn yǒumíng de Zhōngguócài.

Hello everybody, my name is whatever. I really like Chinese, but I even more like to eat Chinese food. Today I’d like to introduce [jieshao] several very famous Chinese dishes.

先说佛跳墙。这个菜 不是素菜。佛跳墙里的肉很多。为什么叫佛跳墙呢。这菜真好吃,所以连佛会跳墙去吃。虽然佛条墙这菜好吃,但是加味精就更好吃。 
Xiān shuō Fó tiào qiáng.  Zhège cái bù shì sùcài.  Fó tiào qiáng lǐ de rou4 hěn duō.  Wèishénme jiào fó tiào qiáng ne?  Zhè cài zhēn hǎochī, suǒyǐ lián Fó huì tiào qiáng qù chī.  Suīrán Fó tiáo qiáng hǎochī, dànshì jià wèijīng jiù gēng hǎochī.

The first is fo tiao qiang [Buddha leap over wall]. This dish is not vegetarian. Fo tiao qiang has a lot of meat in it. Why is it called Fo tiao qiang? This dish is really tasty, so even [lian] Buddha [fo] jumps over the wall to go eat it. Although Fotiaoqiang is good, it’s even better if you add MSG. [jia = add]

下一个菜是蚂蚁上树。这菜听起来很有意思。蚂蚁上树里头有猪肉,可是没有蚂蚁。这个菜看起来像蚂蚁爬树一样。我很喜欢这个菜,可是我觉得蚂蚁上树加味精会更好吃。

Xià yī ge cài shì mǎyǐ-shàngshù.  Mǎyǐ-shàngshù lǐtou yǒu zhūròu, kěshì méiyǒu mǎyǐ.  Zhè gè cài kànqilai xiang4 mǎyǐ páshù yi2yang4.  Wǒ hěn xǐhuan zhège cài, kěshì wǒ juéde mǎyǐ-shàng shù jiā wèijīng huì gèng hǎo chī.

The next dish is ants [mayi] climbing a tree [shangshu]. This dish sounds [tingqilai] very interesting. Mayishangshu contains [again, li is in] pork, but doesn’t have ants. Why is it called Ants Climbing a tree? Because this dish looks like [kanqilai] it has ants climbing a tree. I really like this dish, but I feel Ants climbing a tree is even better if you add MSG.

下一个菜叫叫化鸡。为什么叫叫化鸡呢。以前有一个叫化子。别人送他一只鸡。这叫化子没有别的东西,把鸡放在泥土里烤。大家都说这菜好吃,可是我不同意。为什么呢?因为叫化子没有钱,所以不能买味精。对不起,叫化鸡没有味精,就不好吃。

Xià yī ge cài jiào jiàohuā jī.  Wèishénme jiào jiàohuā jī ne?  Yǐqián yǒu yī gè jiàohuāzi.  Biéren sòng tā yī zhī jī.  Zhè jiàohuāzi méiyǒu biéde dōngxi, bǎ jī fàng zài nítǔ lǐ kǎo.  Dàjiā dōu shuō jiàohuā jī hǎochī, kěshì wǒ bù tóngyì.  Wèishénme ne?  Yīnwèi jiàohuāzi méiyǒu qián, suǒyǐ bù néng mǎi wèijīng.  Mei2you3 wèijīng, jiao4hua1ji jiù bù hǎochī.

The next dish is called Beggar’s [jiaohuazi] Chicken [ji]. Why is it called Beggar’s chicken?  Once there was a beggar. Somebody gave him a chicken. The beggar had nothing so he put the chicken in mud [nitu] and baked it. Everybody says this dish is delicious, but I don’t agree [tongyi]. Because the beggar didn’t have money, so he couldn’t buy MSG. With no MSG, Beggar’s Chicken doesn’t taste good.

最后的菜叫狗不理包子。为什么这菜叫狗不理包子呢?  以前有一个人,他的名字叫狗不理。狗不理卖包子,所以他的包子就叫狗不理包子。对不起,我觉得这个说法错了。我上个星期去了中国城,在那儿买了一些狗不理包子带回家。我家里养狗,所以我把包子放地上。你们知道吗?那些包子我的狗一点都不理。这能证明,因为狗不理,所以才叫狗不理包子。可是你们知道吗,我一把味精放在包子上面,狗马上把包子吃起来。

Zuìhòu de cài jiào Gǒubùlǐ bāozi.  Wèishénme zhè cài jiào Gǒubùlǐ bāozi ne?  Yǐqián yǒu yigè ren, ta de  míngzì jiào Gǒubùlǐ.  Gǒubùlǐ mai4 bāozi, suǒyǐ tā de bāozi jiù jiào Gǒubùlǐ bāozi.  Duìbuqǐ, wǒ juéde zhège shuōfa cuò le.  Wo3 mǎi le yīxiē Gǒubùlǐ bāozi dàihuí jiā.  Wǒ jiāli yǎng gǒu, suǒyǐ wǒ bǎ bāozi fang dìshàng.  Nǐmen zhīdào ma?  Nàxiē bāozi wǒde gǒu yīdiǎn dōu bùlǐ.  Zhè néng zhèngmíng, yīnwèi gǒu bùlǐ, suǒyǐ cái jiào Gǒubùlǐ bāozi.  Kěshì, wǒ yī bǎ wèijīng fàng zài bāozi shàngmian, gǒu mǎshàng bǎ bāozi chī qǐlái.

Finally there’s a dish called “Goubuli” steamed bread [baozi]. Why is this dish called Goubuli Baozi [important to know that “goubulai” sounds like “dogs won’t touch it.”]. There was a guy named “Gou Buli.” Gou Buli sold baozi, so his baozi’s became known as “Gou Buli Baozi.” I’m sorry, I feel this explanation is incorrect.. Last week I went to Chinatown, and there bought some Goubuli baozi’s to take home [dai huijia]. My house raises [yang] dogs [I have a dog.], so I took the baozi’s and put them on the floor. You know? My dog wouldn’t touch those dumplings. This proves, because dogs won’t touch them, that’s why they are called “Baozi’s that dogs won’t touch.” But do you all know, as soon as [“yi…jiu” means as soon as something then something else] I put MSG on the Baozi’s , the dog ate them up. 

其实,我还有几个菜要介绍。可是我已经说到肚子饿了。所以我今天说到这里,要去找东西吃。请你们放心,我自己带味精,谢谢大家。

Qíshí, wǒ hái yǒu jǐge cài yào jièshào.  Kěshì wǒ yǐjing shuōdào dùzi è le.  Suǒyǐ wǒ jīntiān shuōdào zhèli, yào qù zhǎo dong1xi chī.  Qǐng nǐmen fàngxīn, wǒ zìjǐ dài wèijīng, xièxie dàjiā.

Actually, I still have several dishes to introduce. But I already spoken to the point of getting hungry [shuo dao duzi e le, duzi means stomach]. So, today I will speak up to here, I want to find something to eat. Don’t worry, I have my own MSG, thanks everybody.