Published by: Michael G
Official Website: CCTV English
Transcript covers between 0:42 and 4:24.

汉字 Pinyin English
(Official Transcript) (Google Translate) (Official Transcript)
怎么回事啊？爸爸怎么还没把奶奶他们接回来呀！ Zěnme huí shì a? Bàba zěnme hái méi bǎ nǎinai tāmen jiē huílái ya! What’s going on? Why hasn’t dad picked up Grandma and the others yet!
你别着急。你爸爸刚给我打过电话，说他们已经往家开了。来，小明、麦克，你们俩闲着也是闲着，快帮我把这些“福”字贴在墙上吧。 Nǐ bié zhāojí. Nǐ bàba gāng gěi wǒ dǎguò diànhuà, shuō tāmen yǐjīng wǎng jiā kāile. Lái, Xiǎo Míng, Màikè, nǐmen liǎ xiánzhe yěshì xiánzhe, kuài bāng wǒ bǎ zhèxiē “fú” zì tiē zài qiáng shàng ba. Your dad just called me, they’re on their way. Come on, Xiao Ming, MIKE, you guys aren’t doing much anyway, help me stick these “happiness” characters on the wall.
好嘞！ Hǎo lei! Sure!
麦克，你帮我看看歪不歪？ Màikè, nǐ bāng wǒ kàn kàn wāi bù wāi? Mike, have a look and tell me if it’s crooked?
歪倒是不歪，就是你把“福”字拿倒了。 Wāi dǎoshì bù wāi, jiùshì nǐ bǎ “fú” zì ná dàole. It’s not crooked, but you’ve got the “happiness” character upside down.
麦克，你外行了吧。我就是成心倒着贴的，这叫“福到了”，多吉利啊。 Màikè, nǐ wàihángle ba. Wǒ jiùshì chéng xīn dàozhe tiē de, zhè jiào “fú dàole”, duō jílì a. Mike, you’re showing how green you are. This is stuck on upside intentionally, to mean “happiness is here”, how lucky is that.
哈哈，真有意思。来，我也要贴一张“福到了”。嗯，就贴在窗户上吧。 Hāhā, zhēn yǒuyìsi. Lái, wǒ yě yào tiē yī zhāng “fú dàole”. Ń, jiù tiē zài chuānghù shàng ba. Haha, that’s interesting. Come on, I want to stick one to mean “happiness is here” too. Hmm, I’ll stick it on the window.
他们来啦，我来开门。 Tāmen lái la, wǒ lái kāimén. They’re here, I’ll get the door.
妈、王楠，你们一路顺利吧？快进来，快进来。 Mā, Wáng Nán, nǐmen yīlù shùnlì ba? Kuài jìnlái, kuài jìnlái. Mom, Wang Nan, did you have a good trip? Come on in.
大家过年好！ Dàjiā guònián hǎo! Happy new year everyone!
快进来，快进来，外面太冷了。 Kuài jìnlái, kuài jìnlái, wàimiàn tài lěngle. Come on inside, it’s too cold outside.
小明哥，你们的新家太漂亮啦！你和麦克在楼上住吗？ Xiǎo Míng gē, nǐmen de xīnjiā tài piàoliang la! Nǐ hé Màikè zài lóu shàng zhù ma? Xiao Ming, what an amazing new house! Do you and Mike live upstars?
是啊，一会儿带你参观参观。 Shì a, yīhuǐr dài nǐ cānguān cānguān. Yes, I’ll give you a tour in a minute.
来，咱们先喝点儿茶。茜茜啊，你就把这儿当自己家啊，别客气！ Lái, zánmen xiān hē diǎnr chá. Qiàn Qiàn a, nǐ jiù bǎ zhèr dāng zìjǐ jiā a, bié kèqì! Come on, let’s have some tea first. Qian Qian, feel at home here, relax!
哥，您放心，茜茜呀，跟谁都不客气。 Gē, nín fàngxīn, Qiàn Qiàn ya, gēn shéi dōu bù kèqì. Brother, don’t worry about that, our Qian Qian is relaxed everywhere she goes.
妈！ Mā! Mom!
小明，你给茜茜和麦克拿点儿水果吃。 Xiǎo Míng, nǐ gěi Qiàn Qiàn hé Màikè ná diǎnr shuǐguǒ chī. Xiao Ming, get some fruit for Qian Qian and Mike.
谢谢，小明哥。 Xièxiè, Xiǎo Míng gē. Thanks, Xiao Ming.
这个梨太大了，我可吃不了。小明，我把梨分一半儿给你吧。 Zhège lí tài dàle, wǒ kě chī bùliǎo. Xiǎo Míng, wǒ bǎ lí fēn yībànr gěi nǐ ba. This pear’s a bit too big for me. Xiao Ming, let me give you half.
