↶ Graded Readers

The Story of Post-it Notes

↶ HSK 4 reading practice

The Story of Post-it Notes

很多hěn duō人rén日常rì cháng会huì用到yòng dào一yī种zhǒng小xiǎo纸条zhǐ tiáo,叫做jiào zuò“便利贴biàn lì tiē”(英文yīng wén叫jiàoPost-it Notes)。

Many people use a kind of small paper note in their daily lives, called “Post-it Notes” (in English called Post-it Notes).

但是dàn shì,你nǐ知道zhī dào便利贴biàn lì tiē是shì如何rú hé发明fā míng的de吗ma?

But, do you know how Post-it Notes were invented?

其实qí shí,这个zhè ge故事gù shì既jì意外yì wài又yòu有趣yǒu qù。

Actually, this story is both unexpected and interesting.

1968年nián,在zài美国měi guó有yǒu一yī家jiā名叫míng jiào3M的de公司gōng sī。

In 1968, there was a company named 3M in the United States.

公司gōng sī里lǐ有yǒu一yī位wèi科学家kē xué jiā,名叫míng jiào斯宾塞·西尔弗sī bīn sài · xī ěr fú。

There was a scientist in the company named Spencer Silver.

一yī天tiān,他tā试图shì tú研发yán fā一yī种zhǒng超强chāo qiáng胶水jiāo shuǐ,但dàn实验shí yàn失败shī bài了le。

One day, he tried to develop a super strong glue, but the experiment failed.

他tā研制yán zhì出来chū lái的de胶水jiāo shuǐ粘性zhān xìng很hěn弱ruò,很hěn容易róng yì脱落tuō luò。

The glue he developed had very weak stickiness, and was very easy to come off.

用yòng这种zhè zhǒng胶水jiāo shuǐ粘贴zhān tiē东西dōng xī,轻轻qīng qīng一yī碰pèng就jiù会huì掉diào下来xià lái。

Using this glue to stick things, it would fall off with a gentle touch.

他tā当时dāng shí觉得jué de这zhè东西dōng xī没什么méi shén me用yòng,就jiù暂时zàn shí搁置gē zhì了le。

He thought at the time that this thing was of no use, so he temporarily set it aside.

几jǐ年nián后hòu的de1974年nián,同tóng一yī家jiā公司gōng sī有yǒu另lìng一yī位wèi科学家kē xué jiā,名叫míng jiào亚瑟·弗莱yà sè · fú lái。

A few years later in 1974, the same company had another scientist named Arthur Fry.

他tā经常jīng cháng参加cān jiā教堂jiào táng的de唱诗班chàng shī bān。

He often participated in the church choir.

做zuò礼拜lǐ bài时shí习惯xí guàn用yòng小xiǎo纸条zhǐ tiáo当dāng书签shū qiān夹jiá在zài歌本gē běn里lǐ

During worship, he was accustomed to using small paper notes as bookmarks clipped in the hymnbook.

但dàn纸条zhǐ tiáo总是zǒng shì滑落huá luò。

But the paper notes always slipped out.

一yī天tiān,在zài翻fān歌本gē běn时shí,他tā忽然hū rán想起xiǎng qǐ了le斯宾塞·西尔弗sī bīn sài · xī ěr fú之前zhī qián研制yán zhì的de那种nà zhǒng“弱粘性ruò zhān xìng”胶水jiāo shuǐ。

One day, while flipping through the hymnbook, he suddenly remembered the “weak adhesive” glue that Spencer had developed earlier.

他tā灵光一闪líng guāng yī shǎn:“如果rú guǒ用yòng这种zhè zhǒng胶水jiāo shuǐ来lái做zuò书签shū qiān,不是bú shì很hěn方便fāng biàn吗ma?”

He had a flash of inspiration: “If we use this glue to make bookmarks, wouldn't it be very convenient?”

亚瑟yà sè立即lì jí找到zhǎo dào斯宾塞sī bīn sài,用yòng他tā的de胶水jiāo shuǐ试制shì zhì了le一些yī xiē小xiǎo纸条zhǐ tiáo。

Arthur immediately found Spencer and used his glue to prototype some small paper notes.

结果jié guǒ,这种zhè zhǒng纸条zhǐ tiáo出乎意料chū hū yì liào地de好用hǎo yòng!

The result was that these paper notes were unexpectedly good to use!

