留串钥匙给父母
Leaving a Bunch of Keys to Our Parents
StartReading
A son reflects on family love and keys.
39 new words
串chuànm. bunch; string
这间屋子以前断过两次水，墙角也有灰尘；父亲拿来一套工具，母亲从袋子里拿出钥匙，钥匙上还系着一串彩色绳结；她先试柜门，再试阳台门。
一辈子yíbèiziall one's life
我在农村的县城长大，父亲和母亲靠打工生活，已经忙碌了一辈子。
I grew up in a county town in the countryside.
农村nóngcūncountryside
我在农村的县城长大，父亲和母亲靠打工生活，已经忙碌了一辈子。
I grew up in a county town in the countryside.
屋（子）wū (zi)house
断duànto cut off; to stop
这间屋子以前断过两次水，墙角也有灰尘；父亲拿来一套工具，母亲从袋子里拿出钥匙，钥匙上还系着一串彩色绳结；她先试柜门，再试阳台门。
以来yǐláisince
大学毕业以来，我在外地租过好几间屋子，却从没真正把哪一间当成家。
Since graduating from university, I had rented several places away from home but had never truly called one a home.
姥姥lǎolaomaternal grandma
夜里，来做客的是姑姑，舅舅跟着姥姥，三人带来一阵笑声。
At night, my aunt came as a guest, with my uncle following my maternal grandmother; the three brought a burst of laughter.
舅舅jiùjiuuncle; mother's brother
夜里，来做客的是姑姑，舅舅跟着姥姥，三人带来一阵笑声。
At night, my aunt came as a guest, with my uncle following my maternal grandmother; the three brought a burst of laughter.
姑姑gūguaunt; father's sister
夜里，来做客的是姑姑，舅舅跟着姥姥，三人带来一阵笑声。
At night, my aunt came as a guest, with my uncle following my maternal grandmother; the three brought a burst of laughter.
坚决jiānjuéresolute; determined
搬家的日子，父亲先锁好旧家的门，又陪我坐长途汽车来到新房；一进门，他就坚决不让我动手。
打工dǎ gōngto work for others; to do a temporary job
我在农村的县城长大，父亲和母亲靠打工生活，已经忙碌了一辈子。
I grew up in a county town in the countryside.
挣zhèngto earn
他们常说，钱要慢慢挣，日子才踏实。
My father and mother made their living doing wage work and had been busy for a lifetime; they often said money should be earned slowly, so that life could be steady.
县xiàncounty
我在农村的县城长大，父亲和母亲靠打工生活，已经忙碌了一辈子。
I grew up in a county town in the countryside.
套tàom. set; suite
去年我终于在城边买下一套小房子，准备简单装修。
Last year I finally bought a small flat on the edge of the city and planned a simple renovation.
装修zhuāngxiūto decorate (a house, room, etc.)
去年我终于在城边买下一套小房子，准备简单装修。
Last year I finally bought a small flat on the edge of the city and planned a simple renovation.
不得了bùdéliǎoextremely; exceedingly
太贵的话，花费就不得了；住得干净、冬天不冷、水管也不会冻住、夏天有风吹进来就好。
醉zuìto be drunk
舅舅喝了两杯，有些醉，却仍夸父母手脚快；姑姑则想象我以后怎样做饭、读书。
My uncle had a couple of drinks and was slightly drunk, yet still praised my parents for working quickly; my aunt imagined how I would cook and read there.
强烈qiánglièstrong and vehement
父亲微笑着听，却强烈地感受到孩子已经长大：有了自己的门锁，他也该学会退一步。
My father listened with a smile, but felt acutely that his child had grown up: she had a key to a home of her own, and he had to learn to step back.
夜yènight
夜里，来做客的是姑姑，舅舅跟着姥姥，三人带来一阵笑声。
At night, my aunt came as a guest, with my uncle following my maternal grandmother; the three brought a burst of laughter.
