HSK 4 ≈ CEFR B2 231 characters 14 sentences

Changing Jobs (换工作)

A stable job, a smaller salary, and a decision his father did not understand for two years.

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换工作

三年sānnián前qián,我wǒ做了zuòle一个yīgè让ràng所有suǒyǒu人rén都dōu反对fǎnduì的de / dì决定juédìng。
Three years ago I made a decision everybody was against.
那时nàshí候hòu我wǒ在zài一yī家jiā大dà公司gōngsī工作gōngzuò,收入shōurù不错búcuò,工作gōngzuò也yě很hěn稳定wěndìng。
At the time I worked for a big company with a decent salary and a stable job.
可是kěshì我wǒ每天měitiān早上zǎoshang醒来xǐnglái,都dōu不bù想xiǎng去qù上班shàngbān。
But every morning I woke up not wanting to go in.
我wǒ做zuò的de / dì事情shìqing和hé我wǒ喜欢xǐhuan的de / dì事情shìqing,一点yīdiǎn关系guānxi都dōu没有méiyǒu。
What I did had nothing whatever to do with what I cared about.
我wǒ把bǎ辞职cízhí的de / dì想法xiǎngfǎ告诉gàosu家里jiālǐ的de / dì时候shíhou,爸爸bàba非常fēicháng生气shēngqì。
When I told my family I was thinking of resigning, my father was furious.
他tā说shuō:“多少duōshao人rén想xiǎng进jìn这样zhèyàng的de / dì公司gōngsī都dōu进jìn不bù去qù。”
He said, "Plenty of people would give anything to get into a company like that."
我wǒ知道zhīdào他tā是shì为wèi / wéi我wǒ好hǎo / hào,可是kěshì我wǒ还是háishì辞职cízhí了le / liǎo / liào。
I knew he meant well, but I resigned anyway.
新xīn工作gōngzuò的de / dì收入shōurù只有zhǐyǒu原来yuánlái的de / dì一半yībàn。
The new job paid half what the old one had.
最zuì难nán的de / dì是shì第一dìyī年nián,我wǒ几乎jīhū每měi个gè月yuè都dōu在zài担心dānxīn钱qián的de / dì问题wèntí。
The first year was the hardest — I worried about money almost every month.
有yǒu好几hǎojǐ次cì,我wǒ差chā / chà / chāi点diǎn儿ér就jiù放弃了fàngqìle。
There were several times I nearly gave up.
不过búguò我wǒ从来cónglái没有méiyǒu后悔hòuhuǐ过guò。
But I have never regretted it.
因为yīnwèi我wǒ第一次dìyīcì觉得juéde,我wǒ做zuò的de / dì事情shìqing是shì有意义yǒu yìyì的de / dì。
Because for the first time, what I was doing felt like it meant something.
去年qùnián爸爸bàba来看láikàn我wǒ工作gōngzuò的de / dì地方dìfang。
Last year my father came to see where I work.
他tā看了kànle很hěn久jiǔ,最后zuìhòu只zhī说了shuōle一yī句jù:“你nǐ比bǐ以前yǐqián爱ài笑xiào了le / liǎo / liào。”
He looked around for a long time and in the end said only, "You smile more than you used to."

Words to notice

Steady (settle)
Income (revenue)
Decide (determine - decision)
Opposition (oppose - rejection)
Regret (repent)
Drill this level's full word list on the HSK 4 vocabulary page or with HSK 4 flashcards.

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