杭州与骑行的乐趣（对话）

你好，我亲爱的学习者们，欢迎收听《轻松学英语》，这个播客将让你的英语从一般到优秀，从优秀到卓越。

Hello, my lovely learners, and welcome to easy stories in English, the podcast that will take your English from okay to good and from good to great.

我是艾瑞尔·古德博迪，本期节目的主持人。

I am Ariel Goodbody, your host for this show.

今天的节目将聊一聊杭州和骑行的乐趣。

Today's episode is a conversation about Hangzhou and the joy of cycling.

和往常一样，你可以在网站上找到文字稿和PDF文件，链接就在本期节目的描述中。

As always, you can find the transcript and PDF on the website, the link to which you will find in the description to this episode.

那么我来了。

So here I am.

你好。

Hello.

如果你在YouTube上观看，可以看到一些泡沫隔音板，一些声学泡沫板。

If you are watching on YouTube, you can see some foam paneling, some acoustic foam panels.

我确实在办公室墙上贴了声学泡沫板，用来减少一些刺耳的声音反射。

I have indeed covered the walls of my office with some acoustic foam panels, which are there to reduce some of the harsh reflections in sound.

说实话，这感觉像是YouTuber和播客主的成人礼。

And to be honest, this kind of feels like a rite of passage for YouTubers and podcasters.

感觉这是所有认真的YouTuber和播客主都会做的事，只是我以前从未做过。

It feels like something that all serious YouTubers and podcasters do, except I haven't ever done it before.

我原以为现在应该已经做了，但我想我一直很抗拒安装隔音材料，因为租约到期时要和房东打交道。

Like, I thought I would have done it by now, but I guess I was always really resistant to putting up any soundproofing because of dealing with the landlord at the end of my rental contract.

因为如果你直接把东西粘在墙上，以后可能会造成麻烦。

Because if you directly glue stuff on the wall, it can cause problems later.

我的做法是把泡沫板固定在纸板上，然后用可拆卸挂钩把纸板挂在墙上，这样取下时不会损坏墙面。

But what I've done here is attach the foam panels to pieces of cardboard, and then I've attached the cardboard to the wall with command strips, which are easy to take off without damaging the wall.

所以我觉得应该没问题。

So I think it should be okay.

说实话，就算租期结束时房东有意见，我也承担得起押金损失或必要的修复费用。

And to be honest, I know that if the landlord has any issues at the end of my rental period here, I can probably afford to lose the deposit or pay for any changes needed.

但事实上，因为这个房间本身有潮湿问题导致部分墙漆起泡剥落，我觉得最后可能不需要我赔偿。

But actually, this room, I don't think I'll have to pay anything because of the humidity problem that has caused some parts of the paint to, like, bubble and flake.

所以这不是我的责任。

So, that's not my problem.

这不是我的过错。

That's not my fault.

因此我觉得墙上贴点泡沫板根本不算什么。

So therefore, I think a bit of foam panels on the walls is nothing.

总之，希望今天的节目音质能有所改善。

So anyway, all that is to say, hopefully, today's episode will sound better.

画面应该也会更好，因为我现在拉开窗帘拍摄视频，你们能看到我身后绝佳的风景。

It should also look better because I'm recording the video with the curtains open So you can see the the amazing view, the amazing view behind me.

如果是纯音频听众，其实窗外主要是工业区景观。

If you're listening and not watching, it's pretty industrial.

就是很多公寓楼。

It's just a lot of apartment buildings.

可惜你们看不太清，那个方向其实有美丽的山景。

Unfortunately, you can't quite see, but off in that direction, there are lovely mountains.

不过，这景色还是挺酷的。

But, it's still a pretty cool view.

这绝对不是我以前在英国习惯看到的景象，即使在伦敦，很多地方楼层都很低，公寓楼也没有这么密集。

It's definitely not the kind of view I was used to having in The UK, where even in London, many areas are quite low, and there's not a huge density of apartment buildings.

但在这里，它们无处不在。

But here, they're everywhere.

我还可以俯瞰下面的街道，看着所有人像蚂蚁一样移动，车辆来来往往，感觉挺有趣的。

I can also look down on the street below and watch all the people moving like ants and the cars driving around, and it feels quite fun.

我只需要避免听那些侵入性的想法，比如：如果你从窗户掉下去会怎样？

I just have to avoid listening to the intrusive thoughts that are like, what if you fell out the window?

如果你从窗户掉下去，摔下那么多层楼死了怎么办？

What if you fell out the window and fell down all those floors and died?

那可就不那么有趣了。

That's not so fun.

总之，我在中国住了两个多月，现在有点过了新鲜感阶段。

Anyway, I've been living in China for just over two months now, and I'm kind of at that stage where the novelty has worn off.

就像，不再是那种‘天哪’的感觉了。

Like, it's no longer, oh my god.

天哪。

Oh my god.

一切都是新的。

Everything is new.

现在更像是，哦，这就是我的日常生活了。

It's just a bit more like, oh, this is my everyday life.

这糟糕的天气可能让情况更糟了。

The miserable weather probably hasn't helped with that.

今天看起来阴沉多云，但昨天一直在下雨。

It looks pretty gray and cloudy today, but yesterday, it was raining nonstop.

所以昨天更糟糕。

So it was even worse.

是的，这种天气确实让我想起英国，但这并不是一种快乐的感觉，不会让我充满喜悦。

And, yes, that kind of weather does remind me of The UK, but it's not exactly like a happy feeling, doesn't fill me with joy.

正因为如此，这周我有点想家了。

So because of that, I've kind of been feeling a bit homesick this week.

我比之前更想家了。

I've been missing home more than before.

别担心。

Don't worry.

我还好。

I'm still fine.

我还是那个你们熟悉并喜爱的可爱、活泼、充满活力的艾瑞尔，只是感觉没有前两个月那么嗨了。

I'm still the lovely, vibrant, exuberant Ariel good body you know and love, but I'm not feeling as, well, hey, as I was feeling in the first two months.

而且工作一直很忙。

Also, work has just been a lot.

工作很辛苦。

Work is hard.

教学很困难，而且距离下一个长假还有很长时间。

Teaching is difficult, and we have a long time before our next big holiday.