锁suǒn./v. lock; to lock up
搬家的日子，父亲先锁好旧家的门，又陪我坐长途汽车来到新房；一进门，他就坚决不让我动手。
临línprep. about to; just before
临睡前，他悄悄把被子晒过，又铺好床；母亲推开窗，一股灰尘迎面扑来，她笑着擦起来，又开灯看看哪里还不够亮。
悄悄qiāoqiāoquietly; secretly
临睡前，他悄悄把被子晒过，又铺好床；母亲推开窗，一股灰尘迎面扑来，她笑着擦起来，又开灯看看哪里还不够亮。
晒shàito dry in the sun
临睡前，他悄悄把被子晒过，又铺好床；母亲推开窗，一股灰尘迎面扑来，她笑着擦起来，又开灯看看哪里还不够亮。
被子bèiziquilt
临睡前，他悄悄把被子晒过，又铺好床；母亲推开窗，一股灰尘迎面扑来，她笑着擦起来，又开灯看看哪里还不够亮。
长途chángtúlong-distance
搬家的日子，父亲先锁好旧家的门，又陪我坐长途汽车来到新房；一进门，他就坚决不让我动手。
冻dòngto freeze; to feel very cold
太贵的话，花费就不得了；住得干净、冬天不冷、水管也不会冻住、夏天有风吹进来就好。
想象xiǎngxiàngto imagine
舅舅喝了两杯，有些醉，却仍夸父母手脚快；姑姑则想象我以后怎样做饭、读书。
My uncle had a couple of drinks and was slightly drunk, yet still praised my parents for working quickly; my aunt imagined how I would cook and read there.
灰尘huīchéndust; dirt
临睡前，他悄悄把被子晒过，又铺好床；母亲推开窗，一股灰尘迎面扑来，她笑着擦起来，又开灯看看哪里还不够亮。
亮liàngadj./v. bright; to shine
临睡前，他悄悄把被子晒过，又铺好床；母亲推开窗，一股灰尘迎面扑来，她笑着擦起来，又开灯看看哪里还不够亮。
微笑wēixiàov./n. to smile; smile
父亲微笑着听，却强烈地感受到孩子已经长大：有了自己的门锁，他也该学会退一步。
My father listened with a smile, but felt acutely that his child had grown up: she had a key to a home of her own, and he had to learn to step back.
温暖wēnnuǎnadj./v. warm; to make sb./sth. warm
母亲说她只想让我回家时立刻觉得温暖；父亲却背过身去流泪。
立刻lìkèat once; immediately
母亲说她只想让我回家时立刻觉得温暖；父亲却背过身去流泪。
扑pūto pounce on; to dash at
临睡前，他悄悄把被子晒过，又铺好床；母亲推开窗，一股灰尘迎面扑来，她笑着擦起来，又开灯看看哪里还不够亮。
卧室wòshìbedroom
他说我一路累了，先去卧室休息。
铺pūto spread; to unfold
临睡前，他悄悄把被子晒过，又铺好床；母亲推开窗，一股灰尘迎面扑来，她笑着擦起来，又开灯看看哪里还不够亮。
飘piāoto float (in the air); to waft
第二天清晨，我看见窗帘轻轻飘，厨房里暖暖的。
阵zhènm. used for a short period or spell of an occurrence or action
夜里，来做客的是姑姑，舅舅跟着姥姥，三人带来一阵笑声。
At night, my aunt came as a guest, with my uncle following my maternal grandmother; the three brought a burst of laughter.
感受gǎnshòuv./n. to feel; feeling
父亲微笑着听，却强烈地感受到孩子已经长大：有了自己的门锁，他也该学会退一步。
My father listened with a smile, but felt acutely that his child had grown up: she had a key to a home of her own, and he had to learn to step back.
流泪liú lèito shed tears
母亲说她只想让我回家时立刻觉得温暖；父亲却背过身去流泪。
Listen to the text
我在农村的县城长大，父亲和母亲靠打工生活，已经忙碌了一辈子。他们常说，钱要慢慢挣，日子才踏实。大学毕业以来，我在外地租过好几间屋子，却从没真正把哪一间当成家。去年我终于在城边买下一套小房子，准备简单装修。
wǒ zài nóngcūn de xiàn chéng zhǎng dà， fù qīn hé mǔ qīn kào dǎ gōng shēng huó， yǐ jīng máng lù le yíbèizi。 tā men cháng shuō， qián yào màn màn zhèng， rì zi cái tà shí。 dà xué bì yè yǐlái， wǒ zài wài dì zū guò hǎo jǐ jiān wū zi， què cóng méi zhēn zhèng bǎ nǎ yī jiān dāng chéng jiā。 qù nián wǒ zhōng yú zài chéng biān mǎi xià yī tào xiǎo fáng zi， zhǔn bèi jiǎn dān zhuāngxiū。
I grew up in a county town in the countryside. My father and mother made their living doing wage work and had been busy for a lifetime; they often said money should be earned slowly, so that life could be steady. Since graduating from university, I had rented several places away from home but had never truly called one a home. Last year I finally bought a small flat on the edge of the city and planned a simple renovation.
