年轻人为什么去寺庙？
Why are young Chinese people going to temples?
Name: ________________ Date: ________
这几年，在中国的寺庙，能看到越来越多年轻的面孔。旅游网站的数据显示，二零二三年以后，去寺庙参观的年轻人明显多了。他们为什么去寺庙？我们用几个问题来看看。
问：年轻人最喜欢去哪些寺庙？
答：北京的雍和宫特别受欢迎，周末常常要排很长的队。杭州的灵隐寺、上海的静安寺，也都是年轻人常去的地方。
问：他们去寺庙做什么？
答：有的人烧香许愿，希望考试顺利、找到好工作；有的人只是安安静静地走一走，坐一坐；还有很多人喜欢在寺庙买一串手串，戴在手上，觉得能带来好运。
问：年轻人都信佛吗？
答：不一定。很多年轻人说，自己并不信佛，只是工作和学习压力太大，想找一个安静的地方，让心静下来。门票不贵，环境又好，比去别的地方更能放松。
问：网上怎么说？
答：网上流行一句话：“上班和上进，我选择上香。”这句话听起来有点好笑，也有点无奈，说出了很多年轻人的心情：努力了很久，有时候还是看不到结果，只好去寺庙求个心安。
也有人担心，年轻人去寺庙，是不是在逃避现实？不过，很多人觉得，烧香许愿以后，再回去继续努力，这也没有什么不好。
Key words
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 参观 | cānguān | to visit (a place); to tour |
| 答 | dá | to answer; to reply |
| 排 | pái | to arrange; to line up |
| 顺利 | shùnlì | smoothly; successfully; smooth; without a hitch |
| 戴 | dài | to wear (a hat, glasses, jewelry, etc.) |
| 压力 | yālì | pressure; stress |
| 放松 | fàngsōng | to relax; to loosen |
| 流行 | liúxíng | popular; fashionable; to be popular; to be in fashion |
| 好笑 | hǎoxiào | funny; laughable |
| 心情 | xīnqíng | mood; state of mind |
| 结果 | jiéguǒ | as a result; in the end; result; outcome |
| 只好 | zhíhǎo | to have no choice but to; to be forced to |
English (for the teacher)
In the last few years, more and more young faces can be seen in China’s temples. Figures from travel websites show that since 2023, clearly more young people have been visiting temples. Why do they go? Let’s look through a few questions.
Q: Which temples do young people like most?
A: The Lama Temple in Beijing is especially popular, and at weekends there is often a long queue. Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou and Jing’an Temple in Shanghai are also places young people often go.
Q: What do they do at the temples?
A: Some burn incense and make a wish, hoping to pass an exam or find a good job; some just walk and sit quietly; and many like to buy a bead bracelet at the temple and wear it, feeling it brings good luck.
Q: Are all these young people Buddhists?
A: Not necessarily. Many young people say they aren’t really Buddhist; they are just under too much pressure at work and school, and want a quiet place to calm their minds. Tickets are cheap and the surroundings are lovely, so it’s more relaxing than going elsewhere.
Q: What do people say online?
A: One line is all over the internet: “Go to work or get ahead? I choose to go and burn incense.” It sounds a little funny and a little helpless, and it captures how many young people feel: they work hard for a long time, sometimes still see no results, and can only go to a temple for some peace of mind.
Some people worry: are young people who go to temples running away from real life? But many feel there’s nothing wrong with burning incense and making a wish, then going back and carrying on working hard.