The Heavy Backpack (Part 1)

Illustration for the Chinese story “The Heavy Backpack (Part 1)”

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明天míng tiān我要wǒ yào跟gēn朋友péng you去qù山里shān lǐ玩wán,只zhǐ去qù一天yī tiān,晚上wǎn shang就jiù回来huí lai。Tomorrow I'm going to the mountains with a friend — just for the day, back by evening.

可是kě shì收拾shōu shi包bāo的de时候shí hou,我wǒ越yuè想xiǎng越yuè多duō。But while packing my bag, my mind kept coming up with more and more.

万一wàn yī突然tū rán下雨xià yǔ呢ne?带dài伞sǎn!What if it suddenly rains? Pack an umbrella!

万一wàn yī中午zhōng wǔ太阳tài yang太tài大dà呢ne?带dài帽子mào zi!What if the midday sun is too strong? Pack a hat!

万一wàn yī饿è了le怎么办zěn me bàn?带dài面包miàn bāo、水果shuǐ guǒ,还有hái yǒu三sān瓶píng水shuǐ。What if I get hungry? Pack bread, fruit, and three bottles of water.

万一wàn yī山上shān shàng很hěn冷lěng怎么办zěn me bàn?再zài带dài一件yī jiàn厚hòu衣服yī fu。What if it's cold up the mountain? Add a thick jacket.

万一wàn yī走zǒu累lèi了le,鞋xié不舒服bù shū fu呢ne?多duō带dài一双yī shuāng鞋xié!What if I get tired of walking and my shoes hurt? Pack an extra pair!

这时zhè shí朋友péng you打电话dǎ diàn huà来lái问wèn:“东西dōng xi准备好了zhǔn bèi hǎo le吗ma?”Just then my friend called to ask, "All packed?"

我wǒ说shuō:“快kuài好了hǎo le,可是kě shì我的wǒ de包bāo太tài重zhòng了le,我wǒ拿ná都dōu拿ná不bù起来qǐ lai。”I said, "Almost — but my bag is so heavy I can't even lift it."

朋友péng you笑着xiào zhe说shuō:“万一wàn yī包bāo太tài重zhòng,你nǐ走zǒu不到bù dào山上shān shàng,怎么办zěn me bàn?”My friend laughed and said, "And what if the bag is so heavy you can't make it up the mountain?"

我wǒ想xiǎng了le想xiǎng,最后zuì hòu只zhǐ留下liú xià了le水shuǐ、伞sǎn和hé一点yī diǎn吃的chī de。I thought about it and, in the end, kept only the water, the umbrella, and a little food.

世界上shì jiè shàng的de“万一wàn yī”太多tài duō了le,可是kě shì包bāo太tài重zhòng,哪里nǎ lǐ都dōu去qù不了bù liǎo。The world is full of "what ifs" — but with a bag that heavy, you can't go anywhere at all.

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