十一月和十二月确实有些小假期，但真正的大节日是二月的春节，它就像北极星一样指引着我，让我坚持到二月享受这个美妙的假期。

We do have some little holidays coming up in November and December, but the big big holiday is Chinese New Year, which is in February, and it's like a North Star guiding me towards it, like, will make it to February and have an amazing holiday.

其实我特别期待这个假期，因为我要和父母一起去柬埔寨，还有一位英国朋友会来中国看我，肯定会非常愉快。

And actually, I'm really looking forward to that holiday because I'm going to Cambodia with my parents, and one of my friends is coming to visit me from The UK in China, so it's just gonna be really lovely.

说实话，我的中文学习进展神速。

My Chinese studies have been honestly flourishing.

最近我感觉自己每天都能大量接触中文，虽然说不清具体原因。

I just got to the point where I was feeling very I don't know, getting lots of exposure to Chinese every day.

现在我能进行对话并表达自己了，即使不知道确切的词汇，也能大致理解别人在说什么。我刚读完中文版的《哈利波特》。

I can hold a conversation now and express myself even if I don't know all the precise words, I can generally understand what people are saying to me, and I just finished reading which is Harry Potter in Chinese.

我刚读完《哈利波特》系列的第一本中文版。

I just read the first Harry Potter book in Chinese.

我边读边听有声书，真的非常享受，因为那个有声书制作精良，有完整的音效场景。

I read and listened to the audiobook at the same time, and actually, I really, really enjoyed it because the audiobook production is like a full soundscape.

配有音乐、音效和不同角色的声音，听起来特别享受。中文这种语言边读边听会容易很多，否则遇到生字根本不知道怎么发音，很难记住。

It has music, sound effects, different voices, so it's really pleasurable to listen to, and it's so much easier with a language like Chinese to read and listen because otherwise in Chinese, if you come across a new character, you have no idea how it's pronounced, so it doesn't really stick in your head.

现在我正在读第二本，不知道接下来会怎样。

So I'm currently on book two, going through the second book, and I don't know.

可能会继续读第三本，甚至更多中文书，之后想尝试读一些中文原版书籍。

I might do books three, maybe even more in Chinese, and then I want to move on to reading some books originally written in Chinese.

也许还会看些中文电视剧。但我现在特别开心，因为学习语言时，最大的目标就是能阅读书籍——一旦能读懂并享受书籍内容，语言学习就会突飞猛进，之后一切都变得容易，也能更深入地掌握这门语言。

And maybe watch some Chinese TV shows, But I'm feeling really happy because when I'm learning a language, like, one of the biggest goals is to get to the point where I can read books because once I can read books and understand enough to actually enjoy them and generally follow them, that, like, turbocharges my language learning, like, everything gets so much easier after that, and I'm able to really get into, like, depth in the language.

我原本以为要达到这个中文水平需要花更长时间。

And I thought it was going to take me much longer to get to that level in Chinese.

但我认为正是因为持续的接触，我能够以比正常情况下更低的理解水平去学习。

But I think because of the constant exposure, I was able to go in maybe with a lower level of understanding than otherwise I would have been able to.

比如，如果我在英国时尝试这样做，我觉得自己不会有信心，但现在我完全沉浸在这个中文环境中。

Like, if I had tried doing it when I was back in The UK, I think I wouldn't have had the confidence, but now it's like I'm just immersed in that Chinese environment.

所以即使我不完全理解所有内容，也能很好地跟上节奏。

So even if I don't understand everything, I can follow along pretty well.

这样说有道理吗？

Does that make sense?

我认为语言学习很大程度上在于感觉。我刚到中国时，每次对话都让我紧张，压力很大，而现在说中文时我能感到相当放松，我认为这才是真正学习开始发生的时候。

I think a lot of language learning is like the feeling, and when I first arrived in China, every conversation made me nervous, it was stressful, and now I can feel pretty relaxed speaking Chinese, which I think is really where true learning starts to happen.

因为一旦你放松下来，就像大脑打开了闸门，所有知识都能毫无阻碍地涌入。

Because once you're relaxed, it's like your brain opens up and all of the knowledge can just pour in unfiltered.

所以也许你们知道吗？

So maybe you know what?

也许这对你们所有人都是一个建议。

Maybe that's a piece of advice for all of you.

与其关注我的水平如何、认识多少单词、能否听懂这种口音，不如关注我在说这门语言、读这门语言、听别人说话时的感受如何。

Rather than focusing on what's my level, how many words do I know, can I understand this accent, focus on how do I feel when I'm speaking the language, when I'm reading the language, when I'm listening to people talk?

我感到紧张吗？

Do I feel tense?

我感到焦虑吗？

Do I feel nervous?

还是感到放松？

Or do I feel relaxed?

显然，要改变这一点相当困难，但我认为在学习语言时，这种开放和自由的心态最终是最宝贵的品质之一。

And obviously, that's quite a hard thing to change, but I do think it is ultimately one of the most valuable things you can have when you're learning a language is that openness and freedom.

所以我想这需要我们向内探索，提出一些关于我们对这门语言真实感受的问题。

So I guess that requires turning inside and asking some questions about how we really feel about the language.

恕我直言，这需要一些真正深刻的内心修炼，或许还需要一些心理治疗。

It requires, dare I say, some real deep inner work, maybe some therapy.

因此我认为这个话题值得在未来某期节目中重新探讨。

So I think this is something I should return to in a future episode.

不过这个话题就到此为止。

But enough about that.

我今天不是来和你们讨论语言学习的。

I'm not here to talk to you about language learning.

我是来和你们聊聊美丽的杭州城——或者用非常英式的发音说'Hangzhou'。

I'm here to talk to you about the beautiful city of Hangzhou or Hangzhou, if you want to say it in a really English way.

几周前中秋假期时，我在杭州小住了几日，那真是一段美妙的经历。

I went to Hangzhou for a few days, a few weeks ago when I had my mid autumn holiday and it was a wonderful experience.

中国有句谚语叫'上有天堂，下有苏杭'，苏州和杭州这两座历史名城确实美不胜收。

In Chinese, they have a saying, which means above there is heaven and below there are Suzhou and Hangzhou, which are two absolutely gorgeous historic Chinese cities.

