A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
美国跑者靠健身房跑步机训练，首次跑马拉松就夺冠
A Runner Trains on a Gym Treadmill and Wins His First Marathon
About this story
Vinny Mauri trains on a Planet Fitness treadmill in Ohio and wins his first marathon in Toledo, finishing in 2:05:54. HSK 3 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 3-4 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 12 key vocabulary words such as 地方、小时、分钟 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.
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原文Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.
English transcript reference
In the United States there is a young man named Vinny Mauri, twenty-five years old this year.
He lives in Ohio, not far from Youngstown.
He runs very fast, extremely fast.
The place where he trains is right near his home.
The place where he trains is a gym called Planet Fitness.
He pays twenty-four dollars and ninety-nine cents each month, and then he can run there.
The machine he runs on is called a treadmill.
A treadmill has a moving belt; a person runs on it, and their position basically does not change.
This April, he went to Toledo and ran a marathon.
A marathon is about forty-two kilometers in total.
He ran it in two hours, five minutes, and fifty-four seconds.
The first time he ran a marathon, he took first place.
In the United States, among people running their first marathon, he was the fastest.
Many people learned his name.
An October 10 report said he was preparing to go to Chicago to run a marathon.
Why does he train on a treadmill?
Listen.
He used to run in college, and he did not run well.
He liked running too much, so he often trained too much and was prone to injury.
Later, he wanted to run a marathon.
Winters in Ohio are very cold, and the treadmill let him train indoors.
So he went to the gym.
Running on a treadmill has several benefits.
First, a treadmill is a bit softer than the road, so the body feels a bit more comfortable.
Second, a treadmill does not require turning, which made his injured hip feel a bit more comfortable.
Third, and most importantly, the treadmill made him run at an even pace and not too fast.
His former coach is named Chris Neal.
The coach said that when he sometimes ran outside, he would run too fast.
On the treadmill, he ran steadily.
When he trained, seventy percent of it was on the treadmill.
He ran forty-two kilometers on the treadmill, taking two hours and twenty minutes.
Another time, he ran seventy-two kilometers in one day.
The treadmill is very boring, but he had a method.
When he ran, he used a piece of clothing to cover the numbers on the machine.
This way, he would not look at the numbers and would not want to change his speed.
While he ran, he watched YouTube, listened to music, or watched golf.
He would also call friends and chat while running.
His friends said he ran very fast and was still talking on the phone.
Recently, he signed a contract with the company Asics.
This is a footwear sponsorship contract.
Planet Fitness also gave him a gift: a one-year membership, free of charge.
He was not very famous before, but now many people know him.
At the gym, he often sees former high school classmates.
He said he likes training at home and does not need to go far away.
This Sunday, he will run a marathon in Chicago.
Many people want to see how he runs.
Think about it: if you were going to run forty-two kilometers, where would you train?
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇他训练的地方，就在家附近。
他跑了两个小时五分钟五十四秒。
他跑了两个小时五分钟五十四秒。
他还会给朋友打电话，一边跑一边聊天。
他太喜欢跑步了，所以常常练得太多，容易受伤。
很多人知道了他的名字。
HSK 3. Used for ranking and sequence; 得了第一名 means 'took first place.'
HSK 3. Used in the pattern 一边……一边…… to show two actions happening simultaneously, as in 一边跑，一边看 YouTube.
HSK 2. A common verb-object phrase meaning to run or jog; appears throughout the script as 跑步机 (treadmill) and 跑步 (running).
A machine for running indoors; literally 'running machine.' Central to the story.
A long-distance race of about 42 kilometers; a transliteration of 'marathon.'
A place for exercise and training; 健身 means 'to keep fit,' 房 means 'room.'
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法Used to say that a place has or contains something, or that something exists in a place.
美国有一个年轻人，叫 Vinny Mauri，今年二十五岁。
跑步机有一条会动的带子，人在上面跑，位置基本不变。
叫 + Name
Used to give the name of a person, place, or thing.
美国有一个年轻人，叫 Vinny Mauri，今年二十五岁。
他训练的地方，是一个健身房，叫 Planet Fitness。
他跑步的机器，叫跑步机。
让 + Person + Verb Phrase
The causative pattern '让' means 'to let' or 'to make' someone do something.
Ohio 的冬天很冷，跑步机让他能在室内训练。
第二，跑步机不用转弯，让他受过伤的髋部舒服一点。
第三，也是最重要的，跑步机让他跑得一样快，不会太快。
一边……一边……
Used to indicate two actions happening at the same time.
他一边跑，一边看 YouTube，听音乐，或者看高尔夫。
他还会给朋友打电话，一边跑一边聊天。
Proper nouns
专有名词Sources
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