6:14
等了五十三年，他们终于赢了
After Fifty-Three Years, They Finally Won — A Beginner Story in Simple Chinese
HSK 1 Chinese listening practice. The story of the New York Knicks winning the NBA championship after a 53-year wait — the longest in league history — told one slow step at a time using only beginner-level Chinese.
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 6 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 篮球、队、赢 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.
今天我们说一个事。
Today we'll talk about a thing.
这个事，是一个球的事。
This thing is about a ball.
这个球，很多人都喜欢。
This ball — many people love it.
在中国，有人喜欢这个球。
In China, some people love this ball.
在美国，喜欢的人，也很多。
In America, the people who love it are many too.
大人喜欢这个球。
Grown-ups love this ball.
小孩也喜欢这个球。
Kids love this ball too.
很多很多人，都喜欢。
Very, very many people all love it.
他们喜欢看别人玩。
They love watching others play.
也喜欢自己来玩。
They also love playing themselves.
那这个球，是什么球呢？
So what ball is this?
我们慢慢说。
We'll go slowly.
这个球，有一个名字。
This ball has a name.
它的名字，叫"篮球"。
Its name is 'basketball'.
你听过篮球吗？
Have you heard of basketball?
也许听过。
Maybe you have.
也许没听过。
Maybe you haven't.
都没关系。
It's okay.
没关系，今天你就会知道。
It's okay — today you'll get to know it.
篮球，是一个球。
Basketball is a ball.
是大人喜欢的球。
It's a ball that grown-ups love.
是小孩喜欢的球。
It's a ball that kids love.
是很多很多人，都喜欢的球。
It's a ball that very, very many people love.
在中国，有人喜欢这个球。
In China, some people love this ball.
在美国，也有很多人喜欢。
In America, many people love it too.
你呢？
And you?
你喜欢球吗？
Do you like ball games?
也许你也会喜欢篮球。
Maybe you'll come to like basketball too.
好。
Okay.
那篮球，是怎么玩的呢？
So how is basketball played?
我们现在，慢慢说一说。
Let's slowly explain now.
你听好了。
Listen carefully.
玩篮球，要很多人。
To play basketball, you need many people.
很多人，一起玩这个球。
Many people play this ball together.
他们用手，玩这个球。
They use their hands to play this ball.
大家分成两边。
Everyone splits into two sides.
你这边，我那边。
Your side, my side.
两边，都想要这个球。
Both sides want this ball.
你们玩的时候，上面有一个篮子。
When you play, there's a basket up above.
篮子很高，在上面。
The basket is high, up above.
你要想办法，
You have to find a way
把球放到那个篮子里。
to put the ball into that basket.
球到了篮子里，你这边就有分。
When the ball goes into the basket, your side gets a point.
分多的那一边，赢。
The side with more points wins.
分少的那一边，没有赢。
The side with fewer points doesn't win.
这就是篮球。
This is basketball.
现在你知道篮球了。
Now you know basketball.
那我们再说一个地方。
Now let's talk about a place.
这个地方，也在美国。
This place is also in America.
它很大，住了很多人。
It's very big, with many people living there.
这个地方，叫纽约。
This place is called New York.
纽约，有自己的篮球队。
New York has its own basketball team.
什么是队呢？
What is a team?
队，就是一些人，在一起玩球。
A team is some people who play ball together.
他们一起玩，一起赢，一起输。
They play together, win together, lose together.
纽约的队，我们叫它，纽约队。
New York's team — we call it the New York team.
纽约的人，都爱纽约队。
New York's people all love the New York team.
他们天天看纽约队打球。
Every day they watch the New York team play.
打得好，他们就高兴。
When it plays well, they're happy.
打得不好，他们就难过。
When it plays poorly, they're sad.
但是，有一件事，
But there's one thing
让纽约的人，难过了很久很久。
that made New York's people sad for a very, very long time.
是什么事呢？
What thing?
我们慢慢说。
We'll go slowly.
打篮球，每年都打。
Basketball is played every year.
打到最后，
By the very end,
只有一个球队，是最好的。
only one team is the best.
这个最好的球队，
This best team,
我们叫它，那一年的"第一"。
we call it that year's 'number one'.
每个球队，都想当第一。
Every team wants to be number one.
纽约队，也想。
The New York team wants it too.
但是，纽约队，很久没有当过第一了。
But the New York team hadn't been number one for a long time.
有多久呢？
How long?
很久很久。
A very, very long time.
有五十三年。
Fifty-three years.
五十三年，是多久呢？
How long is fifty-three years?
比你的爸爸，可能还要老。
Maybe even older than your dad.
在这五十三年里，
In these fifty-three years,
纽约队，年年都打。
the New York team played every year.
