Success can mean different things to different people. To some it’s all about getting ahead in your career, getting a high salary and becoming a leader at work. To others it’s more to do with having a family, preferably a son and a daughter, and being able to take care of them and see them grow… maybe have a think about your own aspirations!
In this Podcast, you will learn:
1) How to talk about achieving success in life
2) To discuss making work-life balance decisions
Dialogue:
Two colleagues are in a restaurant:
（在餐厅）
(Zài cān tīng)
(in the restaurant)
B: 听说你最近又加薪了？
B: Tīng shuō nǐ zuì jìn yòu jiā xīn le?
I heard that you got a salary increase again recently, right?
A: 是啊。
A: Shì a.
Yeah.
B：恭喜恭喜啊。儿女双全，事业又好，真是人生赢家啊。
B: Gōng xǐ gōng xǐ a. Ér nǚ shuāng quán, shì yè yòu hǎo, zhēn shi rén shēng yíng jiā a.
Congratulations! You have both a son and a daughter, and a good career. You are such a winner in life.
A: 唉，可是工作量也增加了，没时间照顾孩子。对女人来说还是家庭的成功更重要啊。
A: Āi, kě shì gōng zuò liàng yě zēng jiā le, méi shí jiān zhào gù hái zi. Duì nǚ rén lái shuō hái shì jiā tíng de chéng gōng gèng zhòng yào a.
Alas, but the workload has also been increased. I have no time to take care of the children. For most women success in the family is more important than work.
Chinese words and phrases mentioned in this Podcast:
听说：hear about
最近：recently
又：again
加薪：get a salary increase
恭喜：congratulations
儿女：son and daughter
双全：have both
儿女双全：have both son and daughter
事业：career
人生赢家 winner in life, have it all
赢家：winner
工作量：workload
增加：increase
对……来说：as for
还是：after all
女人：woman
照顾：take care of
孩子：child
家庭：family
成功：success
更：more
重要：important
Cultural/Grammar notes:
(1) From the Chinese traditional point of view, for women, their family is more important than a career. Today, this value is changing but still Chinese women are generally more family oriented than looking for a long term career
(2) From this year, an only child policy has been cancelled in China and more and more families are planning to have their second child. To have both a son and a daughter is a major wish for many parents in China.