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漂在北京	Piào zài běijīng	漂  piāo: drift 北京  běijīng: Beijing	Drifting in Beijing
俗话说：人往高处走，水往低处流，八年前的夏天，年轻的谢南带着梦想离开了熟悉的城市，坐上了开往北京的火车，去寻找更好的发展机会。	súhuà shuō: Rén wǎng gāo chù zǒu, shuǐ wǎng dī chù liú, bā nián qián de xiàtiān, niánqīng de xiè nán dàizhe mèngxiǎng líkāile shúxī de chéngshì, zuò shàngle kāi wǎng běijīng de huǒchē, qù xúnzhǎo gèng hǎo de fǎ zhǎn jīhuì.	俗话  súhuà: proverb 高处  gāochù: high place 低处  dīchù: low place 夏天  xiàtiān: summer 梦想  mèngxiǎng: dream 离开  líkāi: leave 熟悉  shúxī: familiar 城市  chéngshì: city 火车  huǒchē: train 发展  fāzhǎn: development 机会  jīhuì: opportunity	As the saying goes: people go higher, water flows lower. Eight years ago in the summer, young Xie Nan left the familiar city with his dream and got on the train to Beijing to find a better opportunity for development.
刚到首都时，谢南十分兴奋，觉得离人生梦想更近了，但他很快就发现找工作并不容易。	Gāng dào shǒudū shí, xiè nán shífēn xīngfèn, juédé lí rénshēng mèngxiǎng gèng jìnle, dàn tā hěn kuài jiù fāxiàn zhǎo gōngzuò bìng bù róngyì.	刚到  gāng dào: just arrived 首都  shǒudū: capital 兴奋  xīngfèn: excited 人生  rénshēng: life 快  kuài: fast 发现  fāxiàn: find 工作  gōngzuò: work 容易: róngyì: easy	When he first arrived in the capital, Xie Nan was very excited and felt closer to his dream in life, but he soon found that it was not easy to find a job.
刚刚大学毕业的他，既没有工作经验，在北京也没有熟人，除了一堆证书，他什么都没有，甚至连一个固定的住处也没有。	Gānggāng dàxué bìyè de tā, jì méiyǒu gōngzuò jīngyàn, zài běijīng yě méiyǒu shúrén, chúle yī duī zhèngshū, tā shénme dōu méiyǒu, shènzhì lián yīgè gùdìng de zhùchù yě méiyǒu.	大学  dàxué: university 毕业  bìyè: graduation 工作经验  gōngzuò jīngyàn: work experience 熟人  shúrén: acquaintance 证书  zhèngshū: certificate 固定  gùdìng: fixed 住处  zhùchù: residence	He had just graduated from college and had no work experience, no acquaintances in Beijing, nothing but a bunch of certificates, and not even a fixed place to live.
以前总是听说“北漂”，结果没想到他自己也成了其中的一员。	Yǐqián zǒng shì tīng shuō “běi piāo”, jiéguǒ méi xiǎngdào tā zìjǐ yě chéngle qízhōng de yī yuán.	听说  tīngshuō: heard of 结果  jiéguǒ: result 成  chéng: become 一员  yī yuán: a member	He had always heard about the “Northern Drifters”, but he never thought he would become one of them.
那段时间他根本没有心思做别的事儿，成天就是到处询问工作的事，不停地投简历，然后参加面试，面试失败以后又重新开始。	Nà duàn shíjiān tā gēnběn méiyǒu xīnsī zuò bié de shì er, chéngtiān jiùshì dàochù xúnwèn gōngzuò de shì, bù tíng de tóu jiǎnlì, ránhòu cānjiā miànshì, miànshì shībài yǐhòu yòu chóngxīn kāishǐ.	时间  shíjiān: time 心思  xīnsī: mind 成天  chéngtiān: all day long 询问  xúnwèn: ask 不停  bùtíng: non-stop 简历  jiǎnlì: resume 面试  miànshì: interview 失败  shībài: failure 重新  chóngxīn: again 开始  kāishǐ: start	During that time, he didn’t have the heart to do anything else, but spent his days asking around about jobs, constantly submitting resumes, then attending interviews, and then starting all over again after the interviews failed.
