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.