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Trump Raises Cuba as Possible Next Target — episode cover art
7:23

大国家与小国家:美国和古巴

Trump Raises Cuba as Possible Next Target

About this story

The US and Cuba are 90 miles apart but worlds apart politically — how Trump-era pressure is reshaping their relationship. HSK 2 Chinese listening practice.

This is an HSK 2 Chinese listening episode that runs about 7 minutes. The full Mandarin script is shown with tap-for-pinyin and a line-by-line English translation, so you can listen and read at once — comprehensible input in the sense of Stephen Krashen's i+1 theory. It teaches 17 key vocabulary words such as 关系、国家、离 and walks through 5 grammar patterns, each explained in English with examples. The same news story is retold at 4 difficulty levels — use the level selector above to find the version that is challenging but still understandable for you.

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原文

Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.

说到大国和小国的关系。
有很多有意思的事情。
世界上有很多国家。
有的国家非常大。
有的国家非常小。
今天我们要说两个国家。
这两个国家离得很近。
一个在北边,一个在南边。
北边的国家非常大。
南边的国家比较小。
虽然他们离得很近。
但是他们不是好朋友。
他们已经很多年不说话了。
大国家的人不喜欢小国家。
小国家的人也不高兴。
因为大国家总是想管他们。
大国家觉得小国家做错了。
小国家觉得大国家太坏了。
所以两个国家关系一直不好。
这是大国和小国之间的问题。
这个问题已经有很长时间了。
大家都在想怎么办。
大国家现在有一个新老板。
可以说他是国家的总统。
这个总统的想法很特别。
他觉得他不高兴。
因为有的国家不听他的话。
所以他想换别人的老板。
他觉得换了老板就好了。
他已经做了一些事情。
几个月前,他去了别的地方。
他去了很远很远的国家。
他让远方的国家换了老板。
他觉得这样做得非常好。
因为换了新老板以后。
那个远方的国家就听话了。
这让总统非常高兴。
他觉得自己的办法是对的。
所以他想再做一次。
他觉得他可以改变很多地方。
他是一个很想做事的人。
他每天都在看新闻。
看哪里还可以改变。
接下来,总统在想什么呢?
他现在在看旁边的小国家。
这个小国家就在大国家南边。
离大国家非常非常近。
坐飞机一个小时就能到。
可是小国家的老板不听话。
大国家的总统觉得这不行。
他觉得必须换掉这个老板。
为什么他这么想呢?
因为小国家离得太近了。
如果旁边的人不听话。
大国家会觉得很不安全。
大国家觉得旁边必须是朋友。
不能是每天生气的人。
所以总统想让小国家改变。
他每天都在办公室里想。
他和他的朋友一起想办法。
他们想找一个新的老板。
让小国家听大国家的话。
另外,大国家想做世界第一。
在他们住的这个地方。
不能有别人比他们更强。
大国家必须是最厉害的国家。
这是总统最重要的想法。
他觉得这是为了国家好。
为了做第一名。
他要让所有邻居都听话。
邻居就是住得近的人。
小国家就是他们最近的邻居。
如果邻居不听话怎么办?
总统觉得必须让他走。
换一个听话的新人来工作。
这样大国家才是真正的第一。
大家觉得总统的要求很高。
但是总统觉得自己是对的。
他觉得大国家就应该这样。
大国家应该管很多事情。
这是大国家的工作。
还有,他们会怎么做呢?
现在还没有人清楚。
总统没有告诉大家他的办法。
他的朋友们也没有对外面说。
可能他们正在开会准备。
或者他们觉得这个问题很难。
因为小国家不想改变自己。
小国家的人觉得现在挺好。
他们不想听大国家的话。
所以大国家要花很多时间。
他们可能会怎么做呢?
比如,不买小国家的东西。
小国家有很多好吃的水果。
但是大国家的人不能买。
大国家也不让别人去旅游。
去小国家旅游是不可以的。
这会让小国家没有钱。
没有钱,生活就会变得很难。
如果生活很难,大家会不高兴。
大家不高兴可能会换老板。
这可能就是大国家的办法。
小国家有自己的历史和文化。
他们以前也有过很多问题。
但是他们一直没有听大国家的话。
他们觉得自己非常勇敢。
他们觉得自己的国家很漂亮。
小国家的天气非常热。
那里有很多好喝的茶。
也有好吃的东西。
但是因为大国家不同意。
大国家的人不能去那里吃饭。
虽然不能和大国家做买卖。
小国家的人还是在努力工作。
他们每天早上去上班。
晚上下班回家休息。
他们觉得总有一天会变好。
他们希望能有更多的钱。
但是现在大国家想让他们改变。
这让小国家的人很担心。
他们不知道明天会怎么样。
这件事最后会成功吗?
我们现在还不知道结果。
因为改变一个国家非常难。
这不是一天两天能做完的事情。
可能需要一年两年的时间。
也可能最后完全没有成功。
因为世界上有很多事情。
不是你想做就能做好的。
其他国家的人都在看新闻。
大家都在看大国家怎么做。
如果大国家做得不对。
别的人也会非常不高兴。
所以大国家也必须小心一点。
不能想做什么就马上做什么。
这件事还需要很多时间。
我们只能慢慢看。
我们刚才说的那些事情。
其实是美国和古巴的问题。
美国就是那个大国家。
古巴就是那个小国家。
美国现在的总统是特朗普。
特朗普觉得古巴的老板不行。
特朗普想让古巴换一个新老板。
因为特朗普想让美国做第一。
他之前对别的国家做了一些事。
现在他开始看着古巴了。
大家都在等特朗普的下一步。
English transcript reference