如果你好奇为什么我用如此夸张、抑扬顿挫的语调朗诵——这正是中国古典诗词的吟诵方式。

If you're wondering why I said that so dramatically and so sing songy, that's the way that classical Chinese poetry is performed.

这就像是一种朗诵艺术。

It's like a kind of declamation.

我想英语里是有这个词的。

I think that's a word in English.

这是一种表演形式，中文诗歌和戏剧中常用的一种说话方式。

It's a kind of performance, a way of speaking the words that's used in poetry and opera in Chinese.

所以我想尝试用第二语言表现得稍微戏剧化一些。

So I thought I would just try and be a bit dramatic and theatrical in my second language.

总之，我完全赞同这个说法。

Anyway, I completely agree with the saying.

我认为杭州是我去过的最美丽的城市之一。

I think Hangzhou is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to.

它充满活力。

It's super vibrant.

比宁波要大不少。

It's quite a bit bigger than Ningbo.

我记得宁波有900万人口，而杭州有1200万到1600万。

I think Ningbo has 9,000,000 people and Hangzhou has 12,000,000, 16,000,000.

这是个更大的城市，我刚到就明显感受到了。

It's a bigger city and I really felt it as soon as I arrived.

我从宁波坐高铁到杭州，一走出地铁站前往酒店时，就发现自己身处市中心，感受到那种能量，立刻体会到一种在宁波未曾感受过的活力与律动。

So I got the high speed train from Ningbo to Hangzhou, and as soon as I got out of the metro station to go to my hotel and I kind of was in the center of the city and felt the energy, I immediately felt, like, such a buzz, such an energy that I haven't really felt in Ningbo.

宁波是个更安静的城市。

Ningbo is a much more quiet city.

但杭州感觉非常热闹、生机勃勃，有点混乱，而且文化氛围更浓厚。

But Hangzhou felt very bustling, alive, a bit chaotic, and, like, it has a lot more culture going on.

实际上它让我更联想到日本，因为老城区有很多狭窄的街道。

It actually reminded me more of Japan in the sense that there's a lot more narrow streets in the historic part of the city.

周围一片混乱，自行车、摩托车之类的交通工具来回穿梭。

There's a lot of chaos with, like, bikes and mopeds and stuff moving around.

还有一些历史悠久的街道，人们称之为胡同。

There's also more kind of historic streets, so they call them Hutongs.

胡同在中文里类似于小巷，基本上就是两边住着人的历史小街。

Hutong in Chinese is like an alley, but basically they're these small historic streets that people live on either side.

很多老北京社区就是由胡同组成的，走在里面像迷宫一样，但充满生活气息——你能看到居民家里的洗手池，到处摆放的绿植。

So like a lot of old Beijing neighborhoods are just a collection of Hutongs and they're almost like a maze when you walk around them, but they feel so alive, like you can walk down a Hutong and see into people's houses, they have, like, sinks inside, they have plants everywhere.

感觉像是更原汁原味的传统生活方式。

It feels like a much more kind of authentic old style of living.

我在一条胡同里发现了家可爱的书店兼咖啡馆，这还只是我刚到几小时内的事。

And I found, like, a cute little bookshop slash cafe in one of the Hutongs, and this was within like a few hours of me arriving.

我立刻就感受到了那种特别喜欢的城市活力。

So I just immediately felt that kind of that buzz that I really love in a city.

我的酒店位置非常便利。

Now my hotel was very conveniently located.

酒店离西湖特别近。

My hotel was really close to West Lake.

西湖是杭州的主要景点。

West Lake is the main attraction in Hangzhou.

这个巨大的湖泊被美丽的山丘和历史遗迹环绕，但我的酒店条件不太好。

It's a massive lake surrounded by beautiful hills and many historic sites, but my hotel was not very nice.

现在我很纠结该订什么价位的酒店，因为这里的酒店普遍比英国便宜得多。

Now I'm struggling to know what's, like, the right price of hotel to get here because hotels are generally way cheaper than in The UK.

我不常去酒店，所以订了一家价格便宜但看起来还不错的，虽然不算太糟，但房间有点发霉，天花板上有一块霉斑，而且非常潮湿。有次我回来时发现衬衫被汗水浸湿了，挂起来晾着，结果第二天还是湿的。

I don't go to hotels very often, so I thought I was booking a cheap but nice hotel and it wasn't awful, but my room was kind of moldy, like it had a patch of mold on the ceiling and it was really damp, like I came back one day and my shirt was wet with sweat, so I hung it up and the next day it was still wet.

所以体验不太好。

So that wasn't great.

我觉得自己可能因为酒店房间太霉湿而有点生病了，这确实不太理想。

I think I actually got a bit sick because the hotel room was so moldy and mildewy, so that wasn't ideal.

不过这并不重要，因为我大部分时间都在探索城市和附近的一些美丽景点。

But that didn't really matter because I spent most of my time exploring the city and some of the beautiful places nearby.

尤其是在西湖边漫步，当白昼转入黄昏时分，恰逢国庆假期前夕，到处都是出游的人群，那种氛围简直无与伦比。

Walking around Westlake, especially as the day turns into the evening, especially around a time like that where it was just before the national holiday and there were loads of people traveling, it just had such an amazing atmosphere.

有老人用水写书法，他们拿着大毛笔蘸水，在地面上书写优美的诗句——因为天气炎热，所以用水写诗。

There were old men doing calligraphy with water, so they would take a big calligraphy brush, dip it in water, and then write beautiful poems, like, on the ground because it was very hot, so they could write poetry in water.

还有人即兴起舞。

There were people just dancing randomly.

我看到几个喝醉的外卖小哥在湖边公园里摇摆跳舞。

I saw some drunk delivery drivers just having a boogie in a park by the lake.

傍晚时有老夫妇跳交际舞，比如摇摆舞之类的；还有一群人穿着古装拍照；街边有小贩。

There were old couples doing, like, couples dancing, like swing dancing and stuff in the evening, there were a bunch of people dressed in historic Chinese outfits doing photoshoots, There are street vendors.

有小首饰摊。

There are little jewelry stalls.

可以买冰淇淋。

You can get ice cream.

可以买饮料。

You can get drinks.

这里的氛围简直太棒了。

There's just like such a cool atmosphere.