但是，年年都没有当上第一。
But every year, it didn't become number one.
纽约的人，等啊，等啊。
New York's people waited and waited.
一年，又一年。
Year after year.
他们的爸爸，看纽约队。
Their fathers watched the New York team.
他们的爸爸的爸爸，也看纽约队。
Their fathers' fathers also watched the New York team.
但是，都没有等到第一。
But none of them got to see it be number one.
很多人都想：
Many people thought:
"我这辈子，还能看到纽约队当第一吗？
'In my whole life, will I still get to see the New York team be number one?'
但是，今年，不一样了。
But this year, it was different.
今年，纽约队，越打越好。
This year, the New York team played better and better.
他们打赢了一个队，又赢了一个队。
They beat one team, then beat another team.
最后，只剩下两个队。
In the end, only two teams were left.
一个是纽约队。
One was the New York team.
还有一个，是别的城的队。
The other was a team from another city.
这两个队，打了几场。
These two teams played several games.
最后一场，特别紧张。
The last game was especially tense.
纽约队，赢了！
The New York team won!
他们赢了最后一场。
They won the last game.
纽约队，当上了第一！
The New York team became number one!
等了五十三年，今天，终于当上了第一！
After waiting fifty-three years, today, they finally became number one!
纽约的人，都哭了。
New York's people all cried.
他们高兴得哭了。
They cried from happiness.
有的老人说：
Some old people said:
"我等了一辈子，今天终于看到了。
'I waited my whole life, and today I finally saw it.'
纽约队里，有一个人，打得最好。
On the New York team, there's one person who plays the best.
他叫布伦森。
He's called Brunson.
最后一场，他一个人，就拿了很多分。
In the last game, he alone scored a lot of points.
大家都说，他是最好的那一个。
Everyone says he's the best one.
最后，我们一起想一想。
Finally, let's think together.
一个球队，等了五十三年。
A team waited fifty-three years.
年年都输，年年都不放弃。
Every year they lost, every year they didn't give up.
今年，终于赢了。
This year, they finally won.
五十三年，很长很长。
Fifty-three years is very, very long.
但是他们，一直没有不打。
But they never stopped playing.
最后我想问你一下。
Finally, I want to ask you.
你有没有一件事，
Is there something
你很想做好，
you really want to do well,
但是做了很久，还没有做好？
but you've done it a long time and still haven't done it well?
你还在做吗？
Are you still doing it?
还是，已经不做了呢？
Or have you already stopped?
你想一想。
Think about it.
The emotional core: 纽约的人，等啊，等啊 = New York's people waited and waited. 等了五十三年 = waited 53 years.
Glossed inline: 很多人一起玩，把球放到高高的篮子里，进了就有分 = many people play together, put the ball in a high basket, scoring a point. 篮 (basket) + 球 (ball).
Glossed inline: 队就是一些人在一起玩球，一起赢一起输 = a team is some people who play together, win and lose together.
Central verb. 分多的那一边，赢 = the side with more points wins.
一起玩，一起赢，一起输 = play together, win together, lose together. The opposite of 赢.
The episode's plain word for champion: 那一年最好的队，叫那一年的第一 = the best team that year is called that year's 'number one'.
球到了篮子里，你这边就有分 = when the ball goes in, your side gets a point. 拿了很多分 = scored many points.
HSK 3. 让纽约的人难过了很久 = made New York's people sad for a long time.
年年都不放弃 = every year they didn't give up. The story's spine.
HSK 3. 今天终于当上了第一 = today they finally became number one.
我这辈子，还能看到吗 = in my whole life, will I still get to see it? 我等了一辈子 = I waited my whole life.
越打越好 = the more they played, the better. Marks improvement.
* beyond level超纲词
什么是 X 呢? + answer (gloss)
Rhetorical question to define a new word, then answered fully.
那这个球，是什么球呢？
什么是队呢？
A 比 B + Adj (comparison)
'A is more Adj than B'.
比你的爸爸，可能还要老。
越 + Verb + 越 + Adj
'the more... the more...'. Escalation.
今年，纽约队，越打越好。
Subject + 都 + Verb (all)
都 = all, before the verb. Collective statements.
很多很多人，都喜欢。
纽约的人，都爱纽约队。
纽约的人，都哭了。
V 得好 / 不好 (degree complement)
Describes how well an action is done.
打得好，他们就高兴。
打得不好，他们就难过。
他打得最好。
终于 + Verb (finally)
Marks a long-awaited outcome.
今天，终于当上了第一！
今天终于看到了。
一年又一年 / 年年 (year after year)
Repetition expressing long duration.
一年，又一年。
纽约队，年年都打。