垃圾分类 Trash Sorting

从cóng去年qùnián开始kāishǐ，我们wǒmen住zhù的de地方dìfang要求yāoqiú垃圾lājī分类fēnlèi，一yì开始kāishǐ大家dàjiā都dōu觉得juéde太tài麻烦máfan了le。

Since last year, where we live has required trash sorting, and at first everyone found it a huge hassle.

香蕉xiāngjiāo皮pí、塑料袋sùliàodài、喝hē了le一半yíbàn的de奶茶nǎichá，应该yīnggāi扔rēng到dào哪nǎ个ge垃圾桶lājītǒng呢ne？

A banana peel, a plastic bag, a half-finished milk tea — which bin should each of them go into?

楼下lóuxià的de王Wáng阿姨āyí每天měi tiān站zhàn在zài垃圾桶lājītǒng旁边pángbiān，像xiàng老师lǎoshī检查jiǎnchá作业zuòyè一样yíyàng检查jiǎnchá大家dàjiā的de垃圾lājī。

Aunt Wang from downstairs stands by the bins every day, inspecting everyone's trash the way a teacher checks homework.

有yǒu一yí次cì我wǒ把bǎ电池diànchí扔rēng错cuò了le地方dìfang，她tā认真rènzhēn地de给gěi我wǒ上shàng了le十shí分钟fēnzhōng的de课kè。

Once I threw a battery into the wrong place, and she earnestly gave me a ten-minute lesson.

慢慢mànmàn地de，我wǒ发现fāxiàn自己zìjǐ扔rēng垃圾lājī以前yǐqián真的zhēn de会huì先xiān想一想xiǎng yi xiǎng了le。

Slowly, I found that I really do stop and think first before throwing things away now.

更gèng有意思yǒu yìsi的de是shì，家里jiā li的de垃圾lājī变biàn少shǎo了le，因为yīnwèi我wǒ买mǎi东西dōngxi以前yǐqián也yě开始kāishǐ问wèn自己zìjǐ：这zhè个ge真的zhēn de需要xūyào吗ma？

Even more interesting, the trash at home has decreased, because before buying anything I have also started asking myself: do I really need this?

垃圾lājī分类fēnlèi麻烦máfan是shì麻烦máfan，但是dànshì它tā让ràng我们wǒmen重新chóngxīn认识rènshi了le自己zìjǐ的de生活shēnghuó。

Trash sorting is a hassle, sure — but it has made us see our own lives anew.

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

Key words 生词

分类fēnlèito sort; to classify

塑料袋sùliàodàiplastic bag

皮pípeel; skin

奶茶nǎichámilk tea

电池diànchíbattery

垃圾桶lājītǒngtrash bin

像……一样

"Like / the same as ..." compares one action or thing to another: 像老师检查作业一样检查大家的垃圾。

他高兴得像个孩子一样。— He was as happy as a child.

A 是 A，但是……

Repeating the adjective concedes a point before turning to what matters more: 麻烦是麻烦，但是它让我们重新认识了自己的生活。

这个菜辣是辣，但是很好吃。— This dish is spicy, sure, but it's delicious.

1. What does Aunt Wang do every day?

2. What happened after the author threw a battery into the wrong place?

3. Why has the trash at the author's home decreased?

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.