wǒ我yǒu有yí一gè个hǎo好péng朋you友，tā他jiào叫lǐ李míng明。
I have a good friend called Li Ming.
wǒ我men们dōu都zài在yí一gè个gōng公sī司shàng上bān班。
We both work at the same company.
shàng上gè个xīng星qī期shì是tā他de的shēng生rì日。
Last week was his birthday.
tā他qǐng请dà大jiā家qù去fàn饭diàn店chī吃dōng东xi西。
He invited everyone out to eat at a restaurant.
wǒ我fēi非cháng常máng忙，dào到fàn饭diàn店de的shí时hou候，dà大jiā家yǐ已jīng经kāi开shǐ始chī吃le了。
I was really busy, and by the time I reached the restaurant everyone had started eating.
wǒ我jué觉de得zhè这shì是wǒ我de的cuò错，jiù就shuō说：duì对bu不qǐ起，wǒ我jīn今tiān天tài太máng忙le了。
I felt it was my fault, so I said: sorry, I've been so busy today.
lǐ李míng明xiào笑le了yī一xià下，shuō说：méi没guān关xi系。
Li Ming smiled and said: it's fine.
dàn但shì是wǒ我shuō说cuò错le了yī一jiàn件shì事qíng情。
But then I said the wrong thing.
wǒ我shuō说：zhè这ge个fàn饭diàn店de的cài菜tài太guì贵le了，nǐ你qī妻zǐ子zuò做de的cài菜bǐ比zhè这ge个hǎo好。
I said: this restaurant is too expensive — your wife's cooking is better than this.
lǐ李míng明tīng听le了，méi没yǒu有shuō说huà话，yě也bù不xiào笑le了。
Li Ming heard that and said nothing, and stopped smiling.
wǒ我zhī知dào道wǒ我shuō说cuò错le了。
I knew I'd said the wrong thing.
yīn因wèi为tā他de的qī妻zǐ子shēng生bìng病le了，wǎn晚shàng上méi没yǒu有lái来fàn饭diàn店。
Because his wife was sick and hadn't come to the restaurant that evening.
wǎn晚shàng上wǒ我men们dōu都bù不gāo高xìng兴。
Neither of us was happy that evening.
huí回jiā家de的lù路shàng上，wǒ我gěi给tā他dǎ打diàn电huà话，shuō说duì对bu不qǐ起。
On the way home I called him and said sorry.
wǒ我shuō说：jīn今tiān天shì是wǒ我bú不duì对，nǐ你bié别bù不gāo高xìng兴。
I said: I was wrong today, please don't be upset.
tā他shuō说：méi没guān关xi系，wǒ我zhī知dào道nǐ你bú不shì是nà那ge个yì意si思。
He said: it's okay, I know you didn't mean it that way.
wǒ我shuō说：xià下cì次wǒ我qǐng请nǐ你qù去wǒ我jiā家chī吃dōng东xi西。
I said: next time I'm treating you at my place.
xiàn现zài在wǒ我men们hái还shì是hǎo好péng朋you友。
We're still good friends now.
zhè这jiàn件shì事qíng情ràng让wǒ我zhī知dào道，shuō说huà话de的shí时hou候yào要xiǎng想yī一xià下。
This taught me that you should think before you speak.