Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

Chat attack

carpool

拼车

(pīnchē)

A: His wife was always complaining about how hard it was to squeeze into public transportation on the way to work, so he went online to find someone she could carpool with. Every month he gives someone money so they will take his wife to and from work.

他妻子老抱怨挤公交上班太辛苦,于是他特意上网找人拼车,每个月给对方付钱让别人接送妻子上下班。

(tā qīzǐ lǎo bàoyuàn jǐ ɡōnɡjiāo shànɡbān tài xīnkǔ, yúshì tā tèyì shànɡwǎnɡ zhǎorén pīnchē, měiɡè yuè ɡěi duìfānɡ fùqián rànɡ biérén jiēsònɡ qīzǐ shànɡxiàbān.)

B: He's really a good husband who cares about his wife. 

真是心疼妻子的好老公。

(zhēnshì xīnténɡ qīzǐ de hǎo lǎoɡōnɡ.)

A: But, half a month later, he lost contact with his wife and the carpool guy when they ran off together. He's now planning on quitting his job and going to look for his wife.

可半个月后,他妻子和那位拼车车主同时失联,私奔了。他现在打算辞职找妻子。

(kě bànɡè yuè hòu, tā qīzǐ hé nàwèi pīnchē chēzhǔ tónɡshí shīlián, sībēn le. tā xiànzài dǎsuàn cízhí zhǎo qīzǐ.)

B: ... Life really is unpredictable.

…世事难料。

(…shìshì nánliào.)