广告的秘密 The Secrets of Advertising

你nǐ有没有yǒu méiyǒu发现fāxiàn，广告guǎnggào里lǐ的de东西dōngxi总是zǒngshì比bǐ真的zhēn de漂亮piàoliang？

Have you noticed that things in ads always look prettier than the real ones?

照片zhàopiàn上shang的de汉堡hànbǎo又yòu大dà又yòu新鲜xīnxiān，可是kěshì买mǎi回来huílai一yí看kàn，完全wánquán不bù一样yíyàng。

The hamburger in the photo is big and fresh, but once you buy it and take a look, it's completely different.

广告guǎnggào还hái喜欢xǐhuan用yòng数字shùzì骗piàn人rén，比如bǐrú它tā说shuō十shí个ge人rén里lǐ有yǒu九jiǔ个ge说shuō好hǎo，其实qíshí它tā只zhǐ问wèn了le十shí个ge人rén。

Ads also like to fool people with numbers — for example, it says nine out of ten people say it's good, when actually it only asked ten people.

最zuì厉害lìhai的de办法bànfǎ是shì让ràng你nǐ觉得juéde大家dàjiā都dōu在zài买mǎi，因为yīnwèi谁shéi也yě不bù想xiǎng做zuò最后zuìhòu一yí个ge买mǎi的de人rén。

The cleverest trick is making you feel that everyone is buying it, because nobody wants to be the last one to buy.

我wǒ以前yǐqián也yě常常chángcháng被bèi广告guǎnggào骗piàn，买mǎi了le很多hěn duō用不到yòng bu dào的de东西dōngxi。

I used to be fooled by ads all the time too, buying lots of things I never got to use.

后来hòulái我wǒ学会xuéhuì了le一yí个ge办法bànfǎ：看到kàndào喜欢xǐhuan的de东西dōngxi，先xiān等děng三sān天tiān再zài决定juédìng。

Later I learned a trick: when I see something I like, I first wait three days before deciding.

三sān天tiān以后yǐhòu，如果rúguǒ还hái想xiǎng要yào，就jiù买mǎi；大部分dà bùfen时候shíhou，我wǒ已经yǐjīng把bǎ它tā忘wàng了le。

Three days later, if I still want it, I buy it; most of the time, I have already forgotten about it.

广告guǎnggào的de秘密mìmì其实qíshí很hěn简单jiǎndān：它tā卖mài的de不是bú shì东西dōngxi，而是érshì你nǐ的de梦mèng。

The secret of advertising is actually simple: what it sells is not a product, but your dream.

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Key words 生词

广告guǎnggàoadvertisement

秘密mìmìsecret

汉堡hànbǎohamburger

骗piànto fool; to cheat

决定juédìngto decide

梦mèngdream

不是……而是……

"Not A, but B" corrects a wrong idea and gives the true one: 它卖的不是东西，而是你的梦。

他不是不想来，而是没有时间。— It's not that he doesn't want to come, it's that he has no time.

先……再……

"First ..., then ..." puts two actions in order, with the second waiting for the first: 先等三天再决定。

我们先吃饭，再去看电影。— Let's eat first, then go to the movie.

1. What is the hamburger like in the ad photo?

2. How many people did the ad actually ask before claiming 'nine out of ten say it's good'?

3. What is the author's trick when seeing something they like?

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.