HSK 5 · Advanced stories

共享单车的城市 · Cities of Shared Bicycles

Gòngxiǎng Dānchē de Chéngshì — How bike-sharing reshaped Chinese cities, for better and for worse.

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Every word shows its pinyin above the characters. The English translation follows each line.

几年前,jǐ nián qián共享单车gòngxiǎng dānchēzài中国Zhōngguóde城市chéngshì迅速xùnsù普及。pǔjí

A few years ago, shared bicycles spread rapidly across cities in China.

只要zhǐyàoyòng手机shǒujīsǎo一下,yíxiàjiù可以kěyǐ骑车qíchē任何rènhé地方。dìfang

With just a swipe of your phone, you can ride one anywhere.

解决jiějuéle所谓suǒwèi"最后zuìhòu一公里"yì gōnglǐde出行chūxíng难题。nántí

It solved the so-called "last mile" transportation problem.

然而,rán'ér盲目mángmù扩张kuòzhāng很快hěn kuài带来dàiláile严重yánzhòngde管理guǎnlǐ问题。wèntí

But blind expansion soon brought serious management problems.

街道jiēdàoshàngde自行车zìxíngchēluàntíngluàn放,fàngdǎngzhùle行人xíngrénde路。

Bicycles were piled randomly on sidewalks, blocking pedestrians.

不少bùshǎo公司gōngsī因为yīnwèi扩张kuòzhāngtài快,kuài最后zuìhòu破产pòchǎn倒闭。dǎobì

Many companies expanded too fast and eventually went bankrupt.

如今,rújīn这个zhège行业hángyè已经yǐjīng成熟,chéngshú共享单车gòngxiǎng dānchēchéngle城市chéngshì基础jīchǔ设施shèshīde一部分。yí bùfen

Now the industry has matured, and shared bicycles have become part of urban infrastructure.

zhèshì一个yí ge非常fēicháng中国Zhōngguóshìde故事:gùshixiān爆发式bàofāshì增长,zēngzhǎngzài小心xiǎoxīn治理。zhìlǐ

It's a very Chinese story — explosive growth followed by careful regulation.

最疯狂zuì fēngkuáng的时候,de shíhouyǒu几十家jǐshí jiā公司gōngsī同时tóngshí投放tóufàng单车。dānchē

At the maddest point, dozens of companies were putting out bicycles at once.

每家měi jiādōuyòng不同bùtóngde颜色,yánsè街上jiē shàngxiàngkāile一场yì chǎng比赛。bǐsài

Each used a different color, and the streets looked like a race had opened.

黄色、huángsè橙色、chéngsè蓝色、lánsè绿色,lǜsè人们rénmenjiào它们tāmen"彩虹大战"。cǎihóng dàzhàn

Yellow, orange, blue, green — people called it the "rainbow war".

公司gōngsī为了wèileqiǎng用户,yònghù甚至shènzhì推出tuīchū一元yì yuán一个月yí ge yuède活动。huódòng

To grab users, companies even ran promotions of one yuan for a whole month.

结果是jiéguǒ shìqián烧完shāo wán了,lechēquèháiduīzài路边。lù biān

The result was that the money burned away while the bikes still piled up on the roadside.

有些yǒu xiē城市chéngshì出现chūxiànle巨大jùdàde"单车坟场"。dānchē fénchǎng

Some cities grew enormous "bicycle graveyards".

成千上万辆chéng qiān shàng wàn liàngchēxiùzài空地上,kòngdì shàngcóng高处gāochùkàn非常fēicháng震撼。zhènhàn

Tens of thousands of bikes rusted on open ground, staggering to see from above.

后来hòulái政府zhèngfǔ开始kāishǐ限制xiànzhì投放tóufàngde数量。shùliàng

Later the government began limiting how many could be put out.

要求yāoqiú企业qǐyè用户yònghùde押金yājīn存进cún jìn专门zhuānménde账户。zhànghù

It also required firms to hold user deposits in dedicated accounts.

