A Chinese podcast · Same story, 3 levels
达尔文：读书和人性
Darwin on Selfishness and Cooperation
About this story
A simple story about reading Darwin and biology books, asking if people are selfish or capable of cooperation. HSK 1 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 1 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 我们、什么、今天 and walks through 4 grammar patterns, each explained in English with examples. The same news story is retold at 3 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.
English transcript reference
Hello everyone
Today [we] talk about books
The book is biology
Biology is science
This book talks about humans
Talks about human nature
What is human nature
Human nature is the heart [mind]
The first point
The book talks about humans
Humans are very selfish
What is selfish
Selfish means loving oneself
Darwin said this
Who is Darwin
He is a scientist
He said humans are selfish
Humans want to live on
Humans only love themselves
Because humans are selfish
So humans do not yield
What is yield
Yield means to give
Humans only love themselves
This is selfishness
Also
The second point
Humans also cooperate
What is cooperation
Cooperation means doing together
Humans do things together
[It] looks very good
But [it] is fake
What is fake
Fake means to cheat
Humans can cheat people
What is cheating
Cheating is lying
[If] no one looks at us
We then cheat people
This is called opportunity
What is opportunity
Opportunity is a good time
Humans value opportunity
[If there is] opportunity [we] cheat
Humans are very selfish
Humans can cheat people
This book is not optimistic
What is optimistic
Optimistic means happy
[After] reading [one is] not happy
This is human nature
Thank you everyone
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Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇Adjective. Describes caring only about oneself. Common collocation: 很自私 (very selfish).
Noun. The fundamental qualities and character of human beings.
Verb or Noun. Working together for a common goal.
Verb. To trick someone or lie to them.
Noun. A favorable time or situation to do something. Measure word: 个 (gè).
HSK 1. we; us.
HSK 1. what.
HSK 1. today.
HSK 1. time / moment.
HSK 1. thank you.
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法Standard definition pattern, equating A with B (A is B). Used frequently here to define terms.
生物学是科学 (Biology is science)
自私是爱自己 (Selfish means loving oneself)
乐观是高兴 (Optimistic means happy)
Expresses ability or possibility (can/will do something).
人也会合作 (Humans also cooperate)
人会骗人 (Humans can cheat people)
Simple description. '很' (hěn) is often used to link a noun and an adjective, even if not emphasized as 'very'.
人很自私 (Humans are very selfish)
人很坏 (Humans are very bad)
Standard sentence structure in Chinese.
人只爱自己 (Humans only love themselves)
达尔文这么说 (Darwin said this)
Proper nouns
专有名词Sources
来源Free account
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