A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
1:49
六万人涌向欧洲：西班牙小城 Ceuta 的海边，至少 70 多人溺亡
60,000 Rushed Europe's Doorstep at Ceuta. Dozens Drowned Trying to Cross.
This is an HSK 3-4 Chinese listening episode that runs about 2 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 世界、机会、危险 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.
These past few days, one tiny place has made news around the world: Ceuta.
Ceuta is a very special place: it belongs to Spain — that is, to Europe — but it sits on the north edge of Africa, right next to Morocco.
So for many Africans, just getting into Ceuta is as good as setting foot on European soil.
On the European side, life is much better: work, money, kids can go to school, healthcare is easy.
On the other side of the sea, many people are poor and without opportunity; life is very hard.
It's that one invisible line that splits two completely different worlds.
At the end of July, things suddenly spun out of control.
Nearly 60,000 people, mostly young men, surged toward Ceuta at once.
Some swam across the sea, going around the breakwaters; some tried to climb over the border fence.
But the water was deep and there were too many people, and disaster soon struck.
By early August, at least seventy-some were confirmed dead — some drowned, some crushed by the crowd on the fence.
So many people flooding in at once, this little place simply couldn't cope.
The Spanish government quickly sent in the army and built a long barrier along the shore to hold back those behind.
Spain's leader also went to Ceuta in person.
What makes this grip so many people is that it's so real:
for a chance at “a slightly better life,” tens of thousands were willing to bet their lives.
What do you think?
In your view, what makes a person willing to take a risk this big?
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
把两个完全不同的世界，分在了两边.
很多人又穷又没有机会.
走上了这么危险的路.
上了全世界的新闻.
有工作，有钱.
踏上了欧洲的土地.
对很多非洲人来说.
西班牙政府很快派出了军队.
翻过边境上的铁网.
踏上了欧洲的土地.
* beyond level超纲词
又……又……
"both ... and ...".
很多人又穷又没有机会。
之所以……，是因为……
"the reason ... is because ...".
这件事之所以让这么多人揪心，是因为它太真实了。
Free account
Create a free account to keep saved words and your preferred level together.