在我成长的城市，

zài | wǒ | chéng zhǎng | de | chéng shì

In the city where I grew up,

在我10岁生日那天，

zài | wǒ | shí suì | shēng rì | nà tiān

on my 10th birthday,

麦当劳在那里的第一家店开业，

mài dāng láo | zài | nà lǐ | de | dì yī jiā | diàn | kāi yè

the first McDonald’s restaurant there opened—

所以我对麦当劳有一点点情结。

suǒ yǐ | wǒ | duì | mài dāng láo | yǒu | yī diǎn diǎn | qíng jié

so I have a little sentimental attachment to McDonald’s.

那天我爸爸在电台为我点了一个祝福，

nà tiān | wǒ | bà bà | zài | diàn tái | wèi | wǒ | diǎn | le | yī gè | zhù fú

On that day, my dad requested a birthday greeting for me on the radio,

我们一家守在收音机前，

wǒ men | yī jiā | shǒu zài | shōu yīn jī | qián

and our whole family waited in front of the radio

等着听到我们的点播，

děng zhe | tīng dào | wǒ men | de | diǎn bō

to hear our request.

主持人说，祝这个小朋友十岁生日快乐！

zhǔ chí rén | shuō | zhù | zhè ge | xiǎo péng yǒu | shí suì | shēng rì | kuài lè

The host said: "Happy 10th birthday to this kid !"

这个小朋友现在已经是两个小朋友的妈妈了。

zhè ge | xiǎo péng yǒu | xiàn zài | yǐ jīng | shì | liǎng gè | xiǎo péng yǒu | de | mā ma | le

That kid is now the mother of two kids.

然后我们一起去餐厅吃饭，

rán hòu | wǒ men | yī qǐ | qù | cān tīng | chī fàn

Then we went to a restaurant for dinner together,

然后又去新开业的麦当劳，

rán hòu | yòu | qù | xīn | kāi yè | de | mài dāng láo

and afterward, we went to the newly opened McDonald’s.

当时我们买了什么，我已经忘记了，

dāng shí | wǒ men | mǎi le | shén me | wǒ | yǐ jīng | wàng jì | le

I’ve forgotten what we bought back then,

但那是一个有仪式感的生日。

dàn | nà | shì | yī gè | yǒu | yí shì gǎn | de | shēng rì

but it was a birthday full of ritual sense.

那时候麦当劳的价格还比较高，

nà shí hou | mài dāng láo | de | jià gé | hái | bǐ jiào | gāo

At that time, McDonald’s prices were still relatively high,

现在早已是平价餐厅了。

xiàn zài | zǎo yǐ | shì | píng jià | cān tīng | le

but now it’s long been an affordable restaurant.

大学的时候，

dà xué | de | shí hou

When I was at university,

我很喜欢买麦当劳的儿童套餐，

wǒ | hěn | xǐ huān | mǎi | mài dāng láo | de | ér tóng | tào cān

I loved buying McDonald’s Happy Meals,

你应该能猜到为什么，

nǐ | yīng gāi | néng | cāi dào | wèi shén me

and you can probably guess why—

因为会送玩具，

yīn wèi | huì | sòng | wán jù

because they come with toys.

算是一种收集的乐趣吧。

suàn shì | yī zhǒng | shōu jí | de | lè qù | ba

It’s a kind of collecting pleasure.

现在，在中国大陆，

xiàn zài | zài | zhōng guó | dà lù

Now, in mainland China,

已经有大约7300家麦当劳餐厅，

yǐ jīng | yǒu | dà yuē | 7300 | jiā | mài dāng láo | cān tīng

there are about 7,300 McDonald’s restaurants,

在我生活的成都有157家，

zài | wǒ | shēng huó | de | chéng dū | yǒu | 157 | jiā

157 of them in Chengdu where I live,

在我的家乡有63家。

zài | wǒ | de | jiā xiāng | yǒu | 63 | jiā

and 63 in my hometown.

那个市中心的第一家店是否还在呢？

nà ge | shì zhōng xīn | de | dì yī jiā | diàn | shì fǒu | hái zài | ne

Is that first restaurant in the city center still there?

那个10岁的小女孩是否还在呢？

nà ge | shí suì | de | xiǎo nǚ hái | shì fǒu | hái zài | ne

And is that 10-year-old little girl still there?