春运 · The Spring Festival Travel Rush

每年měi nián农历新年nónglì xīnnián之前,zhīqián中国Zhōngguó会huì发生fāshēng一场yì chǎng人类历史上rénlèi lìshǐ shàng规模guīmó最大zuì dà的de迁徙。qiānxǐ

Before the lunar new year each year, China sees the largest migration in human history.

这场zhè chǎng迁徙qiānxǐ有yǒu一个yí ge专门zhuānmén的de名字,míngzi叫jiào春运。chūnyùn

This migration has a name of its own: chunyun, the spring transport.

在zài四十天里,sìshí tiān lǐ几十亿jǐ shí yì人次réncì要yào在zài这片zhè piàn土地上tǔdì shàng移动。yídòng

Over forty days, billions of trips are made across this land.

他们tāmen大多dàduō是shì离开líkāi家乡jiāxiāng去qù外地wàidì工作gōngzuò的人。de rén

Most of them are people who left their hometowns to work elsewhere.

一年到头,yì nián dào tóu只有zhǐ yǒu这个时候zhè ge shíhou能néng回去huíqù看看kànkan父母fùmǔ和hé孩子。háizi

All year round, this is the only time they can go back and see their parents and children.

从前cóngqián买票mǎi piào要yào在zài售票窗口shòupiào chuāngkǒu排pái一整夜yì zhěng yè的队。de duì

In the past, buying a ticket meant queueing all night at the ticket window.

人们rénmen带着dài zhe被子bèizi和hé小板凳,xiǎo bǎndèng在zài寒风里hánfēng lǐ守着shǒu zhe位置。wèizhi

People brought quilts and little stools, guarding their places in the cold wind.

现在xiànzài抢票qiǎng piào在zài手机上shǒujī shàng进行,jìnxíng可是kěshì那种nà zhǒng紧张jǐnzhāng一点yìdiǎn也yě没有méiyǒu减少。jiǎnshǎo

Now the scramble happens on phones, but the tension has not lessened in the slightest.

放票fàng piào的de那一刻,nà yí kè几百万人jǐ bǎi wàn rén同时tóngshí点下diǎn xià同一个tóng yí ge按钮。ànniǔ

At the instant tickets are released, millions press the same button at once.

火车站huǒchē zhàn的de候车厅里,hòuchē tīng lǐ行李xíngli堆duī得de像xiàng小山。xiǎo shān

In the station waiting halls, the luggage is piled up like small hills.

有人yǒu rén扛着káng zhe一整箱yì zhěng xiāng特产,tèchǎn有人yǒu rén抱着bào zhe睡着shuì zháo的de孩子。háizi

Some shoulder a whole crate of local specialities; some carry a sleeping child.

也yě有人yǒu rén骑着qí zhe摩托车,mótuōchē走上zǒu shàng千公里qiān gōnglǐ的de国道guódào回家。huí jiā

Others ride motorcycles, travelling a thousand kilometres of highway to get home.

他们tāmen把bǎ这zhè叫做jiàozuò"摩托大军",mótuō dàjūn风fēng吹chuī了le几天几夜。jǐ tiān jǐ yè

They call this the "motorcycle army", blown by the wind for days and nights.

支撑着zhīchēng zhe这一切zhè yíqiè的,de其实qíshí只是zhǐshì一顿yí dùn年夜饭。nián yè fàn

What holds all of this up is, in the end, just one New Year's Eve dinner.

车chē到站dào zhàn的时候,de shíhou母亲mǔqīn往往wǎngwǎng已经yǐjīng在zài出站口chū zhàn kǒu等děng了le很久。hěn jiǔ

When the train pulls in, the mother has usually been waiting a long time at the exit.

那一刻,nà yí kè所有suǒyǒu的de辛苦xīnkǔ都dōu变得biàn de可以kěyǐ承受。chéngshòu

In that moment, all the hardship becomes bearable.