HSK6 – Retirement Life

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HSK 6 · Reading Practice

Retirement Life

Vocabulary

HSK 6 无所事事wúsuǒshìshì Tap to flip

to have nothing to do, idle

放假fàngjià的时候de shíhòu，他tā常常chángcháng一整天yìzhěngtiān无所事事地wúsuǒshìshì de待在dāizài家里jiālǐ

When he’s on vacation, he often spends the whole day idle at home with nothing to do.

HSK 6 空虚kōngxū Tap to flip

empty, hollow (feeling)

每次měicì朋友péngyǒu离开后líkāi hòu，房间里fángjiān lǐ总zǒng让ràng她tā感到gǎndào有些yǒuxiē空虚kōngxū

Every time her friends leave, the room always makes her feel a bit empty.

HSK 6 叙旧xùjiù Tap to flip

to reminisce, catch up on old times

毕业bìyè十年后shí nián hòu，同学们tóngxuémen终于zhōngyú聚在一起jù zài yìqǐ叙旧xùjiù

Ten years after graduation, the classmates finally got together to reminisce.

HSK 6 乐在其中lèzàiqízhōng Tap to flip

to find joy in it, to thoroughly enjoy something

虽然suīrán工作gōngzuò很累hěn lèi，但dàn他tā总是zǒngshì乐在其中lèzàiqízhōng

Although the work is exhausting, he always finds enjoyment in it.

HSK 6 听罢tīngbà Tap to flip

upon hearing (this), after listening

听罢tīngbà这个zhège消息xiāoxi，全班quánbān同学tóngxué都dōu沉默了chénmò le

Upon hearing this news, the whole class fell silent.

HSK 6 苦笑kǔxiào Tap to flip

to give a wry/bitter smile

他tā苦笑着kǔxiào zhe摇了摇头yáo le yáo tóu，没有méiyǒu再zài多说duō shuō什么shénme

He gave a wry smile and shook his head, not saying anything more.

HSK 6 昔日xīrì Tap to flip

former times, days gone by

这座zhè zuò老城lǎochéng早已zǎoyǐ不见bújiàn昔日的xīrì de繁华fánhuá

This old city has long lost the prosperity of former times.

HSK 6 人情rénqíng Tap to flip

social relationships, favors, social obligations

在zài这个zhège小镇上xiǎozhèn shàng，人情rénqíng比bǐ金钱jīnqián更gèng重要zhòngyào

In this small town, personal relationships matter more than money.

HSK 6 孤僻gūpì Tap to flip

reclusive, aloof, unsociable

他tā从小cóngxiǎo个性gèxìng孤僻gūpì，不太bútài喜欢xǐhuan与yǔ人rén来往láiwǎng

He’s been reclusive by nature since he was young and doesn’t like socializing much.

HSK 6 随心所欲suíxīnsuǒyù Tap to flip

to do as one pleases, follow one’s own wishes

假期jiàqī没有méiyǒu安排的话ānpái dehuà，我wǒ喜欢xǐhuan随心所欲地suíxīnsuǒyù de到处dàochù走走zǒuzou

When I don’t have plans for the holidays, I like to wander around as I please.

1 / 10

Reading Passage

退休生活
退休生活

王教授退休后，原本以为终于可以过上悠闲自在的生活，没想到反而比在职时更加忙碌。子女担心他无所事事、精神空虚，便轮流邀请他到各地小住；老朋友们也三天两头打电话来，邀他喝茶叙旧、参加各种聚会。起初他还乐在其中，渐渐却感到疲于应付，甚至开始怀念起独自在书房里读书的日子。

一天，他的一位老同事来访，见他满脸倦容，便直言：“你这哪里是退休，分明是换了个岗位罢了。”王教授听罢，先是一愣，随即苦笑着点了点头。他这才明白，问题并不在于旁人安排得太多，而在于自己始终不懂得拒绝──既舍不得让子女失望，也放不下昔日的人情往来，结果把原本属于自己的时间，又拱手让给了别人。

此后，他开始学着婉拒一些不必要的邀约，也坦诚地告诉子女，他其实更享受清静。起初大家都有些不解，甚至觉得他变得孤僻了，但渐渐也就习惯了。如今，他终于找回了退休生活原本该有的样子──不是无所事事，而是可以随心所欲地安排自己的时间。

Wáng jiàoshòu tuìxiū hòu, yuánběn yǐwéi zhōngyú kěyǐ guò shàng yōuxián zìzài de shēnghuó, méi xiǎngdào fǎn’ér bǐ zàizhí shí gèngjiā mánglù. Zǐnǚ dānxīn tā wúsuǒshìshì, jīngshén kōngxū, biàn lúnliú yāoqǐng tā dào gèdì xiǎozhù; lǎo péngyǒumen yě sān tiān liǎng tóu dǎ diànhuà lái, yāo tā hē chá xùjiù, cānjiā gèzhǒng jùhuì. Qǐchū tā hái lèzàiqízhōng, jiànjiàn què gǎndào pí yú yìngfu, shènzhì kāishǐ huáiniàn qǐ dúzì zài shūfáng lǐ dúshū de rìzi.