这段经历，至今都令他难忘。	Zhè duàn jīnglì, zhìjīn dōu lìng tā nánwàng.	经历  jīnglì: experience 至今  zhìjīn: up to now 难忘  nánwàng: unforgettable	This experience is still unforgettable to him.
幸运的是，几个月后有一家IT公司跟他签了工作合同，这让跟他一起挤地下室的兄弟们十分羡慕，为了给他庆祝，一群年轻人喝得大醉。	Xìngyùn de shì, jǐ gè yuè hòu yǒu yījiā IT gōngsī gēn tā qiānle gōngzuò hétóng, zhè ràng gēn tā yīqǐ jǐ dìxiàshì de xiōngdìmen shífēn xiànmù, wèile gěi tā qìngzhù, yīqún niánqīng rén hē dé dà zuì.	幸运  xìngyùn: lucky 几个月  jǐ gè yuè: a few months 公司  gōngsī: company 签  qiān: sign 合同  hé tōng: contract 挤  jǐ: squeeze 地下室  dìxiàshì: basement 兄弟  xīongdì: brother 羡慕  xìanmù: envy 庆祝: qìngzhù: celebrate 喝  hē: drink 大醉  dàzuì: drunk	Fortunately, a few months later, an IT company signed a job contract with him, which made his brothers who were crammed into the basement with him very envious, and in order to celebrate him, a group of young people got very drunk.
谢南工作得非常努力，每天早出晚归。	Xiè nán gōngzuò dé fēicháng nǔlì, měitiān zǎochū wǎn guī.	努力  nǔlì: hard 早出晚归  zǎo chū wǎn guī: work from dawn to dusk	Xie Nan worked very hard, leaving early and returning late every day.
离他的办公室不远，就是这个国家最著名的两所大学：清华和北大。	Lí tā de bàngōngshì bù yuǎn, jiùshì zhège guójiā zuì zhùmíng de liǎng suǒ dàxué: Qīnghuá hé běidà.	办公室  bàngōngshì: office 著名  zhùmíng: famous 清华  Qīnghuá: Tsinghua University 北大  běidà: Peking University	Not far from his office are two of the most prestigious universities in the country: Tsinghua and Peking University.
北京有一百多所大学，大企业多得数不清。	Běijīng yǒu yībǎi duō suǒ dàxué, dà qǐyè duō dé shǔ bù qīng.	一百多所  yībǎi duō suǒ: over a hundred 大学  dàxué: universities 大企业  dà qǐyè: large enterprises 无数  wúshù: countless 原因  yuányīn: reason 优秀  yōuxiù: excellent 共同语言  gòngtóng yǔyán: common language	Beijing has more than a hundred universities and too many big companies to count.
谢南觉得，这大概是无数年轻人愿意来北京的原因之一 – 在这里工作机会多，社会资源很丰富，优秀的人多得数不清，容易找到跟自己有共同语言的人。	Xiè nán juédé, zhè dàgài shì wúshù niánqīng rén yuànyì lái běijīng de yuányīn zhī yī – zài zhèlǐ gōngzuò jīhuì duō, shèhuì zīyuán hěn fēngfù, yōuxiù de rén duō dé shǔ bù qīng, róngyì zhǎodào gēn zìjǐ yǒu gòngtóng yǔyán de rén.	月末  yuèmò: end of month 工资  gōngzī: wages 计划  jìhuà: plan 花销  huāxiāo: expenditure	Xie Nan thinks that this is probably one of the reasons why so many young people want to come to Beijing – there are so many job opportunities, so many social resources, so many good people, and so many people who speak the same language as him.
每个月末发工资以后，谢南的第一件事就是计划下个月的花销。	Měi gè yuèmò fā gōngzī yǐhòu, xiè nán de dì yī jiàn shì jiùshì jìhuà xià gè yuè de huā xiao.	手机  shǒujī: mobile phone 软件  ruǎnjiàn: software 记录  jìlù: record	The first thing Xie Nan does after he gets paid at the end of each month is to plan his spending for the next month.
