学车记 Learning to Drive

去年qùnián夏天xiàtiān，我wǒ终于zhōngyú报名bàomíng去qù学xué开车kāichē了le。

Last summer, I finally signed up to learn how to drive.

第一次dì yī cì坐进zuò jìn教练jiàoliàn的de车chē里lǐ，我wǒ紧张得jǐnzhāng de手shǒu都dōu在zài抖dǒu。

The first time I sat in the instructor's car, my hands were shaking from nervousness.

教练jiàoliàn很hěn有yǒu耐心nàixīn，一步一步yíbù yíbù教jiāo我wǒ怎么zěnme打方向盘dǎ fāngxiàngpán、踩刹车cǎi shāchē。

The instructor was very patient, teaching me step by step how to handle the steering wheel and step on the brake.

练车liànchē的时候de shíhou，我wǒ总是zǒngshì紧张地jǐnzhāng de把bǎ油门yóumén当成dàngchéng刹车shāchē踩cǎi。

While practicing, I kept nervously mistaking the gas pedal for the brake.

教练jiàoliàn笑着说xiàozhe shuō，别bié着急zháojí，慢慢来mànmàn lái，谁shéi都dōu是shì这样zhèyàng学会xuéhuì的de。

The instructor said with a smile, don't worry, take it slow, everyone learns this way.

练了liànle两个月liǎng ge yuè以后yǐhòu，我wǒ终于zhōngyú可以kěyǐ顺利地shùnlì de倒车入库dàochē rùkù了le。

After practicing for two months, I could finally do reverse parking smoothly.

考试kǎoshì那天nà tiān，我的wǒ de心跳xīntiào得de特别tèbié快kuài，但是dànshì最后zuìhòu还是háishi顺利shùnlì通过tōngguò了le。

On the day of the test, my heart was beating especially fast, but in the end I passed smoothly.

现在xiànzài想起来xiǎngqǐlái，学车xuéchē不但búdàn让ràng我wǒ学会了xuéhuìle开车kāichē，也yě让ràng我wǒ明白了míngbaile耐心nàixīn的de重要zhòngyào。

Looking back now, learning to drive not only taught me how to drive, but also taught me the importance of patience.

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

Key words 生词

教练jiàoliàninstructor; coach

方向盘fāngxiàngpánsteering wheel

刹车shāchēbrake

油门yóuméngas pedal; accelerator

抖dǒuto shake; tremble

倒车入库dàochē rùkùreverse parking (maneuver)

把……当成……

"To treat/mistake A for B." 把 moves the object before the verb 当成 (to regard as): 我总是紧张地把油门当成刹车踩。

他把陌生人当成了老朋友。— He mistook the stranger for an old friend.

不但……也……

"Not only... but also..." links two related results: 学车不但让我学会了开车，也让我明白了耐心的重要。

这本书不但有意思，也很有用。— This book is not only interesting, but also very useful.

V + 得 + 补语(程度)

得 introduces a complement describing the degree or result of an action or state: 我紧张得手都在抖 / 我的心跳得特别快。

他跑得很快。— He runs very fast.

1. What mistake did the author often make while practicing?

2. What did the instructor say to reassure the author?

3. Besides driving itself, what did learning to drive teach the author, according to the last sentence?

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.