March 13, 2025

Balancing Act: Jiang Li's Journey Through Duty and Desire

13 minutes

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Balancing Act: Jiang Li's Journey Through Duty and Desire
Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:
fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-03-13-22-34-01-zh

Story Transcript:

Zh: 江丽坐在办公室里，窗外是盛开的樱花树。
En: Jiang Li sat in the office, outside the window were blossoming sakura trees.

Zh: 春天来了，空气中充满了生机。
En: Spring had arrived, and the air was filled with vitality.

Zh: 而她的心情却不怎么轻松。
En: However, her mood was not very light.

Zh: 近来，她的心思总是围绕着工作和家庭打转。
En: Recently, her thoughts always revolved around work and family.

Zh: 江丽是一名勤奋的员工。
En: Jiang Li was a diligent employee.

Zh: 最近，公司有一个升职的机会。
En: Recently, there was a promotion opportunity at the company.

Zh: 江丽想获得这个职位，为家人提供更好的生活。
En: Jiang Li wanted to get this position to provide a better life for her family.

Zh: 然而，清明节快到了，家里人希望她能回去参加祭祖活动。
En: However, Qingming Festival was approaching, and her family hoped she could return to attend the ancestor worship activities.

Zh: 每天，她在电脑前忙碌，心里却不停地想着家里的期待。
En: Every day, she was busy in front of the computer, but her mind kept thinking about her family's expectations.

Zh: 她的同事兼朋友梅晨注意到了江丽的疲惫。
En: Her colleague and friend Mei Chen noticed Jiang Li's exhaustion.

Zh: “丽，你看起来很累，要照顾好自己啊。”梅晨关心地说。
En: "Li, you look very tired, you need to take good care of yourself," Mei Chen said with concern.

Zh: 江丽叹了口气。
En: Jiang Li sighed.

Zh: “谢谢你，梅晨。不过我想要这次升职的机会，也不想让家里失望。”
En: "Thank you, Mei Chen. But I want this promotion opportunity, and I don't want to disappoint my family."

Zh: 清明节那天快到了，江丽的内心矛盾加剧。
En: As the day of Qingming Festival approached, the inner conflict within Jiang Li intensified.

Zh: 她想努力工作，赢得老板的认可，但心里知道不能错过和家人一起度过的重要节日。
En: She wanted to work hard to earn her boss's recognition, but she knew she couldn't miss such an important festival with her family.

Zh: 终于，江丽鼓起勇气，去找老板谈话。
En: Finally, Jiang Li gathered the courage to talk to her boss.

Zh: 她小心翼翼地说：“老板，我对工作非常认真，但我也有责任去和家人一起过清明节。”
En: She cautiously said, "Boss, I am very serious about my work, but I also have a responsibility to be with my family for Qingming Festival."

Zh: 老板停下手里的工作，看着她。
En: The boss paused his work and looked at her.

Zh: 他沉思了一会儿，然后点了点头。
En: He pondered for a moment, then nodded.

Zh: “我明白你的困难。家庭和工作都是重要的。
En: "I understand your difficulty. Family and work are both important.

Zh: 你是一个重要的团队成员，我相信你。”
En: You are an important team member, and I trust you."

Zh: 这次对话后，江丽感到轻松了许多。
En: After this conversation, Jiang Li felt much more at ease.

Zh: 她意识到，平衡工作和家庭不必是一场零和游戏。
En: She realized that balancing work and family did not have to be a zero-sum game.

Zh: 通过坦诚的沟通，她可以得到双方面的理解。
En: Through honest communication, she could gain understanding from both sides.

Zh: 在清明节后回到公司时，她的内心安宁了。
En: Returning to the company after Qingming Festival, she felt peaceful inside.

Zh: 她决定要更好地表达自己的需求，并找到新的方式来应对工作与家庭的双重责任。
En: She decided to express her needs better and find new ways to cope with the dual responsibilities of work and family.

Zh: 樱花仍在风中轻轻飘落，象征新的开始。
En: The sakura still fluttered gently in the wind, symbolizing a new beginning.

Zh: 江丽看着窗外，心中充满了对未来的希望。
En: Jiang Li looked out the window, her heart filled with hope for the future.

Zh: 她知道，不论在家庭还是在工作中，理解和沟通是最重要的。
En: She knew that, whether in family or at work, understanding and communication were the most important.

Vocabulary Words: