A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
内马尔哭了：他入选了世界杯名单
Neymar in Tears: He Made the World Cup Squad
About this story
Neymar in Tears: He Made the World Cup Squad. 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 12 key vocabulary words such as 今天、喜欢、知道 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
Today we'll talk about a football news story.
This news
is about a very famous person.
He is called Neymar.
Neymar is Brazilian.
He is Brazil's most famous football player.
A "player" (athlete)
is someone who does sports
and takes part in competitions.
Neymar plays football very well.
Many people all over the world like him.
But in recent years,
Neymar has not been doing very well.
More than two years ago,
his knee
was badly injured.
The knee
is the place in the middle of the leg
that can bend.
This injury was very serious.
Neymar had surgery.
For a long time,
he could not play football.
Later,
he switched to a new place to play.
But because of the injury,
he still didn't play much.
After that,
he returned to an old place.
This place is called Santos.
Santos
is where, when he was little,
he started playing football.
This February,
he had surgery once again.
After he came back,
he played some matches.
But to tell the truth,
he did not play as well as before.
He scored few goals too.
So many people felt:
Neymar is old,
and he doesn't play well anymore.
This summer there is the World Cup.
Neymar
might not be able to go.
Neymar is 34 years old this year.
For a football player,
that age is not young.
Let's first talk a bit about the World Cup.
The World Cup
is the biggest football competition in the world.
Once every four years.
This year's World Cup
starts on June 11.
Every country
has to choose its best players
to take part in the competition.
The Brazil team has a new coach.
He is Italian,
called Ancelotti.
He is a very famous coach.
On May 19,
Ancelotti announced the list.
The people on the list
can go to the World Cup.
Many people were waiting for this list.
What everyone most wanted to know was:
on the list,
is Neymar there or not?
The list came out.
Neymar's name
is on it.
He can go to the World Cup!
Hearing his own name,
Neymar cried.
He was just so happy.
The injury,
the surgery,
waiting so long —
it was all for this one day.
Why did the coach choose him?
Neymar right now
is not the best player.
But Ancelotti said
Neymar has played many big competitions.
He has a lot of experience.
This is his fourth time
going to the World Cup.
The coach also said
that with Neymar on the team,
everyone likes him.
With him there,
the whole team is better.
However,
the coach also said one thing.
He said
Neymar will not necessarily play every match.
"He has to play well
"for me to let him on the field.
It means:
making the list
does not equal definitely getting to play.
Neymar still has to keep working hard.
This World Cup
is very special for Neymar.
He is 34 years old.
The World Cup four years from now,
he probably will not be able to go to.
So this time
is very likely
his last World Cup.
I read this news,
and I thought of a question.
When choosing a player,
what should we look at?
Is it how well he plays now?
Or is it what he has
done before?
This is a very hard question.
Finally I ask you:
If you were this coach,
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Today. The episode opens with 今天我们说一个足球新闻 — 'today we'll talk about a football news story.'
To like. 全世界有很多人喜欢他 — 'many people all over the world like him.'
To know. 大家最想知道的是 — 'what everyone most wants to know': is Neymar on the list?
To think, to feel (an opinion). 很多人都觉得：内马尔老了 — 'many people felt: Neymar is old.'
To cry. The episode's emotional moment: 听到自己的名字，内马尔哭了 — 'hearing his own name, Neymar cried.'
Important. 这次世界杯，对内马尔很特别 — and likely his last, which makes it 重要.
An athlete, a sportsperson. Beyond HSK2. The episode glosses it: 做运动、参加比赛的人 — 'someone who does sports and competes.'
Knee. Beyond HSK2. The episode explains it: 腿中间，可以弯的地方 — 'the place in the middle of the leg that can bend.'
Surgery, an operation. Beyond HSK2. 内马尔做了手术 — 'Neymar had surgery,' twice in the episode's story.
Coach. Beyond HSK2. Brazil's coach Ancelotti is the one who decides 名单 — the squad list.
Experience. Beyond HSK2. The coach's main reason: 内马尔有很多经验 — 'Neymar has a lot of experience.'
A name list — here, the squad. Beyond HSK2. 名单上的人，可以去世界杯 — 'the people on the list can go to the World Cup.'
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法对…来说
对 + (someone/something) + 来说 frames a statement from a particular point of view. The episode uses it to judge things from a footballer's standpoint.
对足球运动员来说，这个年纪不小了。
对每个国家来说，世界杯都很重要。
因为 introduces a cause. The episode uses it to explain why things happened — why Neymar still didn't play much.
但是因为伤，还是踢得不多。
他哭了，因为他实在太高兴了。
不一定
不一定 says something is not certain or not guaranteed. The coach uses it to make clear that selection is not a promise.
内马尔不一定每场都踢。
进了名单，不一定能上场。
A 才 B
才 marks B as conditional on A — B happens only when A is met. The coach's rule for playing time uses exactly this.
他踢得好，才会让他上场。
努力练习，才会有机会。
Proper nouns
专有名词Free account
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