HSK 4 ≈ CEFR B2 233 characters 14 sentences

An Old Photograph (一张老照片)

Four people, one summer, and a name on the back that nobody can place.

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一张老照片

整理zhěnglǐjiù东西dōngxīde / dì时候shíhouzài本书běnshū发现了fāxiànlezhānglǎo照片zhàopiàn
While sorting out old things I found an old photograph inside a book.
照片zhàopiàn已经yǐjīnghuángle / liǎo / liàobiānshàng还有háiyǒu一点yīdiǎn
It had yellowed, and the edge was slightly torn.
照片zhàopiànshàngyǒu年轻人niánqīngrénzhànzài大树dàshù下面xiàmian
There were four young people in it, standing under a big tree.
他们tāmenxiào得很dehěn开心kāixīn看起来kànqǐlái大概dàgài二十èrshísuì左右zuǒyòu
They were laughing happily and looked about twenty.
认出rènchūle / liǎo / liào中间zhōngjiǎn那个nèigèrén——shì妈妈māma
I recognised the one in the middle — it was my mother.
从来cóngláiméi见过jiànguò这么zhème年轻niánqīngde / dì样子yàngzi
I had never seen her looking that young.
拿着názhe照片zhàopiànwèn
I took the photo to ask her about it.
看了kànlehěnjiǔ然后ránhòu一个yīgè一个yīgèdì / de告诉gàosu他们tāmenshìshéi
She looked at it for a long time, then told me one by one who they were.
左边zuǒbiānde / dìshì大学dàxué最好zuìhǎode / dì朋友péngyou右边yòubiānde / dìliǎngshìtóngbān同学tóngxué
The one on the left was her best friend at university; the two on the right were classmates.
wèn:“你们nǐmen现在xiànzàihái / huán联系liánxì?”
I asked her, "Are you still in touch?"
yáole / liǎo / liàoyáotóushuō:“毕业bìyè以后yǐhòu大家dàjiā去了qùle不同bùtóngde / dì城市chéngshì。”
She shook her head and said, "After we graduated everyone went to different cities."
照片zhàopiànbēimiàn写着xiězhe一个yīgè日期rìqī一个yīgè名字míngzi可是kěshì那个nèigè名字míngzixiǎng起来qǐlaile / liǎo / liào
On the back was a date and a name, but even she couldn't place the name.
nà / nèitiān晚上wǎnshang一直yìzhí照片zhàopiànfàngzàishǒubiān
That evening she kept the photograph beside her.
忽然hūrán明白míngbai时间shíjiān带走dàizǒude / dì不只bùzhǐshì样子yàngzi
I suddenly understood that what time takes away isn't only how you look.

Words to notice

照片zhàopiàn
Photograph (photo - picture)
年轻niánqīng
Young
认出rènchū
Recognize
记得jìde
Remember
时间shíjiān
Time (period)
变化biànhuà
Change
Drill this level's full word list on the HSK 4 vocabulary page or with HSK 4 flashcards.

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