HSK 3 Reading

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You Have an Unread Love Letter – Please Check It

What does it mean to love yourself? A new Chinese phrase “ài nǐ lǎo jǐ” is going viral on Douyin (TikTok). Young people are buying flowers for themselves, eating big meals alone, and treating themselves to things they’ve wanted for a long time. This short, sweet article is like a love letter you never received — reminding you that the most important person to love is yourself.

🏷️ Trending Topic 🏷️ Internet Slang 🏷️ Life Lessons

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今年，有一个词在网上非常火，叫“爱你老己”。很多人可能会问：“‘爱你老己’是什么意思？”其实，“爱你老己”就是对自己好一点，爱自己。抖音上有很多年轻人给自己买花，一个人去吃大餐，买一件想了很久的东西。他们不是在炫耀，而是在告诉自己：“我值得被爱。” ➕

Jīnnián, yǒu yí ge cí zài wǎngshàng fēicháng huǒ, jiào “ài nǐ lǎo jǐ”. Hěnduō rén kěnéng huì wèn: “‘Ài nǐ lǎo jǐ’ shì shénme yìsi?” Qíshí, “ài nǐ lǎo jǐ” jiù shì duì zìjǐ hǎo yì diǎn, ài zìjǐ. Dōuyīn shàng yǒu hěnduō niánqīng rén gěi zìjǐ mǎi huā, yí ge rén qù chī dà cān, mǎi yí jiàn xiǎng le hěn jiǔ de dōngxi. Tāmen bú shì zài xuànyào, ér shì zài gàosu zìjǐ: “Wǒ zhídé bèi ài.”

This year, a word has become very popular online: “ài nǐ lǎo jǐ.” Many people may ask: “What does ‘ài nǐ lǎo jǐ’ mean?” Actually, “ài nǐ lǎo jǐ” means being good to yourself, loving yourself. On Douyin, many young people buy flowers for themselves, eat a big meal alone, or buy something they’ve wanted for a long time. They are not showing off; they are telling themselves: “I deserve to be loved.”

“爱你老己”听起来像一个好玩的网络流行语，但仔细想想，它很有道理。我们平时总是很忙：要学习、要工作、要照顾家人。我们常常忘了照顾自己的心情。其实，爱自己不是自私。只有先爱自己，才能更好地爱别人。给自己一点时间，做一件让自己开心的小事，这就是“爱你老己”。 ➕

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那么，怎么做才是“爱你老己”呢？其实很简单。比如，周末的早晨，不要急着起床，多睡半小时。或者，下班后去看一场喜欢的电影。也可以给自己买一束漂亮的花，放在桌子上。这些小事不会花很多钱，也不会耽误很多时间，但是会让你觉得温暖和快乐。记住，你值得拥有这些小小的幸福。 ➕

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也许你会说：“爱自己？那不是有点自私吗？”不是的。爱自己和自私是不一样的。自私的人只想自己，不想别人。但爱自己的人是先让自己开心、健康，然后才有更多的能量去帮助别人。就像坐飞机时，安全须知说：遇到危险，请先给自己戴上氧气面罩，再帮身边的人。爱自己，是为了更好地爱这个世界。 ➕

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