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Neymar Makes the World Cup Squad: A Surprising Pick — episode cover art
6:20

内马尔入选世界杯名单：一次意外的选择

Neymar Makes the World Cup Squad: A Surprising Pick

About this story

Neymar Makes the World Cup Squad: A Surprising Pick. HSK 3 Chinese listening practice.

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 12 key vocabulary words such as 比赛、经验、严重 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.

Read at your level

原文

Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.

今天我们聊一个足球新闻。
主角是内马尔。
内马尔是谁？
他是巴西最有名的足球运动员之一。
很多人说，
他是这个时代，
最有天赋的球员之一。
内马尔为巴西国家队，
进了七十九个球。
这是巴西历史上最多的，
比有名的贝利还多。
他年轻的时候，
在西班牙的巴塞罗那踢球。
后来，
又去了法国的巴黎。
那时候的内马尔，
是世界上最贵、
最厉害的球员之一。
但是今天我们要讲的，
不是他最厉害的时候。
我们要讲的，
是他怎么从一个很低的地方，
重新站起来。
先说他的伤。
2023 年十月，
内马尔为巴西队比赛。
比赛中，
他的膝盖严重受伤。
医生说，
是膝盖里面，
一条很重要的"带子"断了。
这种伤，
对运动员来说，
非常可怕。
很多球员，
受了这种伤以后，
就再也回不到，
以前的水平了。
受伤以后，
内马尔的这两年，
过得很难。
他先去了沙特阿拉伯踢球。
但是因为伤，
他踢得很少。
后来，
他回到了桑托斯。
桑托斯，
是他小时候，
开始踢球的俱乐部。
可以说，
那里是他足球的"家"。
但是回家以后，
情况也不算好。
今年二月，
他又做了一次手术。
回来以后，
他在巴西联赛里，
只进了四个球，
有两次助攻。
"助攻"，
就是帮别人进球。
对内马尔这样的球员来说，
这个成绩，
是比较低的。
和他以前在巴塞罗那、
在巴黎的时候，
完全不能比。
所以，
在名单公布以前，
很多人都觉得：
内马尔，
去不了世界杯了。
这里，
我们要先了解一下，
今年的世界杯。
2026 年世界杯，
是很特别的一届。
参加的国家，
比以前更多。
比赛在美国、
加拿大、
墨西哥，
三个国家举行。
六月十一号开始。
对每个球员来说，
能去世界杯，
都是一生的梦想。
巴西国家队，
现在有一个新教练。
他叫安切洛蒂，
是意大利人。
安切洛蒂，
是世界上最有名的教练之一。
他带过很多大球队，
赢过很多大比赛。
现在，
轮到他来决定：
谁可以代表巴西，
去踢世界杯。
五月十九号，
在巴西的里约热内卢，
安切洛蒂公布了名单。
名单上一共二十六个人。
当念到内马尔名字的时候，
现场的人，
发出了最大的欢呼声。
内马尔，
入选了。
听到这个消息，
内马尔哭了。
有报道说，
他哭了很久。
对他来说，
这两年太不容易了。
受伤、
手术、
被人怀疑，
他都经历过。
现在，
他终于又回到了国家队。
那么问题来了：
内马尔现在，
踢得并不是最好。
为什么安切洛蒂，
还是选了他？
安切洛蒂给了几个理由。
第一，
他说他观察了内马尔一整年。
最近，
内马尔的身体状态，
在慢慢变好。
第二，
是经验。
这是内马尔，
第四次去世界杯。
大比赛的压力，
他很清楚。
年轻球员没有的东西，
他有。
第三，
是他对球队的作用。
安切洛蒂说，
内马尔在队里，
大家都喜欢他、
尊重他。
有他在，
球队的气氛会更好。
不过，
安切洛蒂也说了，
很重要的一句话。
他说，
内马尔不一定是主力。
"他踢得好，
"才会上场。
也就是说，
进了名单，
不等于一定能踢。
内马尔还要靠自己，
去争取上场的机会。
其实，
这次选不选内马尔，
一直有两种声音。
一种声音说：
应该选。
他有经验，
有能力，
关键的比赛，
就需要这样的球员。
另一种声音说：
不应该选。
要看现在的状态。
他现在踢得不够好，
位置应该给年轻人。
这一次，
确实也有一些球员，
没有进名单。
有的是因为受伤，
有的是因为教练，
选择了别人。
每一个名字的背后，
可能都有一个，
失望的人。
最后，
我想说说内马尔这个人。
内马尔今年三十四岁了。
四年以后，
再下一届世界杯，
他几乎一定去不了了。
所以这一次，
很可能是，
他最后一次世界杯。
一个球员，
受了那么重的伤，
被那么多人怀疑，
还是想再一次，
站上世界杯的舞台。
这件事本身，
就很让人佩服。
我看了这个新闻，
想了一个问题。
选人的时候，
我们到底应该看什么？
是看一个人现在的样子，
还是看他走过的路？
这个问题，
没有简单的答案。
最后我问你：
如果你是安切洛蒂，
你会选内马尔吗？
你想一想。
好。
今天就说到这里。
明天再聊。
English transcript reference

