A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
6:16
世界杯：加克波布罗贝双双梅开二度，荷兰五比一血洗瑞典拿下首胜
Gakpo and Brobbey Both Brace as Netherlands Crush Sweden 5–1
中级中文听力：回顾世界杯荷兰五比一血洗瑞典。加克波与布罗贝双双梅开二度，萨默维尔锦上添花，埃兰加为瑞典扳回一城，荷兰进攻全面开花迎来首胜。含生词、语法与全文翻译。
This is an HSK 3-4 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 7 key vocabulary words such as 尴尬、崩溃、士气 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.
Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.
The Netherlands beat Sweden 5-1, a thoroughly enjoyable and impressive match.
A big score like 5-1 isn't common; it shows the Netherlands played almost perfectly this match, while Sweden suffered a painful defeat.
Let's first get to know the two teams.
The Netherlands comes from Europe and is one of the traditional powers of world soccer.
They're famous for attacking soccer, with technically refined players and seamless combination, and have always been a team fans love.
Sweden also comes from Europe and is no weak side overall — a physically strong team with a Nordic character.
However, before this match, the Netherlands' situation was actually a bit awkward.
In their previous group-stage match, they only managed a draw, not yet tasting victory.
So this match was almost a must-win for the Netherlands.
They badly needed a win to prove themselves and steady the team's morale.
Perhaps it was exactly with this pressure and desire that the Netherlands showed an intense will to win from the start.
Their head coach had clearly prepared thoroughly before the match, and the whole team was fired up, wanting to turn the situation around with a win.
The moment the match kicked off, the Netherlands firmly seized the initiative, constantly pressuring Sweden's goal.
Before long, they got the first goal, taking the lead early.
After taking the lead, the Netherlands didn't sit back at all — instead, they attacked harder and harder.
Soon, they scored a second goal, stretching the score to two to zero.
The Netherlands' attack was like a tide, wave after wave, simply unstoppable.
Their passing was fast and accurate, and the players' movement and combination left Sweden unable to cope.
Facing such an onslaught, Sweden's defense gradually collapsed, with more and more holes.
And so the Netherlands' goals arrived one after another.
Over the whole match, the Netherlands scored five goals in all, a spectacular sight.
Sweden did pull one back through Elanga, who took a chance to avoid the embarrassment of being shut out, but the one-to-five gap already said it all.
A so-called shutout means not conceding a single goal in a match, holding the opponent off completely.
Elanga's goal at least meant Sweden didn't go home empty-handed.
In today's match, two of the Netherlands' players stood out especially.
One was their attacker Gakpo, the other the striker Brobbey.
Each of these two scored a brace in this match — that is, each scored two goals.
A player scoring two goals in a single match has a vivid name in Chinese: "méi kāi èr dù" (a brace).
Today the Netherlands suddenly had two players each score a brace, a rather rare and rather eye-catching feat.
Gakpo's goals were calm and precise, while Brobbey kept troubling Sweden with his physique and pace.
The two of them — you score one, I score one — tore Sweden's defense to pieces.
It was precisely thanks to their excellent displays that the Netherlands' attack looked so unstoppable.
Besides these two, the Netherlands had another player, Summerville, score one too.
You could say the Netherlands' attack flowered all over today, scoring from many places — which is exactly what makes a strong team most frightening.
So why did Sweden lose so badly today?
For one, the Netherlands was simply in such great form today, with full attacking firepower.
For another, Sweden's own defense did have quite a few problems, with several key mistakes firmly seized upon by the Netherlands.
When a team's attack and the opponent's defensive holes appear at the same time, a big score is often produced like this.
Actually, Sweden isn't a weak team; it's just that today they ran into a red-hot Netherlands.
On the soccer pitch, sometimes it's not that you play badly, but that the opponent is simply too strong.
This match, Sweden tasted exactly that helpless feeling.
In the end, the match finished five to one, and the Netherlands earned a thoroughly enjoyable big win.
For the Netherlands, this victory was no ordinary one.
It was their first win at this World Cup, and won so beautifully that the whole team's morale was instantly ignited.
With such a big win as a foundation, they'll undoubtedly have more assurance and confidence in the matches ahead, and the initiative to qualify is back in their own hands.
And for Sweden, this was undoubtedly a defeat that calls for serious reflection.
Being scored on five times in one go is a heavy blow for any team.
They must get out of this defeat as soon as possible, learn the lessons, and aim to bounce back in the next match.
Luckily the World Cup journey isn't over, and they still have chances to make up for it and prove themselves.
After the match, the discussion mostly centered on the Netherlands' attack.
Some said the Netherlands finally played to their proper level today, attacking with flowing ease.
Others sent their applause to the two players who each scored a brace, calling them the deserved heroes of this big win.
In fact, this is exactly where the charm of soccer lies.
Sometimes, a match has goals pouring down like rain, and that thoroughly enjoyable feeling is exactly the moment fans savor most.
And the Netherlands must stay clear-headed too — after all, the World Cup's tough battles are still ahead, and only by sustaining this form can they go further.
Alright, that's the whole story of the Netherlands versus Sweden match; see you next time.
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
考纲词. 赛前荷兰的处境其实有些尴尬。
考纲词. 瑞典的防线渐渐崩溃。
考纲词. 这场大胜把全队的士气点燃了。
HSK 1-3. world.
痛快、过瘾。荷兰打了一场酣畅淋漓的大胜。
很想赢的欲望。荷兰展现出极强的求胜欲。
气势强得挡不住。荷兰的进攻势不可挡。
* beyond level超纲词
非但没有…，反而…
'Not only did not …, but on the contrary …' marks a strong reversal.
取得领先后，荷兰非但没有收着踢，反而越打越猛。
不是…，而是…
'Not …, but rather …' corrects to the real point.
有时候不是你踢得不好，而是对手实在太强。
只有…，才能…
'Only by …, can …' names the sole condition for a result.
只有延续这样的状态，才能走得更远。
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