NICK: Excuse me.

ALICE: Yeah?

NICK: I've never used¹ this place before.

Can you give me some idea what I need to do?

ALICE: You just put quarters in the machines. It's easy.

NICK: Yes, but... well...

ALICE: What?

NICK: How do I use the machines?

ALICE: What do you mean?

These are the washing² machines. Those big things over there are the dryers³.

NICK: I see. Do the machines have soap in them?

ALICE: No, of course not. You have to put soap in. Did you bring your soap?

NICK: No. I don't have soap.

ALICE: Well, you can buy some from that vending⁴ machine over there.

NICK: Thanks.

NICK: Okay. I have my soap.

ALICE: My God⁵! You really bought a lot. Why do you need so much?

NICK: I don't know. I want my clothes to be clean.

ALICE: But you can't use so much.

The machine won't be able to rinse⁶ the soap out.

NICK: Oh. I guess I didn't know. I have never washed clothes before.

ALICE: What? Did you say you never washed clothes before?

NICK: Yes.

ALICE: In your life? Are you kidding? Never?

NICK: No. Never.

ALICE: I can't believe it. How can that be? How old are you?

NICK: I'm nineteen.

ALICE: But how can you live nineteen years without ever washing clothes?

NICK: My mother always did it.

ALICE: Yes, my mother washed my clothes too.

But when I was twelve, I started to wash clothes myself.

NICK: I know about this fact.

American children are more independent⁷. They do more for themselves.

But I am from Taiwan. In Taiwan, children must study very hard.

So the mother does everything for the kids.

The mother wants her kids to get very good grades at school.

So I've never washed clothes before. You shouldn't laugh at me for it.

ALICE: I'm not laughing at you. But let me ask you something?

NICK: What?

ALICE: How are you going to survive⁸ here?

I mean, if you can't do anything for yourself.

If you can't cook, if you can't wash clothes, if you can't clean house.

How can you live on your own?

NICK: I don't know. It's hard. But I have to learn.

ALICE: Well, I'll help you learn how to use these machines.

NICK: Thanks. My name's Nick.

ALICE: I'm Alice. I guess I'll have to be your mother for today.

NICK: Thanks, Mom. Thanks.

尼克：对不起。

艾丽斯：怎么了?

尼克：我从来没有来过这个地方。

你能给我一点建议我应该怎么做?

艾丽斯：你只要把两毛五分的硬币投到机器里。很简单。

尼克：对，但是……嗯……

艾丽斯：什么?

尼克：但我要如何使用这机器呢?

艾丽斯：你的意思是什么?

这些是洗衣机。那些大家伙是干衣机。

尼克：我知道了，机器里有肥皂吗?

艾丽斯：没有，当然没有。你要加肥皂进去，你有带肥皂来吗?

尼克：没有，我没有带肥皂。

艾丽斯：嗯，你可以到那边的贩卖机去买。

尼克：谢谢你。

尼克：好了，我有肥皂了。

艾丽斯：我的天!你真的买了很多。你为什么需要那么多?

尼克：我不知道，我要我的衣服很干净。

艾丽斯：但你不能用那么多。

洗衣机没办法冲掉那么多的肥皂。

尼克：喔，我是不知道呀。我从来没有洗过衣服。

艾丽斯：什么?你说你从来没有洗过衣服?

尼克：对呀。

艾丽斯：在你一生中?你在开我玩笑吧?从来没有?

尼克：没有。从来没有。

艾丽斯：我没法相信。那怎么可能?你几岁了?

尼克：我十九岁。

艾丽斯：但为什么你活了十九年却从没有洗过衣服呢?

尼克：都是我妈帮我洗。

艾丽斯：是呀，我妈也帮我洗衣服。

但我十二岁的时候，我开始自己洗衣服。

尼克：我知道这个事实。

美国的孩子比较独立。他们自己做很多事情。

但我是从台湾来的。在台湾，孩子们必须很努力念书。

所以母亲就帮孩子做全部的事情。

母亲希望她的孩子在学校拿到很好的成绩。

所以我才从没有洗过衣服，你不应该笑我。

艾丽斯：我没有笑你，但让我问你一件事?

尼克：是什么?

艾丽斯：那你要如何在这儿生存，

我的意思是，如果你没办法自己做任何事。

你如果不能煮东西吃，不会洗衣服，不会整理房子。

你要如何自己一个人生活?

尼克：我不知道，是很难，但我一定要学。

艾丽斯：嗯，我会教你如何使用这些机器。

尼克：谢谢你，我叫做尼克。

艾丽斯：我是艾丽斯，我想今天我就当你妈好了。

尼克：谢谢你，妈。谢谢。