8:36
霍尔木兹海峡：油为什么变贵了？
The Strait of Hormuz: Why Did Oil Get Expensive?
HSK 1 Chinese listening practice. A simple story: Xiaoming sees expensive oil at the store, and learns about Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 9 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 15 key vocabulary words such as 贵、商店、走路 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.
说到今天很贵的油。
Speaking of today's very expensive oil.
我们看小明的故事。
Let's look at Xiaoming's story.
小明有一个车。
Xiaoming has a car.
小明的车很大。
Xiaoming's car is very big.
小明很喜欢他的车。
Xiaoming likes his car very much.
小明天天开车。
Xiaoming drives every day.
他开车去工作。
He drives to work.
他开车去买东西。
He drives to buy things.
他开车去看朋友。
He drives to see friends.
车需要吃东西。
The car needs to eat things.
车吃什么？
What does the car eat?
车吃米饭吗？
Does the car eat rice?
车不吃米饭。
The car doesn't eat rice.
车喝水吗？
Does the car drink water?
车不喝水。
The car doesn't drink water.
车喝油。
The car drinks oil.
油是什么？
What is oil?
油是黑色的水。
Oil is black water.
车有油才能走。
A car can only go if it has oil.
车没有油不能走。
A car cannot go without oil.
今天车没有油了。
Today the car has no oil.
小明不能开车。
Xiaoming cannot drive.
小明要去买油。
Xiaoming wants to go buy oil.
小明去哪里买油？
Where does Xiaoming go to buy oil?
小明去商店买油。
Xiaoming goes to the store to buy oil.
他走路去商店。
He walks to the store.
商店里有油。
There is oil in the store.
小明很高兴。
Xiaoming is very happy.
小明问商店的人。
Xiaoming asks the person at the store.
小明问：“多少钱？
Xiaoming asks: 'How much is it?'
人说：“很贵。
The person says: 'Very expensive.'
小明问：“有多贵？
Xiaoming asks: 'How expensive?'
他说：“一百块。
He says: 'One hundred kuai.'
一百块钱！
One hundred kuai!
一百块钱很多。
One hundred kuai is a lot.
小明没有很多钱。
Xiaoming doesn't have a lot of money.
小明不高兴。
Xiaoming is unhappy.
小明问：“为什么？
Xiaoming asks: 'Why?'
为什么油这么贵？
Why is oil so expensive?
以前油不贵。
Before, oil was not expensive.
以前油很少钱。
Before, oil was very little money.
现在为什么是一百？
Why is it one hundred now?
他说：“油不多。
He says: 'There isn't much oil.'
商店里没有很多油。
There is not much oil in the store.
为什么油不多？
Why isn't there much oil?
因为油在很远。
Because the oil is very far away.
油在别的国家。
The oil is in another country.
那个国家有很多油。
That country has a lot of oil.
我们要去那里买油。
We have to go there to buy oil.
我们怎么去？
How do we go?
我们要走水路。
We have to take the water route.
水路是大海。
The water route is the ocean.
大海上有一条小路。
There is a small path on the ocean.
这条小路很小。
This small path is very small.
这条小路很重要。
This small path is very important.
所有的油都走这路。
All the oil takes this path.
现在小路上有人。
Now there is someone on the small path.
这个人是谁？
Who is this person?
这个人是伊朗。
This person is Iran.
伊朗在小路旁边。
Iran is next to the small path.
伊朗说：“不能走。
Iran says: 'You cannot go.'
伊朗不让大船走。
Iran doesn't let the big ships go.
船上有什么？
What is on the ship?
船上有油。
There is oil on the ship.
船不能走。
The ship cannot go.
油也不能走。
The oil cannot go either.
我们没有油了。
We have no oil.
商店里也没有油。
There is no oil in the store either.
油很少。
The oil is very little.
人很多。
The people are many.
人都想买油。
People all want to buy oil.
小明也想买油。
Xiaoming also wants to buy oil.
所以油很贵。
So the oil is very expensive.
油要一百块。
The oil costs one hundred kuai.
一百块买一点点油。
One hundred kuai buys a little bit of oil.
小明很生气。
Xiaoming is very angry.
小明想开车。
Xiaoming wants to drive.
