隐私与便利 Privacy and Convenience

现在xiànzài很多hěnduō商店shāngdiàn都dōu可以kěyǐ用yòng刷脸支付shuāliǎn zhīfù，几jǐ秒钟miǎozhōng就jiù能néng完成wánchéng付款fùkuǎn。

Nowadays, many stores let you pay using face-scan payment, and it takes only a few seconds to complete the payment.

我wǒ第一次dì-yī cì用yòng的时候de shíhou觉得juéde特别tèbié方便fāngbiàn，甚至shènzhì有点儿yǒudiǎnr兴奋xīngfèn。

The first time I used it, I found it especially convenient, even a bit exciting.

可是kěshì回家huíjiā以后yǐhòu，我wǒ突然tūrán想到xiǎngdào：我wǒ的de脸liǎn就jiù这样zhèyàng被bèi存进cún jìn了le别人biéren的de电脑diànnǎo里lǐ。

But after I got home, it suddenly occurred to me: my face had just been stored in someone else's computer, like that.

手机软件shǒujī ruǎnjiàn也yě是shì一样yíyàng，只要zhǐyào打开dǎkāi一次yí cì，它tā就jiù好像hǎoxiàng知道zhīdao了le我wǒ全部quánbù的de秘密mìmì。

Phone apps are the same way: as soon as you open one, it seems to already know all my secrets.

我wǒ昨天zuótiān刚gāng跟gēn朋友péngyou聊到liáodào想xiǎng买mǎi一双yìshuāng跑鞋pǎoxié，今天jīntiān手机shǒujī上shàng就jiù出现chūxiàn了le跑鞋pǎoxié的de广告guǎnggào。

I had just chatted with a friend yesterday about wanting to buy running shoes, and today ads for running shoes appeared on my phone.

这zhè让ràng我wǒ又yòu高兴gāoxìng又yòu害怕hàipà：高兴gāoxìng的是de shì购物gòuwù变得biànde方便fāngbiàn，害怕hàipà的是de shì自己zìjǐ好像hǎoxiàng没有méiyǒu秘密mìmì。

This makes me both happy and afraid: happy because shopping has become convenient, afraid because I seem to have no secrets left.

专家zhuānjiā说shuō，便利biànlì和hé隐私yǐnsī就像jiù xiàng天平tiānpíng的de两头liǎngtóu，一边yìbiān重zhòng一点儿yìdiǎnr，另一边lìng yìbiān就jiù轻qīng一点儿yìdiǎnr。

Experts say convenience and privacy are like the two ends of a scale: when one side gets heavier, the other side gets lighter.

我们wǒmen享受xiǎngshòu科技kējì带来dàilái的de方便fāngbiàn的同时de tóngshí，也yě应该yīnggāi问问wènwen自己zìjǐ：愿意yuànyì为此wèicǐ付出fùchū多少duōshao隐私yǐnsī？

While we enjoy the convenience brought by technology, we should also ask ourselves: how much privacy are we willing to give up for it?

也许yěxǔ答案dá'àn没有méiyǒu对错duìcuò，但dàn至少zhìshǎo，我们wǒmen应该yīnggāi清楚地qīngchu de知道zhīdào自己zìjǐ在zài做zuò什么样的shénmeyàng de选择xuǎnzé。

Perhaps there's no right or wrong answer, but at least we should clearly know what kind of choice we are making.

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

Key words 生词

刷脸支付shuāliǎn zhīfùface-scan payment

隐私yǐnsīprivacy

秘密mìmìsecret

天平tiānpíngscale; balance

便利biànlìconvenience

科技kējìtechnology

Grammar note 语法点

只要…就… — as long as…, then…

只要 introduces a sufficient condition; satisfying it guarantees the result marked by 就.

只要打开一次，它就好像知道了我全部的秘密。 — As soon as you open it once, it seems to know all my secrets.

又…又… — both X and Y

又…又… links two qualities or feelings that are true of the subject at the same time.

这让我又高兴又害怕。 — This makes me both happy and afraid.

…的同时 — while (doing something); at the same time as

…的同时 marks that two actions or states happen concurrently, often introducing a contrasting point.

我们享受科技带来的方便的同时，也应该问问自己。 — While we enjoy the convenience technology brings, we should also ask ourselves.

Check yourself 小测验

1. How does the writer feel about paying by face-scan the first time?

2. What happened after the writer chatted with a friend about running shoes?

3. According to experts, what are convenience and privacy like?

After this reading

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

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隐私与便利Yǐnsī yǔ biànlìPrivacy and Convenience

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

More HSK 5 reading practice