网络时代的友情 · Friendship in the Internet Age

在zài社交shèjiāo媒体méitǐ上,shàng我wǒ有yǒu几百jǐ bǎi个ge"朋友"。péngyou

On social media, I have hundreds of "friends".

但dàn真正zhēnzhèng能néng在zài半夜bànyè打dǎ电话diànhuà的,de最多zuì duō三个。sān ge

But really being able to call someone in the middle of the night — there are at most three.

我们wǒmen习惯xíguàn了le互相hùxiāng点赞,diǎn zàn却què很少hěn shǎo真正zhēnzhèng倾听。qīngtīng

We're used to giving each other a thumbs-up, but rarely truly listen.

看到kàndào朋友péngyou在zài网上wǎngshàng晒shài婚礼hūnlǐ照片,zhàopiàn我wǒ有时yǒu shí感到gǎndào一种yì zhǒng奇怪qíguài的de距离。jùlí

When I see a friend's wedding photo posted online, I sometimes feel a strange distance.

不是bú shì因为yīnwèi不bù亲近,qīnjìn而是ér shì数字shùzì关系guānxi取代qǔdài了le面对面miànduìmiàn的de联系。liánxì

It's not because we're not close — but because the digital relationship has replaced face-to-face connection.

上周shàng zhōu我wǒ特意tèyì约yuē了le几个jǐ ge老朋友lǎo péngyou出来chūlái吃饭。chīfàn

Last week I made an effort to invite a few old friends out to dinner.

坐zuò下来xiàlái才cái发现,fāxiàn距离jùlí上次shàng cì见面jiànmiàn已经yǐjīng三年。sān nián

Sitting down together, we suddenly realized — it had been three years since we last met.

真正zhēnzhèng的de友谊yǒuyì仍然réngrán需要xūyào时间shíjiān和hé空间,kōngjiān而ér不bù只是zhǐshì一yī块kuài屏幕。píngmù

True friendship still needs time and space — not just a screen.

那天nà tiān晚上wǎnshang我们wǒmen聊liáo了le四个sì ge小时。xiǎoshí

That evening we talked for four hours.

说shuō的de都是dōu shì些xiē小事,xiǎoshì工作、gōngzuò房子、fángzi父母fùmǔ的de身体。shēntǐ

It was all small things — work, apartments, our parents' health.

可是kěshì那种nà zhǒng感觉,gǎnjué是shì点赞diǎn zàn给不了gěi bù liǎo的。de

But that feeling is something a "like" cannot give you.

我wǒ发现fāxiàn我wǒ其实qíshí并不bìng bù了解liǎojiě他们tāmen最近zuìjìn的de生活。shēnghuó

I realised I did not actually know much about their recent lives.

一个人yí ge rén换huàn了le工作,gōngzuò另一个lìng yí ge刚gāng离婚。líhūn

One had changed jobs; another had just divorced.

这些zhèxiē事情,shìqing他们tāmen都dōu没有méiyǒu发fā在zài朋友圈里。péngyou quān lǐ

Neither of them had posted any of it on social media.

真正zhēnzhèng重要zhòngyào的de事,shì人们rénmen反而fǎn'ér不会bú huì写xiě在zài网上。wǎng shàng

The things that truly matter are exactly what people do not write online.

网络wǎngluò让ràng我们wǒmen看见kànjiàn彼此bǐcǐ的de生活,shēnghuó却què看不见kàn bú jiàn彼此bǐcǐ的de心情。xīnqíng

The network lets us see each other's lives but not each other's hearts.

从那以后,cóng nà yǐhòu我wǒ每个月měi ge yuè都dōu约yuē一次yí cì老朋友。lǎo péngyou

Ever since, I have arranged to see old friends once a month.

见面jiànmiàn很hěn麻烦,máfan但dàn正是zhèng shì这份zhè fèn麻烦máfan让ràng关系guānxi变得biàn de真实。zhēnshí

Meeting is a nuisance, but it is precisely that nuisance that makes it real.