A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
5:13
世界杯故事：四十岁守门员一晚涨粉几百万
World Cup Story: A 40-Year-Old Keeper Gains Millions of Followers Overnight
用简单的中文听一个真实的世界杯故事：佛得角四十岁门将沃济尼亚扑出七球逼平西班牙，一夜之间从五万粉丝涨到九百多万。含拼音生词、语法和全文英文翻译。
This is an HSK 2 Chinese listening episode that runs about 5 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 10 key vocabulary words such as 结果、努力、年纪 and walks through 3 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.
Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.
Today let's talk about a very interesting World Cup story.
This story isn't about which team won, but about one person.
This person is a goalkeeper.
A goalkeeper is the person who stands in front of the goal and blocks the ball.
He comes from a very small country called Cape Verde.
Cape Verde is a small African island with very few people.
This was Cape Verde's first time playing at a World Cup.
At the World Cup, Cape Verde had to play Spain.
Spain is one of the strongest teams in the world.
Almost everyone thought Cape Verde would lose badly.
But the result of the match surprised everyone.
Cape Verde's goalkeeper is named Vozinha.
He is already forty years old this year.
For a player, forty really isn't young.
Many players have long stopped playing by this age.
But Vozinha is different — he's still on the pitch, and in great form.
Vozinha's story is special too.
He has played for many years, but was never very famous.
He played in small places, living a very ordinary life.
Many people never expected he'd play this well at a World Cup.
When the match began, Spain attacked the whole time.
They had the ball for long spells, pinning Cape Verde back.
They shot once, twice, three times, many, many times.
Each time, everyone thought the ball was going in.
But each time, Vozinha blocked the ball.
He dove left, he dove right, blocking one hard shot after another.
Over the whole match, he blocked seven dangerous shots in all.
Because of him alone, Spain couldn't score a single goal.
In the end, the match was nil-nil.
Tiny Cape Verde, against all odds, didn't lose to powerful Spain.
After the match ended, the truly amazing thing began.
Many people watched this match online.
Everyone was captivated by this forty-year-old goalkeeper.
People began searching his name online and following him.
People who follow someone online, we call "fans."
Many people online also shared videos of his saves with friends.
And so, more and more people came to know him.
Before the match, Vozinha had few fans — only about 50,000.
50,000 sounds like a lot, but for a football star, it isn't many.
But after this match, everything completely changed.
In just one day, he gained a few million fans.
His fan count quickly passed nine million.
Some said he had more fans than some very famous football stars.
A goalkeeper almost no one knew became an online superstar in an instant.
All of this took just one match, one night.
Vozinha himself probably couldn't even take it in.
Yesterday, he was an ordinary old keeper.
Today, the whole world is saying his name.
Why do people like him so much?
I think it's because this story is so moving.
A forty-year-old man, from a small island, with no fame.
Yet through his own effort, he kept out the strongest team in the world.
He made everyone understand: being older doesn't mean you can't do it.
Coming from a small place, you can still do great things.
Many ordinary people saw themselves in him.
They felt: if he can do it, then I can too.
Many people also said the way he kept goal was really moving.
A forty-year-old still battling for his country — that's remarkable.
Actually, this is the best thing about the World Cup.
It's not only a stage for strong teams.
It also gives people like Vozinha a chance to be seen.
One night, a few million fans — this is a true story.
And it's one of the most heartwarming stories of this World Cup.
Of course, for Vozinha, how many fans he has may not be what matters most.
What matters most is that he proved himself on the biggest stage.
No matter what comes next, he'll remember this match for a lifetime.
Alright, that's it for Vozinha's story.
Thank you for listening — see you next time.
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
可是，比赛的结果，让所有人都很意外。
他靠自己的努力，挡住了世界上最强的队。
很多球员到了这个年纪，早就不踢了。
他在小地方踢球，过着很普通的生活。
他在最大的舞台上，证明了自己。
课文里解释过：站在球门前面、挡住球的那个人。
考纲词。他扑左边，扑右边，把难球都挡住了。
课文里解释过：在网上关注一个人的人，叫粉丝。
考纲词。他一共挡了七个很危险的球。
考纲词。他守门的样子，真的很让人感动。
* beyond level超纲词
不是…而是…
'not …, but rather …' — corrects to the real point.
这个故事，不是关于哪个队赢了，而是关于一个人。
居然…
'unexpectedly / to one's surprise'.
小小的佛得角，居然没有输给强大的西班牙。
不管…，…
'no matter …, …'.
不管以后怎么样，这一场比赛，他都会记一辈子。
Free account
Create a free account to keep saved words and your preferred level together.