Xiaoyu is away for five days on business. She leaves her plants and her post to Chen Hao.
Xiaoyu
陈浩，想麻烦你一件事。
Chén Hào, xiǎng máfan nǐ yī jiàn shì.
Chen Hao, I want to trouble you with something.
Chen Hao
你说，能帮的一定帮。
Nǐ shuō, néng bāng de yīdìng bāng.
Go ahead, if I can help I will.
Xiaoyu
下星期我出差五天，家里的花没人浇。
Xià xīngqī wǒ chūchāi wǔ tiān, jiālǐ de huā méi rén jiāo.
Next week I am away five days on business, and there is nobody to water my plants.
Chen Hao
这个容易，钥匙给我就行。
Zhè gè róngyì, yàoshi gěi wǒ jiù xíng.
That is easy, just give me the key.
Xiaoyu
三天浇一次，不用太多水。
Sān tiān jiāo yī cì, bù yòng tài duō shuǐ.
Water them every three days, not too much water.
Chen Hao
记住了。还有别的吗？
Jì zhù le. Háiyǒu biéde ma ?
Noted. Anything else?
Xiaoyu
要是有快递，你帮我收一下。
Yàoshi yǒu kuàidì, nǐ bāng wǒ shōu yīxià.
If a parcel comes, take it in for me.
Chen Hao
没问题，我先放在我家，你回来再拿。
Méi wèntí, wǒ xiān fàng zài wǒ jiā, nǐ huílai zài ná.
No problem, I will keep it at mine and you can collect it when you get back.
Xiaoyu
太谢谢你了，回来我请你吃饭。
Tài xièxie nǐ le, huílai wǒ qǐng nǐ chīfàn.
Thank you so much, I will take you out to dinner when I am back.
Chen Hao
别客气，上次你还帮我搬家呢。
Bié kèqi, shàng cì nǐ hái bāng wǒ bānjiā ne.
Do not be like that, you helped me move house last time.
Xiaoyu
那钥匙我今天晚上送过去。
Nà yàoshi wǒ jīntiān wǎnshang sòng guòqu.
Then I will bring the key round this evening.
麻烦 means to trouble, and 麻烦你一件事 announces that you are about to, counting it in advance: one single thing. The phrase warns the other person before you set out the request, which gives them time to prepare. It is used between people who know each other; with a stranger you prefer 麻烦您 followed straight away by the favour, as in lesson 27.
帮 sets up the help, 我 says who for, 一下 cuts the task down to a single gesture. Without 一下, 帮我收 would be an instruction; with it, it is a favour. The same 一下 works wherever you want to lighten something: 看一下, 问一下, 等一下. It never means that you will only do it once.
上次你还帮我搬家呢: the final 呢 asks no question here. It underlines a fact the other person ought to have in mind and is pretending not to, often with 还 before the verb. It is the tone of friendly reproach, and it is the most natural way of brushing aside thanks between neighbours.
