教育竞争 Competition in Education

在zài中国Zhōngguó，教育jiàoyù竞争jìngzhēng的de激烈jīliè程度chéngdù，常常chángcháng让ràng外国wàiguó朋友péngyou感到gǎndào吃惊chījīng。

In China, the intensity of educational competition often astonishes my foreign friends.

许多xǔduō孩子háizi从cóng幼儿园yòu'éryuán开始kāishǐ，就jiù要yào参加cānjiā各种各样gè zhǒng gè yàng的de培训班péixùnbān。

Many children start attending all kinds of extra classes as early as kindergarten.

家长jiāzhǎng们men之所以zhīsuǒyǐ这么zhème焦虑jiāolǜ，是因为shì yīnwèi他们tāmen相信xiāngxìn教育jiàoyù是shì改变gǎibiàn命运mìngyùn的de唯一wéiyī机会jīhuì。

The reason parents are so anxious is that they believe education is the only chance to change one's fate.

一位yí wèi母亲mǔqīn曾经céngjīng对duì我wǒ说shuō：“我wǒ也yě知道zhīdào孩子háizi太tài累lèi了le，可是kěshì别人biéren都dōu在zài学xué，我们wǒmen不bù敢gǎn停tíng下来xiàlai。”

One mother once told me: "I know my child is exhausted, but everyone else is studying, so we don't dare to stop."

这种zhè zhǒng现象xiànxiàng有yǒu一个yí gè形象xíngxiàng的de名字míngzi，叫做jiàozuò“内卷nèijuǎn”。

This phenomenon has a vivid name: "neijuan", or involution.

一方面yì fāngmiàn，竞争jìngzhēng推动tuīdòng孩子háizi努力nǔlì学习xuéxí，另一方面lìng yì fāngmiàn，过大guò dà的de压力yālì影响yǐngxiǎng了le他们tāmen的de身体shēntǐ和hé心理xīnlǐ健康jiànkāng。

On the one hand, competition pushes children to study hard; on the other hand, excessive pressure harms their physical and mental health.

近几年jìn jǐ nián，政府zhèngfǔ制定zhìdìng了le一些yìxiē政策zhèngcè，减轻jiǎnqīng学生xuésheng的de负担fùdān。

In recent years, the government has introduced policies to lighten students' burden.

与其yǔqí让ràng孩子háizi学xué得de那么nàme痛苦tòngkǔ，不如bùrú让ràng他们tāmen保持bǎochí对duì学习xuéxí的de兴趣xìngqù。

Rather than making children study in such misery, it would be better to help them keep their interest in learning.

毕竟bìjìng，人生rénshēng是shì一场yì chǎng长跑chángpǎo，而ér不是bú shì一场yì chǎng短跑duǎnpǎo。

After all, life is a marathon, not a sprint.

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

Key words 生词

竞争jìngzhēngcompetition

激烈jīlièintense, fierce

焦虑jiāolǜanxious

命运mìngyùnfate, destiny

内卷nèijuǎninvolution (rat-race competition)

负担fùdānburden

之所以…，是因为…

Puts the result first and the cause second: 'the reason why A is that B'. It highlights the explanation, e.g. 我之所以学汉语，是因为想去中国工作.

家长们之所以这么焦虑，是因为他们相信教育是改变命运的唯一机会。 — The reason parents are so anxious is that they believe education is the only chance to change one's fate.

与其…，不如…

Compares two options and prefers the second: 'rather than A, it is better to B', e.g. 与其在家等着，不如出去找他.

与其让孩子学得那么痛苦，不如让他们保持对学习的兴趣。 — Rather than making children study in such misery, it is better to help them keep their interest in learning.

毕竟

Means 'after all' — reminds the listener of an essential fact that supports the speaker's point, e.g. 别怪他了，他毕竟还是个孩子.

毕竟，人生是一场长跑，而不是一场短跑。 — After all, life is a marathon, not a sprint.

1. Why are Chinese parents so anxious about education, according to the text?

2. What did the mother in the text say?

3. What does the author suggest at the end?