现在xiànzài剩下shèng xiàde几家jǐ jiā公司gōngsī规模guīmóxiǎo了,lequèhuóde更稳。gèng wěn

The few firms left today are smaller in scale but live far more steadily.

Vocabulary in this story (146 words)

WordPinyinMeaning
几年前jǐ nián qiána few years ago
共享单车gòngxiǎng dānchēshared bicycles
zàiin
中国ZhōngguóChinese
de(of)
城市chéngshìcities
迅速xùnsùrapidly
普及pǔjíbecame widespread
只要zhǐyàoas long as
yònguse
手机shǒujīphone
sǎoscan
一下yíxiàonce
jiùthen
可以kěyǐcan
骑车qíchēride
to
任何rènhéany
地方dìfangplace
it
解决jiějuésolved
le(past)
所谓suǒwèiso-called
最后zuìhòulast
一公里yì gōnglǐone kilometer
出行chūxíngtransit
难题nántíproblem
然而rán'érhowever
盲目mángmùblind
扩张kuòzhāngexpansion
很快hěn kuàiquickly
带来dàiláibrought
严重yánzhòngserious
管理guǎnlǐmanagement
问题wèntíproblems
街道jiēdàostreets
shàngon
自行车zìxíngchēbicycles
luànchaotically
tíngparked
fàngplaced
dǎngblocking
zhù(holding)
行人xíngrénpedestrians
path
不少bùshǎomany
公司gōngsīcompanies
因为yīnwèibecause
tàitoo
kuàifast
破产pòchǎnwent bankrupt
倒闭dǎobìclosed down
如今rújīnnow
这个zhègethis
行业hángyèindustry
已经yǐjīnghas already
成熟chéngshúmatured
chéngbecame
基础jīchǔbasic
设施shèshīfacilities
一部分yí bùfena part
zhèthis
shìis
一个yí gea
非常fēichángvery
shì-style
故事gùshistory
xiānfirst
爆发式bàofāshìexplosively
增长zēngzhǎnggrow
zàithen
小心xiǎoxīncarefully
治理zhìlǐregulate
最疯狂zuì fēngkuángthe maddest
的时候de shíhouat the point
yǒuthere were
几十家jǐshí jiādozens of
同时tóngshíat once
投放tóufàngputting out
单车dānchēbicycles
每家měi jiāeach one
dōuall
不同bùtóngdifferent
颜色yánsècolors
街上jiē shàngthe streets
xiànglooked as if
kāihad opened
一场yì chǎnga
比赛bǐsàirace
黄色huángsèyellow
橙色chéngsèorange
蓝色lánsèblue
绿色lǜsègreen
人们rénmenpeople
jiàocalled
它们tāmenthem
彩虹大战cǎihóng dàzhànthe rainbow war
为了wèilein order to
qiǎnggrab
用户yònghùusers
甚至shènzhìeven
推出tuīchūran
一元yì yuánone yuan
riding
一个月yí ge yuèa whole month
活动huódòngpromotions
结果是jiéguǒ shìthe result was
qiánthe money
烧完shāo wánburned away
chēthe bikes
quèyet
háistill
duīpiled
路边lù biānthe roadside
有些yǒu xiēsome
出现chūxiàngrew
巨大jùdàenormous
单车坟场dānchē fénchǎngbicycle graveyards
成千上万辆chéng qiān shàng wàn liàngtens of thousands of
xiùrusted
空地上kòngdì shàngopen ground
cóngfrom
高处gāochùabove
kànseen
震撼zhènhànstaggering
后来hòuláilater
政府zhèngfǔthe government
开始kāishǐbegan
限制xiànzhìlimiting
数量shùliàngthe quantity
also
要求yāoqiúrequired
企业qǐyèfirms
(object marker)
押金yājīndeposits
存进cún jìndeposit into
专门zhuānméndedicated
账户zhànghùaccounts
现在xiànzàitoday
剩下shèng xiàremaining
几家jǐ jiāthe few
规模guīmóin scale
xiǎoare smaller
huólive
de(manner)
更稳gèng wěnfar more steadily

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