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Hamilton Wins His First Ferrari Race at 41 — episode cover art
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四十一岁,开上红色法拉利的他,终于赢了

Hamilton Wins His First Ferrari Race at 41

About this story

Lewis Hamilton's first Ferrari win: the 7-time champion's bold gamble to chase the red-Ferrari dream at 41, a year-plus of doubt and no wins, and the clever three-stop strategy that delivered victory in Spain — a story about chasing a dream before it's 'too late'. HSK 2 Chinese listening practice.

This is an HSK 2 Chinese listening episode that runs about 5 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 14 key vocabulary words such as 决定、为什么、历史 and walks through 7 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.

今天我们说一件,很多人都很激动的事。
这件事,跟开车比赛有关系。
我们先说一下这种比赛。
有一种车,开得非常非常快。
比路上的车,快很多。
很多这样的快车,一起比。
看谁开得最快,最先到。
最先到的人,就赢了。
这种比赛,全世界都有人看。
今天的主角,叫汉密尔顿。
他就是开这种快车的人。
而且,他不是一般的人。
他开了很多很多年。
赢的次数,比谁都多。
很多人都说:
他是历史上,最会开车的人之一。
他还拿过七次世界第一。
七次!
所以,他是一个真正的传奇。
但是,今天的故事,
不只是说他多厉害。
而是说,他做的一个,
很大胆的选择。
我们慢慢说。
以前,汉密尔顿,
一直在一个队里开车。
那个队,对他很好。
在那个队,他赢了很多很多。
本来,他可以一直待在那里。
舒舒服服地,开到退休。
但是,他没有。
去年,他做了一个,
让全世界都吃惊的决定。
他离开了那个老队。
他去了一个新的队。
这个新队,叫法拉利。
法拉利的车,是红色的。
在开车比赛这个圈子里,
红色的法拉利,是最特别的。
很多车手,从小就有一个梦:
有一天,能开上红色的法拉利。
汉密尔顿,也有这个梦。
所以,就算他已经四十一岁了,
他还是去了。
他想,为这支红色的车队,赢一次。
但是,梦想,没有那么容易。
他开上红色的法拉利以后,
开了一年多。
一次,都没有赢过。
一次都没有。
很多人开始怀疑他。
有人说:"他太老了。
有人说:"他来法拉利,是个错误。
连他自己,有时候都很难受。
但是,他一直没有放弃。
他还是一场一场地,认真开。
他在等一个机会。
等他,开着红色的法拉利,赢一次。
终于,就在今天,机会来了。
今天的比赛,在西班牙。
汉密尔顿,开得非常聪明。
别的车,停下来加油,停了两次。
他停了三次。
听起来,多停一次,会慢。
但是这一次,
他的选择,刚刚好。
再加上,比赛中间,
有一辆车坏了,
所有人都要慢下来。
这正好帮了汉密尔顿。
就这样,他一路开到了最前面。
最后,他第一个,冲过了终点。
他赢了!
开着红色的法拉利,赢了!
他等这一刻,等了一年多。
他上一次赢,
已经是差不多两年前的事了。
比赛一结束,他在车里,
激动得说不出话。
全世界喜欢他的人,都为他高兴。
最后,我们一起想一想。
一个已经很成功的人,
一个已经四十一岁的人,
为什么还要去冒这么大的险?
因为有些梦,
不去试,你一辈子都会后悔。
就算别人说你老了,说你不行了,
只要你还想要,
就还有机会。
最后我想问你。
你心里,有没有一个梦?
一个你怕"太晚了",
而一直不敢去追的梦?
English transcript reference

Today we'll talk about something that has many people very excited.

It's connected to car racing.

First, let's talk a bit about this kind of race.

There's a kind of car that drives extremely, extremely fast.

Much faster than cars on the road.

Many such fast cars race together.

We see who drives fastest, who arrives first.

The one who arrives first wins.

This kind of race is watched all over the world.

Today's main character is called Hamilton.

He's the one who drives these fast cars.

And he's no ordinary person.

He's driven for many, many years.

His number of wins is more than anyone's.

Many people say:

he's one of the greatest drivers in history.

He's also won the world title seven times.

Seven times!

So he's a true legend.

But today's story

isn't only about how great he is.

It's rather about a

very bold choice he made.

We'll go slowly.

Before, Hamilton

drove for one team the whole time.

That team was very good to him.

In that team, he won a great deal.