Speaking of the relationship between big countries and small countries.

There are many interesting things.

There are many countries in the world.

Some countries are very big.

Some countries are very small.

Today we are going to talk about two countries.

These two countries are very close to each other.

One is in the north, and one is in the south.

The country in the north is very big.

The country in the south is relatively small.

Although they are very close.

But they are not good friends.

They have not spoken for many years.

The people of the big country do not like the small country.

The people of the small country are also not happy.

Because the big country always wants to control them.

The big country thinks the small country did wrong.

The small country thinks the big country is too bad.

So the relationship between the two countries has always been bad.

This is a problem between a big country and a small country.

This problem has existed for a long time.

Everyone is thinking about what to do.

The big country now has a new boss.

You could say he is the president of the country.

This president's ideas are very special.

He feels unhappy.

Because some countries do not listen to him.

So he wants to change other people's bosses.

He thinks it will be fine once the boss is changed.

He has already done some things.

A few months ago, he went somewhere else.

He went to a very, very far country.

He made the distant country change its boss.

He thinks this was done very well.

Because after changing to a new boss.

That distant country became obedient.

This made the president very happy.

He feels his method is right.

So he wants to do it again.

He thinks he can change many places.

He is a person who really wants to get things done.

He watches the news every day.

To see where else can be changed.

Next, what is the president thinking?

He is now looking at the small country nearby.

This small country is right to the south of the big country.

It is very, very close to the big country.

It takes only one hour to get there by plane.

But the small country's boss is not obedient.

The president of the big country thinks this is unacceptable.

He thinks this boss must be replaced.

Why does he think so?

Because the small country is too close.

If the people nearby are not obedient.

The big country will feel very unsafe.

The big country feels that those nearby must be friends.

They cannot be people who are angry every day.

So the president wants to make the small country change.

He thinks about it in his office every day.

He and his friends think of ways together.

They want to find a new boss.

To make the small country listen to the big country.

In addition, the big country wants to be number one in the world.

In the place where they live.

There cannot be anyone stronger than them.

The big country must be the most powerful country.

This is the president's most important idea.

He thinks this is for the good of the country.

In order to be number one.

He wants to make all the neighbors obedient.

Neighbors are the people who live close by.

The small country is their closest neighbor.

What if the neighbor doesn't listen?

The president thinks he must be made to leave.

And replace him with an obedient newcomer to work.

This way, the big country is truly number one.

Everyone thinks the president's demands are very high.

But the president feels he is right.

He thinks a big country should be like this.

A big country should manage many things.

This is the job of a big country.

Also, what will they do?

No one is clear about it right now.

The president has not told everyone his plan.

His friends have not spoken to the outside either.

Perhaps they are having a meeting to prepare.

Or they feel this problem is very difficult.

Because the small country does not want to change itself.

The people of the small country feel things are quite good now.

They do not want to listen to the big country.

So the big country will have to spend a lot of time.

What might they do?

For example, not buy the small country's things.

The small country has a lot of delicious fruit.

But the people of the big country cannot buy them.

The big country also won't let others go travel there.

Traveling to the small country is not allowed.

This will leave the small country with no money.

Without money, life will become very difficult.

If life is difficult, everyone will be unhappy.

