微信改变生活 How WeChat Changed Life

我wǒ第一次dì yī cì用yòng微信Wēixìn是shì二零一二èr líng yī èr年nián，那nà时候shíhou它tā还hái只是zhǐshì一yí个gè发fā消息xiāoxi的de软件ruǎnjiàn。

The first time I used WeChat was in 2012, when it was still just an app for sending messages.

现在xiànzài打开dǎkāi手机shǒujī，我wǒ一yì天tiān里lǐ几乎jīhū所有suǒyǒu的de事情shìqing都dōu在zài这zhè个gè软件ruǎnjiàn里lǐ完成wánchéng。

Now when I open my phone, almost everything I do in a day gets done inside this one app.

早上zǎoshang用yòng它tā买菜mǎi cài，中午zhōngwǔ用yòng它tā付钱fù qián，晚上wǎnshang用yòng它tā跟gēn老家lǎojiā的de父母fùmǔ通话tōnghuà。

In the morning I buy groceries with it, at noon I pay with it, and in the evening I call my parents back home with it.

我wǒ母亲mǔqīn六十liùshí多duō岁suì，以前yǐqián连lián短信duǎnxìn都dōu不bú会huì发fā，如今rújīn在zài家庭jiātíng群qún里lǐ发fā的de语音yǔyīn比bǐ谁shéi都dōu多duō。

My mother is over sixty; she used to not even know how to send a text, yet nowadays she sends more voice messages in the family group than anybody.

方便fāngbiàn当然dāngrán是shì真zhēn方便fāngbiàn，可是kěshì麻烦máfan也yě跟着gēnzhe来lái了le。

It is genuinely convenient, of course, but the trouble came along with it.

老板lǎobǎn深夜shēnyè发fā来lái的de消息xiāoxi，你nǐ不bù回huí不bù行xíng，回huí了le又yòu等于děngyú同意tóngyì加班jiābān。

A message your boss sends late at night cannot go unanswered, yet answering it amounts to agreeing to work overtime.

有人yǒurén开玩笑kāi wánxiào说shuō，微信Wēixìn让ràng上班shàngbān和hé下班xiàbān再也zài yě分不开fēn bu kāi了le。

Someone joked that WeChat has made work hours and off hours impossible to tell apart.

在zài我wǒ看来kànlái，工具gōngjù本身běnshēn没有méiyǒu错cuò，错cuò的de是shì我们wǒmen把bǎ它tā当成dàngchéng了le生活shēnghuó的de全部quánbù。

In my view the tool itself is not at fault; what is wrong is that we have turned it into the whole of life.

所以suǒyǐ这zhè两liǎng年nián我wǒ做zuò了le一yí件jiàn小xiǎo事shì：晚上wǎnshang十shí点diǎn以后yǐhòu，关掉guāndiào工作gōngzuò群qún的de提醒tíxǐng。

So over the past two years I have done one small thing: after ten at night, I turn off notifications from the work groups.

消息xiāoxi第二天dì èr tiān还hái在zài，可kě我wǒ的de晚上wǎnshang，终于zhōngyú又yòu是shì我wǒ自己zìjǐ的de了le。

The messages are still there the next day, but my evenings have finally become mine again.

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

Key words 生词

微信WēixìnWeChat

语音yǔyīnvoice message

如今rújīnnowadays

深夜shēnyèlate at night

等于děngyúto be equal to; to amount to

提醒tíxǐngreminder; notification

连…都… — even…

连 marks an extreme case and 都 (or 也) follows: 以前连短信都不会发。

他忙得连饭都没吃。 — He was so busy that he did not even eat.

在…看来 — in someone's view

在 + person + 看来 marks a personal judgment, usually at the start of the sentence: 在我看来，工具本身没有错。

在他看来，这个决定并不合理。 — In his view, this decision is not reasonable.

不…不行 — must; cannot not

A double negative used for obligation: 你不回不行 means you have no choice but to reply.

明天的会议我不去不行。 — I really have to go to tomorrow's meeting.

1. When did the writer first use WeChat?

2. What does the writer's mother do now in the family group?

3. What small change did the writer make?