节约用水 Saving Water

上shàng个gè月yuè，我wǒ发现fāxiàn家里jiā lǐ用yòng的de水shuǐ比bǐ以前yǐqián多duō了le很多hěn duō。

Last month I noticed that we were using a lot more water at home than before.

我wǒ检查jiǎnchá了le一下yíxià，才cái发现fāxiàn洗手间xǐshǒujiān的de水shuǐ没méi关guān好hǎo。

I had a look around, and only then did I find that the bathroom tap had not been turned off properly.

我wǒ马上mǎshàng把bǎ水shuǐ关guān上shàng，从cóng那nà天tiān开始kāishǐ注意zhùyì用水yòng shuǐ的de问题wèntí。

I turned it off right away, and from that day on I began to pay attention to how we use water.

现在xiànzài我wǒ洗澡xǐzǎo的de时间shíjiān比bǐ以前yǐqián短duǎn了le，刷牙shuāyá的de时候shíhou也yě一定yídìng把bǎ水shuǐ关guān上shàng。

These days my showers are shorter than they used to be, and when I brush my teeth I always turn the tap off.

洗xǐ完wán衣服yīfu的de水shuǐ，我wǒ用来yònglái打扫dǎsǎo房间fángjiān，一点儿也不yìdiǎnr yě bú浪费làngfèi。

The water left over from washing clothes I use to clean the room, so nothing at all is wasted.

我wǒ的de邻居línjū阿姨āyí说shuō，她tā小时候xiǎoshíhou住zhù的de地方dìfang经常jīngcháng没有méiyǒu水shuǐ，所以suǒyǐ她tā非常fēicháng节约jiéyuē。

My neighbour, an older lady, told me that the place where she grew up often had no water, so she is extremely careful with it.

她tā说shuō：“水shuǐ看起来kàn qǐlai很hěn便宜piányi，其实qíshí非常fēicháng重要zhòngyào。”

She said: "Water looks cheap, but it is actually extremely important."

虽然suīrán一yí个gè人rén节约jiéyuē的de水shuǐ不bù多duō，但是dànshì如果rúguǒ每měi个gè人rén都dōu这样zhèyàng做zuò，世界shìjiè就jiù会huì不bù一样yíyàng。

One person alone does not save much water, but if everyone did this, the world would be a different place.

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

Key words 生词

节约jiéyuēto save; to use sparingly

浪费làngfèito waste

注意zhùyìto pay attention to

邻居línjūneighbour

其实qíshíactually; in fact

洗澡xǐzǎoto take a shower

A 比 B + adjective + 了很多 — much more than

比 compares two things. Putting 了很多 (or 多了) after the adjective shows the gap is big; never add 很 before the adjective in a 比 sentence.

家里用的水比以前多了很多。 — We were using a lot more water at home than before.

把 + object + verb + 上 — 把 with a result complement

把 puts the object before the verb when the action changes or disposes of it. Here 上 is a result complement meaning 'shut / closed'.

刷牙的时候也一定把水关上。 — When you brush your teeth, always turn the tap off.

如果……，就…… — if …, then …

如果 opens the condition. 就 belongs to the second clause and stands after its subject, right before the verb.

如果每个人都这样做，世界就会不一样。 — If everyone did this, the world would be different.

1. How did the narrator first notice there was a problem?

2. What was wrong in the bathroom?

3. What does the neighbour say about water?

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.