压力与放松 Stress and Relaxation

现在xiànzài，人们rénmen的de生活shēnghuó越来越yuè lái yuè快kuài，压力yālì也yě越来越yuè lái yuè大dà。

Nowadays people's lives move faster and faster, and the stress keeps growing too.

工作gōngzuò、房子fángzi、孩子háizi的de教育jiàoyù，每měi一yí件jiàn事shì都dōu让ràng人rén紧张jǐnzhāng。

Work, housing, the children's education — every single thing makes people tense.

很多hěn duō人rén以为yǐwéi，只要zhǐyào努力nǔlì工作gōngzuò，就jiù能néng过上guòshang轻松qīngsōng的de生活shēnghuó。

Many people assume that as long as they work hard, they will get to live an easy life.

可是kěshì他们tāmen发现fāxiàn，越yuè忙máng压力yālì越yuè大dà，快乐kuàilè却què越来越yuè lái yuè少shǎo。

But they discover that the busier they get, the greater the stress — yet their happiness keeps shrinking.

其实qíshí，放松fàngsōng不bú是shì浪费làngfèi时间shíjiān，而是érshì给gěi自己zìjǐ加油jiāyóu。

Actually, relaxing is not wasting time — it is refueling yourself.

你nǐ可以kěyǐ出去chūqu走走zǒuzou，听听tīngting音乐yīnyuè，或者huòzhě跟gēn朋友péngyou聊聊天liáoliao tiān。

You can go out for a little walk, listen to some music, or have a chat with friends.

对duì我wǒ来说lái shuō，最好zuì hǎo的de放松fàngsōng是shì晚上wǎnshang关掉guāndiào手机shǒujī，安安静静ān'ānjìngjìng地de看kàn一yì本běn书shū。

For me, the best way to relax is to turn off my phone in the evening and quietly read a book.

记住jìzhù：休息xiūxi好hǎo了le，才cái能néng走zǒu得de更gèng远yuǎn。

Remember: only when you have rested well can you go further.

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

Key words 生词

压力yālìpressure; stress

放松fàngsōngto relax

紧张jǐnzhāngnervous; tense

轻松qīngsōngrelaxed; easy

浪费làngfèito waste

加油jiāyóuto refuel; recharge

越……越……

"The more A, the more B." Two 越 link a condition and its result: 越忙压力越大。 The related 越来越 means "more and more over time": 生活越来越快。

他越说越快，我越听越糊涂。— The faster he spoke, the more confused I got.

不是……而是……

"Not A, but rather B." Corrects a wrong idea and gives the right one: 放松不是浪费时间，而是给自己加油。

他不是不想去，而是没有时间。— It's not that he doesn't want to go; rather, he has no time.

1. What do many people assume, according to the text?

2. What does the author say relaxing really is?

3. What is the author's favorite way to relax?

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.