那个人说对不起。
That person says sorry.
没有油不能开车。
You cannot drive without oil.
小明只能走路。
Xiaoming can only walk.
走路很慢。
Walking is very slow.
小明不喜欢走路。
Xiaoming does not like walking.
小明的朋友也有车。
Xiaoming's friend also has a car.
朋友叫小红。
The friend is named Xiaohong.
小红的车很小。
Xiaohong's car is very small.
小红的车是红色的。
Xiaohong's car is red.
小红也喜欢开车。
Xiaohong also likes to drive.
小红天天开车。
Xiaohong drives every day.
小红去学校。
Xiaohong goes to school.
小红去买衣服。
Xiaohong goes to buy clothes.
今天车也没有油了。
Today the car also has no oil.
小红也去商店。
Xiaohong also goes to the store.
小红看到小明。
Xiaohong sees Xiaoming.
小红说：“你好。
Xiaohong says: 'Hello.'
小明说：“你好。
Xiaoming says: 'Hello.'
小红问油多少钱。
Xiaohong asks how much the oil is.
那个人说一百块。
That person says one hundred kuai.
小红也很生气。
Xiaohong is also very angry.
小红说：“太贵了！
Xiaohong says: 'Too expensive!'
小红也没有很多钱。
Xiaohong doesn't have much money either.
小红不买油。
Xiaohong doesn't buy oil.
小红和小明走路。
Xiaohong and Xiaoming walk.
我们来说说油。
Let's talk about oil.
油从哪里来？
Where does oil come from?
油在地下。
Oil is underground.
地下有很多油。
There is a lot of oil underground.
人把油拿出来。
People take the oil out.
人把油放在船上。
People put the oil on ships.
船很大。
The ship is very big.
船非常大。
The ship is extremely big.
大船在水上走。
The big ship goes on the water.
水是蓝色的。
The water is blue.
水很大。
The water is vast.
大船走得很慢。
The big ship goes very slowly.
大船要走很远。
The big ship has to go very far.
大船要走很多天。
The big ship has to go for many days.
大船要去哪里？
Where is the big ship going?
大船要来我们这。
The big ship is coming to us.
大船要来商店。
The big ship is coming to the store.
大船在水上走。
The big ship goes on the water.
前面有一条小路。
There is a small path ahead.
小路两边是地。
Both sides of the small path are land.
中间是水。
The middle is water.
大船从中间过。
The big ship passes through the middle.
这条小路叫海峡。
This small path is called a strait.
海峡是水上的路。
A strait is a path on the water.
这条小路很重要。
This small path is very important.
没有这条小路。
Without this small path.
大船不能来。
The big ship cannot come.
大船不能来这。
The big ship cannot come here.
我们就没有油。
We would have no oil.
现在小路有问题。
Now there is a problem with the small path.
小路旁边是伊朗。
Next to the small path is Iran.
伊朗是一个国家。
Iran is a country.
伊朗在这路旁边。
Iran is next to this path.
伊朗不高兴。
Iran is unhappy.
伊朗说不能过。
Iran says you cannot pass.
伊朗人在小路上。
Iranians are on the small path.
他们不让大船过。
They don't let the big ships pass.
大船停下来了。
The big ship has stopped.
大船不能走。
The big ship cannot go.
大船在水上等。
The big ship waits on the water.
一天过去了。
One day has passed.
两天过去了。
Two days have passed.
大船还在等。
The big ship is still waiting.
商店里的人在等。
The people in the store are waiting.
他们说油怎么不来。
They say why isn't the oil coming.
小明在等。
Xiaoming is waiting.
小红也在等。
Xiaohong is also waiting.
大家都需要油。
Everyone needs oil.
大家都要开车。
Everyone wants to drive.
天气很冷。
The weather is very cold.
小明想开车回家。
Xiaoming wants to drive home.
小红想开车吃饭。
Xiaohong wants to drive to eat.
可是没有油。
But there is no oil.
商店只有一点油。
The store only has a little oil.
很多人想买。
Many people want to buy.
小明想买。
Xiaoming wants to buy.
小红想买。
Xiaohong wants to buy.
还有很多人想买。
And many other people want to buy.
