Chen Hao takes Xiaoyu out for Hunan food. She had only ever known Sichuan cooking.
Chen Hao
这家店做的是湖南菜，你吃过吗？
Zhè jiā diàn zuò de shì Hú nán cài, nǐ chī guò ma ?
This place does Hunan food, have you ever had it?
Xiaoyu
没吃过。跟四川菜一样辣吗？
Méi chī guò. Gēn Sì chuān cài yīyàng là ma ?
Never. Is it as hot as Sichuan food?
Chen Hao
不太一样。四川菜又麻又辣，湖南菜只是辣。
Bù tài yīyàng. Sì chuān cài yòu má yòu là, Hú nán cài zhī shì là.
Not quite the same. Sichuan food is numbing as well as hot, Hunan food is just hot.
Xiaoyu
那我得点一个不辣的。
Nà wǒ de diǎn yī gè bù là de.
Then I had better order something mild.
Chen Hao
这个汤不辣，闻着就很香。
Zhè gè tāng bù là, wén zhe jiù hěn xiāng.
This soup is not hot, and it already smells wonderful.
Xiaoyu
真好喝，比我上次在北京喝的好多了。
Zhēn hǎohē, bǐ wǒ shàng cì zài běijīng hē de hǎo duō le.
It really is good, much better than the one I had in Beijing last time.
Chen Hao
你再尝尝这个，他们店里最有名的。
Nǐ zài cháng cháng zhè gè, tāmen diàn lǐ zuì yǒumíng de.
Try this one too, it is what they are known for.
Xiaoyu
辣得我眼泪都出来了。
Là de wǒ yǎnlèi dōu chūlái le.
It is so hot it is bringing tears to my eyes.
Chen Hao
喝一口汤，别喝水。水越喝越辣。
Hē yī kǒu tāng, bié hē shuǐ. Shuǐ yuè hē yuè là.
Take a mouthful of soup, not water. Water only makes it worse.
Xiaoyu
真的。下次我还来，不过只点不辣的。
Zhēn de. Xiàcì wǒ hái lái, bùguò zhī diǎn bù là de.
You are right. I will come again, but I will only order the mild dishes.
Chen Hao
好，下次我请你。
Hǎo, xiàcì wǒ qǐng nǐ.
All right, next time it is on me.
又…又… links two characteristics of the same thing, present at the same time: 又麻又辣, numbing and burning together; 又便宜又好, cheap and good. It is not to be confused with 再, which adds in time, nor with 也, which adds a second subject. Both instances of 又 must be there.
越…越… sets up a parallel progression: 越喝越辣, the more you drink the hotter it gets. Each 越 goes before its verb or adjective. When the first term is not an action but the passing of time, you use 越来越: 越来越贵, dearer and dearer.
Chen Hao's advice is not a figure of speech: the pungent substance in chilli does not dissolve in water, which spreads it round the mouth instead of carrying it away. A mouthful of fatty broth, rice or dairy holds it better. That is why a very hot meal always comes with a soup, in Hunan as in Sichuan.
