Chinese · C1 · Unit 20
Telling it well
把故事讲好
By the end you can
- Tell a story with suspense
- Vary your language for effect
- Understand how a story is built
Words and phrases
| Chinese | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 话说 | (huàshuō) now, the story goes (a storyteller's opening) | 话说很久以前，山里住着一个老人。 |
| 悬念 | (xuánniàn) suspense | 他讲故事很会制造悬念。 |
| 卖关子 | (mài guānzi) keep people in suspense | 快说吧，别卖关子了！ |
| 铺垫 | (pūdiàn) build-up, groundwork | 前面的铺垫太长了，大家都等急了。 |
| 渲染 | (xuànrǎn) build up (an atmosphere) | 他先渲染气氛，再讲最吓人的部分。 |
| 一波三折 | (yì bō sān zhé) full of twists and turns | 这个故事一波三折，非常精彩。 |
| 说时迟，那时快 | (shuō shí chí, nà shí kuài) in a flash (a storytelling formula) | 说时迟，那时快，一只黑猫从窗口跳了进来。 |
| 鸦雀无声 | (yā què wú shēng) so quiet you could hear a pin drop | 讲到这里，屋里鸦雀无声。 |
| 毛骨悚然 | (máo gǔ sǒng rán) spine-chilling | 那个声音让人毛骨悚然。 |
| 绘声绘色 | (huì shēng huì sè) vividly, as if you were there | 爷爷讲得绘声绘色，孩子们都听呆了。 |
| 戛然而止 | (jiá rán ér zhǐ) stop abruptly | 故事在最紧张的地方戛然而止。 |
| 欲知后事如何 | (yù zhī hòu shì rúhé) to find out what happens next (the old storytellers' cliffhanger) | 欲知后事如何，且听下回分解。 |
Then talk it through
Telling a ghost story around a campfire. In the app you have this conversation out loud or typed, with the unit's goals to tick off and corrections at the end.