他的手机上有一个软件，每天都会仔细地记录这一天花的钱。	Tā de shǒujī shàng yǒu yīgè ruǎnjiàn, měitiān dūhuì zǐxì dì jìlù zhè yītiān huā de qián.	省钱  shěng qián: save money 同事  tóngshì: colleague 租  zū: rent 房  fáng: house 逛街  guàngjiē: shopping	He has a software on his phone and carefully records the money he spends every day.
工作以后，为了省钱，谢南和几个同事一起租了一套房，他也很少逛街。	Gōngzuò yǐhòu, wèile shěng qián, xiè nán hé jǐ gè tóngshì yīqǐ zūle yī tàofáng, tā yě hěn shǎo guàngjiē.	月光族  yuèguāng zú: spendthrift (literally: moonlight group) 账单  zhàngdān: bill 速度  sùdù: speed 挣钱  zhèng qián: earn money	After work, in order to save money, Xie Nan and a few colleagues rented a suite together, and he rarely shopped.
即使这样，他每个月也存不下钱，还是“月光族”账单永远太多，花钱的速度永远比挣钱快。	Jíshǐ zhèyàng, tā měi gè yuè yě cún bùxià qián, háishì “yuèguāng zú” zhàngdān yǒngyuǎn tài duō, huā qián de sùdù yǒngyuǎn bǐ zhèng qián kuài.	房间  fángjiān: room 平方米  píngfāng mǐ: square meter 装修  zhuāngxiū: renovation	Even so, he can not save money every month, or “moonlighting” bill is always too much, the speed of spending money is always faster than earning money.
谢南租的房间不到十平方米，几乎无任何装修。	Xiè nán zū de fángjiān bù dào shí píngfāng mǐ, jīhū wú rènhé zhuāngxiū.	长期  chángqī: long term 生活  shēnghuó: life 结婚  jiéhūn: marriage 生子  shēng zǐ: have children 买  mǎi: buy	Xie Nan rented a room of less than ten square meters, almost without any decoration.
在这里暂时住一下还行，想要长期在北京生活，结婚生子，还是得买房。	Zài zhèlǐ zhànshí zhù yīxià hái xíng, xiǎng yào chángqí zài běijīng shēnghuó, jiéhūn shēngzǐ, háishì dé mǎifáng.	付  fù: pay 房租  fángzū: rent 剩余  shèngyú: remaining 工资  gōngzī: wage 应付  yīngfù: payable	It’s okay to live here temporarily, but if you want to live in Beijing for a long time, get married and have children, you still have to buy a house.
但付完房租，剩余的钱就不多了，他的工资只够应付生活。	Dàn fù wán fángzū, shèngyú de qián jiù bù duōle, tā de gōngzī zhǐ gòu yìngfù shēnghuó.	父母  fùmǔ: parents 帮  bāng: help 首付  shǒufù: down payment 贷款  dàikuǎn: loan	But after paying the rent, the remaining money is not much, his salary is only enough to cope with life.
即使父母可以帮他付首付，他也根本还不起每个月的贷款。	Jíshǐ fùmǔ kěyǐ bāng tā fù shǒufù, tā yě gēnběn huán bù qǐ měi gè yuè de dàikuǎn.	巨大  jùdà: huge 压力  yālì: pressure 阻碍  zǔ’ài: obstruct 幸福  xìngfú: happiness	Even if his parents could help him with the down payment, he would not be able to pay the monthly mortgage.
每次想到这个，他就感到有巨大的压力，觉得没房子这事儿阻碍了他过上幸福的生活。	Měi cì xiǎngdào zhège, tā jiù gǎndào yǒu jùdà de yālì, juédé méi fángzi zhè shì er zǔ’àile tāguò shàng xìngfú de shēnghuó.	属于  shǔyú: belong to 窝  wō: nest	Every time he thinks about it, he feels a huge pressure to live a happy life without a house.
什么时候才能拥有属于自己的窝呢？	Shénme shíhòu cáinéng yǒngyǒu shǔyú zìjǐ de wō ne?	再过  sàn nián: in three years 三十岁  sānshí suì: thirty years old	When will he be able to have his own nest?