搬家的日子，父亲先锁好旧家的门，又陪我坐长途汽车来到新房；一进门，他就坚决不让我动手。他说我一路累了，先去卧室休息。临睡前，他悄悄把被子晒过，又铺好床；母亲推开窗，一股灰尘迎面扑来，她笑着擦起来，又开灯看看哪里还不够亮。
bān jiā de rì zi， fù qīn xiān suǒ hǎo jiù jiā de mén， yòu péi wǒ zuò chángtú qì chē lái dào xīn fáng； yī jìn mén， tā jiù jiānjué bù ràng wǒ dòng shǒu。 tā shuō wǒ yī lù lèi le， xiān qù wòshì xiū xī。 lín shuì qián， tā qiāoqiāo bǎ bèizi shài guò， yòu pū hǎo chuáng； mǔ qīn tuī kāi chuāng， yī gǔ huīchén yíng miàn pū lái， tā xiào zhe cā qǐ lái， yòu kāi dēng kàn kàn nǎ lǐ hái bù gòu liàng。
On the day we moved, my father first locked the door of the old home and then accompanied me by long-distance bus to the new flat. As soon as we entered, he firmly refused to let me lift anything. He told me that I was tired from the journey and should rest in the bedroom. Before bed, he quietly aired the quilt and made the bed. My mother pushed the window open and a cloud of dust rushed towards her; she laughed and began wiping, then turned on the lights to see what was not bright enough.
这间屋子以前断过两次水，墙角也有灰尘；父亲拿来一套工具，母亲从袋子里拿出钥匙，钥匙上还系着一串彩色绳结；她先试柜门，再试阳台门。她说装修要简单，价钱适中才好。太贵的话，花费就不得了；住得干净、冬天不冷、水管也不会冻住、夏天有风吹进来就好。
zhè jiān wū zi yǐ qián duàn guò liǎng cì shuǐ， qiáng jiǎo yě yǒu huīchén； fù qīn ná lái yī tào gōng jù， mǔ qīn cóng dài zi lǐ ná chū yào shi， yào shi shàng hái xì zhe yī chuàn cǎi sè shéng jié； tā xiān shì guì mén， zài shì yáng tái mén。 tā shuō zhuāngxiū yào jiǎn dān， jià qián shì zhōng cái hǎo。 tài guì de huà， huā fèi jiù bùdéliǎo； zhù dé gàn jìng、 dōng tiān bù lěng、 shuǐ guǎn yě bù huì dòng zhù、 xià tiān yǒu fēng chuī jìn lái jiù hǎo。
This room had lost its water supply twice before, and dust still lay in the corners. My father brought a set of tools, while my mother took keys from her bag, with a string of colourful knots tied to them; she tried the cupboard door and then the balcony door. She said the renovation should be simple and reasonably priced; if it became too expensive, the cost would be enormous. It only had to be clean, warm enough in winter, with pipes that would not freeze, and able to let a summer breeze blow in.
夜里，来做客的是姑姑，舅舅跟着姥姥，三人带来一阵笑声。舅舅喝了两杯，有些醉，却仍夸父母手脚快；姑姑则想象我以后怎样做饭、读书。父亲微笑着听，却强烈地感受到孩子已经长大：有了自己的门锁，他也该学会退一步。
yè lǐ， lái zuò kè de shì gūgu， jiùjiu gēn zhe lǎolao， sān rén dài lái yī zhèn xiào shēng。 jiùjiu hē le liǎng bēi， yǒu xiē zuì， què réng kuā fù mǔ shǒu jiǎo kuài； gūgu zé xiǎngxiàng wǒ yǐ hòu zěn yàng zuò fàn、 dú shū。 fù qīn wēixiào zhe tīng， què qiángliè dì gǎnshòu dào hái zi yǐ jīng zhǎng dà： yǒu le zì jǐ de mén suǒ， tā yě gāi xué huì tuì yī bù。
At night, my aunt came as a guest, with my uncle following my maternal grandmother; the three brought a burst of laughter. My uncle had a couple of drinks and was slightly drunk, yet still praised my parents for working quickly; my aunt imagined how I would cook and read there. My father listened with a smile, but felt acutely that his child had grown up: she had a key to a home of her own, and he had to learn to step back.
