友情的保质期 The Shelf Life of Friendship

上周shàng zhōu，我wǒ在zài朋友圈péngyouquān看到kàndào大学同学dàxué tóngxué小林Xiǎo Lín结婚jiéhūn的de消息xiāoxi，立刻lìkè给gěi她tā发fā了le信息xìnxī。

Last week, I saw on my social media feed that my college classmate Xiaolin had gotten married, and I immediately sent her a message.

我们wǒmen约好yuēhǎo周末zhōumò见面jiànmiàn，我wǒ特别tèbié期待qīdài，毕竟bìjìng已经yǐjīng五年wǔ nián没见méi jiàn了le。

We arranged to meet up on the weekend, and I was really looking forward to it — after all, we hadn't seen each other in five years.

见面jiànmiàn那天nà tiān，我们wǒmen聊liáo了le两liǎng个gè小时xiǎoshí，可是kěshì聊来聊去liáolái liáoqù，好像hǎoxiàng都dōu是些shì xiē客气话kèqihuà。

The day we met, we chatted for two hours, but no matter what we talked about, it all seemed to be just polite small talk.

以前yǐqián我们wǒmen几乎jīhū无话不谈wúhuàbùtán，现在xiànzài却què好像hǎoxiàng找不到zhǎobudào共同gòngtóng的de话题huàtí了le。

We used to be able to talk about anything, but now it seemed like we couldn't find common topics anymore.

分开fēnkāi以后yǐhòu，我wǒ心里xīnlǐ有点儿yǒudiǎnr失落shīluò，忍不住rěnbuzhù想xiǎng：难道nándào友情yǒuqíng也yě有yǒu保质期bǎozhìqī吗ma？

After we parted, I felt a bit down inside, and couldn't help wondering: does friendship have a shelf life too?

后来hòulái我wǒ慢慢mànmàn明白míngbai，不是bú shì我们wǒmen的de感情gǎnqíng变淡biàndàn了le，而是érshì我们wǒmen的de生活shēnghuó已经yǐjīng走向zǒuxiàng了le不同bùtóng的de方向fāngxiàng。

Later I slowly came to understand: it's not that our feelings had faded, but that our lives had headed in different directions.

她tā每天měitiān忙着mángzhe照顾zhàogù孩子háizi，我wǒ每天měitiān忙着mángzhe加班jiābān，大家dàjiā关心guānxīn的de事情shìqing自然zìrán不一样bù yíyàng了le。

She is busy taking care of her child every day, while I'm busy working overtime every day, so naturally the things we care about are different.

也许yěxǔ友情yǒuqíng不bù需要xūyào一直yìzhí保持bǎochí热闹rènao，只要zhǐyào需要xūyào的时候de shíhou还hái能néng想起xiǎngqǐ对方duìfāng，就jiù已经yǐjīng很hěn珍贵zhēnguì了le。

Maybe friendship doesn't need to stay lively all the time; as long as we can still think of each other when needed, that's already precious.

我wǒ决定juédìng不再bú zài为wèi这种zhè zhǒng变化biànhuà难过nánguò，而是érshì好好hǎohǎo珍惜zhēnxī现在xiànzài身边shēnbiān的de朋友péngyou。

I decided not to feel sad about this kind of change anymore, and instead to cherish the friends around me now.

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

Key words 生词

友情yǒuqíngfriendship

保质期bǎozhìqīshelf life; expiration date

客气话kèqihuàpolite remarks; small talk

失落shīluòdisappointed; down

变淡biàndànto fade (of feelings)

珍贵zhēnguìprecious

却 — yet; however

却 marks a turn of contrast within a sentence and is placed after the subject, not at the start of the clause.

以前我们几乎无话不谈，现在却好像找不到共同的话题了。 — We used to be able to talk about anything, yet now we seem unable to find common topics.

不是…而是… — it's not X, but rather Y

This pattern corrects a mistaken cause or reason and replaces it with the real one.

不是我们的感情变淡了，而是我们的生活已经走向了不同的方向。 — It's not that our feelings faded, but that our lives headed in different directions.

只要…就… — as long as…, then…

只要 states a minimal sufficient condition, and 就 gives the outcome that follows once it's met.

只要需要的时候还能想起对方，就已经很珍贵了。 — As long as you can still think of each other when needed, that's already precious.

1. How long had it been since the writer and Xiaolin last saw each other?

2. What did their conversation feel like when they met?

3. What did the writer eventually decide to do?