这就是我喜欢中国的原因之一——那种真实的夜生活气息，特别是在夏天，人们散步、聊天、欢笑、玩耍。

Like, that's one of the things I love about China is there's this real vibe of, like, just going out in the evening, especially in summer, walking, talking, laughing, playing.

这是一个真正欢乐的环境。

It's a real convivial environment.

当然，你一定要坐船环湖游览。

And, of course, you have to do a boat trip around the lake.

这通常是我会避开的那种游客项目，但价格实在太便宜了，只要50块钱（约合5英镑），而且这些船特别酷，有金色的大顶篷，内部全是传统雕花木饰和木质座椅。

That's the kind of touristy thing that I would normally avoid but it was so cheap, it was 50 kwai which is like £5 and these boats are really cool, they have these like big golden roofs and all of the inside is like traditional carved wood with traditional wood seats.

我在黄金时段登上了其中一艘船，正值日落时分，一切都美得惊人，我们环湖游览，景色实在太美了。

So I got on one of these boats around golden hour just as the sun was setting and everything looks really gorgeous, and we went all around the lake and it's so beautiful.

我会在文字稿里放些照片，Instagram上也发了一些，但我真心建议你有机会亲自去杭州看看，那里美得令人窒息。

Like, I will put some pictures on the transcripts, I've put some pictures on Instagram, but I really recommend if you can, you go to Hangzhou yourself because it's truly just gobsmackingly beautiful.

太美好了。

It's so lovely.

特别是那个时间段，我觉得自己选对了时机，光线让一切都显得格外迷人。

Especially at that time of day, I think I picked the perfect time because the light made everything just so gorgeous.

阳光在水面上波光粼粼。

It was shimmering on the water.

你可以看到远处山间那些美丽的古寺和宝塔。

You can see all these lovely, like, historic temples and pagodas, like, in the distance in the hills.

湖中央有座小岛，我没时间上去，但从船上望去就已经美不胜收。

There's an island in the middle of the lake, which I didn't have time to go to, but it looks amazing, like, just seeing it from the boats.

简直太棒了。

It was just great.

第二天，我去了灵隐寺，那是一座位于西湖附近的著名历史佛教寺庙。

The next day, I went over to Lingyin Temple, which is a big historic Buddhist temple near Westlake.

它大致位于西湖的西侧，所以我乘公交车去的。

It's kind of to the west of Westlake, so I got a bus there.

我甚至无法用语言概括这座寺庙。

And I can't even really sum up this temple.

它实在太大了，比如你会走进一个宏伟的大殿，看到巨大的佛像，然后从建筑另一侧出去时发现后面还有另一座建筑，再登上几级台阶又会出现新的殿宇。

It's just so big, like, would go in and go into this massive hall and see these massive Buddhist statues, and then you would go out the other side of the building and realize there was like another building behind it, and then you go up some steps and there's another building.

整个寺庙建筑群里，大概有8到10座宏伟的建筑，里面陈列着精美的雕塑和悠久的历史。

So altogether in this temple compound, there was about maybe eight to 10, like, massive buildings with amazing sculptures and history in them.

有个房间里供奉着500罗汉——在佛教传说中，罗汉是指已经觉悟的人。

There was this room that had, I think it was 500 Ahats, so an Ahats in Buddhist mythology, I guess, is someone who has attained enlightenment.

基本上就是500尊成排陈列的得道者雕像，每尊的表情都各不相同。

So it's basically just 500 statues all lined up of these guys who attained enlightenment, and every one of them has, like, a different facial expression.

有的看起来困惑，有的开心，有的悲伤，有的严肃，有的在笑，有的手捧动物，有的端着茶杯，有的正在施展法术召唤烟雾。

Like, some of them look confused, some of them look happy, some look sad, some look serious, some are laughing, some of them are holding animals, some of them have a cup of tea, some of them are doing magic and, like, conjuring smoke.

我绕着这座建筑边走边看每一尊罗汉像，这种体验深深震撼了我，仿佛在说：哇，原来任何一种性格都可以被接纳。

And I would just walked around this building and looked at every single r hat and it really overwhelmed me with this experience of, like, oh, wow, like, everything is okay, like, kind of personality is okay.

并不是只有特定类型的人才能觉悟。

There's not, like, one kind of person who attains enlightenment.

对吧？

Right?

形形色色的人都能通过各自的方式获得那种精神自由。

All different types of people can reach that spiritual freedom through their own ways.

这就是我从中领悟到的启示。

That was the message I took from it.

总的来说，我在这座寺庙获得的精神体验远超预期。

And generally, I had a much more spiritual experience at this temple than I expected.

我常发现亚洲的佛教寺庙往往非常商业化，但在这里我真切感受到了宁静，那种深层次的精神慰藉实在美妙绝伦。

Often, I find Buddhist temples in Asia can be, like, really, really touristy, but I was able to just connect here and I felt like a real sense of relaxation and, yeah, spiritual depth that was really, really lovely.

我还去了离灵岩寺很近的永福寺。

I also went to Yongfu Temple, which is very close to Lingyan Temple.

它规模小得多，游客稀少，坐落在更高的山间，能看到壮丽景色，那部分体验格外宁静。

It's much smaller, it's less touristy, and it's higher up in the mountains, so you get some spectacular views, and that part felt really peaceful.

在那里我吃到了人生中最美味的一碗面。

And while I was there, I had the best bowl of noodles in my life.

永福寺旁有家小餐馆，好像是家素斋馆，我点了碗铺着炸黄豆等配料的面，简直好吃到难以置信。

There was a little restaurant, I think it was Buddhist Vegetarian next to Yongfu Temple, and I got a bowl of these noodles that had, like, fried soybeans and stuff on them, and it was just it was just so good.

当时我正宿醉又饥饿，可能因此觉得格外美味。

Like, I was hungover and hungry, so that probably seasoned it.

但那确实是我吃过最美味的面条。

But, like, it was just the most delicious noodles I've ever had.

真的超级超级好吃，而且一点都不辣。

Like, it was so, so good, and it wasn't spicy.

清爽无比，营养丰富，天啊简直绝了。

It was super refreshing, super wholesome, just, oh, my god.

我真心想再去那里吃一次那些面条，因为它们实在太美味了。

I genuinely want to go back there and have those noodles again because they were just so good.

