健身房 At the Gym — HSK 4 Reading

去年qùnián冬天dōngtiān，我wǒ发现fāxiàn裤子kùzi越来越yuè lái yuè紧jǐn，于是yúshì决定juédìng去qù健身房jiànshēnfáng锻炼duànliàn。

Last winter I found my trousers getting tighter and tighter, so I decided to go work out at a gym.

第一dì-yī天tiān，我wǒ兴奋xīngfèn地de办bàn了le一yì年nián的de卡kǎ，还hái买mǎi了le新xīn的de运动yùndòng鞋xié。

On day one, I excitedly signed up for a one-year card and even bought new sports shoes.

教练jiàoliàn说shuō，想xiǎng有yǒu效果xiàoguǒ，每měi个ge星期xīngqī至少zhìshǎo要yào来lái三sān次cì。

The coach said that to see results, you must come at least three times a week.

前qián两liǎng个ge星期xīngqī我wǒ天天tiāntiān去qù，疼téng得de连lián楼梯lóutī都dōu爬pá不bu动dòng。

For the first two weeks I went every day, and was so sore I couldn't even climb the stairs.

后来hòulái天气tiānqì冷lěng了le，我wǒ开始kāishǐ找zhǎo各种gè zhǒng理由lǐyóu：今天jīntiān下雨xià yǔ，明天míngtiān加班jiābān，后天hòutiān再说zàishuō吧ba。

Later, when the weather turned cold, I started finding all kinds of excuses: it's raining today, overtime tomorrow, and the day after — we'll see.

三sān个ge月yuè以后yǐhòu，健身房jiànshēnfáng给gěi我wǒ打dǎ电话diànhuà，问wèn我wǒ是不是shì bu shì把bǎ卡kǎ丢diū了le。

Three months later, the gym called to ask whether I had lost my card.

我wǒ不好意思bù hǎoyìsi地de又yòu去qù了le，这zhè次cì不bú再zài要求yāoqiú自己zìjǐ天天tiāntiān去qù，只zhǐ要求yāoqiú每měi次cì都dōu认真rènzhēn练liàn。

Embarrassed, I went back — this time not demanding that I go every day, only that I train seriously each time.

现在xiànzài我wǒ明白míngbai了le，办bàn卡kǎ容易róngyì，坚持jiānchí难nán；锻炼duànliàn身体shēntǐ需要xūyào的de是shì习惯xíguàn，不是bú shì那nà张zhāng卡kǎ。

Now I understand: signing up is easy, keeping at it is hard; getting fit takes a habit, not that card.

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

Key words 生词

健身房jiànshēnfánggym

紧jǐntight

教练jiàoliàncoach

效果xiàoguǒeffect; results

理由lǐyóureason; excuse

坚持jiānchíto persist; to keep at it

……，于是……

于是 links a situation to the action that naturally followed, "so / thereupon": 裤子越来越紧，于是决定去健身房锻炼。

商店关门了，于是我们去了别的地方。— The shop had closed, so we went somewhere else.

V + 不 + 动

The potential complement 不动 means you lack the strength to do the action: 疼得连楼梯都爬不动。

行李太重了，我一个人拿不动。— The luggage is too heavy; I can't carry it by myself.

1. Why did the author decide to go to the gym?

2. According to the coach, how often should you come to see results?

3. Why did the gym call the author after three months?

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.