3:21
敦煌的水和画
Dunhuang — Water and Cave Paintings in the Desert
HSK 1 Chinese listening practice. Find water at Crescent Spring and stories in the Mogao Caves near Dunhuang.
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 3 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 8 key vocabulary words such as 水、中国、看见 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.
今天，一个人来中国。
Today, a person comes to China.
他坐飞机来敦煌。
He came to Dunhuang by plane.
在飞机上，他看下面。
On the plane, he looked down.
下面有很多沙，水很少。
There is a lot of sand down there and very little water.
他想：没有水，人怎么住？
He thought: How can people live without water?
沙里有一个城市。
There is a city in the sand.
这个城市叫敦煌。
This city is called Dunhuang.
敦煌的人有水喝，也有米饭吃。
People in Dunhuang have water to drink and rice to eat.
水在哪里？
Where is the water?
一个敦煌朋友说：你和我去看。
A Dunhuang friend said: Come and see it.
他们坐出租车去看沙。
They took a taxi to see the sand.
沙，是很小很小的东西。
Sand is a very small thing.
一个沙很小，很多沙在一起，是山。
One sand is very small, and many sands together form a mountain.
他们在沙上慢慢走。
They walked slowly on the sand.
走上山，他看下面。
Walking up the hill, he looked down.
很多沙中间，有水。
There is water in the middle of a lot of sand.
这个水叫月牙泉。
This water is called Crescent Moon Spring.
月牙泉，是沙中间的水。
Crescent Moon Spring is water in the middle of the sand.
前面、后面、上面、下面都有沙，水在中间。
There is sand in front, behind, above and below, with water in the middle.
他看，也想。
He sees and thinks.
现在，他知道了。
Now, he knows.
有水，人可以喝。
There is water for people to drink.
有水，人可以住。
Where there is water, people can live.
以前，也有很多人来敦煌。
In the past, many people came to Dunhuang.
以前没有飞机，也没有出租车。
There were no airplanes or taxis before.
他们今天走路，明天也走路。
They walk today and they will walk tomorrow.
这个路叫丝绸之路。
This road is called the Silk Road.
丝绸之路很长。
The Silk Road was very long.
很多人走这个路。
Many people take this path.
他们来敦煌喝水、吃米饭、睡觉。
They come to Dunhuang to drink water, eat rice and sleep.
明天，他们也要走路。
Tomorrow, they will also walk.
有人来中国，也有人回家。
Some people come to China and some go home.
他们会说中文，也会说很多故事。
They can speak Chinese and tell many stories.
故事，是人说的，很多人喜欢听故事。
Stories are told by people, and many people like to listen to stories.
今天，我们还可以看见这些故事。
We can still see these stories today.
明天，这个人去莫高窟。
Tomorrow, this person will go to Mogao Grottoes.
莫高窟在山里面。
Mogao Grottoes are inside the mountain.
窟，在山里面。
Cave, inside the mountain.
莫高窟有很多门。
There are many doors in Mogao Grottoes.
门里面有很多画。
There are many paintings inside the door.
画，是人做给别人看的东西。
Paintings are things that people make for others to see.
有的画里有人，也有很多衣服。
Some paintings have people and lots of clothes.
有人唱歌，也有人跳舞。
Some people sang and some danced.
画里还有佛。
There is also a Buddha in the painting.
佛，是很多人爱的人。
Buddha is a person loved by many people.
以前的人来敦煌，也来莫高窟。
People in the past came to Dunhuang and also to Mogao Grottoes.
他们走了，画也在这里。
They left and the painting is here.
今天，这个人看见以前的人做的画。
Today, this person sees paintings made by people from the past.
他也看见画里的衣服和人。
He also saw the clothes and people in the painting.
他看莫高窟，也看很多沙。
When he saw the Mogao Grottoes, he also saw a lot of sand.
今天来敦煌的时候，他想：这里没有水，人怎么住？
When he came to Dunhuang today, he thought: How can people live here without water?
现在，他看见了月牙泉，也看见了敦煌。
Now, he saw Crescent Moon Spring and Dunhuang.
他也看见很多人的故事。
He also saw many people’s stories.
你来敦煌，想看沙里的水，还是山里的画？
When you come to Dunhuang, do you want to see water in the sand or paintings in the mountains?
HSK 1. Water lets people stop and live in a dry place.
HSK 1. Dunhuang is in northwest China.
HSK 1. Used when the oasis and paintings come into view.
Stories remain in the paintings.
An oasis city on historic Silk Road routes.
A crescent-shaped spring beside the dunes.
Cave temples near Dunhuang.
Historic routes that brought travelers through Dunhuang.
* beyond level超纲词
Place + 有 + noun
Uses 有 to say what is in a place.
沙里有一个城市。
有 + noun + 可以 + verb
Shows what becomes possible because something is available.
有水，人可以住。
想 + verb
Introduces what a traveler wants to see.
你来敦煌，想看沙里的水吗？
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