Chinese online short story 罪恶有痕 Traces of Sin 27 (Intermediate to Advanced)

Zhuang’s friend told him that he could become one of those rich people if he got on the right road.

[simplified Chinese]
罪恶有痕 27

 

 

庄立群羡慕他们。 他希望有一天他能成为他们中的一员。

他只是一个贫穷的修车工。为了自己的爱好，他需要省吃俭用才能交得起会费。他在他们中间感到自卑。他多么期待, 他平凡得不能再平凡的生命, 能在某一天突现转机。

“你有一天也能象他们那样。。。” 他的朋友不动声色地说。

“我?!你开玩笑吧，我这样既没学历，又没背景的，光靠自己这双手，就是干到一白岁也挣不来他们那么多钱。”他自嘲地摇摇头。

“你说的是事实，光靠你这双手傻干当然没戏。所以你得重新计划你的人生。你还年轻，只要路走对了，用不了几年，你就能跟他们一样，甚至更好。”

他朋友的话，一针见血，说到了他的心里。可是，什么样的路才是对的呢?他期待地看着他的朋友。他的朋友没有正面回答，反而问他，”如果这些有钱人让你帮个忙，你愿意吗?”

 

[vocab table]
Simplified Chinese     Traditional Chinese     Mandarin Pinyin     English Definition

羡慕
   

羨慕
    xian4 mu4     to envy; to admire

省吃俭用
   

省吃儉用
    sheng3 chi1 jian3 yong4     to live frugally

自卑
        zi4 bei1     feeling inferior

转机
   

轉機
    zhuan3 ji1     (to take) a turn for the better

一针见血
   

一針見血
    yi1 zhen1 jian4 xie3     lit. to draw blood on the first prick (idiom); fig. to hit the nail on the head

 

[pinyin]
 zuì’è yǒu hén 27

 

zhuāng lì qún xiànmù tāmen。 tā xīwàng yǒu yī tiān tā néng chéngwéi tāmen zhòngdì yī yuán。

tā zhǐshì yī gè pínqióng de xiūchē gōng。 wèile zìjǐ de àihào， tā xūyào shěngchījiǎnyòng cáinéng jiāo dé qǐ huìfèi。 tā zài tāmen zhōngjiān gǎndào zìbēi。 tā duōme qīdài, tā píngfán dé bùnéng zài píngfán de shēngmìng, néng zài mǒu yī tiān tū xiàn zhuǎnjī。

” nǐ yǒu yī tiān yě néng xiàng tāmen nàyàng。。。” tā de péngyou bùdòngshēngsè dì shuō。

” wǒ?! nǐ kāiwánxiào ba， wǒ zhèyàng jì méi xuélì， yòu méi bèijǐng de， guāng kào zìjǐ zhè shuāngshǒu， jiùshì gàn dào yī bái suì yě zhèng bù lái tāmen nàme duō qián。” tā zìcháo dì yáo yáotóu。

” nǐ shuō de shì shìshí， guāng kào nǐ zhè shuāngshǒu shǎ gàn dāngrán méixì。 suǒyǐ nǐ dé chóngxīn jìhuà nǐ de rénshēng。 nǐ hái niánqīng， zhǐyào lù zǒu duìle， yòngbuliǎo jǐnián， nǐ jiù néng gēn tāmen yīyàng， shènzhì gèng hǎo。”

tā péngyou dehuà， yīzhēnjiànxiě， shuō dàoliǎo tā de xīnli。 kěshì， shénmeyàng de lù cái shì duì de ne? tā qīdài dì kàn zhe tā de péngyou。 tā de péngyou méiyǒu zhèngmiàn huídá， fǎn’ér wèn tā，” rúguǒ zhèxiē yǒuqiánrén ràng nǐ bāng gè máng， nǐ yuànyì ma?”

 

 

[traditional Chinese]
罪惡有痕 27

 

莊立群羨慕他們。 他希望有一天他能成為他們中的一員。

他只是一個貧窮的修車工。為了自己的愛好，他需要省吃儉用才能交得起會費。他在他們中間感到自卑。他多麼期待, 他平凡得不能再平凡的生命, 能在某一天突現轉機。

“你有一天也能象他們那樣。。。” 他的朋友不動聲色地說。

“我?!你開玩笑吧，我這樣既沒學曆，又沒背景的，光靠自己這雙手，就是幹到一白歲也掙不來他們那麼多錢。”他自嘲地搖搖頭。

“你說的是事實，光靠你這雙手傻幹當然沒戲。所以你得重新計劃你的人生。你還年輕，只要路走對了，用不了幾年，你就能跟他們一樣，甚至更好。”

他朋友的話，一針見血，說到了他的心裏。可是，什麼樣的路才是對的呢?他期待地看著他的朋友。他的朋友沒有正面回答，反而問他，”如果這些有錢人讓你幫個忙，你願意嗎?”

 

[English translation]
Traces of Sin  27

Zhuang Liqun envied them. He wished that he could become one of them someday. A poor auto mechanic as he was, he had to save hard to afford the expensive club fee. He felt inferior to them. How much he wished that his fate of being a mediocre man could suddenly steer toward another direction.

“One day you’ll become one of them …” His friend said calmly.

“Me?! You’re kidding. No education, no background, with a pair of bare hands, it’s not even possible to earn that much money if I keep working till one hundred years old.” He shook his head and laughed.

“You’re right, it’s not possible at all with your bare hands and frame of mind. Therefore you need to re-think about your life. You’re still young, as long as you’re on the right track, you can become one of them in a few years, even better.”

His friend’s words, he must admit, did hit the nail on the head. However, wher was the right track then? He cast a glance of hope to his friend. His friend didn’t response right away. Instead, he asked, “If those rich people need your help, will you help them?”