Today we'll talk about a football news story.

The main figure is Neymar.

Who is Neymar?

He is one of Brazil's most famous football players.

Many people say

he is one of the most gifted players

of this era.

For Brazil's national team, Neymar

has scored 79 goals.

That is the most in Brazil's history,

more than the famous Pelé.

When he was young,

he played for Barcelona in Spain.

Later,

he went to Paris in France.

The Neymar of that time

was one of the most expensive

and most brilliant players in the world.

But what we are going to talk about today

is not his most brilliant period.

What we are going to talk about

is how, from a very low place,

he stood back up.

First, his injury.

In October 2023,

Neymar was playing for the Brazil team.

During the match,

his knee was seriously injured.

Doctors said

that inside the knee,

a very important "band" had torn.

This kind of injury,

for an athlete,

is terrifying.

Many players,

after suffering this kind of injury,

never get back to

their former level.

After the injury,

Neymar's last two years

have been hard.

He first went to play in Saudi Arabia.

But because of the injury,

he played very little.

Later,

he returned to Santos.

Santos

is the club where, as a child,

he started playing football.

You could say

it is the "home" of his football.

But after going home,

the situation was not really good either.

This February,

he had surgery once again.

After he came back,

in the Brazilian league

he scored only four goals

and had two assists.

An "assist"

means helping someone else score.

For a player like Neymar,

this record

is fairly low.

Compared with his time at Barcelona

and at Paris before,

there is simply no comparison.

So,

before the squad was announced,

many people felt:

Neymar

could not go to the World Cup.

Here,

we should first get to know

this year's World Cup.

The 2026 World Cup

is a very special edition.

The number of countries taking part

is larger than before.

The matches are held in the USA,

Canada,

and Mexico —

three countries.

It starts on June 11.

For every player,

being able to go to the World Cup

is a lifelong dream.

The Brazil national team

now has a new coach.

He is called Ancelotti,

and he is Italian.

Ancelotti

is one of the most famous coaches in the world.

He has led many big teams

and won many big competitions.

Now,

it is his turn to decide:

who can represent Brazil

and go play in the World Cup.

On May 19,

in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,

Ancelotti announced the squad.

There were 26 people on the list in all.

When Neymar's name was read out,

the people there

let out the loudest cheer.

Neymar

had been selected.

Hearing this news,

Neymar cried.

Some reports say

he cried for a long time.

For him,

these two years had been so hard.

The injury,

the surgery,

being doubted by people —

he had been through it all.

Now,

he was finally back with the national team.

So here is the question:

Neymar right now

is not playing his best.

Why did Ancelotti

still choose him?

Ancelotti gave several reasons.

First,

he said he had watched Neymar for a whole year.

Recently,

Neymar's physical condition

has been slowly improving.

Second,

it is experience.

This is Neymar's

fourth time going to the World Cup.

The pressure of a big tournament —

he knows it well.

What young players don't have,

he has.

Third,

it is his effect on the team.

Ancelotti said

that within the team, Neymar

is liked by everyone

and respected.

With him there,

the team's atmosphere is better.

However,

Ancelotti also said

one very important sentence.

He said

Neymar will not necessarily be a starter.

"He has to play well

"to get on the field.

In other words,

making the squad

does not equal definitely getting to play.

Neymar still has to rely on himself

to earn the chance to play.

Actually,

whether or not to pick Neymar this time

has always had two voices.

One voice says:

he should be picked.