它们简直太棒了。

They were just so good.

在杭州期间，我还稍微探索了一下购物中心文化，有位朋友带我出去吃了午餐，感觉非常愉快。

While in Hangzhou, I also explored the mall culture a bit, and one of my friends took me out for lunch, which was very nice.

实际上我还深入体验了当地的夜生活，不过这里就不细说了。

And I actually took a big dip into the local nightlife scene, but I'm not going to talk about that here.

我打算把这些内容作为《轻松英语故事》付费订阅用户的特别节目。

I'm going to do that as a bonus episode for people who are subscribed to Easy Stories in English premium.

你可以在easystoriesinenglish.com/support订阅《轻松英语故事》付费版，或者在苹果播客直接通过应用订阅。

So you can subscribe to Easy Stories in English premium at easystoriesinenglish.com/support or on Apple Podcasts, you can do it directly through the app.

我目前制作的特别节目不多，但这次会聊些可能不适合主节目的劲爆话题，这么说吧。

I haven't done many bonus episodes, but I'm going to talk about some topics in this bonus episode that maybe I don't want on the main podcast because it gets a bit juicy, let's say.

所以如果你想听我在杭州夜生活的各种冒险故事，强烈推荐你订阅《轻松英语故事》付费版获取最劲爆的八卦。

So if you want to hear all about my escapades in the Hangzhou nightlife scene, then I strongly recommend you join Easy Stories and English Premium to get all the juiciest gossip.

我从杭州回到宁波时感到非常满足，也非常疲惫。

So I returned from Hangzhou to Ningbo feeling very fulfilled, feeling very tired.

说实话，那几天高强度的观光确实很累人。

To be fair, it was quite a few intense days of sightseeing.

本来计划去一个历史村落，但实在没精力了，这也没什么。

I was gonna go to this historic village, but I just didn't have the energy and that's fine.

我喜欢随性而为。

I like to be spontaneous.

我喜欢改变计划。

I like to change up my plans.

不过，我假期还剩大半个星期。

But, yeah, I still had most of the week left for my holiday.

所以回到宁波后，我重新开始骑自行车。

So one of the things I did when I was back in Ningbo was I started cycling again.

之前我已经很久没骑车了。

Now I had not cycled.

我有十八年没骑过自行车了。

I had not ridden a bike for eighteen years.

原因其实很简单。

And the reason for that is very simple.

14岁那年，我和家人在英国康沃尔郡的乡间小道上骑车。

When I was 14, I was riding a bike down a bike path in rural Cornwall in The UK with my family.

当时我们在度假，我从车上摔下来导致肩膀脱臼，花了很长时间才赶到事故急诊室，因为康沃尔乡下医院很少。

We were on holiday and I fell off my bike and dislocated my shoulder and it took us many hours to get to accident and emergency, to get to the hospital, because there aren't a lot of hospitals in rural Cornwall.

实际上整个康沃尔都没多少医院。

In fact, there just aren't a lot of hospitals in Cornwall generally.

那次经历相当痛苦。

So that was quite a traumatic experience.

之后我对骑车产生了恐惧，拖得越久就越不敢骑。

And after that, I was very nervous about riding a bike and the longer I left it, the harder I got.

虽然人们常说骑车技能不会遗忘，但我确信自己已经不会了，所以一直没再碰自行车。

Because they say you never forget how to ride a bike, but I was pretty convinced I could do it, so I didn't ride a bike.

我本来就不是个爱运动的人，所以一直拖着没去尝试。

And I generally wasn't a sporty person, so I just kept putting it off and putting it off.

但这次我想重新开始骑车，因为在这里骑车真的很方便。

But I wanted to start riding again while I was here because it's really convenient to ride a bike here.

这里有很多自行车道。

There's lots of bike paths.

骑车能让我很快到达工作地点。

It would allow me to get to work very quickly.

这样我不用坐地铁就能到市中心。

It would allow me to get into the city center without having to use the metro.

这是很好的锻炼，而且我也想试着面对自己的恐惧。

It would be good exercise, and I just wanted to try and face my fears.

你知道的，我最近有点热衷于直面恐惧，去做那些让我有点害怕的事。

As you know, I'm on a bit of a kick of facing my fears and doing the things that are a bit scary for me.

于是在那个假期周，我注册了哈啰单车的会员，这是个本地共享单车应用，这里到处都有车，非常方便。我骑上车就开始骑行。

So on that holiday week, I opened a subscription on Hello Bike, which is a local bike rental app and there are bikes everywhere here, which makes it super convenient, and I got on a bike and started riding.

刚开始的一个小时左右相当紧张。

Now, the first hour or so was quite nerve wracking.

我就在小路上来回骑行。

I would just cycle up and down the path.

我选择在国庆假期开始练习，是因为庆祝中华人民共和国成立的国庆节期间，街上几乎没人。

The reason I started doing it during that holiday was because on National Day, which is celebrating the founding of the People's Republic Of China, there was, like, nobody out.

马路上连汽车都没有。

Like, there were no cars in the street.

那天街上几乎没有人，因为大家都和家人待在家里。

There were barely any people in the street because on that day, everyone is at home with their family.

所以我觉得这是我能得到的最佳机会。

So I thought this is the best opportunity I am going to get.

这对我来说是最安全的练习骑车的时机。

This is going to be the safest time for me to practice cycling.

如果我现在骑车，就不会被车撞到。

I'm not gonna get hit by a car if I cycle now.

于是我花了大约一小时在路上来回骑行，绕着街区转圈，最终建立了信心骑得更远，剩下的就是历史了。

So I spent about an hour just cycling up and down the road, cycling around the block, and then finally, I built up my confidence and went a bit further, and the rest is history.

我爱上了骑行。

I fell in love with cycling.

那种速度感，风拂过脸庞，看着沿途的树木，有种特别的魅力。

There's something about the speed while you're feeling the wind on your face, seeing all the trees.

这种感觉简直妙不可言。

There's just something about it that's amazing.

它让我能以步行无法企及的速度在脑海中构建城市地图。

It really allowed me to get a mental map of the city in a way that walking just is too slow to do.

它给了我一种自由的感觉。

It gave me a sense of freedom.

