遥远的朋友 A Faraway Friend

我wǒ最zuì好hǎo的de朋友péngyou叫jiào李静Lǐ Jìng，我们wǒmen从cóng小学xiǎoxué就jiù认识rènshi，一起yìqǐ长大zhǎngdà。

My best friend is Li Jing; we have known each other since primary school and grew up together.

三年sān nián前qián，她tā跟gēn丈夫zhàngfu搬到bāndào了le遥远yáoyuǎn的de国外guówài，我们wǒmen突然tūrán有yǒu了le八千bāqiān公里gōnglǐ的de距离jùlí。

Three years ago she moved abroad with her husband, and suddenly there were eight thousand kilometers between us.

刚gāng开始kāishǐ的de时候shíhou我wǒ很hěn难受nánshòu，担心dānxīn这段zhè duàn友谊yǒuyì会huì慢慢mànmàn地de结束jiéshù。

At first I felt awful, worried that our friendship would slowly fade away.

那边nàbiān的de时间shíjiān跟gēn这边zhèbiān正好zhènghǎo相反xiāngfǎn，我wǒ吃chī早饭zǎofàn的de时候shíhou，她tā正zhèng准备zhǔnbèi睡觉shuìjiào。

The time over there is exactly the opposite of here: when I am having breakfast, she is getting ready for bed.

但是dànshì我们wǒmen约好yuēhǎo，不管bùguǎn多duō忙máng，每个měi ge周末zhōumò都dōu打dǎ一次yí cì视频shìpín电话diànhuà，谁shéi也yě不能bù néng忘wàng。

But we made a deal: no matter how busy we are, we video call once every weekend, and neither of us is allowed to forget.

她tā难过nánguò的de时候shíhou，即使jíshǐ是shì半夜bànyè，我wǒ也yě会huì爬起来pá qǐlai陪péi她tā聊天liáotiān。

When she is feeling down, I will drag myself out of bed to chat with her, even if it is the middle of the night.

去年qùnián冬天dōngtiān她tā回国huíguó，我们wǒmen一yí见面jiànmiàn就jiù笑xiào了le，好像hǎoxiàng从来cónglái没有méiyǒu分开fēnkāi过guo一样yíyàng。

Last winter she came back, and the moment we saw each other we burst out laughing, as if we had never been apart.

现在xiànzài我wǒ明白míngbai了le，真正zhēnzhèng的de朋友péngyou即使jíshǐ离lí得de再zài远yuǎn，心xīn的de距离jùlí也yě很hěn近jìn。

Now I understand: even if true friends are far apart, their hearts stay close.

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

Key words 生词

遥远yáoyuǎnfaraway; distant

距离jùlídistance

友谊yǒuyìfriendship

相反xiāngfǎnopposite

视频shìpínvideo

分开fēnkāito separate; to be apart

即使……也……

"Even if A, still B." 即使 introduces an extreme or hypothetical situation, and 也 shows the result does not change, as in 即使是半夜，我也会爬起来陪她聊天.

即使是半夜，我也会爬起来陪她聊天。 — Even if it's the middle of the night, I'll get up to chat with her.

好像……一样

"As if; just like." 好像 plus 一样 wraps around a situation to say something seems or feels that way, as in 好像从来没有分开过一样.

我们一见面就笑了，好像从来没有分开过一样。 — The moment we met we burst out laughing, as if we had never been apart.

一……就……

"As soon as A happens, B happens." The action after 一 immediately triggers the action after 就, as in 我们一见面就笑了.

我们一见面就笑了。 — The moment we saw each other, we burst out laughing.

1. Why did Li Jing move abroad?

2. What did the two friends agree to do?

3. How did they feel when they met again last winter?