Fifty sheets of paper

Story

1. 谢晨和冯宁是大学同学，毕业以后，两个人一起辞掉了工作，决定自己创业。

   Xiè Chén hé Féng Níng shì dàxué tóngxué, bìyè yǐhòu, liǎng gè rén yìqǐ cídiào le gōngzuò, juédìng zìjǐ chuàngyè.

   Xie Chen and Feng Ning had been at university together. After graduating, they both quit their jobs to start their own business.

   Words in this sentence

   谢晨 Xiè Chén

   Xie Chen (name)

   Learn to write

   和 hé

   and Dictionary

   冯宁 Féng Níng

   Feng Ning (name)

   Learn to write

   是 shì

   to be Dictionary

   大学 dàxué

   university Dictionary

   同学 tóngxué

   classmate Dictionary

   毕业 bìyè

   to graduate Dictionary

   以后 yǐhòu

   after, later Dictionary

   两 liǎng

   two Dictionary

   个 gè

   (measure word for people and things) Dictionary

   人 rén

   person, people Dictionary

   一起 yìqǐ

   together Dictionary

   辞掉 cídiào

   to quit Dictionary

   了 le

   (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary

   工作 gōngzuò

   to work; job Dictionary

   决定 juédìng

   to decide Dictionary

   自己 zìjǐ

   oneself Dictionary

   创业 chuàngyè

   to start a business Dictionary

2. 他们的想法是做一个手机软件，让邻居之间可以互相借东西：电钻、梯子、帐篷……

   tāmen de xiǎngfǎ shì zuò yí gè shǒujī ruǎnjiàn, ràng línjū zhījiān kěyǐ hùxiāng jiè dōngxi: diànzuàn, tīzi, zhàngpeng……

   Their idea was a phone app that let neighbours lend each other things: drills, ladders, tents…

   Words in this sentence

   他们 tāmen

   they, them Dictionary

   的 de

   (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary

   想法 xiǎngfǎ

   idea Dictionary

   是 shì

   to be Dictionary

   做 zuò

   to make, to do Dictionary

   一 yí

   one, a Dictionary

   个 gè

   (measure word for people and things) Dictionary

   手机 shǒujī

   mobile phone Dictionary

   软件 ruǎnjiàn

   software, app Dictionary

   让 ràng

   to let, to make (someone do) Dictionary

   邻居 línjū

   neighbour Dictionary

   之间 zhījiān

   between Dictionary

   可以 kěyǐ

   can, may; all right Dictionary

   互相 hùxiāng

   each other Dictionary

   借 jiè

   to borrow, to lend Dictionary

   东西 dōngxi

   thing(s) Dictionary

   电钻 diànzuàn

   electric drill Dictionary

   梯子 tīzi

   ladder Dictionary

   帐篷 zhàngpeng

   tent Dictionary

3. 冯宁说：“一个电钻一辈子可能只用十几分钟，每家都买一个，太浪费了。”

   Féng Níng shuō:“ yí gè diànzuàn yíbèizi kěnéng zhǐ yòng shíjǐ fēnzhōng, měi jiā dōu mǎi yí gè, tài làngfèi le.”

   Feng Ning said, "A drill might be used for a quarter of an hour in its whole life. Every family buying one is such a waste."

   Words in this sentence

   冯宁 Féng Níng

   Feng Ning (name)

   Learn to write

   说 shuō

   to say, to speak Dictionary

   一 yí

   one, a Dictionary

   个 gè

   (measure word for people and things) Dictionary

   电钻 diànzuàn

   electric drill Dictionary

   一辈子 yíbèizi

   a whole lifetime Dictionary

   可能 kěnéng

   may, might Dictionary

   只 zhǐ

   only Dictionary

   用 yòng

   to use Dictionary

   十几 shíjǐ

   ten-odd Dictionary

   分钟 fēnzhōng

   minute(s) Dictionary

   每 měi

   every, each Dictionary

   家 jiā

   home, family Dictionary

   都 dōu

   all, both Dictionary

   买 mǎi

   to buy Dictionary

   一 yí

   one, a Dictionary

   个 gè

   (measure word for people and things) Dictionary

   太 tài

   too, excessively Dictionary

   浪费 làngfèi

   wasteful Dictionary

   了 le

   (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary

4. 可是第一位投资人听完，只问了一个问题：“你们怎么知道大家真的愿意借给陌生人？”

   kěshì dì-yī wèi tóuzīrén tīng wán, zhǐ wèn le yí gè wèntí:“ nǐmen zěnme zhīdao dàjiā zhēnde yuànyì jiè gěi mòshēngrén?”

   But the first investor heard them out and asked just one question: "How do you know people really want to lend to strangers?"

   Words in this sentence

   可是 kěshì

   but Dictionary

   第一 dì-yī

   first Dictionary

   位 wèi

   (polite measure word for people) Dictionary

   投资人 tóuzīrén

   investor Dictionary

   听 tīng

   to listen, to hear Dictionary

   完 wán

   finished Dictionary

   只 zhǐ

   only Dictionary

   问 wèn

   to ask Dictionary

   了 le

   (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary

   一 yí

   one, a Dictionary

   个 gè

   (measure word for people and things) Dictionary

   问题 wèntí

   problem, question Dictionary

   你们 nǐmen

   you (plural) Dictionary

   怎么 zěnme

   how Dictionary

   知道 zhīdao

   to know Dictionary

   大家 dàjiā

   everyone Dictionary

   真的 zhēnde

   really Dictionary

   愿意 yuànyì

   to be willing Dictionary

   借 jiè

   to borrow, to lend Dictionary

   给 gěi

   to give; for Dictionary

   陌生人 mòshēngrén

   stranger Dictionary

5. 两个人答不上来。

   liǎng gè rén dá bú shànglai.