If everyone is unhappy, they might change the boss.

This might be the big country's method.

The small country has its own history and culture.

They also had many problems in the past.

But they have consistently refused to listen to the big country.

They feel they are very brave.

They think their country is very beautiful.

The weather in the small country is very hot.

There is a lot of good tea there.

There is also delicious food.

But because the big country does not agree.

The people of the big country cannot go there to eat.

Although they cannot do business with the big country.

The people of the small country are still working hard.

They go to work every morning.

They get off work in the evening and go home to rest.

They feel that one day things will get better.

They hope to have more money.

But now the big country wants them to change.

This makes the people of the small country very worried.

They do not know what tomorrow will be like.

Will this matter succeed in the end?

We still do not know the result now.

Because changing a country is very difficult.

This is not something that can be done in a day or two.

It might take a year or two.

Or it might completely fail in the end.

Because there are many things in the world.

That you cannot just do well simply because you want to.

People in other countries are all watching the news.

Everyone is watching what the big country does.

If the big country does it wrong.

Other people will also be very unhappy.

So the big country must also be a little careful.

They cannot just immediately do whatever they want to do.

This matter still needs a lot of time.

We can only watch slowly.

The things we just talked about.

Are actually the issue between the United States and Cuba.

The United States is that big country.

Cuba is that small country.

The current president of the US is Trump.

Trump thinks the boss of Cuba is no good.

Trump wants Cuba to change to a new boss.

Because Trump wants the US to be number one.

He previously did some things to other countries.

Now he is starting to look at Cuba.

Everyone is waiting for Trump's next step.

Listen again

Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.

What vocabulary does this episode teach?

词汇
guānxirelationship

Noun used to describe the connection or relationship between two entities.

guójiācountry / nation

Noun referring to a sovereign state. The measure word is 个 (gè).

líaway from / distance from

Preposition used to express distance in space or time between two points.

gǎibiànto change

Verb meaning to alter or modify something.

bànfǎmethod / way

Noun meaning a way or approach to handle a situation or solve a problem.

juédeto feel / to think

Verb used to express an opinion or a feeling.

lǚyóuto travel / tourism

Verb or noun referring to traveling for leisure.

nǔlìhardworking / to make an effort

Adjective or verb indicating exerting effort or working hard.

dānxīnto worry

Verb meaning to feel anxious or concerned about something.

chénggōngto succeed / success

Verb or noun indicating a successful outcome.

zǒngtǒngpresident

Noun referring to the head of state in a republic.

lǎobǎnboss

Noun referring to a business owner or leader. Used metaphorically here for a country's leader.

línjūneighbor

Noun referring to people or countries situated close to one another.

yǒnggǎnbrave / courageous

Adjective describing someone who shows courage.

lìshǐhistory

Noun referring to past events or the record of past events.

wénhuàculture

Noun referring to the customs, arts, and achievements of a nation or people.

lìhaiformidable / awesome / severe

Adjective used to describe someone or something that is very capable, powerful, or intense.

* beyond level超纲词

What grammar patterns appear in this episode?

语法

虽然... 但是...

The '虽然... 但是...' (suīrán... dànshì...) structure means 'Although... but...'. It is used to connect two clauses indicating a contrast or concession. Note that unlike in English, both words are typically used together in Chinese.

虽然他们离得很近。但是他们不是好朋友。

虽然不能和大国家做买卖。小国家的人还是在努力工作。

Place A + 离 + Place B + (Adverb) + 近/远

The preposition '离' (lí) is used to express the distance between two places, objects, or points in time. It translates to 'from' or 'away from'.

这两个国家离得很近。

因为小国家离得太近了。

如果...

'如果' (rúguǒ) means 'if' and is used at the beginning of a clause to introduce a condition.

如果旁边的人不听话。大国家会觉得很不安全。

如果生活很难,大家会不高兴。

如果邻居不听话怎么办?

为了...

'为了' (wèile) means 'in order to' or 'for the sake of'. It is used to express the purpose or motive behind an action.

他觉得这是为了国家好。

为了做第一名。他要让所有邻居都听话。

不是... 就...

This pattern '不是... 就...' (búshì... jiù...) in this context emphasizes that doing something is not as simple as merely wanting to do it. It highlights limitations.

不是你想做就能做好的。

不能想做什么就马上做什么。

Proper nouns

专有名词
美国MěiguóUnited States古巴GǔbāCuba特朗普TèlǎngpǔTrump

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