3000 Yuan Commute: Hangzhou to Shanghai Daily
Welcome back to Learn English with Podcasts! Sarah, would you spend 2.5 hours each way just to get to work?欢迎回到 Learn English with Podcasts！Sarah，你愿意花单程2.5小时去上班吗？
No way. That sounds crazy. Two times 2.5 hours is 5 hours a day!不可能。这听起来太疯狂了。2.5小时乘以2，一天就是5小时！
I thought so too. But in Hangzhou, two young people do exactly that. Every day.我也这么想。但在杭州，有两个年轻人就是这样做的。每天都这样。
Really? Where do they go?真的吗？他们去哪里上班？
To Shanghai. They live in Linping, Hangzhou, but work in Shanghai. By high-speed train.去上海。他们住在杭州临平，但在上海工作。坐高铁去。
Wow, that is a cross-province commute. How early do they leave home?哇，这是跨省通勤。他们早上多早出门？
Let's start with Tan. He leaves home at 6 in the morning. 1 hour by train, then metro. He gets to his office before 9.先说说小谭。他早上6点从家出发。坐1小时高铁，再转地铁。9点前能到公司。
3 hours of travel every morning? That is hard. How much does he spend?每天早上在路上花3小时？太辛苦了。他花多少钱？
More than 3000 yuan a month. With that money, he could rent a room in Shanghai.每月3000多元。用这笔钱，他其实可以在上海租个房。
Then why doesn't he? Why live so far away?那他为什么不租呢？为什么住这么远？
He did the math. In Shanghai, 3000 yuan only gets a small room, far from the center. He still needs a long ride to work.他算过账。在上海，3000元只能租到偏远的小房间。去上班还是要坐很久的车。
I see. So living in Linping is cheaper and more comfortable?明白了。所以住在临平更便宜、更舒服？
Yes. Bigger home, lower living costs, same travel time. He thinks Linping wins.对。房子更大，生活成本更低，路上时间却差不多。他觉得临平更划算。
Okay, that makes some sense. Who is the other person?好吧，这有点道理。另一个人是谁？
A young woman named Xiao Lin. She works in advertising. Her story is even more detailed.一个叫小林的年轻姑娘。她做广告行业。她的故事更详细。
Tell me about her day. When does she wake up?给我讲讲她的一天。她几点起床？
At 5:30. First, she drives to the train station. Then she takes the 6:58 train from Linpingnan Station.5点半。首先，她开车到高铁站。然后坐6点58分从临平南站出发的那趟车。
How much is the ticket? And how long is the ride?票多少钱？要坐多久？
59 yuan for a second-class seat. The ride takes 1 hour 4 minutes. She arrives at Shanghai Hongqiao at 8:02.二等座59元。车程1小时4分钟。8点02分到上海虹桥。
That train number sounds familiar. Is it G7556?这个车次听起来很熟。是G7556吗？
Yes, G7556. After Hongqiao, she takes the metro for about 40 minutes. She changes lines one time. It costs 4 yuan.对，G7556。到虹桥后，她坐地铁约40分钟。中途换乘一次。花4元。
And then? She walks to the office?然后呢？她走路去公司？
No, she scans a shared bike and rides 2.5 km. Because she has a monthly pass, it costs only about 1 yuan a day.不，她扫一辆共享单车，骑2.5公里。因为买了月卡，平均每天只花1元左右。
Let me count. Train, metro, bike. She gets to work around 9?我数数。高铁、地铁、单车。她9点左右到公司？
Exactly, around 9. In Xuhui District, Shanghai. Not late, not early.没错，9点左右。在上海徐汇区。不迟到，也不早。
And the way back? She must be so tired after work.那回去呢？下班后她一定很累吧。
She leaves work at 6 in the evening. She can catch the 7:10 pm train from Hongqiao. The ticket back is 79 yuan.她下午6点下班。能赶上晚上7点10分从虹桥出发的那趟车。回程票79元。
What if she works late?如果她加班呢？
There is a later train at 9:19 pm. But sometimes there are no second-class seats left. Then she has to buy a first-class seat.还有一班晚上9点19分的车。但有时二等座卖完了。她就只能加价买一等座。
So one month costs about 3000 yuan. And 2.5 hours each way. Isn't she tired?所以一个月要花3000元左右。单程2.5小时。她不累吗？
She says no. She can take a short nap on the high-speed train. She arrives rested.她说不累。她可以在高铁上眯一会儿。到公司时休息得很好。
Wait, she used to work in Binjiang, right? Was that easier?等等，她以前在滨江上班，对吧？那不是更近吗？
Not really. From Linping to Binjiang, the morning metro took about 2 hours. Crowded, noisy, no seat.其实没有。从临平到滨江，早高峰坐地铁也要约2小时。又挤又吵，还没座位。
Oh! So the time is almost the same. But the train is much nicer?哦！所以时间几乎一样。但高铁舒服多了？
Yes. And the new job in Shanghai pays more. She did the math, and said yes to Shanghai.对。而且上海的新工作工资更高。她算了笔账，就接受了去上海上班。
I get it now. It is not about distance. It is about how you spend the time.我现在懂了。关键不是距离。是你在路上的时间怎么过的。
Exactly. 2 hours standing in a crowded metro, or 1 hour sleeping on a fast train? Which would you pick?没错。2小时站着挤地铁，还是1小时在高铁上睡觉？你选哪个？
Hmm, when you put it that way... the farthest commuter may be the most rested person in the office.嗯，这么一说……跑得最远的通勤族，可能是办公室里休息得最好的人。
That is the fun twist. She travels across provinces every day, but she arrives calmer than many locals.这就是有趣的反转。她每天跨省上班，到公司时却比很多本地人更从容。
So home is not the closest place. Home is the place where the math works, and life feels good.所以家不是最近的地方。家是那笔账算得过来、日子过得舒服的地方。
Beautifully said. Thanks for listening to Learn English with Podcasts. Could you do a 2.5-hour commute for a better life? Tell us, and see you next time.说得真好。感谢收听 Learn English with Podcasts。为了更好的生活，你愿意每天通勤2.5小时吗？告诉我们，下期见。