住不起的城市

我决定了，下个月就要搬去一个小城市，不打算继续留在北京工作了。

I've decided. Next month I'm moving to a smaller city. I don't plan to keep working in Beijing.

这么突然？你现在的工作不是做得挺好的吗，为什么会突然做这个决定？

That's sudden. Isn't your job going pretty well? Why the sudden decision?

工作是做得不错，但是我每个月的工资，一大半都用来交房租了，剩下的钱真的不多。

The job is fine. But most of my salary every month goes straight to rent. What's left over really isn't much.

北京的工资本来就比小城市高很多啊。你搬过去，工资肯定会降，房租便宜了，工资也少了，这样真的划算吗？

Salaries in Beijing are just higher than in a smaller city to begin with. If you move, your salary will definitely drop too. Rent goes down, but so does your salary. Is that actually worth it?

我算过了。就算工资降一点，房租降得更多。而且我每天上下班要花两个小时通勤，那些时间也是钱，也是压力。

I've done the math. Even if my salary drops a little, rent drops more. And I spend two hours a day commuting to and from work. That time is money too, and it's pressure too.

两个小时的通勤是挺长的，我理解你说的压力。可是小城市机会少，你以后想换工作，想有更好的发展，会不会后悔？

Two hours of commuting is a long time, I get the pressure you're talking about. But a smaller city has fewer opportunities. If later you want to change jobs, want a better career, might you end up regretting it?

我当然想过会不会后悔这件事。可是这种压力已经影响到我的身体和心情了，我觉得健康比工资更重要。

Of course I've thought about whether I'll regret it. But this kind of pressure has already affected my health and my mood. I think health matters more than salary.

我明白你的意思。可是这个决定不是小事，搬过去以后，如果发现自己后悔了，也不容易马上再搬回来。

I understand what you mean. But this decision isn't a small thing. Once you've moved, if you find out you regret it, it won't be easy to just move back right away.

这些我都想清楚了。我知道搬去小城市，工资会少一点，但是房租也会少很多，通勤也会短很多，我不用每天那么累。

I've thought all of this through. I know that moving to a smaller city means less salary, but rent will also be much lower and the commute much shorter. I won't be this exhausted every day.

那你不担心以后的发展吗？大城市机会多，年轻的时候多受一点压力，将来也许更值得。

So you're not worried about your future career? Big cities have more opportunities. Taking on more pressure while you're young might be worth it later.

也许吧，但是我已经决定了。我现在想要的是少一点压力，多一点时间，将来的事，谁知道呢。

Maybe. But I've already decided. What I want right now is less pressure and more time. Whatever happens later, who knows.

好，你想好了就去吧。等你搬过去以后，告诉我，你到底后悔还是不后悔。

All right, if you've made up your mind then go. Once you've moved, tell me whether you actually end up regretting it or not.