The Bicycle Man

An old man and his lifelong love of bicycles · 自行车老人

The neighbourhood children all love old man Wang Zu. They always wave and shout to him as he rides his antique bicycle around town—his back straight as an arrow and his legs strong as those of a man 30 years younger than him.

Wang is known throughout the town as "the bicycle man". He wears his nickname proudly, for there is nothing he loves more than bicycles. His knowledge of the history of bicycles is deep, making him a sort of amateur expert.

Throughout his long life, Wang has devoted much of his spare time to learning everything he can about bicycles. He has a good job and a happy family. But he always finds time for his passion for bicycles.

On weekends, you can find him at his little garage, where he repairs bicycles for children, the elderly, and anyone else who needs his assistance.

Wang never accepts payment for his repair services. When people come with broken chains and flat tires, he tells them that the great pleasure he gets from working on their bicycles is more than enough compensation.

Well into his seventies, Wang has seen many changes. When he was a boy, bicycles were expensive and seemed unobtainable for ordinary people. Wang dreamed of the day when he might own one.

"Yes, indeed," Mr. Wang often says to the children who gather at his shop to listen to his stories. "Everyone wanted a bike. It was a sign of wealth. When I met my wife, the first thing she asked me was whether I owned a bicycle. It was her way of finding out if I was up to the task of raising a family."

When children ride their bicycles today, they have no idea of the history behind the machine. Most of them have never thought about where a bicycle comes from. Did it always look as it does today? What have improvements been made over the years? Will the bike survive?

There was one thing the children wanted to do—they would ask their teacher to invite Wang to give a talk about the history and evolution of bicycles.

The Bicycle Man — A lifetime of love, two wheels at a time

The neighbourhood children all love old man Wang Zu. They always wave and shout to him as he rides his a(1)__________ bicycle around town—his back straight as an arrow and his legs strong as those of a man 30 years younger than him.

Wang is known throughout the town as "the bicycle man". He wears his n(2)__________ proudly, for there is nothing he loves more than bicycles. His knowledge of the history of bicycles is deep, making him a sort of amateur expert.

Throughout his long life, Wang has d(3)__________ much of his spare time to learning everything he can about bicycles. He has a good job and a happy family. But he always finds time for his p(4)__________ for bicycles.

On weekends, you can find him at his little garage, where he repairs bicycles for children, the elderly, and anyone else who needs his a(5)__________.

Wang never accepts payment for his repair services. When people come with broken chains and flat tires, he tells them that the great pleasure he gets from working on their bicycles is more than enough c(6)__________.

Well into his seventies, Wang has seen many changes. When he was a boy, bicycles were expensive and seemed u(7)__________ for ordinary people. Wang dreamed of the day when he might own one.

"Yes, indeed," Mr. Wang often says to the children who gather at his shop to listen to his stories. "Everyone wanted a bike. It was a sign of w(8)__________. When I met my wife, the first thing she asked me was whether I owned a bicycle. It was her way of finding out if I was up to the task of raising a family."

When children ride their bicycles today, they have no idea of the history behind the machine. Most of them have never thought about where a bicycle comes from. Did it always look as it does today? What have i(9)__________ been made over the years? Will the bike survive?

There was one thing the children wanted to do—they would ask their teacher to invite Wang to give a talk about the history and e(10)__________ of bicycles.

📌 重点单词 · Key Vocabulary

🔗 重点词组 · Key Phrases

💡 语法小贴士 · Grammar Tips

🚲 文化拓展 · 当年，一辆自行车就是「三大件」

王先生相亲时被问「你有没有自行车」，这一问背后是中国人共同的记忆——上世纪七八十年代，自行车与手表、缝纫机并列家庭「三大件」，要凭票购买；凤凰、永久、飞鸽是响当当的牌子，一辆车约等于普通工人数月的工资。谁家有车，谁家就是「殷实人家」，难怪它是一sign of wealth，也是丈母娘检验女婿的硬指标。

自行车的百年演变同样精彩：1817 年德国人卡尔·冯·德赖斯发明没有脚踏的木质「跑动机」，1839 年苏格兰人麦克米伦装上脚踏，1885 年「安全自行车」定形，1888 年邓禄普发明充气轮胎——今天孩子们胯下的轻快小车，凝聚了七十余年的改良智慧，正呼应文中那句 What have improvements been made over the years?

王先生修车从不收钱，因为修车时的快乐对他来说就是 more than enough compensation（足够的报酬）；孩子们最想做的，是请他去讲一堂自行车的历史课。真正打动人的从来不只是修车的手艺，而是一个人把一件事安安静静爱了一辈子的样子。Will the bike survive? 只要还有这样的热爱，它就会。