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日本有很大的地震，很多人不能回家
A Big Earthquake Hits Japan, and Many People Cannot Go Home
A simple beginner Chinese listening story about a big earthquake in Japan: houses shook, a mall was damaged, some people died, and many had to leave home.
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 1 minute. 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 10 key vocabulary words such as 东西、家、大 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.
在日本，有一个很大的地震。
In Japan, there was a very big earthquake.
地震来的时候，很多房子都在动。
When the earthquake came, many houses shook.
很多东西，都下来了。
Many things fell down.
大家都很怕。
Everyone was scared.
在一个地方，有一个很大的商场。
In one place, there was a very big shopping mall.
地震的时候，这个商场，坏了。
During the earthquake, this mall was wrecked.
有一些人，在商场里，走不了。
Some people were stuck inside the mall and couldn't get out.
这一次地震，有人死了。
In this earthquake, some people died.
很多很多人，都不能在家了。
A great many people could no longer stay home.
他们都要走。
They all had to leave.
很多人都怕，会有大地震。
Many people are afraid there will be another big earthquake.
现在，大家都很怕，也很累。
Right now, everyone is scared, and exhausted.
很多东西都下来了 = many things fell.
都不能在家了 = could no longer stay home.
一个很大的地震 = a very big earthquake.
他们都要走 = they all had to leave.
地震来的时候 = when the earthquake came.
现在，大家都很怕 = now, everyone is scared.
有一个很大的地震 = there was a big earthquake.
很多房子都在动 = many houses shook.
一个很大的商场 = a very big mall.
有人死了 = some people died.
* beyond level超纲词
……的时候
X 的时候 = "when X / at the time of X".
地震来的时候，很多房子都在动。
都不能……了
都不能 + verb + 了 = "can no longer …".
很多很多人，都不能在家了。
会有……
会有 X = "there will be X".
很多人都怕，会有大地震。
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