HSK 6 · Native stories

算法时代的孤独 · Loneliness in the Age of Algorithms

Suànfǎ Shídài de Gūdú — Reflections from inside the recommendation feed.

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

每天měi tiān早晨,zǎochén我wǒ做zuò的de第一件dì yī jiàn事,shì是shì打开dǎkāi手机。shǒujī

Every morning, the first thing I do is open my phone.

算法suànfǎ精准jīngzhǔn地de嗅xiù出chū我wǒ每一种měi yì zhǒng偏好。piānhào

The algorithm precisely sniffs out my every preference.

它tā只zhǐ推tuī给gěi我wǒ我wǒ想xiǎng看kàn的de内容。nèiróng

It pushes me only the content I want to see.

我wǒ渐渐jiànjiàn意识到,yìshí dào自己zìjǐ被bèi困kùn在zài所谓suǒwèi"信息xìnxī茧房"jiǎnfáng中。zhōng

I gradually realize I'm trapped in a so-called "information cocoon."

不同bùtóng的de声音,shēngyīn被bèi系统xìtǒng自动zìdòng过滤guòlǜ掉。diào

Different views are filtered out by the system.

每měi个人gèrén都dōu活在huó zài自己zìjǐ"完美"wánměi的de小xiǎo世界。shìjiè

Everyone lives inside their own "perfect" little world.

然而,rán'ér这种zhè zhǒng"完美"wánměi中,zhōng藏cáng着zhe前所未有qián suǒ wèi yǒu的de孤独。gūdú

Yet within this "perfection" lies a never-before-seen loneliness.

也许yěxǔ我们wǒmen缺quē的de不是bú shì信息,xìnxī而是ér shì面对miànduì陌生mòshēng的de勇气。yǒngqì

Maybe what we lack is not information, but the courage to face the unfamiliar.

我wǒ做过zuò guo一个yí ge实验,shíyàn把bǎ推荐tuījiàn关掉guān diào一个星期。yí ge xīngqī

I once ran an experiment and turned the recommendations off for a week.

那几天nà jǐ tiān我wǒ很hěn不习惯,bù xíguàn像xiàng走进zǒu jìn了le陌生mòshēng的de城市。chéngshì

Those days felt very strange, like walking into an unfamiliar city.

我wǒ看到kàndào了le很多hěn duō我wǒ平时píngshí不会bú huì点开diǎn kāi的de东西。dōngxi

I saw a great many things I would never normally have opened.

有些yǒu xiē让ràng我wǒ不舒服,bù shūfu有些yǒu xiē让ràng我wǒ重新chóngxīn思考。sīkǎo

Some made me uncomfortable; some made me think again.

算法suànfǎ最zuì可怕kěpà的de地方,dìfang不是bú shì它tā骗piàn你。nǐ

The frightening thing about an algorithm is not that it deceives you.

而是ér shì它tā太tài懂dǒng你,nǐ懂到dǒng dào你nǐ不再bú zài需要xūyào选择。xuǎnzé

It is that it understands you so well you no longer need to choose.

你nǐ以为yǐwéi那是nà shì你的nǐ de口味,kǒuwèi其实qíshí是shì它tā训练出来xùnliàn chūlái的。de

You think that is your taste, when in fact it was trained into you.

我们wǒmen每一次měi yí cì停留,tíngliú每一次měi yí cì划过,huá guò都dōu在zài教jiāo它。tā

Every pause of ours, every swipe past, is teaching it.

然后ránhòu它tā把bǎ我们wǒmen教出来jiāo chūlái的de东西,dōngxi再zài喂wèi回给huí gěi我们。wǒmen

Then it feeds what we taught it straight back to us.

这zhè是shì一个yí ge越转yuè zhuàn越紧yuè jǐn的de圈。quān

It is a circle that winds tighter the longer it turns.

要yào走出去,zǒu chūqù可能kěnéng只zhǐ需要xūyào一点yìdiǎn不方便。bù fāngbiàn

Getting out of it may take no more than a little inconvenience.

Vocabulary in this story (121 words)

WordPinyinMeaning
每天měi tiānevery day
早晨zǎochénmorning
我wǒI
做zuòdo
的de(of)
第一件dì yī jiànfirst
事shìthing
是shìis
打开dǎkāiopening
手机shǒujīmy phone
算法suànfǎthe algorithm
精准jīngzhǔnprecisely
地de(adverbial)
嗅xiùsniffs
出chūout
每一种měi yì zhǒngevery kind of
偏好piānhàopreference
它tāit
只zhǐonly
推tuīpushes
给gěito
想xiǎngwant
看kànto see
内容nèiróngcontent
渐渐jiànjiàngradually
意识到yìshí dàorealize
自己zìjǐmyself
被bèihave been
困kùntrapped
在zàiin
所谓suǒwèia so-called
信息xìnxīinformation
茧房jiǎnfángcocoon
中zhōngin
不同bùtóngdifferent
声音shēngyīnvoices
系统xìtǒngthe system
自动zìdòngautomatically
过滤guòlǜfiltered
掉diàoout
每měievery
个人gèrénperson
都dōuall
活在huó zàilives in
完美wánměiperfect
小xiǎosmall
世界shìjièworld
然而rán'érhowever
这种zhè zhǒngthis kind of
藏cánghides
着zhe(continuous)
前所未有qián suǒ wèi yǒuunprecedented
孤独gūdúloneliness
也许yěxǔperhaps
我们wǒmenwe
缺quēlack
不是bú shìis not
而是ér shìbut rather
面对miànduìfacing
陌生mòshēngthe unfamiliar
勇气yǒngqìcourage
做过zuò guoonce ran
一个yí gean
实验shíyànexperiment
把bǎ(object marker)
推荐tuījiànthe recommendations
关掉guān diàoturned off
一个星期yí ge xīngqīfor a week
那几天nà jǐ tiānthose days
很hěnvery
不习惯bù xíguànwas unaccustomed
像xiànglike
走进zǒu jìnwalking into
了le(past)
城市chéngshìa city
看到kàndàosaw
很多hěn duōa great many
平时píngshínormally
不会bú huìwould not
点开diǎn kāiopen
东西dōngxithings
有些yǒu xiēsome
让ràngmade
不舒服bù shūfuuncomfortable
重新chóngxīnanew
思考sīkǎothink
最zuìmost
可怕kěpàfrightening
地方dìfangaspect
骗piàndeceives
你nǐyou
太tàitoo well
懂dǒngunderstands
懂到dǒng dàounderstands to the point that
不再bú zàino longer
需要xūyàoneed
选择xuǎnzéto choose
以为yǐwéithink
那是nà shìthat is
你的nǐ deyour
口味kǒuwèitaste
其实qíshíin fact
训练出来xùnliàn chūláitrained out
每一次měi yí cìevery
停留tíngliúpause
划过huá guòswipe past
教jiāoteaching
然后ránhòuthen
教出来jiāo chūláitaught out
再zàiagain
喂wèifeeds
回给huí gěiback to
这zhèthis
越转yuè zhuànthe more it turns
越紧yuè jǐnthe tighter
圈quāncircle
要yàoto
走出去zǒu chūqùwalk out of it
可能kěnéngmay
一点yìdiǎna little
不方便bù fāngbiàninconvenience

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