Dad's Voice Messages · chapter 1 of 3
Sixty Seconds
六十秒
The weather, the kittens downstairs, a too-salty stew: Dad's nightly messages are always about nothing. Until one night, there isn't one.
Hear the chapter
Read what you hear
- Xiao Yu 我爸爸不太会说话。
Wǒ bàba bú tài huì shuōhuà.
My dad isn't very good with words.
- Xiao Yu 我小时候，他很少说“我爱你”，也很少说“辛苦了”。
Wǒ xiǎoshíhou, tā hěn shǎo shuō “wǒ ài nǐ”, yě hěn shǎo shuō “xīnkǔ le”.
When I was little, he rarely said “I love you,” or even “you've worked hard.”
- Xiao Yu 可是去年，他学会了用手机发语音。
Kěshì qùnián, tā xué huì le yòng shǒujī fā yǔyīn.
But last year, he learned how to send voice messages on his phone.
- Xiao Yu 从那以后，每天晚上九点，我的手机都会响一下。
Cóng nà yǐhòu, měi tiān wǎnshang jiǔ diǎn, wǒ de shǒujī dōu huì xiǎng yíxià.
Since then, every night at nine, my phone pings.
- Dad 小雨，今天北京降温了，多穿点儿衣服。
Xiǎo Yǔ, jīntiān Běijīng jiàngwēn le, duō chuān diǎnr yīfu.
Xiao Yu, it got colder in Beijing today. Wear more layers.
- Dad 楼下的猫生了四只小猫。一只黑的，三只白的。
Lóu xià de māo shēng le sì zhī xiǎo māo. Yì zhī hēi de, sān zhī bái de.
The cat downstairs had four kittens. One black, three white.
- Dad 我今天做了红烧肉。你妈说咸了，我觉得还可以。
Wǒ jīntiān zuò le hóngshāo ròu. Nǐ mā shuō xián le, wǒ juéde hái kěyǐ.
I made braised pork today. Your mom said it was too salty. I think it was fine.
- Xiao Yu 每一条语音，都是六十秒。他总是说到最后一秒。
Měi yì tiáo yǔyīn, dōu shì liùshí miǎo. Tā zǒng shì shuō dào zuìhòu yì miǎo.
Every message is sixty seconds long. He always talks right up to the last second.
- Xiao Yu 我工作很忙。有的时候我听，有的时候不听。
Wǒ gōngzuò hěn máng. Yǒu de shíhou wǒ tīng, yǒu de shíhou bù tīng.
I'm busy with work. Sometimes I listen, sometimes I don't.
- Xiao Yu 不管他说什么，我都只回一个字：“嗯。”
Bùguǎn tā shuō shénme, wǒ dōu zhǐ huí yí gè zì: “Èn.”
Whatever he says, I reply with just one word: “Mm.”
- Xiao Yu 他从来没有生过气。第二天晚上九点，手机还是会响。
Tā cónglái méiyǒu shēng guo qì. Dì èr tiān wǎnshang jiǔ diǎn, shǒujī háishi huì xiǎng.
He never once got upset. At nine the next night, my phone would still ping.
- Xiao Yu 有一天，我加班到很晚。回家的路上，我发现手机很安静。
Yǒu yì tiān, wǒ jiābān dào hěn wǎn. Huí jiā de lù shang, wǒ fāxiàn shǒujī hěn ānjìng.
One day I work late. On the way home, I realize my phone has been quiet.
- Xiao Yu 九点没有响。十点也没有响。
Jiǔ diǎn méiyǒu xiǎng. Shí diǎn yě méiyǒu xiǎng.
Nothing at nine. Nothing at ten.
- Xiao Yu 我第一次主动给他发了一条语音：“爸，你怎么不说话了？”
Wǒ dì yī cì zhǔdòng gěi tā fā le yì tiáo yǔyīn: “Bà, nǐ zěnme bù shuōhuà le?”
For the first time, I send him a voice message myself: “Dad, why haven't you said anything?”
- Xiao Yu 没有回答。
Méiyǒu huídá.
No answer.
- Xiao Yu 十一点，我的手机终于响了。可是不是爸爸，是妈妈。
Shíyī diǎn, wǒ de shǒujī zhōngyú xiǎng le. Kěshì bú shì bàba, shì māma.
At eleven, my phone finally rings. But it isn't Dad. It's Mom.
- Mom 小雨，你别着急……你爸住院了。
Xiǎo Yǔ, nǐ bié zháojí… nǐ bà zhùyuàn le.
Xiao Yu, don't panic… your dad's in the hospital.
- Xiao Yu 住院？他怎么了？
Zhùyuàn? Tā zěnme le?
The hospital? What happened?
- Mom 下午在公园晕倒了。医生说，明天要做手术。
Xiàwǔ zài gōngyuán yūn dǎo le. Yīshēng shuō, míngtiān yào zuò shǒushù.
He fainted in the park this afternoon. The doctor says he needs surgery tomorrow.
- Mom 他不让我告诉你，怕你担心。
Tā bú ràng wǒ gàosu nǐ, pà nǐ dānxīn.
He didn't want me to tell you. He was afraid you'd worry.
- Xiao Yu 我站在路边，手在发抖。
Wǒ zhàn zài lù biān, shǒu zài fādǒu.
I stand by the road, my hands shaking.
- Xiao Yu 我买了最早的一班火车。然后，我点开了那些我没有听过的语音。
Wǒ mǎi le zuì zǎo de yì bān huǒchē. Ránhòu, wǒ diǎn kāi le nàxiē wǒ méiyǒu tīng guo de yǔyīn.
I book the earliest train. Then I tap open the voice messages I never listened to.
What changed in the story?
- What does Dad send every night at nine?
“每一条语音，都是六十秒.”
- How does Xiao Yu usually reply?
“我都只回一个字：‘嗯.’”
- What does Dad talk about in his messages?
The weather, “四只小猫,” and “红烧肉.”
- Why is the phone quiet one night?
“你爸住院了.”
- Why didn't Dad want Mom to tell Xiao Yu?
“怕你担心.”