中国人为什么喜欢数字八？
Why is 8 a lucky number in China?
Name: ________________ Date: ________
我第一次在中国办手机卡的时候，店里的人给了我一张纸，上面写着很多手机号。我发现，有的号码比别的贵很多。
我问：“这个为什么这么贵？”她说：“你看，后面是888啊！”
中国人为什么这么喜欢“八”？因为“八”听起来很像“发财”的“发”。“发财”的意思是赚很多钱。
所以很多人觉得，“八”会带来好运。手机号、车牌号、楼号，有“八”的都比较受欢迎，有时候也比较贵。
最有名的是一个电话号码。2003年，四川航空公司花了二百三十三万元，买了一个电话号：8888 8888。
2008年北京奥运会的开幕式是什么时候开始的？8月8号，晚上八点零八分。
在商店里也一样。别的国家的东西常常卖9.99，中国的东西常常卖8.88、88或者188。
回到那家手机店。最后我没有买888，太贵了。我的手机号里一个“八”也没有。
所以，我到现在还没发财。
Key words
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 上面 | shàngmiàn | above; on top of; on the surface of |
| 意思 | yìsi | meaning; idea |
| 有时候 | yǒushíhou | sometimes |
| 花 | huā | flower; blossom |
| 开始 | kāishǐ | to begin; to start; beginning |
| 张 | zhāng | surname Zhang |
| 纸 | zhǐ | paper |
| 号码 | hàomǎ | number |
| 别的 | biéde | other; else |
| 像 | xiàng | like; as |
| 发 | fā | to send; to issue |
| 有名 | yǒumíng | famous; well-known |
English (for the teacher)
The first time I got a phone card in China, the shop assistant gave me a sheet of paper with lots of phone numbers on it. I noticed that some numbers cost much more than the others.
I asked, “Why is this one so expensive?” She said, “Look, it ends in 888!”
Why do Chinese people like 8 so much? Because 八 (bā), eight, sounds a lot like the 发 (fā) in 发财. 发财 means to make a lot of money.
So many people feel that 8 brings good luck. Phone numbers, number plates, building numbers: the ones with an 8 are more popular, and sometimes more expensive.
The most famous one is a phone number. In 2003 Sichuan Airlines paid 2.33 million yuan for one number: 8888 8888.
And when did the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics begin? On 8 August, at 8:08 in the evening.
It's the same in shops. In other countries things are often priced 9.99; in China they are often 8.88, 88 or 188.
Back to that phone shop. In the end I didn't buy the 888 number, it was too expensive. My number doesn't have a single 8 in it.
Which is why I still haven't got rich.