Chat attack

peak/ 极值/ (jízhí)  

A: Your birthday is almost here, right? What wish do you have this year?

你的生日快到了吧？今年有什么愿望？

(nǐde shēnɡrì kuàidàoleba? jīnnián yǒushenme yuànwànɡ?) 

B: If I say it, don't laugh at me. I really wish for world peace and that people can live in peace and be content in their work.  Although 2020 isn't over yet, have you seen what we've been through already so far? First it was novel coronavirus and then floods, and recently it was earthquakes. It's made it so that people can't live and work in peace.

我说了你可别笑话我,我是真的希望世界和平,老百姓能安居乐业。虽然2020年还没结束,但是你看看这一年我们都经历了什么？先是新冠肺炎,然后又是洪涝灾害,最近又是地震,导致大家都没办法好好工作生活了。

(wǒshuōle nǐkě bié xiàohuàwǒ, wǒshì zhēnde xīwànɡ shìjiè hépínɡ, lǎobǎixìnɡ nénɡ ānjūlèyè. suīrán èrlínɡèrlínɡ nián háiméi jiéshù, dànshì nǐkànkàn zhèyīnián wǒmén dōu jīnɡlìle shenme? xiānshì xīnɡuàn fèiyán, ránhòu yòushì hónɡlào zāihài, zuìjìn yòushì dìzhèn, dǎozhì dàjiā dōu méibànfǎ hǎohǎo ɡōnɡzuò shēnɡhuóle.)

A: You really have a point. I saw the news say that the floods have been really turbulent this time. A lot of hydrological stations in China have passed the historic peak of 1998.

有道理,我看新闻说这次的洪水来得很汹涌,中国的多个水文站破了1998年的历史极值。

(yǒudàolǐ, wǒkàn xīnwén shuō zhècìde hónɡshuǐ láidé hěn xiōnɡyǒnɡ, zhōnɡɡuóde duōɡè shuǐwénzhàn pòle yījiǔjiǔbā niánde lìshǐjízhí.)

B: When can we lead normal lives again? 

什么时候我们的生活才能恢复正常？

(shénme shíhòu wǒménde shēnɡhuó cáinénɡ huīfù zhènɡchánɡ?)

Illustration: Liu Xidan/GT