HSK 4 · Story · 733 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-retired-teacher-chinese-short-story

陈老师的新名单

The retired teacher: a Chinese short story

Name: ________________ Date: ________

陈chén老师lǎoshī当dāng了le三十八sānshíbā年nián的de语文yǔwén老师lǎoshī，今年jīnnián六月liùyuè，终于zhōngyú退休tuìxiū了le。

退休tuìxiū后hòu的de第一dìyī天tiān早上zǎoshang，她tā六liù点diǎn就jiù醒xǐng了le。她tā按照ànzhào几十年jǐshínián的de习惯xíguàn，起床qǐchuáng、洗脸xíliǎn，然后ránhòu去qù书桌shūzhuō上shàng找zhǎo没méi批改pīgǎi完wán的de作业zuòyè，找到zhǎodào一半yíbàn才cái想xiǎng起来qǐlái：从cóng今天jīntiān开始kāishǐ，她tā不用búyòng再zài上课了le。她tā默默mòmò地de在zài沙发shāfā上shàng坐下zuòxià，屋子wūzi里安静ānjìng得de让ràng人rén难受nánshòu。她tā第一次dìyīcì觉得juéde，时间shíjiān过得guòde这么zhème慢màn。

一yí个gè星期xīngqī过去guòqù了le，她tā每天měitiān只zhǐ做zuò三sān件jiàn事shì：买菜mǎicài、做饭zuòfàn、看kàn电视diànshì，日子rìzi过得guòde平平淡淡píngpíng-dàndàn。女儿nǚ’ér在zài国外guówài工作gōngzuò，偶尔óu’ěr才cái打dǎ一次yícì电话diànhuà；丈夫zhàngfu几jǐ年nián前qián就jiù去世qùshì了le。有时候yǒushíhou她tā会huì想xiǎng：这辈子zhèbèizi教jiāo过guò的de学生xuéshēng有yǒu一千多yìqiānduō个gè，可是kěshì现在xiànzài，还有háiyǒu谁shéi记得jìde我wǒ呢ne？想到xiǎngdào这里zhèlǐ，她tā心里xīnli有点儿yóudiǎnr寂寞jìmò。

这zhè天tiān下午xiàwǔ，她tā的de自行车zìxíngchē坏huài了le。她tā推tuī着zhe车chē，走zǒu到dào路口lùkǒu的de修车xiūchē铺pù。修车xiūchē的de师傅shīfu是shì一个yígè胖胖pàngpàng的de中年zhōngnián男人nánrén。他tā抬头táitóu看kàn了le她tā一眼yìyǎn，愣lèng住zhù了le。他tā的de动作dòngzuò很hěn熟练shúliàn，很hěn快kuài就jiù把bǎ车chē修好xiūhǎo了le，却què礼貌lǐmào地de拒绝jùjué了le她tā的de钱qián。

“陈chén老师lǎoshī，您nín不bú记得jìde我wǒ了le？我wǒ是shì刘强啊a！1995年nián毕业bìyè的de，上课总zǒng迟到chídào的de那个nàge！”他tā笑xiào着zhe说shuō，“您nín那nà时候shíhou每天měitiān都dōu站zhàn在zài学校xuéxiào门口ménkǒu等děng着zhe我wǒ，说shuō我wǒ再zài迟到chídào，就jiù让ràng我wǒ站zhàn着zhe上课。后来hòulái，我wǒ真的zhēnde一次yícì也yě没有méiyǒu迟到chídào过guò。”

陈chén老师lǎoshī也yě笑xiào了le，心里xīnli很hěn感动gǎndòng。她tā终于zhōngyú想xiǎng起来qǐlái了le：那个nàge瘦瘦小小shòushòu-xiáoxiǎo的de男孩nánhái，现在xiànzài竟然jìngrán比bǐ她tā高gāo一个yígè头tóu了le。

从cóng那nà以后yǐhòu，奇怪qíguài的de事情shìqing一yí件jiàn接着jiēzhe一yí件jiàn。在zài药店yàodiàn里，给gěi她tā拿ná药yào的de年轻niánqīng女孩nǚhái小声xiǎoshēng问wèn：“陈chén老师lǎoshī，您nín还好háihǎo吧ba？”在zài公共汽车gōnggòng-qìchē上shàng，司机sījī认出rènchū了le她tā，特意tèyì等děng她tā坐好zuòhǎo了le才cái开车kāichē。在zài菜市场càishìchǎng，卖mài鱼yú的de老板láobǎn坚持jiānchí要yào给gěi她tā挑tiāo最zuì大dà的de一yì条tiáo。原来yuánlái，这个zhège小xiǎo城里chénglǐ到处dàochù都dōu是shì她tā的de学生xuéshēng，只是zhǐshì她tā以前yǐqián从来没有cóngláiméiyǒu注意zhùyì过guò。

