Upper-Intermediate - Getting a License Plate (D1611)

A: 小军！
Xiǎojūn!
Xiao Jun!

B: 哎哟，大齐，你怎么才来？
āiyōu, Dàqı́, nı̌ zěnme cái lái?
Hey, Daqi. What made you so late?

A: 哎！堵死了。首都已经成了首堵了。不过也好，
我在车上把早点吃了，晨报也看完了。哎，不说
我的事儿了。你新买的车呢？
āi! dǔ sı̌ le. shǒudū yı̌jı̄ng chéng le shǒu dǔ le. bùguò yě-
hǎo, wǒ zài chē shang bǎ zǎodiǎn chı̄ le, chénbào yě kàn
wán le. ài, bù shuō wǒ de shı̀r le. nı̌ xı̄n mǎi de chē ne?
Agh! Traffic was packed. The capital’s supposed be the
most important city in the country - more like the most con-
gested. But oh well, I was able to eat a light breakfast
and read the morning news in the car. Enough about me.
Where’s your new car?

B: 喏，那不是吗？
nuò, nà bùshı̀ ma?
Is that not it?

A: 哟，这车靓，车屁股翘得多性感！

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 yō, zhè chē liàng, chē pı̀gu qiào de duō xı̀nggǎn!
Hey, what a nice-looking car. The back end is looking pretty
sexy!

B: 那还用说。
nà hái yòng shuō.
You know it.

A: 你小子这次动作快，让你赶上了末班车。否则后
天开始可就要摇号上牌了。
nı̌ xiǎozi zhècı̀ dòngzuò kuài, ràng nı̌ gǎnshàng le mòbān-
chē. fǒuzé hòutiān kāishı̌ kě jiù yào yáohào shàngpái le.
You really jumped on buying this car, huh? Now you still
have a chance at getting plates. Otherwise, you’d have to
go through the lottery system that starts the day after to-
morrow.

B: 咳，真不知道这是哪个猪脑子想出来的治堵方
案。
hài, zhēn bù zhı̄dào zhè shı̀ nǎ ge zhūnǎozi xiǎng chūlai de
zhı̀dǔ fāng’àn.
Agh, I really have no idea what numbskull came up with this
program to fix the traffic congestion.

A: 哎！公车不去限，整个城市的规划也没点儿远
见，不堵才怪！

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 āi! gōngchē bù qù xiàn, zhěnggè chéngshı̀ de guı̄huà yě
méi diǎnr yuǎnjiàn, bù dǔ cái guài!
Agh! There’s no limits on government cars, and all over the
city their plans don’t have any foresight. It’d be strange if it
wasn’t packed!

B: 不过还好不像上海那样要牌照拍卖，一张牌照要
好几万呢。
bùguò háihǎo bù xiàng Shànghǎi nàyàng yào páizhào pāi-
mài, yı̄ zhāng páizhào yào hǎo jı̌ wàn ne.
At least it’s not like Shanghai where they auction off plates.
Each plate is tens of thousands of yuan.

A: 那简直就是抢钱嘛！对了，你上牌照的东西都准
备好了没有？
nà jiǎnzhı́ jiùshı̀ qiǎngqián ma! duı̀ le, nı̌ shàng páizhào de
dōngxi dōu zhǔnbèi hǎo le méiyǒu?
That’s highway robbery! Oh, that’s right. Have you gotten
all the stuff ready that you need to apply for a plate?

B: 身份证，户口本，购车发票，临时牌照，保险
单......基本上都齐了。
shēnfènzhèng, hùkǒuběn, gòuchē fāpiào, lı́nshı́ páizhào,
bǎoxiǎndān...... jı̄běn shang dōu qı́ le.
ID card, residency booklet, proof of purchase for the car,
temporary plates, insurance papers - I’ve got most of it to-
gether already.

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 A: 那咱就早点儿出发吧！这两天车管所的人爆满，
比医院的人还多，都赶着限购令出来之前上牌。
nà zá jiù zǎo diǎnr chūfā ba! zhè liǎng tiān chēguǎnsuǒ de
rén bàomǎn, bı̌ yı̄yuàn de rén hái duō, dōu gǎn zhe xiàn-
gòulı̀ng chūlái zhı̄qián shàngpái.
Well, let’s get going a bit early then! These days the Vehicle
Administration has been packed. There’s more people there
than at the hospital. The new limitations have everyone out
rushing to get a plate before they’re put into place.

B: 我们待会儿去上牌，是怎么个流程？
wǒmen dāi huı̌r qù shàngpái, shı̀ zěnme ge liúchéng?
We’re going to get the plates soon. What’s the procedure?

A: 先填这个表那个表，然后交钱，车辆购置税，车
船税，检测费，完了再验车、拍照，最后领行驶
证和牌照，走人。
xiān tián zhè ge biǎo nà ge biǎo, ránhòu jiāoqián, chēliàng
gòuzhı̀ shuı̀, chēchuán shuı̀, jiǎncè fèi, wán le zài yàn chē,
pāizhào, zuı̀hòu lı̌ng xı́ngshı̌ zhèng hé páizhào, zǒurén.
First you fill out some forms, then pay the fees - the car pur-
chasing tax, the vehicle tax and the examination fee. When
that’s over the car is examined, they take some pictures and
finally you pick up the driving permit and plate and go.

B: 真麻烦，咱快走吧。

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 zhēn máfan, zán kuài zǒu ba.
What a pain. Let’s get going.

Key Vocabulary

首都 shǒudū capital (of a country)

首 shǒu first of all

堵 dǔ congested

晨报 chénbào morning newspaper

靓 liàng beautiful, handsome

翘 qiào to perk up

性感 xı̀nggǎn sexy

赶上末班 gǎnshàng mò- to catch the last train,

否则 fǒuzé otherwise

摇号 yáohào to hold a lottery, raffel

上牌 shàngpái to get a license plate

猪脑子 zhūnǎozi pig brain, [fig. moron]

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 治 zhı̀ to cure

方案 fāng’àn plan, scheme

限 xiàn to limit

规划 guı̄huà plan, program

远见 yuǎnjiàn foresight

牌照 páizhào license plate, tag

拍卖 pāimài auction

户口本 hùkǒuběn household registration

临时 lı́nshı́ temporary

保险单 bǎoxiǎndān insurance form

齐 qı́ complete, prepared

车管所 chēguǎnsuǒ department of motor

爆满 bàomǎn full to point of bursting

限购令 xiàngòulı̀ng purchase limitations

流程 liúchéng process

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 车辆购置 chēliàng gòuzhı̀ car purchasing tax
税 shuı̀

车船税 chēchuán shuı̀ vehicle tax

检测 jiǎncè examination

领 lı̌ng to claim

行驶证 xı́ngshı̌ zhèng driver’s permit, license

Supplementary Vocabulary

车牌 chēpái license plate

治理 zhı̀lı̌ to govern

拥堵 yōngdǔ crowded, jammed

车辆管理 chēliàng Vehicle Administration

限制 xiànzhı̀ to limit, to restrict

购买 gòumǎi to buy, to purchase

法令 fǎlı̀ng laws

驾驶执照 jiàshı̌ zhı́zhào driver’s license

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 政策 zhèngcè policy

对策 duı̀cè countermeasure

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