A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels

四十一岁,开上红色法拉利的他,终于赢了
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.
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原文Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.
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HSK 3. 一个让全世界都吃惊的决定 = a decision that shocked the whole world.
HSK 1-2. why.
HSK 1-2. history.
HSK 1-2. to start / to begin.
HSK 1-2. to leave.
HSK 1-2. easy.
HSK 1-2. special; especially.
开车比赛 = car racing. Glossed inline: 很多快车一起比,看谁最快最先到.
今天的主角,叫汉密尔顿 = today's main character is Hamilton.
他是一个真正的传奇 = he's a true legend.
很多车手,从小就有一个梦 = many drivers have had one dream since childhood. 车 (car) + 手 (hand/operator).
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.
他做的一个很大胆的选择 = a very bold choice he made.
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
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