一个yígè月yuè以后yǐhòu，她tā感冒gǎnmào发烧fāshāo，只好zhíhǎo去qù了le医院yīyuàn。年轻niánqīng的de医生yīshēng戴dài着zhe眼镜yǎnjìng，看kàn了le半天bàntiān她tā的de病历bìnglì，突然tūrán抬起táiqǐ头tóu：“陈chén老师lǎoshī，您nín还hái记得jìde我wǒ吗ma？我wǒ是shì那个nàge上课shàngkè总zǒng睡觉shuìjiào的de学生xuéshēng啊a！”

陈chén老师lǎoshī犹豫yóuyù了le一下yíxià，又yòu仔细zǐxì地de看kàn了le他tā一会儿yíhuìr，说shuō：“记得jìde。你nǐ睡觉shuìjiào的de时候shíhou，还hái打呼噜dǎhūlu。”

医生yīshēng的de脸liǎn一下子yíxiàzi红hóng了le，旁边pángbiān的de护士hùshi忍不住rěnbuzhù笑xiào出chū了le声shēng。陈chén老师lǎoshī自己zìjǐ也yě笑xiào了le，好像hǎoxiàng又yòu回到huídào了le教室jiàoshì里。

那天nàtiān晚上wǎnshang，陈chén老师lǎoshī戴dài上shàng老花镜lǎohuājìng，找出zhǎochū一个yígè新xīn本子běnzi。她tā在zài第一dìyī页yè上shàng写xiě：“修车xiūchē铺，刘强，不bù迟到chídào了le。”然后ránhòu是shì药店yàodiàn、公共汽车gōnggòng-qìchē、菜市场càishìchǎng、医院yīyuàn……她tā写xiě了le一yí页yè又yòu一yí页yè。

写xiě完wán以后yǐhòu，她tā看kàn着zhe这zhè个gè本子běnzi，觉得juéde它tā很hěn像xiàng一yí份fèn新xīn的de学生xuéshēng名单míngdān。她tā决定juédìng，明天míngtiān还hái要yào去qù公园gōngyuán走走zǒuzou，看看kànkan那里nàlǐ还有háiyǒu谁shéi。

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
习惯	xíguàn	habit; custom; to be used to; to get used to
作业	zuòyè	work; operation
不用	búyòng	need not; don't have to
当	dāng	when; at the time of
醒	xǐng	to wake up
按照	ànzhào	according to; in accordance with
难受	nánshòu	uncomfortable; ill; unwell
偶尔	óu’ěr	occasionally; once in a while
推	tuī	to recommend (as in 推荐)
抬头	táitóu	to raise one's head
动作	dòngzuò	movement; action; move; motion
礼貌	lǐmào	courtesy; manners; polite; courteous

English (for the teacher)

Teacher Chen had taught Chinese for thirty-eight years, and this June she finally retired.

On the first morning of her retirement, she was awake by six. Following the habit of decades, she got up, washed her face and went to her desk to look for the homework she hadn't finished marking, and only halfway through the search did she remember: from today on, she didn't have to teach any more. She sat down quietly on the sofa; the flat was so quiet it hurt. For the first time, she felt how slowly time could pass.

A week went by, and every day she did just three things: buy groceries, cook and watch TV, her days plain and uneventful. Her daughter worked abroad and only called now and then; her husband had died a few years before. Sometimes she thought: I've taught more than a thousand students in my life, but now, who still remembers me? Thinking about it made her feel a little lonely.

That afternoon, her bike broke down. She pushed it to the repair stall at the corner. The repairman was a chubby middle-aged man. He looked up at her and froze. His hands were quick and skilled, and he soon had the bike fixed, but he politely refused her money.

“Teacher Chen, don't you remember me? It's me, Liu Qiang! Class of 1995, the one who was always late for class!” He laughed. “Back then you stood at the school gate every day waiting for me, and said if I was late again I'd have to stand through the lesson. After that, I really was never late again, not once.”

Teacher Chen laughed too, deeply touched. At last she remembered: that skinny little boy was now a whole head taller than her.

From then on, strange things happened one after another. At the pharmacy, the young woman getting her medicine asked quietly: “Teacher Chen, are you keeping well?” On the bus, the driver recognised her and waited specially until she was sitting down before he pulled off. At the market, the fish seller insisted on picking out the biggest fish for her. It turned out this little town was full of her students; she had just never noticed before.

A month later she caught a cold with a fever and had to go to the hospital. The young doctor, in glasses, studied her medical record for a long time, then suddenly looked up: “Teacher Chen, do you remember me? I'm the student who always slept in class!”

Teacher Chen hesitated, looked at him carefully for a moment, and said: “I remember. You used to snore, too.”

The doctor went red at once, and the nurse beside him couldn't help laughing out loud. Teacher Chen laughed as well, as if she were back in the classroom.

That evening, Teacher Chen put on her reading glasses and found a new notebook. On the first page she wrote: “Bike repair stall, Liu Qiang, not late any more.” Then came the pharmacy, the bus, the market, the hospital… She filled page after page.

When she had finished, she looked at the notebook and thought it looked a lot like a new class list. She decided that tomorrow she would take a walk in the park, too, and see who else was there.