副业刚需 The Side Hustle Necessity

前qián几jǐ年nián，同事tóngshì聊天liáotiān的de话题huàtí是shì买房mǎi fáng；这zhè两liǎng年nián，话题huàtí变成biànchéng了le副业fùyè。

A few years ago, what colleagues chatted about was buying a house; these past two years, the topic has become side jobs.

有人yǒurén下班xiàbān以后yǐhòu开车kāichē挣钱zhèng qián，有人yǒurén周末zhōumò教jiāo人rén做菜zuò cài，还有人hái yǒu rén在zài网上wǎngshàng卖mài自己zìjǐ拍pāi的de照片zhàopiàn。

Some drive to earn money after work, some teach cooking on weekends, and others sell photos they took themselves online.

大家dàjiā嘴zuǐ上shang说shuō是shì为了wèile兴趣xìngqù，心里xīnli想xiǎng的de其实qíshí是shì安全感ānquángǎn。

Out loud everyone says it is for interest, but what they are really thinking about is a sense of security.

一yí份fèn工作gōngzuò再zài稳定wěndìng，也yě可能kěnéng在zài一yí次cì调整tiáozhěng中zhōng消失xiāoshī，这zhè几jǐ年nián我们wǒmen见jiàn得de太tài多duō了le。

No matter how stable a job is, it can still vanish in one round of restructuring, and we have seen far too much of that these past few years.

所以suǒyǐ有人yǒurén说shuō，副业fùyè已经yǐjīng从cóng爱好àihào变成biànchéng了le刚需gāngxū。

So people say that a side job has gone from being a hobby to being a basic necessity.

不过búguò我wǒ认识rènshi的de十shí个gè做zuò副业fùyè的de朋友péngyou里lǐ，真正zhēnzhèng赚到zhuàndào钱qián的de不到bú dào三sān个gè。

Yet among the ten friends I know with side jobs, fewer than three actually make money.

剩下shèngxià的de人rén大多dàduō是shì用yòng休息xiūxi时间shíjiān换huàn来lái一点yìdiǎn收入shōurù，同时tóngshí把bǎ身体shēntǐ和hé精力jīnglì慢慢mànmàn花huā掉diào了le。

Most of the rest trade their rest time for a little income, while slowly spending away their health and energy.

与其yǔqí急着jízhe找zhǎo一yí个gè能néng马上mǎshàng赚钱zhuàn qián的de副业fùyè，不如bùrú先xiān想xiǎng清楚qīngchu：这zhè件jiàn事shì三sān年nián以后yǐhòu还hái值得zhíde做zuò吗ma？

Rather than rushing to find a side job that pays right away, it is better to think this through first: will this still be worth doing three years from now?

副业fùyè真正zhēnzhèng的de意义yìyì，也许yěxǔ不是bú shì多duō一yí份fèn收入shōurù，而是érshì让ràng你nǐ在zài被bèi生活shēnghuó推tuī着zhe走zǒu的de时候shíhou，手里shǒu lǐ还hái有yǒu另lìng一yì条tiáo路lù。

The real meaning of a side job is perhaps not one extra income, but that when life is pushing you along, you still hold another road in your hand.

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

Key words 生词

副业fùyèside job; side hustle

刚需gāngxūrigid demand; a basic necessity

稳定wěndìngstable

精力jīnglìenergy; vigor

收入shōurùincome

意义yìyìmeaning; significance

Grammar note 语法点

再…也… — no matter how…, still…

再 + adjective + 也 concedes an extreme degree and keeps the conclusion: 一份工作再稳定，也可能消失。

路再远，我也要去看看。 — No matter how far the road is, I still want to go and see.

不是…而是… — not A, but rather B

This pair corrects a wrong idea and supplies the right one: 不是多一份收入，而是让你还有另一条路。

问题不是钱，而是时间。 — The problem is not money, but time.

与其…不如… — rather than A, better B

与其 names the option the speaker rejects; 不如 names the better choice: 与其急着赚钱，不如先想清楚。

与其等他来，不如我们先开始。 — Rather than waiting for him, we may as well start first.

Check yourself 小测验

1. Among the ten friends with side jobs, how many actually make money?

2. According to the text, what are people really after when they say a side job is 'for interest'?

3. What question does the writer suggest asking before starting a side job?

After this reading

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副业刚需Fùyè gāngxūThe Side Hustle Necessity

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