这是一种极好的运动方式。

It was such a good form of exercise.

我骑车来到这个公园，之前在地图上看到宁波有一片横跨几条马路的绿色公园带，但没想到这是一整条生态走廊。

I cycled down to this park and I knew there was this place I'd seen on the map in Ningbo where there's like a big line of green parks kind of going across several roads, but I didn't realize that this was a whole ecological corridor.

基本上就像一条由绿色空间组成的链条，你可以连续不断地步行或骑行。

So it's basically like a big chain of green spaces that you can walk or cycle along continuously.

我在生态走廊上骑行了大约一个小时。

So I cycled down the ecological corridor for maybe an hour.

那里的骑行基础设施真的非常完善。

It had a really, really good biking infrastructure.

景色真的很美。

It's really pretty.

你会穿过许多桥洞。

You go under lots of bridges.

沿途有许多小花园之类的景观。

There's lots of little gardens and stuff like that.

那真是一段无比美妙的时光。

It was just a gorgeous, gorgeous time.

从那天起，我就迷上了骑行。

And from that day on, I've been hooked on cycling.

那一整周我骑车逛遍了城市里非常偏远的角落。

I cycled around to really distant parts of the city all that week.

我得到了充分的锻炼。

I got lots of exercise.

我出了很多汗，但玩得很开心，从那以后我就开始骑车上班，只要有可能就骑车出行。

I sweated a lot, and I've just had a good time, and since then I've been cycling to work and cycling where whenever else I can.

唯一没骑车的时候就是雨下得太大的时候。

The only time I haven't really cycled is when it's been raining too much.

前几天我被一辆轻便摩托车撞了。

Now the other day I did get hit by a moped.

那天晚上我骑车回家，有些自行车道很窄，一侧还有栏杆。对面有辆轻便摩托车开过来，车灯特别亮，我只能看见灯光看不见人。

I was cycling home at night and some of the bike paths are pretty narrow and they have like a railing on one side and someone was coming on a moped in the opposite direction and his light was on pretty bright, so I couldn't see him, I could just see the light.

我按了车铃并靠右行驶，因为这里车辆都靠右行驶，我想他应该会绕开我。

I rang my bell and I stuck to the right because I was like, people drive on the right here, so I'll stick to the right and he should go around me.

这里骑轻便摩托车的人开车技术普遍很差，他们总在最后一刻才转弯，让你觉得快要撞上了，然后还用眼神质问'你干嘛停车？'

And people on mopeds here are just generally pretty terrible at driving, they will turn at the very last minute, like, make you think you're about to crash into them and then look at you like, oh, why are you stopping your bike?

你有毛病吗？

What's your problem?

这确实有点过分。

It's it's a bit much.

但他越来越近，我以为他要转弯结果没有，然后我发现他正在看手机。

But, yeah, he was coming closer and closer and I was like, oh, he's about to turn and then he didn't, and then I saw that he was looking at his phone.

我喊了声'啊'，他才抬头然后撞上了我。

So I went, ah, and then he looked up and crashed into me.

好在我已经刹车，他速度也不快，所以完全没有伤到我。

Now I had braked, he wasn't going too fast, so it didn't hurt me at all.

他只是撞到我，然后他的摩托车倒了。

He just crashed into me and his moped fell over.

但我想不通，为什么你要在夜晚的窄巷里边骑车边看手机？

But I was like, why are you looking at your phone driving down a narrow lane at night?

你到底在干嘛？

Like, are you doing?

遗憾的是，这不是我见到的第一个这样做的人。

And unfortunately, this is not the first person I've seen doing this.

我曾看到人们骑着轻便摩托车在十字路口停下，把手机放在支架上，一边开车一边看小说或刷TikTok。

I've seen people stopping at intersections on their mopeds and they've got their phone on like a stand and they're like reading a novel or watching TikTok while driving.

这让我非常生气。

So that made me really angry.

有些人查看地图我觉得可以理解，尤其是外卖骑手，但他完全没有理由盯着手机看。

Some people are looking at maps and I think that's okay, especially if they're a delivery driver, but he had absolutely no reason to be looking at his phone.

可能他觉得夜深人静这条路没什么人，但要是他睁大眼睛竖起耳朵的话——我可是按了铃铛的。

And I think maybe he thought because it was nights and it's not a busy road that there wasn't gonna be anyone there, but maybe if he had used his eyes, and also his ears, I rang my damn bell.

这里的人似乎对自行车铃没反应，好像不明白铃铛声意味着什么。

People don't seem to react to bike bells here, like people don't seem to realize that the bike bell actually means something.

公平地说，我也从没听过其他骑车人按铃，所以这也不能全怪行人。

To be fair, I've never heard another cyclist ring that bell, so that doesn't help either.

还有很多行人直接走在自行车道上，当你按铃示意让路时，他们会用'你在干嘛'的眼神看着你。

Also, a lot of pedestrians just walk in the bike lane, and then when you're, like, ringing the bell to be, like, get out of the way, they kind of look at you like, what are you doing?

我就想说：你旁边明明有专门的人行道可以走。

And I'm like, well, you've got a bloody pavement right next to you that's designed for you to walk on.

你根本没理由走在自行车道上。

There's no reason for you to walk on the bike lane.

你为什么要走自行车道？

Why are you walking on the bike lane?

有时候他们甚至直接走在自行车道正中间。

Sometimes they'll walk, like, right in the middle of the cycle path.

真烦人。

It's annoying.

还有，那个假期我去医院做了视力检查，然后买了一副新眼镜，你看，这就是我的新眼镜。

Also, on that holiday, I went to the hospital and got an eye test, and then I went and bought a new pair of glasses, which you can see, these are my new glasses.

我觉得还不错。

I think they're alright.

在这里买的眼镜更有亚洲风格。

The glasses you get here have more of an Asian style.

虽然很微妙，但这里流行的眼镜款式确实有所不同。

It's very subtle, but there's like a difference in the styles of glasses that are popular here.

说实话这个镜框挺便宜的，因为我更喜欢的那几款并没有让我觉得特别心动，价格却贵得多，我就想何必呢？

This frame was pretty cheap, to be honest, because the frames that I liked more, I didn't like that much more and they were significantly more expensive and I was like, what's the point?

