Illustration: Xia Qing

Beijing Dialect

To give up halfway

掉链子

(diào liànzi)

A: You look very different from before.

你看起来跟以前很不一样。

(nǐ kàn qǐlái ɡēn yǐqián hěn bù yīyànɡ.)

B: Sure. I started exercising regularly two years ago and went from 253 to 160 pounds. Losing weight was the only thing I didn't give up halfway.

当然。我两年前开始定期运动,然后从253磅减到了160磅,减肥是唯一一件我没有掉链子的事情。

(dānɡrán. wǒ liǎnɡnián qián kāishǐ dìnɡqī yùndònɡ, ránhòu cónɡ 253 bànɡ jiǎn dào le 160 bànɡ, jiǎnféi shì wéiyī yījiàn wǒ méiyǒu diào liànzi de shìqínɡ.)

A: Good for you! I hope I can have that strong willpower.

真好！ 我希望我也有那么强的意志力。

(zhēnhǎo! wǒ xīwànɡ wǒ yěyǒu nàme qiánɡ de yìzhìlì.)