A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
一个虚构小精灵的假坟，让四亿英镑的海底电缆改了道
A Fake Grave for a Fictional Elf Moved a £430 Million Undersea Cable
About this story
A Fake Grave for a Fictional Elf Moved a £430 Million Undersea Cable. 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 13 key vocabulary words such as 电影、东西、打电话 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 at your level
原文Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.
English transcript reference
In Wales there is a beach.
This beach has a lot of stones.
Among the stones there is a small spot.
This small spot belongs to Dobby.
A lot of people come to this beach.
They come to look at this small spot.
They come to bring things.
They bring socks.
One sock, two socks, a great many socks.
Who is Dobby?
Dobby is from the Harry Potter films.
He is not a real person.
A great many people love these films.
They come to this beach and bring socks.
Right — now about this spot.
A very big company wanted to build something at this beach.
The thing is very, very long, and it sits under the water.
The company wanted to come through Dobby's spot.
A lot of people rang up and said: no.
Do not come through there.
That is Dobby's spot.
The company listened, and said: all right.
We will not come through there.
We will go through a different beach.
Someone who is not a real person made a very big company stop coming through there.
Think about it: is there a small place you love too?
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇Harry Potter 电影里的 = from the Harry Potter films.
他们来，送东西 = they come to bring things.
很多人打电话，说：不要 = a lot of people rang up and said no.
很多很多人，喜欢这个电影 = a great many people love these films.
Dobby 是谁？ = Who is Dobby?
在水下面 = under the water.
公司想，从 Dobby 的小地方过 = the company wanted to come through Dobby’s spot.
Where the whole story happens. 海 = sea, 边 = edge.
这个海边，有很多石头 = this beach has a lot of stones.
这个小地方，是 Dobby 的 = this small spot belongs to Dobby.
What people leave for Dobby — one sock set him free in the film.
他们送袜子 = they bring socks (as a gift).
一个很大的公司 = a very big company.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法X 是谁？
Ask your own question, then answer it. A storyteller’s way of introducing someone new.
Dobby 是谁？
从 + place + 过
"go through / pass by a place". The whole story turns on where the company would pass.
我们不从那里过。
我们从别的海边过。
让 + somebody + do
"made X do Y". Marks who caused the change.
一个不是真的人，让一个很大的公司，不从那里过了。
Proper Nouns
专有名词Sources
来源Free account
Keep learning from this story
Create a free account to keep saved words and your preferred level together.
- Keep words with their story context
- Remember your preferred level
- Build your vocabulary over time