中国的高铁 China's High-Speed Rail

二十èrshí年nián前qián，从cóng北京Běijīng到dào上海Shànghǎi，坐zuò火车huǒchē要yào十几shí jǐ个ge小时xiǎoshí。

Twenty years ago, the train from Beijing to Shanghai took more than ten hours.

现在xiànzài坐zuò高铁gāotiě，只zhǐ需要xūyào四sì个ge半bàn小时xiǎoshí。

Now the high-speed train takes only four and a half hours.

高铁gāotiě又yòu快kuài又yòu安全ānquán，座位zuòwèi舒服shūfu，车里chēli也yě很hěn安静ānjìng。

The high-speed train is fast and safe, the seats are comfortable, and the carriages are quiet.

你nǐ可以kěyǐ在zài车上chēshang喝hē茶chá、看书kànshū，看着kànzhe窗外chuāngwài的de城市chéngshì和hé大山dàshān很hěn快kuài地de过去guòqu。

You can drink tea and read on board, watching cities and mountains fly past the window.

高铁gāotiě改变gǎibiàn的de不仅bùjǐn是shì速度sùdù，而且érqiě是shì人们rénmen的de生活shēnghuó。

What high-speed rail has changed is not only speed, but also people's lives.

很多hěn duō人rén住zhù在zài一个yí ge城市chéngshì，在zài另lìng一个yí ge城市chéngshì上班shàngbān；周末zhōumò坐zuò高铁gāotiě去qù看kàn父母fùmǔ，也yě变得biàn de很hěn容易róngyì。

Many people live in one city and work in another; going home by high-speed train on weekends to see their parents has also become easy.

有人yǒurén说shuō，世界shìjiè变biàn小xiǎo了le。

Some people say the world has become smaller.

其实qíshí世界shìjiè没有méiyǒu变biàn，是shì我们wǒmen和hé远方yuǎnfāng的de距离jùlí变biàn短duǎn了le。

Actually the world hasn't changed — it is the distance between us and faraway places that has grown shorter.

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

Key words 生词

高铁gāotiěhigh-speed rail

速度sùdùspeed

距离jùlídistance

安全ānquánsafe

窗外chuāngwàioutside the window

远方yuǎnfāngfaraway places

不仅……而且……

"Not only A, but also B" — B goes further than A: 高铁改变的不仅是速度，而且是人们的生活。

他不仅会说汉语，而且说得很好。— He not only speaks Chinese, but speaks it very well.

V + 着 (ongoing action)

着 after a verb marks an ongoing or accompanying action: 看着窗外的城市和大山过去。

她听着音乐做作业。— She does her homework while listening to music.

1. How long does the trip from Beijing to Shanghai take by high-speed train now?

2. Besides speed, what does the text say high-speed rail has changed?

3. What does the author say at the end of the text?