Level 2 · Reading series
Lesson 10 · The Friend Who Needed Space
Audio track 10
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
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On the train home, Nao was quieter than usual. I asked, "Are you angry?"
She shook her head. "No. I just need space."
At first, I thought she meant a bigger seat. Then I understood. She wanted time without questions.
I wanted to help, but asking too much was not helping. So I said, "Okay. I'll sit here. If you want to talk, I'm listening."
She smiled a little. Sometimes friendship means staying close without pushing.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
放学回家的列车上，直比平时安静。我问她：‘你生气了吗？’
她摇摇头：‘没有。我只是想自己静一静。’
起初，我还以为她是想要一个更宽敞的座位。后来我明白了：她想有一段不用回答问题的时间。
我想帮她，可问得太多并没有帮上忙。于是我说：‘好。我就坐在这里。你想说话的话，我随时听着。’
她微微笑了。有时候，友谊就是陪在身边，却不催着对方说话。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- quieter than usual
- 比平时更安静；quieter 是 quiet 的比较级。
- shake one's head
- 摇头；常表示否定。
- need space
- 需要一点个人空间；这里是想静一静，不是换座位。
- mean
- 意思是；文中讨论 space 的含义。
- understand
- 明白；从对方的话和处境中领会意思。
- without questions
- 不用回答问题；without 后可接名词。
- too much
- 太多；asking too much 是‘问得太多’。
- If you want to ...
- 如果你想……；为对方留出选择。
- push
- 催促；结尾指不逼朋友马上开口。
- stay close
- 待在身边；既陪伴对方，也尊重她的需要。
Background notes (Chinese)
space 除了‘空间’，也可以指人际交往中需要的独处时间。主人公先把它理解成座位空间，后来才从朋友的语气和处境中读懂另一层意思。