它们tā men可以kě yǐ轻松qīng sōng地de粘贴zhān tiē在zài各种gè zhǒng地方dì fāng。

They can be easily stuck to various places.

又yòu能néng随时suí shí干净gān jìng地de移除yí chú,几乎jī hū不bù会huì留下liú xià任何rèn hé痕迹hén jì。

And they can be cleanly removed at any time, almost without leaving any traces.

两liǎng人rén很快hěn kuài意识到yì shí dào,这种zhè zhǒng小xiǎo纸条zhǐ tiáo用途yòng tú广泛guǎng fàn,远yuǎn不止bù zhǐ于yú当dāng书签shū qiān。

The two quickly realized that these small paper notes had wide uses, far beyond just being bookmarks.

后来hòu lái,他们tā men将jiāng这种zhè zhǒng纸条zhǐ tiáo命名mìng míng为wéi便利贴biàn lì tiē。

Later, they named this paper note “Post-it Notes”.

1980年nián,便利贴biàn lì tiē正式zhèng shì上市shàng shì推广tuī guǎng,迅速xùn sù风靡fēng mǐ全球quán qiú。

In 1980, Post-it Notes were officially launched and promoted, quickly becoming popular globally.

如今rú jīn,便利贴biàn lì tiē几乎jī hū遍布biàn bù世界shì jiè各地gè dì的de办公室bàn gōng shì和hé家庭jiā tíng。

Nowadays, Post-it Notes are almost everywhere in offices and homes around the world.

所以suǒ yǐ,下次xià cì当dāng你nǐ使用shǐ yòng便利贴biàn lì tiē时shí,请qǐng记住jì zhù:

So, next time when you use Post-it Notes, please remember:

它tā的de诞生dàn shēng,源于yuán yú一yī种zhǒng“失败shī bài的de”胶水jiāo shuǐ和hé一yī位wèi渴望kě wàng解决jiě jué书签shū qiān烦恼fán nǎo的de人rén。

Its birth originated from a kind of “failed” glue and a person eager to solve the bookmark troubles.

Hover a word for its pinyin & meaning; click to pin it.

