3:45
一个大国的总统来了中国
A Big Country's President Came to China
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 4 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 12 key vocabulary words such as 今天、朋友、高兴 and walks through 4 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.
今天我给你说一个新闻。
Today I'll tell you a news story.
是一个大事。
It's a big deal.
一个大国家的总统，
The president of a big country
来了中国。
came to China.
这个国家叫俄罗斯。
This country is called Russia.
俄罗斯你听过吗？
Have you heard of Russia?
俄罗斯在中国的北边。
Russia is to the north of China.
俄罗斯很大。
Russia is very big.
是世界上最大的国家。
It's the biggest country in the world.
俄罗斯的总统，
Russia's president
叫普京。
is called Putin.
总统是什么？
What is a president?
总统就是一个国家的最大的人。
A president is the top person of a country.
普京是俄罗斯最大的人。
Putin is the top person of Russia.
他做这个工作，
He has done this job
已经很多年了。
for many years already.
5 月 19 号，
On May 19,
普京坐飞机来了北京。
Putin flew to Beijing.
他来做什么？
What did he come to do?
他来见中国的最大的人。
He came to see China's top person.
中国最大的人，
China's top person
叫习近平。
is called Xi Jinping.
普京和习近平，
Putin and Xi Jinping
是老朋友了。
are old friends.
普京来中国，
Putin has come to China
已经很多很多次。
many, many times.
这一次，
This time
是第 25 次。
was the 25th.
5 月 20 号，
On May 20,
两个人在北京见面。
the two of them met in Beijing.
他们在一个很大的房子里说话。
They talked in a very large building.
这个房子叫人民大会堂。
This building is called the Great Hall of the People.
他们说什么？
What did they say?
他们说：
They said:
中国和俄罗斯，
China and Russia
要做好朋友。
should be good friends.
不是一年两年的好朋友。
Not good friends for just a year or two.
今年，
This year,
中国和俄罗斯做朋友，
China and Russia being friends
已经 30 年了。
is already 30 years old.
30 年是很长。
30 years is a long time.
他们说：
They said:
"我们以前是好朋友。
"We were good friends in the past.
"我们现在也是。
"We are good friends now too.
"我们以后还要是。
"We want to be good friends in the future too.
他们还一起写了字。
They also wrote things together.
写了很多。
They wrote a lot.
有 20 多个。
More than 20 of them.
这些字说：
These writings say:
中国和俄罗斯，
China and Russia
要一起做生意。
will do business together.
要一起做学校的事。
Will do school things together.
要一起做新东西。
Will make new things together.
晚上，
In the evening,
习近平和普京，
Xi Jinping and Putin
还一起喝茶。
also drank tea together.
两个国家最大的人，
The top people of two countries,
一起喝茶，
drinking tea together,
慢慢说话。
talking slowly.
这是一个很好的画面。
It's a nice picture.
可是，
But,
世界上不是所有人都高兴。
not everyone in the world is happy.
有的国家说：
Some countries say:
"中国和俄罗斯，
"China and Russia
"太好了。
"are too close.
"我们不太高兴。
"We're not very happy.
为什么？
Why?
因为俄罗斯这几年，
Because in recent years Russia
和别的国家有大问题。
has had big problems with other countries.
有的国家不喜欢俄罗斯。
Some countries don't like Russia.
他们也不想中国和俄罗斯太好。
They also don't want China and Russia to be too close.
所以这个会面，
So this meeting,
全世界都在看。
the whole world was watching it.
我看了这个新闻，
I read this news,
我想：
and I thought:
国家和国家，
country and country
就像人和人。
are like person and person.
有的国家是朋友。
Some countries are friends.
有的国家不是。
Some countries are not.
朋友也会变。
Friends can change too.
今天是朋友，
A friend today
明天可能不是。
might not be one tomorrow.
今天不是，
Not a friend today,
明天也可能是。
might be one tomorrow.
中国和俄罗斯，
China and Russia
现在是好朋友。
are good friends now.
以后呢？
And later?
我们慢慢看。
We'll see, slowly.
最后我问你：
Finally I'll ask you:
你的国家，
Is your country
和中国是朋友吗？
friends with China?
和俄罗斯呢？
And with Russia?
你想一下。
Think about it.
好。
Okay.
今天就说到这里。
That's all for today.
明天再聊。
Talk tomorrow.
Today. The narrator opens with 今天我给你说一个新闻 — 'today I'll tell you a news story.'
Friend. The whole episode rests on this word: China and Russia 做好朋友 — 'being good friends.'
Happy, glad. Not everyone in the world is 高兴 about the summit — a gentle way to introduce disagreement.
Airplane. 普京坐飞机来了北京 — 'Putin took a plane to Beijing.' 坐飞机 = to fly / take a plane.
Tea. The two leaders 一起喝茶 — 'drank tea together,' the episode's image of a warm, slow meeting.
To watch, look, read. 全世界都在看 — 'the whole world is watching.' Also 我看了这个新闻 — 'I read this news.'
News (新 new + 闻 to hear). Beyond HSK1, but the episode teaches it from the first line: 我给你说一个新闻.
Country, nation (国 country + 家 home). Beyond HSK1. The episode repeats it constantly: 一个大国家, 中国和俄罗斯两个国家.
President. Beyond HSK1. The episode defines it inline: 总统就是一个国家的最大的人 — 'a president is the top person of a country.'
The world. Beyond HSK1. 俄罗斯是世界上最大的国家 — 'Russia is the biggest country in the world.'
Business. Beyond HSK1. 一起做生意 — 'do business together.' 做生意 = to do business / trade.
To change. Beyond HSK1. The episode's quiet lesson: 朋友也会变 — 'friends can change too.'
* beyond level超纲词
已经 + duration + 了
已经 (already) plus 了 marks a state that has continued up to now. The episode uses it for time spans: he's been doing the job for many years; the friendship is already 30 years old.
他做这个工作，已经很多年了。
中国和俄罗斯做朋友，已经 30 年了。
第 + number + 次
第 turns a number into an ordinal; 次 counts occurrences. 第 25 次 = 'the 25th time.' A simple, high-frequency way to count repeated events.
这一次，是第 25 次。
普京来中国，已经很多很多次。
有的…有的…
有的 means 'some (of them).' Repeating it splits a group into parts. The episode uses it to show that countries are not all the same.
有的国家是朋友。
有的国家不是。
可能
可能 marks something as uncertain, not a fact. The episode uses it to talk about the future: things might change, or might not.
明天可能不是。
明天也可能是。