太极拳 Tai Chi in the Park

每天měitiān早上zǎoshang六liù点diǎn半bàn，公园gōngyuán里lǐ就jiù有yǒu很多hěn duō老人lǎorén在zài打dǎ太极拳tàijíquán。

At half past six every morning, there are already many elderly people practising tai chi in the park.

他们tāmen的de动作dòngzuò很hěn慢màn，慢màn得de好像hǎoxiàng在zài水shuǐ里lǐ走路zǒulù。

Their movements are slow — so slow it looks as if they were walking under water.

我wǒ一直yìzhí以为yǐwéi太极拳tàijíquán只是zhǐshì老人lǎorén的de运动yùndòng，直到zhídào医生yīshēng让ràng我wǒ多duō活动huódòng活动huódòng。

I always assumed tai chi was only exercise for old people — until the doctor told me to move around more.

一yí个ge星期六xīngqīliù的de早上zǎoshang，我wǒ不好意思bù hǎoyìsi地de站zhàn在zài了le他们tāmen后面hòumiàn。

One Saturday morning, I sheepishly took a place behind them.

一yí位wèi老人lǎorén对duì我wǒ说shuō，别bié着急zháojí，先xiān学会xuéhuì站zhàn好hǎo。

An older man said to me: don't rush, first learn how to stand properly.

那nà天tiān早上zǎoshang我们wǒmen只zhǐ练liàn了le二十èrshí分钟fēnzhōng，可是kěshì我wǒ的de腿tuǐ比bǐ跑步pǎobù以后yǐhòu还hái累lèi。

That morning we practised for only twenty minutes, but my legs were even more tired than after a run.

现在xiànzài我wǒ明白míngbai了le，太极拳tàijíquán看起来kànqǐlai轻松qīngsōng，其实qíshí一点yìdiǎn也yě不bù简单jiǎndān。

Now I understand: tai chi looks easy, but it is not simple at all.

打dǎ了le半bàn年nián以后yǐhòu，我wǒ发现fāxiàn动作dòngzuò越yuè慢màn，心里xīnlǐ越yuè安静ānjìng。

After half a year of practice, I found that the slower the movements, the calmer I felt inside.

对duì现在xiànzài的de年轻人niánqīngrén来说láishuō，慢màn下来xiàlái可能kěnéng比bǐ跑pǎo得de快kuài更gèng难nán。

For young people today, slowing down may be even harder than running fast.

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

Key words 生词

太极拳tàijíquántai chi

动作dòngzuòmovement; action

好像hǎoxiàngto seem; as if

轻松qīngsōngrelaxed; easy

安静ānjìngquiet; calm

着急zháojíto be anxious; to rush

越……越…… — the more…, the more…

Two 越 phrases link a change in one thing to a change in another: 动作越慢，心里越安静。

这本书越看越有意思。— The more I read this book, the more interesting it gets.

一直……，直到…… — kept …ing, until…

一直 marks a state that continued without change, and 直到 gives the moment it ended.

他一直站在门口，直到朋友出来。— He kept standing at the door until his friend came out.

看起来……，其实…… — it looks…, but actually…

看起来 gives the first impression, and 其实 corrects it with the real situation.

这个问题看起来很难，其实很简单。— This question looks hard, but it's actually very simple.

1. When do the elderly people practise tai chi in the park?

2. What finally made the author try tai chi?

3. What did the author discover after half a year?