既然不是特别喜欢，干脆就买便宜的好了。

I might as well just get the cheap one if I don't love it.

我觉得还行，但确实和我在英国会选的款式不一样。

I think it's fine, but it's certainly, yeah, just different from the style I would get in The UK.

它那种方方正正的感觉有点特别。

There's something about the the kind of boxiness of it.

而且这里很多人戴这种短框眼镜，镜框非常短。

Also here, there are a lot of people who wear these kind of like short glasses, like the frames are very short.

更像是长方形而非正方形，这种款式在西方早就过时了，会被认为很书呆子气，像九十年代的风格，但在这里依然很流行，甚至有种性感教授的感觉。

It's more of like a rectangle than a square, and that style is super out of fashion in the West, like, it's seen as very nerdy and, like, very nineties, but here it's still very popular and it seems kind of like, sexy professor.

所以我也搞不懂这是什么审美。

So I don't really know what that's about.

我发现了一种新型的咖啡馆兼餐厅，叫做家庭咖啡馆，就是有人在自己家里经营的咖啡馆。

And I discovered a new kind of cafe slash restaurant, which is a house cafe, which is when someone operates a cafe out of their house.

于是我打开大众点评，就是那个找附近餐厅和景点的应用，看到一家看起来超可爱的咖啡馆，氛围特别温馨，但位置几乎找不到。

So I went on Dianping, which is this app for, like, finding restaurants and attractions around you, and I saw this really cute looking cafe that had, like, a really homely vibe, and it was almost impossible to find.

我走进标有地址的那栋楼，却看不到任何门牌号，电梯也只供住户使用。

I was going into this building where it said it was and I couldn't see any numbers and there was a lift that was for, like, residents of the building.

最后我还是乘电梯上了楼，因为有人说在21层，结果在电梯里遇到同样要去那家咖啡馆的人。

And eventually, I went up the lift because someone said it was on, like, the 21st Floor, and then I met someone in the lift who was going to the same cafe.

咖啡馆名叫2114，意思是21楼14号房间。

And the cafe was called, like, 2114, which means, like, Room 14 on Floor 21.

我们这才恍然大悟：原来是个公寓房间啊。

So eventually, we realized, like, oh, so it's an apartment room.

去之前我完全不知道，拐过公寓走廊的转角才找到咖啡馆入口。

I didn't know this before I went, and we, like, turned the corner in this corridor of, like, apartments and found the entrance to this cafe.

进去后发现真的很酷，但也特别奇怪——这明显是别人家：床铺区域被遮起来，堆着储物箱，卫生间里还有浴缸，但同时摆满了咖啡桌，厨房里三个人正在忙碌。

And we went in and it was it was really cool, but it was also very weird because it was like, yeah, someone's house where they had, like, the bed bit covered and they had some, like, storage and stuff and they had the bathroom with, like, a full bathtub, but there were also a bunch of cafe tables set up and there were, like, three people working in the kitchen.

这大概是我来中国后去过最舒适的咖啡馆了。

It was probably the most, like, comfy cafe I've been to since I've got here.

应该是第一家让我觉得'哇，这让我想起伦敦那些独立小咖啡馆'的地方。

It was, I think the first cafe I've been to, I really felt like, oh, this reminds me of, like, the kind of the comfy cafes, like, little independent cafes that I like going to in London, for example.

体验很棒，但整个过程都充满超现实感。

So that was nice, but it was just such a surreal experience.

据说家庭咖啡馆现在在中国特别流行，就是这样啦。

And apparently house cafes are very trendy right now in China, so there we go.

在英国这几乎肯定是违法的，或者我觉得人们根本不想这么做，但在这里似乎是被允许的，没错。

In The UK, it would almost certainly be illegal or I just think people wouldn't want to do it, but here it seems to be kosher, so yeah.

你们中有几个人问过我日语考试的结果，因为你们可能记得，我今年早些时候参加了日语考试，也确实拿到了成绩，只是之前忘记告诉你们了。

Several of you have asked about the results of my Japanese exam because as you may remember, I did a Japanese exam earlier this year and I did get the results, I just forgot to tell you before.

我通过了。

I passed.

哇哦。

Woo.

现在的及格线是100分。

Now the pass mark is 100.

整个考试满分180分，你需要拿到100分才能通过，考试分为三个部分，每部分60分，每个部分至少要拿到20分才算合格。

You need 100 out of a 180 in the whole test to pass, and there are three sections each worth 60 marks, and you need at least 20 in each section to pass.

我正好拿了100分总分。

I got precisely 100 overall.

我刚好踩在及格线上。

I got the exact pass mark.

一开始我有点觉得，天啊。

And at first, I felt a bit like, oh my god.

这样是不是不太好？

Is that a bad thing?

但后来我想，不对。

And then I thought, no.

这说明我的效率达到了极致。

That means I was maximally efficient.

我精确计算了需要投入的学习时间，最终刚好达到了目标，没有浪费任何不必要的精力。

I calculated the precise right amount of time to dedicate to studying, and I got exactly what I needed, and I did not invest any unnecessary effort.

说实话，考虑到我当时正在换工作、准备搬来中国，而且备考期间还频繁出差，我觉得自己表现得相当不错。

And to be honest, given that I was changing jobs and preparing to move to China and I was, like, traveling quite a bit while preparing for this exam, I think I did really well.

另外，这个考试很少有没在日本生活过的人能通过，所以我想我可能比较特别吧。

Also, this is an exam that very few people pass who have not lived in Japan, so I guess I'm just different.

不过确实很有成就感，我已经拿到证书了——准确说是我父母收到了证书。

But, yeah, it was really validating and I've got the certificates or rather my parents have got the certificates.

证书被寄到了我父母家，我收到了扫描件，明年夏天回去取原件。这真是履历上漂亮的一笔，也是我技能包里的一支利箭。

The certificate has been delivered to my parents' house and I've got a scan of it, so I will collect it next summer, but that's a really nice feather to have in my cap, a nice arrow to have in my quiver.

是啊。

Yeah.

就像简历上可以添个不错的亮点，我在考虑参加HSK考试——就是中文版的同类考试。

Just like a nice little thing to put on my CV, and I am thinking I want to do the HSK, which is the Chinese equivalent of that exam.

