Fluentide

A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels

At Forty-One, in the Red Ferrari, He Finally Won — episode cover art
4:30

At Forty-One, in the Red Ferrari, He Finally Won

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.

Read at your level

原文

Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.

今天我们一件很多都很激动
开车比赛关系
我们一下这种比赛
一种开得非常非常
路上很多
很多这样快车一起
开得最快最先
最先赢了
这种比赛全世界都有
今天主角
就是这种快车
而且不是一般
很多很多
赢的次数
很多
他是历史开车之一
七次世界第一
七次
所以他是一个真正传奇
但是今天故事
不只是厉害
而是做的一个
大胆选择
我们慢慢
以前
一直在一个开车
那个很好
那个赢了很多很多
本来可以一直那里
舒服服地开到退休
但是没有
去年做了一个
全世界吃惊决定
离开那个
去了一个新的
这个法拉
法拉红色
开车比赛这个圈子里
红色法拉特别
很多从小就一个
一天红色法拉
也有这个
所以就算已经十一岁
还是去了
他想红色车队一次
但是梦想没有那么容易
红色法拉以后
一年
一次都没有赢过
一次都没有
很多开始怀疑
有人"老了
有人"法拉错误
自己时候都很难受
但是一直没有放弃
还是场地认真
他在一个机会
红色法拉一次
终于就在今天机会
今天比赛西班牙
开得非常聪明
别的停下加油停了两次
停了三次
听起来一次
但是一次
他的选择刚刚
加上比赛中间
一辆车
所有都要慢下来
正好
这样一路到了最前面
最后一个终点
赢了
红色法拉赢了
一刻一年
一次
已经差不多年前
比赛结束他在
激动说不出
全世界喜欢他的高兴
最后我们一起一想
一个已经成功
一个已经十一岁
为什么这么
因为有些
不去一辈子都会后悔
就算别人老了不行了
只要想要
还有机会
最后我想
心里没有一个
一个"太晚"
一直不敢
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

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

Continue with Fluentide