Vocabulary 162 words

ChinesePinyinEnglish
很多 hěn duōMany; a lot
人 rénperson; people
日常 rì chángdaily; everyday
会 huìcan; to know how to; meeting
用到 yòng dàoto use; to come in handy
一 yīone
种 zhǒngkind; type
小 xiǎosmall; little
纸条 zhǐ tiáoslip of paper
叫做 jiào zuòto be called; to be known as
便利贴 biàn lì tiēsticky note
英文 yīng wénEnglish (language)
叫 jiàoto call; to be called
但是 dàn shìbut; however
你 nǐyou
知道 zhī dàoto know; to be aware
是 shìto be; correct
如何 rú héhow; in what way
发明 fā míngto invent; invention
的 depossessive particle
吗 ma(question particle)
其实 qí shíactually
这个 zhè ge(pronoun) this; (adjective) this
故事 gù shìnarrative; story; tale
既 jìboth … and …; since
意外 yì wàiunexpected; accident; mishap
又 yòuagain; also
有趣 yǒu qùinteresting; amusing
年 niányear
在 zàito be (located); at; in
美国 měi guóUnited States; USA; US
有 yǒuto have; there is, there are
家 jiāhome; family
名叫 míng jiàocalled; named
公司 gōng sīcompany; firm; corporation
里 lǐinside; interior; within
位 wèiposition; (honorific) classifier for people
科学家 kē xué jiāscientist
斯宾塞·西尔弗 sī bīn sài · xī ěr fúSpencer Silver (inventor)
天 tiānday; sky
他 tāhe; him
试图 shì túto attempt; to try
研发 yán fāresearch and development; to develop
超强 chāo qiángextremely strong; super
胶水 jiāo shuǐglue
但 dànbut; however
实验 shí yànexperiment; test
失败 shī bàito fail; failure; to be defeated
了 le(particle indicating completed action or change of state)
研制 yán zhìto research and develop; to manufacture through research
出来 chū láito come out
粘性 zhān xìngviscosity; consistency; stickiness
很 hěnvery
弱 ruòweak; feeble
容易 róng yìeasy; not difficult
脱落 tuō luòto drop off; to come off; to lose (hair etc); to omit (a character when writing)
用 yòngto use
这种 zhè zhǒngthis kind of
粘贴 zhān tiēto stick; to affix; to adhere; to paste (as in "copy and paste"); also written 黏贴
东西 dōng xīeast and west
轻轻 qīng qīnglightly; softly
碰 pèngto bump into; to touch
就 jiùthen; just; precisely
掉 diàoto fall; to drop
下来 xià láito come down
当时 dāng shíat that time; then
觉得 jué deto think; to feel
这 zhèthis
没什么 méi shén meit's nothing; never mind
暂时 zàn shítemporary; for the time being; provisional
搁置 gē zhìto shelve; to set aside
几 jǐhow many; several; a few
后 hòubehind; after
同 tóngsame; together; with
另 lìngother; another
亚瑟·弗莱 yà sè · fú láiArthur Fry (inventor)
经常 jīng chángoften; frequently; regularly
参加 cān jiāto participate; to join
教堂 jiào tángchurch; chapel
唱诗班 chàng shī bānchoir
做 zuòto do; to make
礼拜 lǐ bàiweek; (colloquially) Sunday
时 shítime; hour; period
习惯 xí guànhabit; to be used to
当 dāngto serve as; to act as
书签 shū qiānbookmark; measure word: 张/張 (zhāng)
夹 jiávariant of 夹/夾 (jiá)
歌本 gē běnsong book
总是 zǒng shìalways
滑落 huá luòto slide; to roll
翻 fānto turn over; to flip
忽然 hū ránsuddenly; all of a sudden
想起 xiǎng qǐto recall; to remember
之前 zhī qiánbefore; previously
那种 nà zhǒngthat kind of
弱粘性 ruò zhān xìngweak viscosity; low stickiness
灵光一闪 líng guāng yī shǎnsudden inspiration; bright idea
如果 rú guǒif; in case
来 láito come; to arrive
不是 bú shìno; is not; not
方便 fāng biànconvenient; to facilitate
亚瑟 yà sèArthur (name)
立即 lì jíimmediately
找到 zhǎo dàoto find
斯宾塞 sī bīn sàiSpencer or Spence (name)
试制 shì zhìto try out a new product (or manufacturing process); prototype; trial product
一些 yī xiēsome
结果 jié guǒresult; outcome; consequence
出乎意料 chū hū yì liào(idiom) unexpected
地 de-ly (adverb particle)
好用 hǎo yòngeasy to use; useful
它们 tā menthey (for inanimate objects)
可以 kě yǐcan; may; possible; allowed
轻松 qīng sōngrelaxed; easy; effortless
各种 gè zhǒngvarious; all kinds of
地方 dì fāngplace
能 néngcan; to be able to
随时 suí shíat any time; whenever
干净 gān jìngclean
移除 yí chúto remove
几乎 jī hūalmost; nearly; practically
不 bùno; not
留下 liú xiàto leave behind; to keep
任何 rèn héany; whichever
痕迹 hén jìtrace; mark
两 liǎngtwo; both
很快 hěn kuàiVery fast; quickly
意识到 yì shí dàoto be aware of; to realize
用途 yòng túuse; application
广泛 guǎng fànextensive; having a wide range
远 yuǎnfar
不止 bù zhǐnot only; more than
于 yúsurname Yu; used as a preposition meaning in, at, on, from, by, or than
后来 hòu láiafterwards; later
他们 tā menthey
将 jiāngwill; shall (auxiliary verb)
命名 mìng míngto name; to designate
为 wéias (in the capacity of); to take sth as; to act as; to serve as; to behave as; t
正式 zhèng shìformal; official
上市 shàng shìto go public; to be listed (on the stock market)
推广 tuī guǎngto popularize; to promote
迅速 xùn sùrapid; speedy; fast
风靡 fēng mǐfashionable; popular
全球 quán qiúglobal; worldwide
如今 rú jīnnowadays; now
遍布 biàn bùto cover an area; to be found throughout
世界 shì jièworld
各地 gè dìin all parts; various regions
办公室 bàn gōng shìoffice
和 héand; with
家庭 jiā tíngfamily; household
所以 suǒ yǐtherefore; so
下次 xià cìnext time
使用 shǐ yòngto use; to employ
请 qǐngplease; to invite
记住 jì zhùto remember; to keep in mind; to learn by heart
它 tāit
诞生 dàn shēngto be born; to originate
源于 yuán yúhas its origins in
渴望 kě wàngto long for; to yearn for
解决 jiě juéto solve; to resolve
烦恼 fán nǎoto be worried; worries