He has experience,

he has ability,

and the crucial matches

need exactly this kind of player.

The other voice says:

he should not be picked.

You have to look at current form.

He is not playing well enough now,

and the place should go to a young player.

This time,

there were indeed some players

who did not make the squad.

Some because of injury,

some because the coach

chose someone else.

Behind every name,

there may be

a disappointed person.

Finally,

I want to talk about Neymar as a person.

Neymar is 34 years old this year.

Four years from now,

the next World Cup after this,

he almost certainly will not be able to go to.

So this time

is very likely

his last World Cup.

A player

who suffered such a serious injury,

who was doubted by so many people,

still wants once again

to stand on the World Cup stage.

That fact itself

is something to admire.

I read this news,

and I thought of a question.

When choosing people,

what exactly should we look at?

Is it what a person looks like now,

or the road he has walked?

This question

has no simple answer.

Finally I ask you:

If you were Ancelotti,

would you choose Neymar?

Think about it.

Okay.

That's all for today.

Talk tomorrow.

Listen again

Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.

What vocabulary does this episode teach?

词汇
bǐsàimatch / competition

A match, a competition. The episode's setting: 内马尔为巴西队比赛 — and 大比赛的压力 (the pressure of a big match) is one reason the coach values him.

jīngyànexperience

Experience. The coach's second reason: 年轻球员没有的东西，他有 — what young players lack, Neymar has.

yánzhòngserious / severe

Serious, severe. 他的膝盖严重受伤 — 'his knee was seriously injured,' the turning point of his last two years.

zūnzhòngto respect

To respect. Part of the coach's third reason: 大家都喜欢他、尊重他 — teammates like and respect him.

chéngjìresult / record

A result, a record (of performance). 四个球、两次助攻 — 对内马尔这样的球员来说，这个成绩是比较低的.

juédìngto decide

To decide. 轮到他来决定：谁可以代表巴西 — 'it's his turn to decide who can represent Brazil.'

tiānfùtalent / gift

Natural talent, a gift. Beyond HSK3. 他是这个时代最有天赋的球员之一 — 'one of the most gifted players of this era.'

zhùgōngassist

An assist. Beyond HSK3. The episode glosses it: 帮别人进球 — 'helping someone else score.'

jùlèbùclub

A club. Beyond HSK3. Santos is described as 他小时候开始踢球的俱乐部 — the club where he started as a child.

jiàoliàncoach

Coach. Beyond HSK3. Brazil's new coach Ancelotti makes the final call on the squad.

míngdānsquad list / name list

A name list — here, the 26-man squad. Beyond HSK3. 进了名单，不等于一定能踢 — making the list is not the same as playing.

huáiyíto doubt

To doubt. Beyond HSK3. 受伤、手术、被人怀疑 — injury, surgery, and being doubted are what Neymar lived through.

* beyond level超纲词

What grammar patterns appear in this episode?

语法

对…来说

对 + (someone) + 来说 frames a judgment from a specific point of view. The episode uses it to say a record is low specifically for a player of Neymar's level.

对内马尔这样的球员来说，这个成绩，是比较低的。

对每个球员来说，能去世界杯，都是一生的梦想。

A 不等于 B

不等于 separates two things that people wrongly treat as the same. The episode's sharp point about selection: being picked is not the same as playing.

进了名单，不等于一定能踢。

有天赋，不等于一定成功。

一种声音说…另一种声音说…

A clean way to lay out a debate fairly: present each side as a 'voice.' The episode uses it to give both arguments about picking Neymar.

一种声音说：应该选。

另一种声音说：不应该选。

再也 + 不/没…了

再也 plus a negative marks something that will not happen anymore — a permanent change. The episode uses it for the danger of a career-ending injury.

就再也回不到，以前的水平了。

有的人受了这种伤，就再也回不来了。

Proper Nouns

专有名词
内马尔Nèimǎ'ěrNeymar巴西BāxīBrazil桑托斯SāngtuōsīSantos安切洛蒂ĀnqièluòdìAncelotti贝利BèilìPelé巴塞罗那BāsàiluónàBarcelona巴黎BālíParis里约热内卢LǐyuērènèilúRio de Janeiro沙特阿拉伯Shātè ĀlābóSaudi Arabia世界杯Shìjièbēithe World Cup

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