第一次做志愿者 My First Time as a Volunteer

这个zhège周末zhōumò，我wǒ去qù图书馆túshūguǎn做zuò了le一次yí cì志愿者zhìyuànzhě。

This weekend, I went to the library and worked as a volunteer once.

报名bàomíng以后yǐhòu，工作人员gōngzuò rényuán给gěi我wǒ安排ānpái了le整理zhěnglǐ书架shūjià的de工作gōngzuò。

After signing up, the staff member arranged for me to organize bookshelves.

一开始yì kāishǐ我wǒ觉得juéde这个zhège工作gōngzuò很hěn简单jiǎndān，可是kěshì书shū太tài多duō了le，排pái得de也yě很hěn乱luàn。

At first I thought this job was simple, but there were so many books, and they were arranged so messily.

我wǒ按照ànzhào书shū的de名字míngzi，一本yì běn一本yì běn地de把bǎ它们tāmen放fàng回huí原来yuánlái的de位置wèizhi。

According to the books' titles, I put them back one by one to their original positions.

中间zhōngjiān休息xiūxi的de时候shíhou，一位yí wèi老人lǎorén找zhǎo不到bú dào自己zìjǐ想xiǎng看kàn的de书shū，我wǒ就jiù帮bāng她tā找zhǎo到dào了le。

During the break, an elderly person couldn't find a book she wanted to read, so I helped her find it.

她tā高兴gāoxìng地de谢xiè了le我wǒ好几次hǎojǐ cì，我wǒ心里xīnli也yě很hěn高兴gāoxìng。

She thanked me happily several times, and I felt happy in my heart too.

虽然suīrán整理zhěnglǐ书架shūjià是shì个gè累lèi活儿huór，但是dànshì能néng帮助bāngzhù别人biéren，我wǒ觉得juéde很hěn有意义yǒu yìyì。

Although organizing bookshelves was tiring work, I felt it was very meaningful to be able to help others.

以后yǐhòu有yǒu机会jīhuì，我wǒ还hái想xiǎng再zài去qù当dāng志愿者zhìyuànzhě。

If I have the chance in the future, I still want to go be a volunteer again.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

志愿者zhìyuànzhěvolunteer

安排ānpáito arrange

简单jiǎndānsimple

按照ànzhàoaccording to

机会jīhuìopportunity

有意义yǒu yìyìmeaningful

一本一本地 (one by one) — reduplicated measure word + 地

Repeating a measure word before 地 shows an action done item by item, in order.

我一本一本地把书放回原来的位置。 — I put the books back one by one.

虽然 A，但是 B — although A, B

Both halves must appear in Chinese, unlike English where 'although' alone is enough.

虽然整理书架很累，但是我觉得很有意义。 — Although organizing shelves is tiring, I find it meaningful.

1. What job was the narrator given at the library?

2. Why was the job harder than expected?

3. How did the narrator feel about the work in the end?

After this reading

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.