Grammar

着 can be used to indicate a continuous action or a state.

For example:

马克一边跑步一边听着音乐。

Mǎkè yìbiān pǎobù yìbiān tīngzhe yīnyuè.

Mark is jogging while listening to music.

Exercise: rearrange the words into sentences, adding 着.

For example:

珍妮 唱歌 一边 洗衣服 一边

Zhēnnī chànggē yìbiān xǐyīfu yìbiān

Jenny sing while do laundry while

珍妮一边唱着歌一边洗衣服。

Zhēnnī yìbiān chàngzhegē yìbiān xǐyīfu.

Jenny is singing while doing the laundry.

1. 照片 墙上 挂 几张

Zhàopiàn qiángshang guà jǐzhāng

Photos on the wall hang several

2. 路边 一辆 警车 停

Lùbiān yíliàng jǐngchē tíng

Roadside a police car stop

Chinese Idioms

鹏程万里

Péngchéngwànlǐ

据《庄子·逍遥游》记载,很久以前,遥远的北方有一片无边无际的大海, 叫做天池。 里面住着一条巨大的鱼, 名字叫鲲。 这条鱼能够变成一种叫做鹏的大鸟。 鹏鸟展开翅膀就像天空里的一大片云。 当它展翅高飞的时候,可以冲上几万里的高空, 也可以飞过很长的距离。 麻雀看到鹏鸟, 讥笑到: “我跳跃飞腾,在蓬蒿丛中自由自在,也是得意的飞行。为什么要费劲飞到万里高空呢?” 这个故事比喻目光短浅的人无法理解志向高远者的追求。现在人们常用 “鹏程万里” 这个成语来祝愿别人前程远大。

Jù 《Zhuāngzǐ·Xiāoyáoyóu》 jìzǎi, hěnjiǔ yǐqián, yáoyuǎnde běifāng yǒu yípiàn wúbiānwújìde dàhǎi, jiàozuò Tiānchí. Lǐmiàn zhùzhe yìtiáo jùdàde yú, míngzì jiào Kūn. Zhètiáoyú nénggòu biànchéng yìzhǒng jiàozuò Péng de dàniǎo. Péngniǎo zhǎnkāi chìbǎng jiùxiàng tiānkōng lǐ de yídàpiàn yún. Dāng tā zhǎnchìgāofēi de shíhou, kěyǐ chōngshàng jǐwànlǐ de gāokōng, yě kěyǐ fēiguò hěnchángde jùlí. Máquè kàndào péngniǎo, jīxiàodào: “Wǒ tiàoyuè fēiténg, zài pénghāo cóngzhōng zìyóuzìzài, yěshì déyìde fēixíng. Wèishénme yào fèijìn fēidào wànlǐ gāokōng ne?” Zhège gùshi bǐyù mùguāng duǎnqiǎn de rén wúfǎ lǐjiě zhìxiàng gāoyuǎnzhě de zhuīqiú. Xiànzài rénmen chángyòng “péngchéngwànlǐ” zhège chéngyǔ lái zhùyuàn biérén qiánchéng yuǎndà.

This story originates from Zhuangzi: A Happy Excursion. Once upon a time, a gigantic fish named Kun lived in the Celestial Lake, an immense sea in the north. The fish could change itself into an enormous bird named Peng. When the bird spread its wings, it looked like huge clouds in the sky. It could soar up a hundred thousand li and fly huge distances without resting. A sparrow saw it and laughed, saying, “When I jump and fly among the bushes, I feel free and content. What then can be the use of going up a hundred thousand li to start a long journey?” The story expresses that people with narrow views cannot understand those with aspirations. Nowadays people use this idiom to wish others a successful career or a bright future.