The One-Minute Decision (Part 1)

Illustration for the Chinese story “The One-Minute Decision (Part 1)”

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我的wǒ de朋友péng you最近zuì jìn想xiǎng养yǎng一只yī zhī猫māo,可是kě shì她tā一直yī zhí下xià不了bù liǎo决心jué xīn。My friend has been wanting to get a cat lately, but she just can't make up her mind.

她tā说shuō,一方面yī fāng miàn她tā特别tè bié喜欢xǐ huan小xiǎo动物dòng wù,另一方面lìng yī fāng miàn她tā又yòu担心dān xīn自己zì jǐ太tài忙máng,没有méi yǒu时间shí jiān照顾zhào gu猫māo。She says that on one hand she really loves animals, but on the other hand she worries she's too busy to take care of a cat.

她tā算了suàn le算suàn:养yǎng猫māo一方面yī fāng miàn要yào花huā不少bù shǎo钱qián,另一方面lìng yī fāng miàn还要hái yào每天měi tiān打扫dǎ sǎo房间fáng jiān。She did the math: on one hand a cat costs quite a bit of money, and on the other hand you have to clean the house every day.

我wǒ告诉gào sù她tā,养yǎng猫māo一方面yī fāng miàn能néng让ràng人rén放松fàng sōng,另一方面lìng yī fāng miàn也yě能néng让ràng家里jiā lǐ更gèng热闹rè nao。I told her that on one hand a cat helps you relax, and on the other hand it makes the home livelier too.

她tā还是hái shi很hěn担心dān xīn:一方面yī fāng miàn她tā常常cháng cháng出差chū chāi,另一方面lìng yī fāng miàn她tā住zhù的de房子fáng zi也yě很hěn小xiǎo。She was still worried: on one hand she often travels for work, and on the other hand her apartment is quite small.

上个星期shàng gè xīng qī,她tā在zài朋友péng you家jiā看到kàn dào了le一只yī zhī刚gāng出生chū shēng不久bù jiǔ的de小猫xiǎo māo。Last week, at a friend's house, she saw a kitten that had just been born not long ago.

那nà只zhī小猫xiǎo māo一直yī zhí跟着gēn zhe她tā,最后zuì hòu在zài她的tā de腿tuǐ上shàng睡着了shuì zháo le。The kitten followed her around the whole time and finally fell asleep on her lap.

她tā马上mǎ shàng就jiù决定jué dìng了le:就是jiù shì这zhè一只yī zhī!She decided on the spot: this is the one!

现在xiàn zài她tā每天měi tiān都dōu给gěi我wǒ发fā小猫xiǎo māo的de照片zhào piàn。Now she sends me photos of the kitten every day.

她tā笑着xiào zhe说shuō:“我wǒ想xiǎng了le那么nà me多方面duō fāng miàn,最后zuì hòu做zuò决定jué dìng只zhǐ用了yòng le一yī分钟fēn zhōng。”She laughed and said, "I weighed so many sides, and in the end the decision took one minute."

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