   Neither of them could answer.

   Words in this sentence

   两 liǎng

   two Dictionary

   个 gè

   (measure word for people and things) Dictionary

   人 rén

   person, people Dictionary

   答 dá

   to answer Dictionary

   不 bú

   not Dictionary

   上来 shànglai

   (答不上来: cannot answer) Dictionary

6. 与其花半年写软件，不如先做个简单的试验。

   yǔqí huā bàn nián xiě ruǎnjiàn, bùrú xiān zuò gè jiǎndān de shìyàn.

   Rather than spend six months writing software, they decided, better to run a simple test first.

   Words in this sentence

   与其 yǔqí

   rather than Dictionary

   花 huā

   flower Dictionary

   半 bàn

   half Dictionary

   年 nián

   year Dictionary

   写 xiě

   to write Dictionary

   软件 ruǎnjiàn

   software, app Dictionary

   不如 bùrú

   would be better to Dictionary

   先 xiān

   first Dictionary

   做 zuò

   to make, to do Dictionary

   个 gè

   (measure word for people and things) Dictionary

   简单 jiǎndān

   simple Dictionary

   的 de

   (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary

   试验 shìyàn

   test, experiment Dictionary

7. 他们在自己的小区里贴了五十张纸，上面写着：“需要借什么，就在下面写上；愿意借出什么，也写上。”

   tāmen zài zìjǐ de xiǎoqū lǐ tiē le wǔshí zhāng zhǐ, shàngmiàn xiě zhe:“ xūyào jiè shénme, jiù zài xiàmiàn xiě shàng; yuànyì jièchū shénme, yě xiě shàng.”

   They put up fifty sheets of paper around their housing estate: "Write below what you need to borrow, and what you're willing to lend."

   Words in this sentence

   他们 tāmen

   they, them Dictionary

   在 zài

   at, in; to be at Dictionary

   自己 zìjǐ

   oneself Dictionary

   的 de

   (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary

   小区 xiǎoqū

   housing estate Dictionary

   里 lǐ

   in, inside Dictionary

   贴 tiē

   to stick, to put up Dictionary

   了 le

   (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary

   五十 wǔshí

   fifty Dictionary

   张 zhāng

   (measure word for flat things like photos) Dictionary

   纸 zhǐ

   paper Dictionary

   上面 shàngmiàn

   on it, on top Dictionary

   写 xiě

   to write Dictionary

   着 zhe

   (-ing: an ongoing state) Dictionary

   需要 xūyào

   to need Dictionary

   借 jiè

   to borrow, to lend Dictionary

   什么 shénme

   what Dictionary

   就 jiù

   then, right away Dictionary

   在 zài

   at, in; to be at Dictionary

   下面 xiàmiàn

   under, below Dictionary

   写 xiě

   to write Dictionary

   上 shàng

   on, above Dictionary

   愿意 yuànyì

   to be willing Dictionary

   借出 jièchū

   to lend out Dictionary

   什么 shénme

   what Dictionary

   也 yě

   also, too Dictionary

   写 xiě

   to write Dictionary

   上 shàng

   on, above Dictionary

8. 一个星期后，纸上写满了字，最多的竟然不是工具，而是“周末谁能帮我遛狗”。

   yí gè xīngqī hòu, zhǐ shàng xiě mǎn le zì, zuì duō de jìngrán bú shì gōngjù, érshì“ zhōumò shéi néng bāng wǒ liù gǒu”.

   A week later the sheets were full, and the most common request wasn't for tools at all, but "Who can walk my dog at the weekend?"

   Words in this sentence

   一 yí

   one, a Dictionary

   个 gè

   (measure word for people and things) Dictionary

   星期 xīngqī

   week Dictionary

   后 hòu

   after, later Dictionary

   纸 zhǐ

   paper Dictionary

   上 shàng

   on, above Dictionary

   写 xiě

   to write Dictionary

   满 mǎn

   full Dictionary

   了 le

   (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary

   字 zì

   character, word Dictionary

   最 zuì

   most Dictionary

   多 duō

   many, a lot Dictionary

   的 de

   (possessive or describing particle) Dictionary

   竟然 jìngrán

   unexpectedly, actually Dictionary

   不是 bú shì

   is not (不是……就是……: either … or …) Dictionary

   工具 gōngjù

   tool Dictionary

   而是 érshì

   but (不是……而是……) Dictionary

   周末 zhōumò

   weekend Dictionary

   谁 shéi

   who Dictionary

   能 néng

   can, be able to Dictionary

   帮 bāng

   to help Dictionary

   我 wǒ

   I, me Dictionary

   遛 liù

   to walk (a dog) Dictionary

   狗 gǒu

   dog Dictionary

9. 他们看着这些纸，笑了：下一个想法，已经有了。

   tāmen kàn zhe zhèxiē zhǐ, xiào le: xià yí gè xiǎngfǎ, yǐjīng yǒu le.

   They looked at the sheets and laughed: they already had their next idea.

   Words in this sentence

   他们 tāmen

   they, them Dictionary

   看 kàn

   to look, to watch, to read Dictionary

   着 zhe

   (-ing: an ongoing state) Dictionary

   这些 zhèxiē

   these Dictionary

   纸 zhǐ

   paper Dictionary

   笑 xiào

   to laugh, to smile Dictionary

   了 le

   (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary

   下 xià

   next; down Dictionary

   一 yí

   one, a Dictionary

   个 gè

   (measure word for people and things) Dictionary

   想法 xiǎngfǎ

   idea Dictionary

   已经 yǐjīng

   already Dictionary

   有 yǒu

   to have; there is Dictionary

   了 le

   (marks a completed action or a change) Dictionary