A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
NFL球员不打球了，去解数学难题
Former NFL Player Proves a Maths Conjecture
About this story
HSK 1-2 Chinese listening. Former NFL player John Urschel becomes a mathematician and proves a longstanding conjecture about random matrices.
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 12 key vocabulary words such as 学习、问题、喜欢 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
Before, he played American football; now he is a maths professor, and he also solved a problem that had no answer for many years.
His name is John Urschel, John Urschel.
American football is the Chinese name for American football; many Americans like to watch it.
He played on a very famous team; that team was called the Baltimore Ravens.
He played there for three years.
But later he made a decision: he would not play American football anymore.
Why?
Because he likes maths.
Maths is the study of numbers and problems.
When he was at university, he liked maths, so he was very good at maths.
When he was at university, he played American football and also studied maths.
Later, he became a professional player, and he was still studying maths.
Later, he went to a very famous school called MIT.
MIT, in the United States, is a place for studying science; many smart people study there.
He studied maths there for many years.
In the end, he became a maths professor.
A professor is a person who teaches students at a university.
Now, he teaches maths at MIT, and he is thirty-five years old this year.
He likes his current life; he says, I have done the things I wanted to do.
Recently, he did a very impressive thing: he solved a maths problem.
This problem is very, very hard; many mathematicians thought about it for many years and still did not solve it.
This problem started in the 1990s.
Urschel solved it; he wrote an article to tell everyone his answer.
This problem is related to computers doing maths problems.
Mathematicians had an idea about this problem, but there was never a complete proof.
A proof is making the reason clear so that others can check it.
He wrote an article and made the reason clear.
When doing research, he also used help from artificial intelligence.
Urschel says he likes maths because maths lets him understand why.
He says, I want to know why things are this way.
He also says computers are better than people at playing chess, but people still like playing chess.
Maths is the same: computers can help us, but people still like maths.
However, playing ball and studying at the same time also left him no time to spend with his girlfriend.
Later, he chose not to play professional American football anymore and to become a full-time student.
He spent more time studying maths, and now he has become a maths teacher.
He says his current life is very good.
Think about it: work and study both need time; how much time will you leave for study?
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇HSK 1. A very common verb; in the script it appears as 学习数学 (study maths) and 学习了很多年 (studied for many years).
HSK 2. Used for both a question to ask and a problem to solve; here it means a maths problem.
HSK 1. Often followed by a noun or verb phrase: 喜欢数学 (like maths), 喜欢看 (like to watch).
HSK 1. Used in time clauses like 他在大学的时候 (when he was at university) and 做研究的时候 (when doing research).
HSK 2. Literally 'electric brain'; the script uses it for computers doing maths and playing chess.
HSK 2. Can be a verb or noun; here it appears as 用了人工智能的帮助 (used AI's help).
Beyond HSK 1-2. Literally 'olive ball'; in this script it refers to American football.
Beyond HSK 1-2. A university teacher of the highest rank; the script explains it as someone who teaches students at a university.
Beyond HSK 1-2. 数学 (maths) + 家 (specialist); used for people who study maths professionally.
Beyond HSK 1-2. In maths, a proof makes the reason clear so others can check it; the script defines it this way.
Beyond HSK 1-2. A modern term; 人工 means 'man-made' and 智能 means 'intelligence'.
Beyond HSK 1-2. Used in 职业球员 (professional player) and 职业橄榄球 (professional football).
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法以前……，现在……
Contrasts the past with the present. 以前 means 'before/in the past' and 现在 means 'now'.
以前他打橄榄球，现在他是数学教授，还解决了一个很多年没有答案的问题。
因为……
Introduces a reason, meaning 'because'. It can stand alone as an answer or introduce a full clause.
因为他喜欢数学。
厄舍尔说，他喜欢数学，因为数学让他明白为什么。
让 + person + verb phrase
The causative pattern '让' means 'to let/make someone do something'.
厄舍尔说，他喜欢数学，因为数学让他明白为什么。
可是，同时打球和学习，也让他没有时间陪女朋友。
Means 'still' or 'nevertheless'; it shows that a situation continues despite another fact.
他还说，电脑下棋比人厉害，但是人还是喜欢下棋。
数学也是一样：电脑可以帮助我们，但是人还是喜欢数学。
Proper nouns
专有名词Sources
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