A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
游泳池里的金鱼
The Boy Who Filled the Pool with Goldfish
About this story
In the C-drama Never-Ending Summer, a boy fills the school pool with goldfish for the girl who tutors him in English. HSK 1 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 4 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 16 key vocabulary words such as 学生、学习、医生 and walks through 4 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
Earlier, we talked about Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao.
Zhou Wan is a student.
Lu Xixiao is a student too.
This summer is very, very hot.
Today, let's talk about their summer.
Zhou Wan loves studying.
She studies very, very well.
Her family has no money.
Her grandma is unwell and needs to see a doctor.
Seeing a doctor costs a lot of money.
Lu Xixiao's family has a lot of money.
He doesn't like studying.
He wants to learn English.
His English is not good.
Zhou Wan's English is very good.
Zhou Wan teaches Lu Xixiao English.
Lu Xixiao has money, and Zhou Wan needs money.
Zhou Wan needs money because grandma has to see a doctor.
Lu Xixiao really likes goldfish.
Goldfish are small, they live in the water, and they're beautiful.
Lu Xixiao loves watching the goldfish.
He really wants some goldfish.
But he never bought any.
On this day, Lu Xixiao bought a lot of things.
He bought many, many goldfish.
He bought many, many, many goldfish!
There is a swimming pool at the school.
The pool is big and full of water.
The goldfish Lu Xixiao bought all went into the pool.
Now the pool is full of goldfish!
So beautiful!
Zhou Wan saw it and was very happy.
Lu Xixiao was happy too.
Then the two of them both got into the pool.
They were in the water.
Goldfish were in front of them, and behind them too.
The water was full of goldfish.
So beautiful!
The two of them were so, so happy.
This summer was very hot.
They didn't want to go home.
The school found out.
The teachers were very unhappy.
A teacher said: this is not allowed!
The teacher said: who did this?
Lu Xixiao said: it was me.
He said: it wasn't Zhou Wan, it was me.
It was all me.
Zhou Wan looked at Lu Xixiao.
She thought: he is so good to me.
Zhou Wan really wanted to thank Lu Xixiao.
She said: let me treat you to something to eat.
The two of them went to eat.
Zhou Wan was happy.
Zhou Wan has a friend.
This friend also likes Zhou Wan very much.
He saw Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao.
He was very unhappy.
He went to Zhou Wan's home.
He told grandma: Zhou Wan really likes Lu Xixiao.
Grandma found out and was very unhappy.
Grandma said to Zhou Wan: who is Lu Xixiao?
Grandma said: you must not like him.
Zhou Wan was very unhappy, and didn't want to speak.
Zhou Wan teaches English to get money.
She needs the money because grandma has to see a doctor.
But now, when Zhou Wan looks at Lu Xixiao, she feels happy.
This summer is long.
Zhou Wan wants money.
Lu Xixiao wants someone who is good to him.
Do you have someone who is very, very good to you?
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇HSK 1. 两个学生 = two students.
HSK 1. 周挽很爱学习 = Zhou Wan loves studying.
HSK 1. 看医生 = to see a doctor.
HSK 1. 家里没有钱 = the family has no money.
HSK 1. 金鱼在水里 = the goldfish are in the water.
HSK 1. 陆西骁很喜欢金鱼.
HSK 1. 两个人很高兴 = both of them are happy.
HSK 1. 金鱼很漂亮 = the goldfish are beautiful.
HSK 1. 周挽有一个朋友.
HSK 1. 他去周挽的家 = he goes to Zhou Wan's home.
Beyond HSK 1. 金 (gold) + 鱼 (fish). The heart of this episode — Lu Xixiao fills the pool with them.
Beyond HSK 1. 英 + 语 (language). Zhou Wan teaches it to Lu Xixiao.
HSK 3, beyond beginner. 周挽教陆西骁英语 = Zhou Wan teaches Lu Xixiao English.
HSK 3, beyond beginner. The sick grandma is why Zhou Wan needs money.
Beyond HSK 1. 游泳 (to swim) + 池 (pool). Where the goldfish go.
Beyond HSK 1. 夏 (summer) + 天 (day). The drama title 炽夏 means "Never-Ending Summer."
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法很 + adjective
In simple sentences, an adjective usually takes 很 before it (here 很 is a light "linker," not strongly "very").
金鱼很小。
游泳池很大。
这个夏天很热。
要 + verb
要 before a verb expresses need or intention — "need to / want to / be going to."
奶奶要看医生。
他要学英语。
周挽要钱。
Topic + 有 / 没有 + Object
有 states existence/possession; 没有 negates it.
陆西骁家里有很多钱。
她家里没有钱。
游泳池里都是金鱼。
也 (also / too)
也 goes before the verb to mean the subject does it too.
陆西骁也很高兴。
金鱼在他们前面，也在后面。
她下午也学习。
Proper nouns
专有名词Sources
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