A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
他要出国那年，在秋千上问了她一句
The Year He Left, and the Question on the Swing
About this story
In Never-Ending Summer, Lu Xixiao and Zhou Wan save a classmate on a rooftop, he shares the loss of his mother, and on a swing before leaving he asks: do you want to fall in love? HSK 2 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 2 Chinese listening episode that runs about 3 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 13 key vocabulary words such as 钱、妈妈、相信 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
Last time, Lu Xixiao told Zhou Wan that he trusted her.
But in her heart, Zhou Wan still had a big secret.
Today, let's keep going.
Zhou Wan's grandma was ill, staying in the hospital.
Grandma needed surgery, and was still far short of the money.
At this time, Zhou Wan's mother came to Lu Xixiao again.
She gave Lu Xixiao a condition: if he went abroad, she'd give the money.
For Zhou Wan's sake, Lu Xixiao agreed at once.
He would go alone, to a faraway country.
One day, something big happened at school.
A girl, because she was so sad, stood on a very high rooftop.
She felt she couldn't go on.
Lu Xixiao and Zhou Wan ran up together and slowly talked to her.
They told her the pain in their own hearts.
Lu Xixiao pulled her back with all his strength.
But he himself almost fell off.
Zhou Wan grabbed his hand and held on; both of them were in danger.
Luckily, below there was a rescue net, and both of them were safe.
Later, Lu Xixiao told Zhou Wan something he'd never spoken of.
When he was very young, his mother fell gravely ill and was in great pain.
In the end, his mother left this world, all alone.
From then on, Lu Xixiao was always alone, and very lonely inside.
Now that he had Zhou Wan, he felt, for the first time, that someone was by his side.
The summer passed quickly, and the college entrance exam ended.
Lu Xixiao really was about to leave.
On the night before he left, the two of them sat on a swing and looked at the stars.
Lu Xixiao said: before, I lived here all alone, cold and quiet.
Now that you're here, this place finally feels a little like home.
Zhou Wan gently asked him: why do you have to go abroad?
Lu Xixiao didn't answer, he just looked at her.
After a long while, he suddenly spoke and asked:
Do you want to fall in love?
The summer was ending, and he was leaving.
But right at this moment, he said these words out loud.
How will Zhou Wan answer?
Their story isn't over yet.
If someone had always been by your side, but had to leave in the end, what would you do?
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇HSK 1. 还差很多钱 = still far short of the money.
HSK 1. 妈妈又来找陆西骁 = his mother came to him again.
HSK 3 (story word). 他相信她 = he trusts her.
HSK 2. 妈妈生了很重的病 = his mother fell gravely ill.
HSK 4 (taught here). 心里很孤单 = very lonely inside.
Beyond HSK 2. 奶奶要做手术 = grandma needs surgery.
Beyond HSK 2. 只要他出国 = as long as he goes abroad.
Beyond HSK 2. 高考也结束了 = the college entrance exam ended.
Beyond HSK 2. 两个人坐在秋千上 = the two of them sat on a swing.
Beyond HSK 2. 一起看星星 = looking at the stars together.
Beyond HSK 2. 楼下有救援的网 = below there was a rescue net.
Beyond HSK 2. 你想不想谈恋爱？ = do you want to date / fall in love?
Beyond HSK 2. 心里还有一个大秘密 = still a big secret in her heart.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法只要 A，就 B
只要 A，就 B = as long as A, then B — a condition and its result.
只要他出国，就给这笔钱。
为了 + 目的
为了 X = for the sake of X / in order to X.
陆西骁为了帮周挽，一下子就答应了。
把 + 宾语 + 拉/说…
把 fronts the object to stress what is done to it (pulled back, told to her).
用力把她拉了回来。
把自己心里的苦，都说给她听。
从…以后 / 从那以后
从那以后 = from then on; marks a lasting change after an event.
从那以后，陆西骁一直一个人。
Proper nouns
专有名词Sources
来源Free account
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