▸ 我wǒ发现fā xiàn自己zì jǐ有yǒu一个yī ge问题wèn tí：很多hěn duō事情shì qing一旦yī dàn开始kāi shǐ，就jiù很难hěn nán停下来tíng xià lái。

I've noticed a problem with myself: with a lot of things, once they start, they're very hard to stop.

▸ 比如bǐ rú吃chī东西dōng xi：一旦yī dàn打开dǎ kāi一yī盒hé饼干bǐng gān，我wǒ就jiù会huì把bǎ它tā吃完chī wán。

Take snacks: once I open a box of cookies, I'll finish the whole thing.

▸ 看书kàn shū也yě一样yī yàng：一旦yī dàn拿起ná qǐ一本yī běn有意思yǒu yì si的de书shū，我wǒ就jiù会huì看到kàn dào半夜bàn yè。

Books are the same: once I pick up an interesting book, I'll read until midnight.

▸ 妹妹mèi mei笑xiào我wǒ，可是kě shì她tā自己zì jǐ也yě一样yī yàng。

My little sister laughs at me, but she's just the same.

▸ 她tā一旦yī dàn开始kāi shǐ买东西mǎi dōng xi，就jiù停tíng不bù下来xià lai，上个星期shàng gè xīng qī买mǎi了le三sān双shuāng一样yī yàng的de鞋xié。

Once she starts shopping she can't stop — last week she bought three identical pairs of shoes.

▸ 爸爸bà ba更gèng厉害lì hai：他tā一旦yī dàn坐zuò到dào沙发shā fā上shàng，就jiù不想bù xiǎng再zài站起来zhàn qǐ lai了le。

Dad is even worse: once he sits down on the sofa, he doesn't want to get up again.

▸ 妈妈mā ma说shuō：“一旦yī dàn坏huài习惯xí guàn养成yǎng chéng了le，就jiù很hěn难改nán gǎi，我们wǒ men应该yīng gāi多duō运动yùn dòng。”

Mom said, "Once a bad habit takes hold, it's hard to change — we should exercise more."

▸ 所以suǒ yǐ我们wǒ men决定jué dìng每天měi tiān晚饭wǎn fàn后hòu一起yī qǐ出去chū qù走zǒu半个bàn ge小时xiǎo shí。

So we decided to go out for a half-hour walk together after dinner every day.

▸ 没想到méi xiǎng dào走路zǒu lù也yě一样yī yàng：一旦yī dàn开始kāi shǐ，我们wǒ men就jiù越yuè走zǒu越yuè远yuǎn。

Who knew walking was the same: once we started, we walked farther and farther.

▸ 昨天zuó tiān我们wǒ men走zǒu到了dào liǎo很远hěn yuǎn的de地方dì fāng，回到huí dào家jiā已经yǐ jīng十shí点diǎn了le。

Yesterday we walked somewhere really far, and it was already ten o'clock when we got home.

▸ 看来kàn lai好事hǎo shì也yě一样yī yàng，一旦yī dàn开始kāi shǐ，就jiù停tíng不bù下来xià lai。

It seems good things work the same way — once they start, there's no stopping them.

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