Yì tiān, tā de yí wèi lǎo tóngshì lái fǎng, jiàn tā mǎnliǎn juànróng, biàn zhíyán: “Nǐ zhè nǎlǐ shì tuìxiū, fēnmíng shì huàn le ge gǎngwèi bàle.” Wáng jiàoshòu tīng bà, xiān shì yí lèng, suíjí kǔxiào zhe diǎn le diǎn tóu. Tā zhè cái míngbai, wèntí bìng bú zàiyú pángrén ānpái de tài duō, ér zàiyú zìjǐ shǐzhōng bù dǒngde jùjué — jì shěbudé ràng zǐnǚ shīwàng, yě fàngbuxià xīrì de rénqíng wǎnglái, jiéguǒ bǎ yuánběn shǔyú zìjǐ de shíjiān, yòu gǒngshǒu ràng gěi le biérén.

Cǐhòu, tā kāishǐ xuézhe wǎnjù yìxiē búbìyào de yāoyuē, yě tǎnchéng de gàosù zǐnǚ, tā qíshí gèng xiǎngshòu qīngjìng. Qǐchū dàjiā dōu yǒuxiē bùjiě, shènzhì juéde tā biàn de gūpì le, dàn jiànjiàn yě jiù xíguàn le. Rújīn, tā zhōngyú zhǎohuí le tuìxiū shēnghuó yuánběn gāi yǒu de yàngzi — bú shì wúsuǒshìshì, ér shì kěyǐ suíxīnsuǒyù de ānpái zìjǐ de shíjiān.

After Professor Wang retired, he had originally thought he could finally live a leisurely, carefree life, but unexpectedly he became even busier than when he was working. His children, worried that he’d have nothing to do and feel spiritually empty, took turns inviting him to stay with them in different places; his old friends also called him constantly, inviting him to drink tea and catch up on old times, or to join various gatherings. At first he enjoyed it, but gradually he began to feel worn out from keeping up with it all, and even started to miss the days of reading alone in his study.

One day, one of his old colleagues came to visit, and seeing his face full of fatigue, said bluntly, “This is hardly retirement — it’s just that you’ve switched to a new post.” Hearing this, Professor Wang was stunned for a moment, then nodded with a wry smile. Only then did he realize the problem wasn’t that others had arranged too much for him, but that he himself had never learned how to say no — unwilling to disappoint his children, and unable to let go of old social obligations, he had ended up handing over the time that should have been his own to other people.

After that, he began learning to politely decline unnecessary invitations, and honestly told his children that he actually preferred peace and quiet. At first everyone was a bit puzzled, even feeling that he had become withdrawn, but gradually they got used to it. Now, he has finally found what retirement life was supposed to look like — not having nothing to do, but being able to arrange his own time exactly as he pleases.

Comprehension Questions

Question 1 of 6

王教授Wáng jiàoshòu退休后tuìxiū hòu感到gǎndào“比bǐ在职时zàizhí shí更加gèngjiā忙碌mánglù”，主要zhǔyào原因yuányīn是shì什么shénme？

The passage says his children and old friends kept arranging visits and gatherings for him, which took up a great deal of his time.

老同事lǎo tóngshì说shuō“你nǐ这zhè哪里nǎlǐ是shì退休tuìxiū，分明fēnmíng是shì换了个huàn le ge岗位gǎngwèi罢了bàle”，这句话的zhè jù huà de言外之意yánwàizhīyì是shì什么shénme？

The colleague’s remark points out that although Wang has formally retired, his actual way of life hasn’t really changed.

王教授Wáng jiàoshòu“先是xiānshì一愣yí lèng，随即suíjí苦笑着kǔxiào zhe点了点头diǎn le diǎn tóu”，这个zhège反应fǎnyìng说明了shuōmíng le什么shénme？

His hesitation and wry smile show that the colleague’s words hit close to home, and he had no easy answer.

根据gēnjù第二段dì èr duàn，王教授Wáng jiàoshòu之所以zhīsuǒyǐ无法wúfǎ拒绝jùjué别人的biérén de邀约yāoyuē，根本gēnběn原因yuányīn是shì什么shénme？

The passage says he couldn’t bear to disappoint his children or let go of old social obligations — an emotional attachment, not simply a personality trait.

家人jiārén一开始yì kāishǐ“觉得juéde他tā变得biànde孤僻了gūpì le”，这zhè反映出fǎnyìng chū什么shénme？

The family’s confusion shows they initially misread his attempt to set boundaries as him becoming withdrawn.

这篇zhè piān文章wénzhāng最zuì想xiǎng传达的chuándá de道理dàolǐ最zuì可能kěnéng是shì什么shénme？

The passage’s message is that true freedom comes from knowing how to take charge of one’s own time.

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