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狗不理包子

The 'Dog Won't Touch' Buns

Level 3 · Folktales · 民间故事 · 49 vocabulary words

Source: 民间传说 · Folk tradition

天tiān津jīn有yǒu个gè卖mài包子bāo zi的de,小xiǎo名míng叫jiào狗gǒu子zǐ。他tā的de包子bāo zi皮pí薄báo馅xiàn大dà十shí八bā个gè褶zhě,天天tiān tiān排pái长cháng队duì。

In Tianjin a bun-seller's childhood name was Gouzi, Dog. His buns were thin-skinned and full, eighteen pleats each; queues formed daily.

生意shēng yi太tài好了hǎo le,狗gǒu子zǐ忙máng得de没méi空kōng跟gēn客人kè rén说话shuō huà。

Business was so good he had no time to talk to customers.

人们rén men开玩笑kāi wán xiào说shuō:狗gǒu子zǐ忙máng得de连lián人rén都dōu不理bù lǐ了le——狗gǒu不理bù lǐ。

People joked: Gouzi's too busy even to answer, gou bu li, 'the dog won't answer'.

名字míng zi越yuè叫jiào越yuè响xiǎng,狗gǒu不理bù lǐ包子bāo zi成chéng了le天tiān津jīn第dì一yī小吃xiǎo chī。

The nickname stuck; 'Dog Won't Touch' became Tianjin's most famous snack.

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