那可不行，大过年的，谁也不能分“梨”啊！ Nà kě bùxíng, dà guònián de, shéi yě bùnéng fēn “lí” a! That won’t do, it’s new year, nobody’s separating a pear!
奶奶，小明挺喜欢吃梨的，我…… Nǎinai, Xiǎo Míng tǐng xǐhuān chī lí de, wǒ…… Grandma, Xiao Ming likes pears, I…
哈哈，麦克，这不在于我喜不喜欢吃梨，而在于“梨”和分离的“离”同音。所以，奶奶才不让你和我分梨啊。 Hāhā, Màikè, zhè bù zàiyú wǒ xǐ bù xǐhuān chī lí, ér zàiyú “lí” hé fēnlí de “lí” tóngyīn. Suǒyǐ, nǎinai cái bù ràng nǐ hé wǒ fēn lí a. Haha, Mike, the point is not whether I like pears, but that the word for “pear” sounds like “separation”. That’s why Grandma won’t let you and I split a pear.
对对对，这大过年的多不吉利啊！ Duì duì duì, zhè dà guònián de duō bùjílì a! That’s right, it’s so unlucky for new year!
哈哈，妈，没事儿，童言无忌，童言无忌。这就叫谐音。过年的时候，大家都尽量说吉利的话，其中大多都和汉字的“谐音”有关。 Hāhā, mā, méishìr, tóng yán wú jì, tóng yán wú jì. Zhè jiù jiào xiéyīn. Guònián de shíhòu, dàjiā dōu jǐnliàng shuō jílì dehuà, qízhōng dàduō dōu hé hànzì de “xiéyīn” yǒuguān. Haha, Mom, don’t worry about it, kids say the darnedest things. These are homophones. At New Year’s, people try to say lucky things, most of it has to do with homophones in Chinese.
对，比如年夜饭要吃鱼，就是希望自己和家人“年年有余”。就是这个“余”字。人们希望自己一年都丰衣足食，到了年底呢还能有一些剩余。 Duì, bǐrú nián yèfàn yào chī yú, jiùshì xīwàng zìjǐ hé jiārén “nián nián yǒuyú”. Jiùshì zhège “yú” zì. Rénmen xīwàng zìjǐ yī nián dōu fēngyīzúshí, dàole niándǐ ne hái néng yǒu yīxiē shèngyú. That’s right, like having fish for new year’s dinner, it’s to hope that the family has abundant resources every year. This is the character — which means “remainder”. People hope they have enough for the year and some remainder at the end of the year.
对了，麦克，过年我们还要吃“年糕”，我们带了…… Duìle, Màikè, guònián wǒmen hái yào chī “niángāo”, wǒmen dàile…… Right, Mike, we’ll also be having “nian gao” or year cake for Chinese new year, we brought this…
这是不是代表“年年高”啊？ Zhè shì bùshì dàibiǎo “nián nián gāo” a? This means “each year is better than the year before”?
是啊，这是希望咱们全家人生活会越来越好，日子过得越来越红火！ Shì a, zhè shì xīwàng zánmen quánjiā rén shēnghuó huì yuè lái yuè hǎo, rìziguò dé yuè lái yuè hónghuo! Yes, it’s to wish for improved living for the family!
太有意思了，我要记下来，回去讲给我爸爸妈妈听。 Tài yǒuyìsile, wǒ yào jì xiàlái, huíqù jiǎng gěi wǒ bàba māmā tīng. This is so fascinating, I’m going to write it all down and tell my mom and dad later.
还有好多呢。等明天守岁的时候我再慢慢告诉你。 Hái yǒu hǎoduō ne. Děng míngtiān shǒusuì de shíhòu wǒ zài màn man gàosù nǐ. There are so many. Wait till the countdown tomorrow and I’ll tell you some more.
守岁？什么叫守岁？ Shǒusuì? Shénme jiào shǒusuì? Countdown? What’s that?
守岁啊，就是大年三十晚上不睡觉，全家人一起迎接新年啊。 Shǒusuì a, jiùshì dà nián sānshí wǎnshàng bù shuìjiào, quánjiā rén yīqǐ yíngjiē xīnnián a. It’s where the whole family stays up on the night of the thirtieth and welcomes in the new year.
对，对。我们还吃饺子、放鞭炮呢！ Duì, duì. Wǒmen hái chī jiǎozi, fàng biānpào ne! Yes. We also get to eat dumplings and light firecrackers!
这么有意思啊，我都等不及啦！ Zhème yǒuyìsi a, wǒ dōu děng bù jí la! So much fun, I can’t wait!