He could have stayed there,

comfortably, until retirement.

But he didn't.

Last year, he made a decision

that shocked the whole world.

He left that old team.

He went to a new team.

This new team is called Ferrari.

Ferrari's cars are red.

In the world of car racing,

the red Ferrari is the most special of all.

Many drivers, since childhood, have one dream:

to one day drive the red Ferrari.

Hamilton had this dream too.

So, even though he was already forty-one,

he still went.

He wanted to win once for this red team.

But dreams aren't that easy.

After he got into the red Ferrari,

he drove for over a year.

Not once did he win.

Not a single time.

Many people started to doubt him.

Some said: 'He's too old.'

Some said: 'Coming to Ferrari was a mistake.'

Even he himself, at times, felt awful.

But he never gave up.

He still drove every race seriously.

He was waiting for a chance.

Waiting to drive the red Ferrari and win.

Finally, today, the chance came.

Today's race was in Spain.

Hamilton drove very cleverly.

Other cars stopped to refuel twice.

He stopped three times.

It sounds like one extra stop would be slower.

But this time,

his choice was just right.

On top of that, midway through the race,

a car broke down,

and everyone had to slow down.

This happened to help Hamilton.

And so, he drove all the way to the front.

In the end, he was first to cross the finish.

He won!

Driving the red Ferrari, he won!

He waited over a year for this moment.

His last win

was already almost two years ago.

The moment the race ended, in his car,

he was too moved to speak.

People who like him all over the world were happy for him.

Finally, let's think together.

A person who is already very successful,

a person already forty-one years old,

why would he still take such a big risk?

Because some dreams,

if you don't try, you'll regret your whole life.

Even if others say you're old, say you're finished,

as long as you still want it,

there's still a chance.

Finally, I want to ask you.

In your heart, is there a dream?

A dream you're afraid is 'too late',

and so you've never dared to chase?

Listen again

Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.

What vocabulary does this episode teach?

词汇
juédìngdecision; to decide

HSK 3. 一个让全世界都吃惊的决定 = a decision that shocked the whole world.

wèishénmewhy

HSK 1-2. why.

lìshǐhistory

HSK 1-2. history.

kāishǐto start / to begin

HSK 1-2. to start / to begin.

líkāito leave

HSK 1-2. to leave.

róngyìeasy

HSK 1-2. easy.

tèbiéspecial; especially

HSK 1-2. special; especially.

bǐsàirace; competition

开车比赛 = car racing. Glossed inline: 很多快车一起比,看谁最快最先到.

zhǔjuémain character; protagonist

今天的主角,叫汉密尔顿 = today's main character is Hamilton.

chuánqílegend

他是一个真正的传奇 = he's a true legend.

chēshǒuracing driver

很多车手,从小就有一个梦 = many drivers have had one dream since childhood. 车 (car) + 手 (hand/operator).

FǎlālìFerrari

这个新队,叫法拉利。法拉利的车,是红色的 = this new team is Ferrari; its cars are red.

dàdǎnbold; daring

他做的一个很大胆的选择 = a very bold choice he made.

tuìxiūto retire

舒舒服服地,开到退休 = comfortably drive until retirement.

* beyond level超纲词

What grammar patterns appear in this episode?

语法

X 之一 (one of...)

'one of the...'. Marks membership in a top group.

他是历史上,最会开车的人之一。

本来 + Clause (could have / originally)

Marks what was possible before a different choice.

本来,他可以一直待在那里。

就算 ... 还是 / 也 ... (even if... still...)

Concessive: 'even if X, still Y'.

就算他已经四十一岁了,他还是去了。

就算别人说你老了,只要你还想要,就还有机会。

一次都没有 + Verb 过

Emphatic total negation: 'not even once'.

一次,都没有赢过。

一次都没有。

再加上 + Clause (on top of that)

Adds a further contributing factor.

再加上,比赛中间,有一辆车坏了。

只要 ... 就 ... (as long as... then...)

Sufficient condition.

只要你还想要,就还有机会。

怕 + Clause (afraid that...)

Marks a fear, used in the reflective close.

一个你怕'太晚了',而一直不敢去追的梦?

Proper nouns

专有名词
汉密尔顿Hànmì'ěrdùnLewis Hamilton — the F1 driver, a 7-time world champion法拉利FǎlālìFerrari — the iconic red F1 team Hamilton joined西班牙XībānyáSpain — host of the race

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