无现金社会 The Cashless Society

在zài中国Zhōngguó的de大dà城市chéngshì，用yòng现金xiànjīn的de人rén越来越yuè lái yuè少shǎo了le。

In China's big cities, fewer and fewer people use cash.

买mǎi菜cài、坐zuò车chē、看病kànbìng，只要zhǐyào拿出náchū手机shǒujī扫一扫sǎo yi sǎo，几jǐ秒钟miǎozhōng就jiù付fù好hǎo了le钱qián。

Buying groceries, taking the bus, seeing a doctor — as long as you take out your phone and scan, the payment is done in a few seconds.

我wǒ上shàng个ge月yuè去qù旅行lǚxíng，钱包qiánbāo一yí次cì也yě没méi打开dǎkāi过guo。

Last month I went traveling, and I never opened my wallet even once.

不bú带dài现金xiànjīn当然dāngrán方便fāngbiàn，也yě更gèng安全ānquán，听说tīngshuō连lián小偷xiǎotōu都dōu快kuài找zhǎo不bu到dào工作gōngzuò了le。

Not carrying cash is of course convenient, and safer too — they say even thieves are about to be out of a job.

但是dànshì，无wú现金xiànjīn社会shèhuì也yě有yǒu问题wèntí：很多hěn duō老人lǎorén不bú会huì用yòng手机shǒujī付fù钱qián，买mǎi东西dōngxi的de时候shíhou特别tèbié着急zháojí。

But a cashless society has problems too: many elderly people don't know how to pay by phone and get really anxious when shopping.

还有háiyǒu，手机shǒujī没méi电diàn的de时候shíhou，你nǐ连lián一yì瓶píng水shuǐ都dōu买mǎi不bu了liǎo。

And when your phone runs out of battery, you can't even buy a bottle of water.

尽管jǐnguǎn有yǒu这些zhèxiē问题wèntí，我wǒ还是háishi觉得juéde无wú现金xiànjīn是shì不bú会huì改变gǎibiàn的de方向fāngxiàng。

Despite these problems, I still think going cashless is a direction that won't change.

技术jìshù应该yīnggāi等一等děng yi děng走zǒu得de慢màn的de人rén，而ér不是bú shì把bǎ他们tāmen留liú在zài后面hòumiàn。

Technology should wait a bit for those who walk more slowly, instead of leaving them behind.

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

Key words 生词

现金xiànjīncash

扫一扫sǎo yi sǎoto scan (a QR code)

钱包qiánbāowallet

小偷xiǎotōuthief

社会shèhuìsociety

技术jìshùtechnology

连……都/也……

"Even ..." highlights an extreme case to stress the point: 连小偷都快找不到工作了；连一瓶水都买不了。

他忙得连饭都忘了吃。— He was so busy he even forgot to eat.

尽管……，还是……

"Although / despite A, still B" admits a fact but keeps the conclusion: 尽管有这些问题，我还是觉得方向不会改变。

尽管下着大雨，他还是准时到了。— Despite the heavy rain, he still arrived on time.

1. What happened to the author's wallet during last month's trip?

2. Who gets especially anxious when shopping in a cashless society?

3. What does the author think technology should do?

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.