每天早上六点半，公园里就有很多老人在打太极拳。
At half past six every morning, there are already many elderly people practising tai chi in the park.
他们的动作很慢，慢得好像在水里走路。
Their movements are slow — so slow it looks as if they were walking under water.
我一直以为太极拳只是老人的运动，直到医生让我多活动活动。
I always assumed tai chi was only exercise for old people — until the doctor told me to move around more.
一个星期六的早上，我不好意思地站在了他们后面。
One Saturday morning, I sheepishly took a place behind them.
一位老人对我说，别着急，先学会站好。
An older man said to me: don't rush, first learn how to stand properly.
那天早上我们只练了二十分钟，可是我的腿比跑步以后还累。
That morning we practised for only twenty minutes, but my legs were even more tired than after a run.
现在我明白了，太极拳看起来轻松，其实一点也不简单。
Now I understand: tai chi looks easy, but it is not simple at all.
打了半年以后，我发现动作越慢，心里越安静。
After half a year of practice, I found that the slower the movements, the calmer I felt inside.
对现在的年轻人来说，慢下来可能比跑得快更难。
For young people today, slowing down may be even harder than running fast.
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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
Grammar note 语法点
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.
Check yourself 小测验
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?
After this reading
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