HSK 3 ≈ CEFR B1 191 characters 12 sentences

The Neighbour Upstairs （楼上的邻居）

Every night at eleven, the same noise — until she finally went up to complain.

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楼上的邻居

我wǒ搬bān来lái这里zhèlǐ以后yǐhòu，很快hěnkuài就jiù发现了fāxiànle一个yīgè问题wèntí。
Soon after I moved here I noticed a problem.
每天měitiān晚上wǎnshang十一shíyī点diǎn左右zuǒyòu，楼上lóushang都dōu会huì有yǒu很大hěndà的de / dì声音shēngyīn。
Every night at around eleven there was a loud noise from upstairs.
那个nèigè声音shēngyīn又yòu重zhòng / chóng又yòu慢màn，像xiàng有人yǒurén在zài搬bān东西dōngxī。
It was heavy and slow, like someone moving furniture.
我wǒ睡shuì得很dehěn晚wǎn，第二dì'èr天上tiānshàng班bān总是zǒngshì没méi精神jīngshén。
I was going to sleep late, and always felt flat at work the next day.
我wǒ忍rěn了le / liǎo / liào两liǎng个gè星期xīngqī，最后zuìhòu决定juédìng上去shàngqù说shuō一yī说shuō。
I put up with it for two weeks and finally decided to go up and say something.
我wǒ敲qiāo了le / liǎo / liào门mén，开门kāimén的de / dì是shì一yī位wèi老lǎo先生xiānsheng。
I knocked, and an elderly man opened the door.
我wǒ把bǎ事情shìqing跟gēn他tā说了shuōle一yī遍biàn。
I explained the situation to him.
他tā非常fēicháng不好意思bùhǎoyìsi，说shuō：“对不起duìbuqǐ，我wǒ的de(possessive)腿tuǐ不bù太tài好hǎo / hào，每天měitiān晚上wǎnshang要yào走zǒu一会儿yìhuir。”
He was mortified. "I'm so sorry — my legs aren't good and I have to walk about for a while each night."
原来yuánlái那个nèigè声音shēngyīn不是búshì搬bān东西dōngxī，是shì他的tāde拐guǎi杖zhàng。
So the noise wasn't furniture at all — it was his walking stick.
我wǒ一下子yíxiàzi说shuō不出bùchū话huà来lái。
For a moment I couldn't say anything.
后来hòulái我wǒ给gěi他tā买了mǎile一块yīkuài地毯dìtǎn，他tā把bǎ它tā放fàng在zài了le / liǎo / liào房间fángjiān里lǐ。
Afterwards I bought him a rug, and he put it down in the room.
现在xiànzài晚上wǎnshang安静ānjìng多了duōle，我们wǒmen也yě成了chèngle朋友péngyou。
It's much quieter now — and we've become friends.

Words to notice

邻居línjū
Neighbor
声音shēngyīn
Voice (sound)
影响yǐngxiǎng
Influence (to affect - disturb)
敲qiāo
Knock (hit - blackmail)
门mén
Door (gate - know-how - category - measure word for courses)
误会wùhuì
Misunderstanding (to mistake)
道歉dàoqiàn
Apologizes
Drill this level's full word list on the HSK 3 vocabulary page or with HSK 3 flashcards.

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