极简生活 Minimalist Living — HSK 5 Reading

去年qùnián搬家bānjiā的de时候shíhou，我wǒ数shǔ了le数shǔ，自己zìjǐ竟然jìngrán有yǒu两百liǎngbǎi多duō件jiàn衣服yīfu，很多hěn duō连lián标签biāoqiān都dōu没méi剪jiǎn。

When I moved house last year, I counted and found I somehow owned more than two hundred pieces of clothing — many still with the tags on.

那nà一刻yíkè，我wǒ决定juédìng试试shìshi朋友péngyou常cháng说shuō的de“极简jíjiǎn生活shēnghuó”。

In that moment, I decided to try the "minimalist living" my friend often talked about.

极简jíjiǎn不是bú shì什么shénme都dōu不bù买mǎi，而是érshì只zhǐ留下liúxià真正zhēnzhèng需要xūyào和hé真正zhēnzhèng喜欢xǐhuan的de东西dōngxi。

Minimalism is not buying nothing at all; it is keeping only the things you truly need and truly love.

我wǒ用yòng了le一yí个ge简单jiǎndān的de标准biāozhǔn：一yì年nián没méi用yòng过guo的de东西dōngxi，基本上jīběnshang都dōu可以kěyǐ送sòng人rén或者huòzhě扔掉rēngdiào。

I used a simple standard: anything I hadn't used in a year could basically be given away or thrown out.

整理zhěnglǐ的de过程guòchéng很hěn痛苦tòngkǔ，好几hǎojǐ次cì我wǒ拿着názhe一yí件jiàn旧jiù毛衣máoyī想xiǎng：万一wànyī以后yǐhòu用得着yòngdezháo呢ne？

The sorting process was painful; several times I stood holding an old sweater thinking: what if I need it someday?

事实shìshí证明zhèngmíng，那个nàge“以后yǐhòu”几乎jīhū从来cónglái没有méiyǒu来过láiguo。

The facts proved that this "someday" almost never came.

现在xiànzài我wǒ的de房间fángjiān空kōng了le一半yíbàn，找zhǎo东西dōngxi快kuài了le，打扫dǎsǎo容易róngyì了le，连lián早上zǎoshang选xuǎn衣服yīfu的de时间shíjiān都dōu变biàn短duǎn了le。

Now my room is half empty: finding things is faster, cleaning is easier, and even the time spent choosing clothes in the morning has gotten shorter.

更gèng意外yìwài的de是shì，东西dōngxi少shǎo了le以后yǐhòu，我wǒ买mǎi东西dōngxi反而fǎn'ér更gèng认真rènzhēn了le：每měi买mǎi一yí件jiàn，都dōu要yào先xiān问wèn自己zìjǐ三sān遍biàn。

Even more unexpectedly, once I owned less, I became more careful about buying: before every purchase, I ask myself three times.

对duì我wǒ来说láishuō，极简jíjiǎn不是bú shì目的mùdì，而是érshì一yì种zhǒng让ràng生活shēnghuó回到huídào重点zhòngdiǎn的de方法fāngfǎ。

For me, minimalism is not the goal itself, but a method for letting life return to what matters.

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

Key words 生词

极简jíjiǎnminimalist; minimalism

标签biāoqiāntag; label

竟然jìngránunexpectedly; to one's surprise

万一wànyīwhat if; in case

整理zhěnglǐto sort out; to tidy

证明zhèngmíngto prove

连…都…

'Even…' — highlights an extreme case: 很多衣服连标签都没剪；连选衣服的时间都变短了。

他忙得连水都没时间喝。— He was so busy he didn't even have time to drink water.

万一

'What if / in case' — introduces an unlikely but worrying possibility: 万一以后用得着呢？

多带一把伞吧，万一下雨呢？— Take an extra umbrella — what if it rains?

1. What simple standard did the narrator use when sorting?

2. What did the narrator discover about the 'someday' when an old sweater might be needed?

3. How did owning less change the narrator's shopping habits?