我想考HSK最高级，当然不是现在，等准备充分后——如果继续努力学习的话，也许明年年底就能达到HSK考试水平。

I would like to do the highest level of the HSK, obviously not now, but when I'm ready, I think maybe late next year, if I keep studying hard, I may be ready for the HSK.

这无疑是我在这里的目标之一。

But certainly, that's one of my goals while I'm here.

我甚至在想，要不要把西班牙语、法语和德语的C2级证书都考下来，集齐所有语言的高级证书。

And part of me is like, maybe I should just do the Spanish one and the French one and the German one and just have like c two level certificate in all my languages.

感觉会特别有意思。

I think that would be really fun.

嗯。

Yeah.

可能不是特别有用，但我觉得这能证明我是言出必行的人。

Probably not super useful, but I think it would show that I can put my money where my mouth is.

抱歉。

Sorry.

今天的节目里我用了很多习语，而且语速也特别快。

I'm using a lot of idioms in today's episode, and I'm talking quite fast in today's episode.

说实话，我今天早上喝了咖啡但还没吃早餐，所以可能有点亢奋。

To be honest, I had a coffee this morning and I still haven't eaten breakfast, so I'm probably a little bit manic.

而且我挺享受对着这么美的景色录音的，虽然需要改善灯光效果，但事情得一件件来。

And I think I'm also just enjoying recording in front of this gorgeous view, so I need to get better lighting, but one thing at a time.

总之，最后我想说说在中国注意到的一些奇怪小事，一些零零碎碎的东西。

Anyway, I finally just want to mention some weird small things I've noticed about China, some like little odds and ends.

一个是这里的插头情况。

So one thing is the plug situation here.

中国大概有两种插座，严格来说应该是三种。

So China has like two types of plug sockets, I think technically three.

中国的插座基本上都有两个孔。

All of the plug sockets in China more or less, have two holes.

有的是两脚插头的孔，有的是三脚插头的孔，有时候这些孔都挤在一起，看起来像是有五个孔。

They have, like, a hole for the two pronged one and a hole for the three pronged one, and sometimes they're kind of, like, all close together, so you have, like, five holes all together.

我会在文字稿里加些图片说明。

I'll add some pictures to the transcript to make this clearer.

让我惊讶的是，买电子产品时，插头是两脚还是三脚完全是五五开的概率。

What surprised me is when you buy electronic goods, it's kind of a fifty fifty toss-up, whether it'll be a three pronged plug socket or a two pronged plug socket.

似乎低电压电器使用两孔插座，而高电压电器使用三孔插座。

It seems to be that maybe lower voltage appliances use two volt plug sockets and then higher voltage ones use three pronged plug sockets.

比如我的吹风机用两孔插头，但电脑用的是三孔插头。

So for example, my hair dryer uses two prongs, but my computer uses three prongs.

这也许没那么有趣，但我觉得有点特别。

It's not that interesting, maybe, but I do find it kind of unusual.

说实话比我想象的复杂，但我挺喜欢它的外观设计。

It's honestly more complicated than I expected, but I kind of like how it looks.

英式插头非常安全，我们实际上拥有世界上最安全的插头，因为它们的插脚很大且其中一个是接地线，确保你不会触电。但英式插头又大又笨重，而中国墙上的小插座盒占用差不多的空间，却能兼容两种插头。

And British plugs are very safe, we actually have the safest kind of plugs in the world because they have very big prongs and one of them is to earth the plug, so it's to make sure that you don't get an electric shock, but British plugs are very big and chunky and Chinese plugs, the little box in the wall uses about the same amount of space, but it's able to have two types of plugs in there.

更酷的是，一个插座盒可以同时插入三孔和两孔设备。

What's also cool is in one box, can plug in, like, a three prong device and a two prong device at the same time.

另外很多房间的插座盒都有盖子，因为电线走向的设计，你可以插上设备后盖上盖子，这样看起来更美观可能也更安全些。

Also, a lot of the plug boxes in many rooms have like a cover, and because of the way the wire goes, you can, like, plug in a device and then cover it up, and that looks a bit nicer and is probably a bit safer as well.

我之前在这里提到过李施德林。

I talked about Listerine on here before.

抱歉。

Sorry.

这真的没那么有趣，但我觉得挺有意思的。

This is really not that interesting, but I find it kind of amusing.

李施德林是漱口水，我又发现了几款非传统的口味。

Listerine is mouthwash, and I discovered yet more unorthodox Listerine flavors.

所以如果你来中国，可以用柚子百香果漱口水、蜜瓜雪梨漱口水，甚至椰子青柠皮漱口水来清新口气。

So if you come to China, you can wash your mouth out with pomelo and passion fruit mouthwash, melon and pear mouthwash, or even coconut and lime zest mouthwash.

椰子和青柠皮的味道对我来说简直恶心，因为椰子的味道总会让我联想到甜点或酒精，比如马利宝这种流行的椰子味酒。

Now coconut and lime zest sounds really disgusting to me because there's something about the taste of coconut that I either associate with desserts or alcohol because I think of Malibu, which is like a popular coconut flavored alcohol.

所以想到用椰子味漱口水我就觉得反胃。

So the idea of using coconut mouthwash to me is just like disgusting.

总的来说，水果味漱口水的概念对我来说非常奇怪。

And just generally, the idea of fruity mouthwash is very strange to me.

这里还有个有趣的东西是硫磺皂。

Another thing that's a bit funny here is sulfur soap.

硫磺是一种闻起来像臭鸡蛋的元素，这里有个老牌子的肥皂含有硫磺成分，据说对痤疮和其他皮肤问题有好处。

So sulfur is this element that smells of rotten eggs, and there's this brand of soap that has sulfur in it that's quite like an old fashioned brand here, and it's supposed to be good for acne and generally kind of skin conditions.

我出于好奇买了它，但几周来我一直在想：为什么我的浴室总有异味？

And I bought it because I was curious, but then for weeks, I was like, why does my bathroom smell?

为什么我的毛巾总是臭臭的？

Why does my towel always smell?

过了很久我才恍然大悟——那显然是硫磺的味道，硫磺就是臭鸡蛋味啊。

And it took me a really long time to realize that, obviously, it was sulfur and sulfur smells of rotten eggs.