你知道红绿灯吧，
nǐ | zhī | dào | hóng | lǜ | dēng | ba
You know traffic lights, don’t you?
在城市的每个路口都有红绿灯，
zài | chéng | shì | de | měi | gè | lù | kǒu | dōu | yǒu | hóng | lǜ | dēng
there is a set of traffic lights at every intersection in the city.
行人看的红绿灯通常是一个小人图形，
xíng | rén | kàn | de | hóng | lǜ | dēng | tōng | cháng | shì | yī | gè | xiǎo | rén | tú | xíng
The traffic lights for pedestrians are usually in the shape of a little figure.
有一些红绿灯在绿灯的时候，
yǒu | yī | xiē | hóng | lǜ | dēng | zài | lǜ | dēng | de | shí | hou
For some of these lights, when it turns green,
小人儿会做走路的动作。
xiǎo | rén | ér | huì | zuò | zǒu | lù | de | dòng | zuò
the little figure will make a walking motion.
车辆看的红绿灯通常就是大圆灯，
chē | liàng | kàn | de | hóng | lǜ | dēng | tōng | cháng | jiù | shì | dà | yuán | dēng
Traffic lights for vehicles are usually large round lights.
有些路口只有一个灯，
yǒu | xiē | lù | kǒu | zhǐ | yǒu | yī | gè | dēng
Some intersections only have one light.
绿灯亮时，车辆可以直行和左转。
lǜ | dēng | liàng | shí | chē | liàng | kě | yǐ | zhí | xíng | hé | zuǒ | zhuǎn
When the green light is on, vehicles can go straight and turn left.
而有些路口还有左转灯，
ér | yǒu | xiē | lù | kǒu | hái | yǒu | zuǒ | zhuǎn | dēng
But some intersections also have a dedicated left-turn light.
直行灯变红后，左转灯才变绿，
zhí | xíng | dēng | biàn | hóng | hòu | zuǒ | zhuǎn | dēng | cái | biàn | lǜ
Only after the straight-ahead light turns red will the left-turn light turn green.
车辆才可以左转。
chē | liàng | cái | kě | yǐ | zuǒ | zhuǎn
Then vehicles are allowed to turn left.
绿灯快结束时，也会有倒计时数字，
lǜ | dēng | kuài | jié | shù | shí | yě | huì | yǒu | dào | jì | shí | shù | zì
When the green light is about to end, there will also be a countdown timer.
提醒人们准备停下来。
tí | xǐng | rén | men | zhǔn | bèi | tíng | xià | lái
It reminds people to get ready to stop.
除此之外呢，还有黄灯，
chú | cǐ | zhī | wài | ne | hái | yǒu | huáng | dēng
Besides these, there is also a yellow light.
绿灯结束了，黄灯开始闪烁，
lǜ | dēng | jié | shù | le | huáng | dēng | kāi | shǐ | shǎn | shuò
When the green light ends, the yellow light starts flashing.
来提示司机马上要红灯了，
lái | tí | shì | sī | jī | mǎ | shàng | yào | hóng | dēng | le
It alerts drivers that the red light is about to turn on.
请准备刹车。
qǐng | zhǔn | bèi | shā | chē
Please prepare to brake.
很多司机会在黄灯的时候赶紧冲过去，
hěn | duō | sī | jī | huì | zài | huáng | dēng | de | shí | hou | gǎn | jǐn | chōng | guò | qù
Many drivers will rush through the intersection when the yellow light is on.
造成了一些交通问题，
zào | chéng | le | yī | xiē | jiāo | tōng | wèn | tí
This causes some traffic problems.
所以几年前出了一个规定，
suǒ | yǐ | jǐ | nián | qián | chū | le | yī | gè | guī | dìng
So a regulation was introduced a few years ago.
黄灯亮了车辆就必须停下，
huáng | dēng | liàng | le | chē | liàng | jiù | bì | xū | tíng | xià
Vehicles must stop as soon as the yellow light comes on.
不能再超过斑马线，
bù | néng | zài | chāo | guò | bān | mǎ | xiàn
They are not allowed to cross the zebra crossing anymore.
违规者就要罚款。
wéi | guī | zhě | jiù | yào | fá | kuǎn
Those who violate the rule will be fined.
可是，事与愿违，
kě | shì | shì | yǔ | yuàn | wéi
However, things did not go as planned.
这个规定导致了，
zhè | ge | guī | dìng | dǎo | zhì | le
This regulation led to a problem.
黄灯一亮，司机们马上刹车，
huáng | dēng | yī | liàng | sī | jī | men | mǎ | shàng | shā | chē
As soon as the yellow light came on, drivers would brake suddenly.
造成很多追尾事故。
zào | chéng | hěn | duō | zhuī | wěi | shì | gù
This caused many rear-end collisions.
所以没过多久，这个规定就取消了，
suǒ | yǐ | méi | guò | duō | jiǔ | zhè | ge | guī | dìng | jiù | qǔ | xiāo | le
So the regulation was cancelled not long after.
这也是个有点搞笑的故事。
zhè | yě | shì | gè | yǒu | diǎn | gǎo | xiào | de | gù | shì
This is quite a funny story.
