A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
满游泳池的金鱼
Goldfish Pool Turns a Deal Into Romance
About this story
In the C-drama Never-Ending Summer, a rich boy fills the school pool with goldfish for the girl who tutors him in English. HSK 2 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 2 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 学习、钱、药 and walks through 5 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
Last time, Zhou Wan and Lu Xixiao met during one very hot summer.
Zhou Wan is an excellent student, but her family has no money.
Her grandma is sick, and the medicine she takes is very expensive.
So Zhou Wan teaches Lu Xixiao English, and he pays her.
Zhou Wan needs this money to get her grandma to a doctor.
Lu Xixiao's family is rich, but no one loves him.
His parents are busy and don't care about his life.
Every evening, the two of them study English together.
But the school won't let them be together.
So every time they meet, they're careful not to let the teachers see.
And so, day by day, they grow closer.
One evening, Lu Xixiao rides his motorbike to take Zhou Wan home.
Zhou Wan usually walks home every day.
That night, the two of them talked a lot.
Slowly, they truly became friends.
This day was their last day studying English together.
Lu Xixiao wanted to make Zhou Wan happy.
He remembered that Zhou Wan loves goldfish.
So he bought lots and lots of goldfish.
There's a swimming pool at school that no one had used in a long time.
All these goldfish went straight into the pool.
The pool's water suddenly turned beautiful.
Zhou Wan saw it and was overjoyed.
Then the two of them got into the water together.
They were in the water, with goldfish all around them.
So beautiful!
Both of them were so happy.
The water was a little cold, and Lu Xixiao didn't want Zhou Wan to get sick.
He found two shirts and had Zhou Wan put one on.
As they changed, Zhou Wan asked him:
Why do you want to go abroad all alone?
Lu Xixiao said: here, no one loves me.
He said: if I leave, no one will even be sad.
He asked Zhou Wan: what do you want to do?
Zhou Wan said: I'm not like you.
I have no money, so I can't think that far.
They were both only eighteen, yet had far too much to worry about.
Later, the school found out about the goldfish.
The teachers were angry and said they were wrong.
Lu Xixiao immediately said: I did all of this, not Zhou Wan.
Alone, he insisted it was all his fault.
Seeing him like this, Zhou Wan felt he was truly kind.
To thank him, Zhou Wan treated Lu Xixiao to noodles.
They ate noodles together, both happy.
But there's another boy who also likes Zhou Wan.
Seeing Zhou Wan together with Lu Xixiao, he was very upset.
He ran off and told Zhou Wan's grandma.
Grandma found out and was furious.
When Zhou Wan got home, grandma was upset and scolded her a lot.
Zhou Wan wants money for her grandma's sake.
But now, something has changed just a little.
This summer is hot, and long.
Zhou Wan wants money; Lu Xixiao wants love.
And you?
Who is kindest to you?
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇HSK 1. 周挽学习特别好 = Zhou Wan studies especially well.
HSK 1. 陆西骁给她钱 = Lu Xixiao gives her money.
HSK 2. 吃的药非常贵 = the medicine is very expensive.
HSK 2. 每天晚上 = every evening.
HSK 2. 一起学英语 = study English together.
HSK 2. 学校不让他们在一起 = the school won't let them be together.
HSK 2. 送周挽回家 = take Zhou Wan home.
HSK 2. 老师很生气 = the teachers were angry.
HSK 2. 觉得他真好 = feels he is really kind.
HSK 2. 姜彦告诉了奶奶 = Jiang Yan told grandma.
Beyond HSK 2. The gift Lu Xixiao pours into the pool.
Beyond HSK 2. 游泳 (to swim, HSK 2) + 池 (pool).
Beyond HSK 2. 陆西骁开摩托车送她回家.
Beyond HSK 2. 一个人去外国 = go abroad alone.
Beyond HSK 2. 奶奶生病了 = grandma got sick.
HSK 3, beyond easy. 周挽教陆西骁英语.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法所以 (so / therefore)
所以 introduces a result. Often pairs with 因为 (because) earlier.
所以周挽教陆西骁英语。
所以他买了很多很多金鱼。
让 + somebody + verb
让 means to let / make / have someone do something.
陆西骁想让周挽很高兴。
学校不让他们在一起。
让周挽穿上。
一边 A 一边 B
Two actions happening at the same time — "while doing A, also doing B."
两个人一边穿衣服，周挽一边问他。
为了 + goal
为了 states the purpose/reason for an action.
为了谢谢他，周挽请陆西骁吃面条。
周挽想要钱，是为了奶奶。
一天比一天 + adjective
"More and more each day" — comparison that grows over time.
就这样，他们一天比一天好。
Proper nouns
专有名词Sources
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