今年是在北京的第八年，再过三年谢南就要三十岁了。	Jīnnián shì zài běijīng de dì bā nián, zàiguò sān nián xiè nán jiù yào sānshí suìle.	渐渐  jiànjiàn: gradually 适应  shìyìng: adapt 生活节奏  shēnghuó jiézòu: life rhythm 漂浮  piāofú: float 水面  shuǐmiàn: water surface 树叶  shùyè: leaf	This year is the eighth year in Beijing, and in three years Xie Nan will be 30 years old.
他已经渐渐适应了北京的生活节奏，但还是觉得自己像一片漂浮在水面上的树叶。	Tā yǐjīng jiànjiàn shìyìngle běijīng de shēnghuó jiézòu, dàn háishì juédé zìjǐ xiàng yīpiàn piāofú zài shuǐmiàn shàng de shùyè.	给  gěi: give 出租屋  chūzū wū: rented house 安全感  ānquángǎn: sense of security	He has gradually adapted to the pace of life in Beijing, but he still feels like a leaf floating on the surface of the water.
这座城市给了他一份工作和一间出租屋，却没有给他安全感。	Zhè zuò chéngshì gěile tā yī fèn gōngzuò hé yī jiàn chūzū wū, què méiyǒu gěi tā ānquán gǎn.	涨  zhǎng: rise 存  cún: save 寄  jì: send	The city has given him a job and a rental house, but not a sense of security.
工资涨了，现在他每个月可以存一部分，再寄一点给家里。	Gōngzī zhǎngle, xiànzài tā měi gè yuè kěyǐ cún yībùfèn, zài jì yīdiǎn gěi jiālǐ.	小车  xiǎochē: small car 实现  shíxiàn: achieve 梦想  mèngxiǎng: dream	His salary has gone up, and now he can save some of it every month and send a little to his family.
他也有了一辆小车，但仍然没有实现买房的梦想。	Tā yěyǒule yī liàng xiǎochē, dàn réngrán méiyǒu shíxiàn mǎifáng de mèngxiǎng.	房价  fángjià: house price 下降  xiàjiàng: decline 上涨  shàngzhǎng: rise	He also has a small car, but still has not realized the dream of buying a house.
这几年，房价不但没有下降，反而不断地上涨。	Zhè jǐ nián, fángjià bùdàn méiyǒu xiàjiàng, fǎn’ér bùduàn dì shàngzhǎng.	朋友  péngyǒu: friend 被迫  bèi pò: be forced 离开  líkāi: leave	In the past few years, instead of falling, housing prices have been rising.
他的不少朋友被迫离开了北京，但谢南舍不得走。	Tā de bù shǎo péngyǒu bèi pò líkāile běijīng, dàn xiè nán shěbudé zǒu.	舍不得  shěbudé: reluctant to part with 奋斗  fèndòu: struggle 充实  chōngshí: fulfilling	Many of his friends were forced to leave Beijing, but Xie Nan couldn’t leave.
这里是他奋斗了八年的地方，他觉得这种为梦想努力奋斗的感觉很充实，更重要的是，在这里他已找到了一份幸福的爱情。	Zhèlǐ shì tā fèndòule bā nián dì dìfāng, tā juédé zhè zhǒng wèi mèngxiǎng nǔlì fèndòu de gǎnjué hěn chōngshí, gèng zhòngyào de shì, zài zhèlǐ tā yǐ zhǎodàole yī fèn xìngfú de àiqíng.	奋斗  fèndòu: struggle 充实  chōngshí: fulfilled 更重要的是  gèng zhòngyào de shì: more importantly 一份  yī fèn: a 幸福的爱情  xìngfú de àiqíng: happy love.	This is the place where he has struggled for eight years, and he feels that this feeling of struggling hard for his dream is very fulfilling, and more importantly, he has found a happy love here.
