Hard to Stop (Part 1)

Illustration for the Chinese story “Hard to Stop (Part 1)”

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我wǒ发现fā xiàn自己zì jǐ有yǒu一个yī ge问题wèn tí:很多hěn duō事情shì qing一旦yī dàn开始kāi shǐ,就jiù很难hěn nán停下来tíng xià lái。I've noticed a problem with myself: with a lot of things, once they start, they're very hard to stop.

比如bǐ rú吃chī东西dōng xi:一旦yī dàn打开dǎ kāi一yī盒hé饼干bǐng gān,我wǒ就jiù会huì把bǎ它tā吃完chī wán。Take snacks: once I open a box of cookies, I'll finish the whole thing.

看书kàn shū也yě一样yī yàng:一旦yī dàn拿起ná qǐ一本yī běn有意思yǒu yì si的de书shū,我wǒ就jiù会huì看到kàn dào半夜bàn yè。Books are the same: once I pick up an interesting book, I'll read until midnight.

妹妹mèi mei笑xiào我wǒ,可是kě shì她tā自己zì jǐ也yě一样yī yàng。My little sister laughs at me, but she's just the same.

她tā一旦yī dàn开始kāi shǐ买东西mǎi dōng xi,就jiù停tíng不bù下来xià lai,上个星期shàng gè xīng qī买mǎi了le三sān双shuāng一样yī yàng的de鞋xié。Once she starts shopping she can't stop — last week she bought three identical pairs of shoes.

爸爸bà ba更gèng厉害lì hai:他tā一旦yī dàn坐zuò到dào沙发shā fā上shàng,就jiù不想bù xiǎng再zài站起来zhàn qǐ lai了le。Dad is even worse: once he sits down on the sofa, he doesn't want to get up again.

妈妈mā ma说shuō:“一旦yī dàn坏huài习惯xí guàn养成yǎng chéng了le,就jiù很hěn难改nán gǎi,我们wǒ men应该yīng gāi多duō运动yùn dòng。”Mom said, "Once a bad habit takes hold, it's hard to change — we should exercise more."

所以suǒ yǐ我们wǒ men决定jué dìng每天měi tiān晚饭wǎn fàn后hòu一起yī qǐ出去chū qù走zǒu半个bàn ge小时xiǎo shí。So we decided to go out for a half-hour walk together after dinner every day.

没想到méi xiǎng dào走路zǒu lù也yě一样yī yàng:一旦yī dàn开始kāi shǐ,我们wǒ men就jiù越yuè走zǒu越yuè远yuǎn。Who knew walking was the same: once we started, we walked farther and farther.

昨天zuó tiān我们wǒ men走zǒu到了dào liǎo很远hěn yuǎn的de地方dì fāng,回到huí dào家jiā已经yǐ jīng十shí点diǎn了le。Yesterday we walked somewhere really far, and it was already ten o'clock when we got home.

看来kàn lai好事hǎo shì也yě一样yī yàng,一旦yī dàn开始kāi shǐ,就jiù停tíng不bù下来xià lai。It seems good things work the same way — once they start, there's no stopping them.

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