Pounding Rice Cakes With My Neighbors in Japan

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1. 01Pounding Rice Cakes in Japan

   Hello, everyone. I'm an English teacher from Ireland, and I live in a small town in Nagano. Last December, my neighbors invited me to make mochi, or rice cakes. Let me tell you about it.

   大家好。我是一名来自爱尔兰的英语老师，住在长野的一个小镇上。去年十二月，邻居们邀请我一起做麻糬，也就是年糕。我来跟大家讲讲那天的事。

2. 02Cooking the Rice

   First, we cooked sticky rice in a big steamer. It smelled really good. Then we put the hot rice into a large wooden bowl.

   首先，我们用一个大蒸笼蒸糯米。闻起来特别香。然后，我们把热腾腾的米饭放进一个大木臼里。

3. 03Pounding the Rice

   Next, we pounded the rice with a heavy wooden hammer. One person hit, and another person turned the rice with wet hands. We shouted together each time!

   接着，我们用一把很重的木槌捣米。一个人负责捶，另一个人用湿手翻动米团。每捶一下，我们都一起喊口号！

4. 04Eating Together

   Finally, we made small round cakes and ate them right away. They were soft and warm. My favorite was mochi with sweet bean paste.

   最后，我们做成一个个小圆饼，马上就吃了。又软又热乎。我最喜欢的是包着甜豆沙的麻糬。

5. 05Conclusion

   My arms were tired, but I was very happy. That day, I felt like part of the town. Thank you for listening.

   我的胳膊很累，但我非常开心。那一天，我觉得自己成了小镇的一分子。谢谢大家的聆听。