第二天清晨，我看见窗帘轻轻飘，厨房里暖暖的。母亲说她只想让我回家时立刻觉得温暖；父亲却背过身去流泪。那一刻我才明白，父母不必住进我的屋子，也能把爱铺在每一个角落；他们替我留下一盏不必解释的灯，让我在夜里知道家在哪里，也让远道而来的朋友愿意坐下来喝一杯热茶。
dì èr tiān qīng chén， wǒ kàn jiàn chuāng lián qīng qīng piāo， chú fáng lǐ nuǎn nuǎn de。 mǔ qīn shuō tā zhǐ xiǎng ràng wǒ huí jiā shí lìkè jué dé wēnnuǎn； fù qīn què bèi guò shēn qù liú lèi。 nà yī kè wǒ cái míng bái， fù mǔ bù bì zhù jìn wǒ de wū zi， yě néng bǎ ài pū zài měi yī gè jiǎo luò； tā men tì wǒ liú xià yī zhǎn bù bì jiě shì de dēng， ràng wǒ zài yè lǐ zhī dào jiā zài nǎ lǐ， yě ràng yuǎn dào ér lái de péng yǒu yuàn yì zuò xià lái hē yī bēi rè chá。
The next morning I saw the curtains drifting gently and the kitchen glowing warmly. My mother said she only wanted me to feel warm the moment I came home; my father turned away and cried. Only then did I understand that parents do not have to live in their child's home to spread their love through every corner. They had left me a lamp that needed no explanation, so I would know where home was at night and visiting friends from afar would feel welcome to sit down for hot tea.
Tap a marked word for its meaning. Tap a line to see the English.
Grammar
大学毕业以来，我在外地租过好几间屋子，却从没真正把哪一间当成家。Since graduating from university, I had rented several places away from home but had never truly called one a home.
Time Word +以来
以来. "以来" is a noun phrase meaning 'since' a point in time until now. It's used after a time word to indicate a period from then to the present.
改革开放以来，中国发生了巨大的变化。
Gǎigé kāifàng yǐlái, Zhōngguó fāshēngle jùdà de biànhuà.
Since the reform and opening up, China has undergone tremendous changes.
临睡前，他悄悄把被子晒过，又铺好床；母亲推开窗，一股灰尘迎面扑来，她笑着擦起来，又开灯看看哪里还不够亮。
临+ Verb +(的时候)
临. "临" is a preposition meaning 'about to' or 'just before'. It indicates the moment right before an action or event occurs. It can also be used as a verb meaning 'to face' or 'to be close to'.
我想买一套不临街的房子，这样不会太吵。
Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yī tào bú lín jiē de fángzi, zhèyàng bú huì tài chǎo.
I want to buy an apartment that doesn't face the street, so it won't be too noisy.
母亲说她只想让我回家时立刻觉得温暖；父亲却背过身去流泪。
Subject +立刻+ Verb
立刻. "立刻" is an adverb meaning 'immediately' or 'at once'. It emphasizes that one action happens right after another without delay.
上了楼，开门的竟是微笑着的父母，温暖的气息立刻扑面而来。
Shàngle lóu, kāimén de jìng shì wēixiàozhe de fùmǔ, wēnnuǎn de qìxī lìkè pūmiàn ér lái.
Going upstairs, the ones who opened the door were our smiling parents. The warm atmosphere immediately hit us.
Which word means “to pounce on”?
Culture
父母对子女的爱 - Parents' Love for Children
In Chinese families, parents often see caring for their children as a long term responsibility. After children grow up, parents may not ask for repayment, yet they still care about their home, food, and health. Modern families place greater value on independence, but this does not lessen family affection. Many people express their concern through home cooked food, a phone call, or a lamp.
Write the new characters
0 of 30 written
串 chuàn · m. bunch; string
Trace the strokes in order
Practice
8 questions · about 4 minutes
Pick the meaningListenFill the gapMatchWord order
Finish
Finish the practice to complete this lesson.