人说：“油很少。
The person says: 'There is very little oil.'
钱多的人买。
People with a lot of money buy it.
小明说给五十块。
Xiaoming says he will give fifty kuai.
小红说给六十块。
Xiaohong says she will give sixty kuai.
别人说给八十块。
Someone else says they will give eighty kuai.
最后是一百块。
In the end, it is one hundred kuai.
一百块钱买点油。
One hundred kuai to buy a little oil.
太贵了。
Too expensive.
小明不买了。
Xiaoming is not buying.
小红也不买了。
Xiaohong is not buying either.
小明没有油。
Xiaoming has no oil.
小明怎么去工作？
How does Xiaoming go to work?
小明坐公交车。
Xiaoming takes the bus.
公交车很大。
The bus is very big.
公交车有座位。
The bus has seats.
车里有很多人。
There are many people in the bus.
小明不爱坐公交。
Xiaoming doesn't love taking the bus.
公交车很慢。
The bus is very slow.
小红怎么去学校？
How does Xiaohong go to school?
小红骑自行车。
Xiaohong rides a bicycle.
自行车没有油。
The bicycle doesn't have oil.
自行车用人力。
The bicycle uses human power.
小红骑得很累。
Xiaohong rides until she is very tired.
小红想她的车。
Xiaohong misses her car.
小红想开她的车。
Xiaohong wants to drive her car.
小明问商店的人。
Xiaoming asks the person at the store.
油什么时候便宜？
When will oil be cheap?
便宜就是不贵。
Cheap means not expensive.
那个人说不知道。
That person says they don't know.
他说要看那条路。
He says it depends on that path.
小路什么时候通？
When will the small path be clear?
伊朗让不让船走？
Will Iran let the ships go or not?
如果大船过来了。
If the big ships come over.
油就多了。
Then there will be more oil.
油多了就不贵了。
When there is more oil, it won't be expensive.
小明说快点来。
Xiaoming says come quickly.
小红也说快点来。
Xiaohong also says come quickly.
他们都在等。
They are all waiting.
大家都在等。
Everyone is waiting.
一百块的油太贵。
Oil for one hundred kuai is too expensive.
我们不喜欢这样。
We don't like this.
故事说的是什么？
What is the story talking about?
说的是国际油价。
It is talking about international oil prices.
一桶油一百多美元。
A barrel of oil is over one hundred US dollars.
为什么这么贵？
Why is it so expensive?
因为伊朗不让船走。
Because Iran won't let the ships go.
那是霍尔木兹海峡。
That is the Strait of Hormuz.
船不能走油就贵。
If ships cannot go, oil becomes expensive.
Adjective used to describe high prices.
Noun for a place that sells goods. Measure word: 家 (jiā).
Verb-object compound meaning to walk on foot.
Adjective used to describe low prices.
Noun for public bus. Measure word: 辆 (liàng).
Noun for bicycle. Measure word: 辆 (liàng).
Adjective indicating a long distance.
Noun for a water vessel. Measure word: 艘 (sōu) or 条 (tiáo).
Noun referring to oil, gas, or fuel in this context.
Noun for a narrow passage of water connecting two larger areas of water.
Adjective describing something between nations.
Noun compound of 油 (oil) and 价 (price).
Measure word used here for barrels of oil.
Noun for the United States currency.
Noun referring to physical human effort.
* beyond level超纲词
Place + 有 + Object
Used to indicate that something or someone exists in a certain place.
商店里有油。
大海上有一条小路。
怎么 + Verb
Used to ask how to do an action or by what means an action is performed.
我们怎么去？
小明怎么去工作？
因为... (yīnwèi...)
Used to explain the reason or cause of a situation.
为什么油不多？因为油在很远。
因为伊朗不让船走。
Subject + 把 + Object + Verb + Result/Direction
The 'bǎ' sentence focuses on the handling, disposing, or moving of a specific object.
人把油拿出来。
人把油放在船上。
才能 (cáinéng)
Expresses that an action can only happen if a certain prerequisite condition is met.
车有油才能走。
Free account
You just read the story — hear it next. A free account saves your level, the words you keep from this episode, and the line you stop at, so you can pick the story back up on any device.