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Vocabulary

漂 piāo: drift
北京 běijīng: Beijing
俗话 súhuà: proverb
高处 gāochù: high place
低处 dīchù: low place
夏天 xiàtiān: summer
梦想 mèngxiǎng: dream
离开 líkāi: leave
熟悉 shúxī: familiar
城市 chéngshì: city
火车 huǒchē: train
发展 fāzhǎn: development
机会 jīhuì: opportunity
刚到 gāng dào: just arrived
首都 shǒudū: capital
兴奋 xīngfèn: excited
人生 rénshēng: life
快 kuài: fast
发现 fāxiàn: find
工作 gōngzuò: work
容易: róngyì: easy
大学 dàxué: university
毕业 bìyè: graduation
工作经验 gōngzuò jīngyàn: work experience
熟人 shúrén: acquaintance
证书 zhèngshū: certificate
固定 gùdìng: fixed
住处 zhùchù: residence
听说 tīngshuō: heard of
结果 jiéguǒ: result
成 chéng: become
一员 yī yuán: a member
时间 shíjiān: time
心思 xīnsī: mind
成天 chéngtiān: all day long
询问 xúnwèn: ask
不停 bùtíng: non-stop
简历 jiǎnlì: resume
面试 miànshì: interview
失败 shībài: failure
重新 chóngxīn: again
开始 kāishǐ: start
经历 jīnglì: experience
至今 zhìjīn: up to now
难忘 nánwàng: unforgettable
幸运 xìngyùn: lucky
几个月 jǐ gè yuè: a few months
公司 gōngsī: company
签 qiān: sign
合同 hé tōng: contract
挤 jǐ: squeeze
地下室 dìxiàshì: basement
兄弟 xīongdì: brother
羡慕 xìanmù: envy
庆祝: qìngzhù: celebrate
喝 hē: drink
大醉 dàzuì: drunk
努力 nǔlì: hard
早出晚归 zǎo chū wǎn guī: work from dawn to dusk
办公室 bàngōngshì: office
著名 zhùmíng: famous
清华 Qīnghuá: Tsinghua University
北大 běidà: Peking University
一百多所 yībǎi duō suǒ: over a hundred
大学 dàxué: universities
大企业 dà qǐyè: large enterprises
无数 wúshù: countless
原因 yuányīn: reason
优秀 yōuxiù: excellent
共同语言 gòngtóng yǔyán: common language
月末 yuèmò: end of month
工资 gōngzī: wages
计划 jìhuà: plan
花销 huāxiāo: expenditure
手机 shǒujī: mobile phone
软件 ruǎnjiàn: software
记录 jìlù: record
省钱 shěng qián: save money
同事 tóngshì: colleague
租 zū: rent
房 fáng: house
逛街 guàngjiē: shopping
月光族 yuèguāng zú: spendthrift (literally: moonlight group)
账单 zhàngdān: bill
速度 sùdù: speed
挣钱 zhèng qián: earn money
房间 fángjiān: room
平方米 píngfāng mǐ: square meter
装修 zhuāngxiū: renovation
长期 chángqī: long term
生活 shēnghuó: life
结婚 jiéhūn: marriage
生子 shēng zǐ: have children
买 mǎi: buy
付 fù: pay
房租 fángzū: rent
剩余 shèngyú: remaining
工资 gōngzī: wage
应付 yīngfù: payable
父母 fùmǔ: parents
帮 bāng: help
首付 shǒufù: down payment
贷款 dàikuǎn: loan
巨大 jùdà: huge
压力 yālì: pressure
阻碍 zǔ’ài: obstruct
幸福 xìngfú: happiness
属于 shǔyú: belong to
窝 wō: nest
再过 sàn nián: in three years
三十岁 sānshí suì: thirty years old
渐渐 jiànjiàn: gradually
适应 shìyìng: adapt
生活节奏 shēnghuó jiézòu: life rhythm
漂浮 piāofú: float
水面 shuǐmiàn: water surface
树叶 shùyè: leaf
给 gěi: give
出租屋 chūzū wū: rented house
安全感 ānquángǎn: sense of security
涨 zhǎng: rise
存 cún: save
寄 jì: send
小车 xiǎochē: small car
实现 shíxiàn: achieve
梦想 mèngxiǎng: dream
房价 fángjià: house price
下降 xiàjiàng: decline
上涨 shàngzhǎng: rise
朋友 péngyǒu: friend
被迫 bèi pò: be forced
离开 líkāi: leave
舍不得 shěbudé: reluctant to part with
奋斗 fèndòu: struggle
充实 chōngshí: fulfilling
奋斗 fèndòu: struggle
充实 chōngshí: fulfilled
更重要的是 gèng zhòngyào de shì: more importantly
一份 yī fèn: a
幸福的爱情 xìngfú de àiqíng: happy love.

 

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