Chat attack

cat's cradle / 翻花绳 /(fān huāshénɡ) 

A: It's really boring waiting for the bus, how about we play a childhood game? 

等车太无聊了,我们来玩一个儿时的游戏吧？

(děnɡchē tài wúliáo le, wǒmén láiwán yīɡè érshíde yóuxì bā?)

B: I see you have some thread in your hands. Could it be you want to play cat's cradle?  

我看你手里有根绳子,难不成你想玩翻花绳的游戏吗？

(wǒkàn nǐ shǒulǐ yǒu ɡēn shénɡzǐ, nánbùchénɡ nǐxiǎnɡ wán fānhuāshénɡ de yóuxì ma?)

A: You know how to play cat's cradle?

你知道翻花绳怎么玩吗？

(nǐ zhīdào fānhuāshénɡ zěnme wán ma?)

B: The basic rules should be to use a single thread tied by a knot, then one person uses his or her fingers to make a pattern and then another person uses his or her fingers to take the string and make another pattern.  

基本的规则是用一根打结的绳子,一人用手指编成一种花样,另一人用手指接过来,翻出另一种花样。

(jīběnde ɡuīzé shì yònɡ yīɡēn dǎjiéde shénɡzǐ, yīrén yònɡshǒu zhǐ biānchénɡ yīzhǒnɡ huāyànɡ, lìnɡyīrén yònɡ shǒuzhǐ jiēɡuòlái, fānchū lìnɡyīzhǒnɡ huāyànɡ.)

A: So do you know what designs cat's cradle has?  

那你知道翻花绳有哪些图案吗？

(nànǐzhī dào fānhuāshénɡ yǒu nǎxiē túànma?)

B: Generally speaking, a single person can make stars and an parachute, while two people can make many more designs.   

一般一人翻的有星星和降落伞,两人翻的图案则更多样。 

(yībān yīrén fānde yǒu xīnɡxīnɡhé jiànɡluòsǎn, liǎnɡrén fānde  túàn zé ɡènɡ duōyànɡ.)

A: You got it. Let's give it a go. 

说的没错,我们现在就试试吧。

(shuōde méicuò, wǒmén xiànzài jiù shìshìbā.)

B: I'm not expecting to do any nice patterns, I think I just enjoy the experience for playing the game.

我倒不期待翻出什么图案,我更喜欢翻花绳过程中无法预料的愉快过程。

(wǒdǎo bùqīdài fānchū shenme túàn, wǒ ɡènɡxǐhuān fānhuā shénɡ ɡuòchénɡzhōnɡ wúfǎ yùliào de yúkuài ɡuòchénɡ.)

Illustrations:Liu Rui/GT