A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels

他回家了,可他还不能自由
He Came Home, but He Still Wasn't Free
About this story
A Beginner Chinese audio drama about Qingyi's return home, an arranged marriage, and the mysterious woman who looks exactly like Susu. HSK 1 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 5 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 8 key vocabulary words such as 回家、结婚、喜欢 and walks through 2 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.
旁白pángbái· Narrator
清峄在监狱里住了三年。今天,他回家了。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
我回来了。程谨之Chéng Jǐnzhī· Cheng Jinzhi
回来了?好。家里要你和敏贤结婚。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
我今天回家,今天要结婚?程谨之Chéng Jǐnzhī· Cheng Jinzhi
对。你们结婚,对两个家都好。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
我不认识她。程谨之Chéng Jǐnzhī· Cheng Jinzhi
你们可以慢慢认识。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
我在监狱里住了三年。你们没有来看我。现在要我结婚?程谨之Chéng Jǐnzhī· Cheng Jinzhi
你是这个家的儿子。你要听家里的。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
我知道了。但是,我不想结婚。程谨之Chéng Jǐnzhī· Cheng Jinzhi
你先去看看她。你们认识了,再说结婚。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
好,我去看她。但是,我要自己选择。旁白pángbái· Narrator
清峄回家了。但是,他不能选择自己要不要结婚。敏贤Mǐnxián· Minxian
你是清峄?清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
对。你是敏贤?敏贤Mǐnxián· Minxian
对。我不会和你结婚。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
好。我也不想和你结婚。敏贤Mǐnxián· Minxian
那你去和家里说。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
你也可以说。敏贤Mǐnxián· Minxian
他们不听我。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
他们也不听我。敏贤Mǐnxián· Minxian
我和你不一样。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
我们都不能选择。哪里不一样?敏贤Mǐnxián· Minxian
我不喜欢你。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
我也不喜欢你。要我们结婚的,是两个家。敏贤Mǐnxián· Minxian
我不会和你一起去说。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
好。那我们都和家里说不。敏贤Mǐnxián· Minxian
我们不一样。旁白pángbái· Narrator
两个人都想说不。但是,他们没有一起说。他们说:我和你不一样。宾客声bīnkè shēng· The guests
看!是敏贤!敏贤Mǐnxián· Minxian
不要看!快把电影关了!旁白pángbái· Narrator
电影里,敏贤和一个人在一起。大家都看见了,记者也拍了照片。敏贤Mǐnxián· Minxian
不要拍!快把电影关了!程谨之Chéng Jǐnzhī· Cheng Jinzhi
这是怎么了?旁白pángbái· Narrator
敏贤的家很不高兴。他们说:不结婚了。敏贤Mǐnxián· Minxian
现在你自由了。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
这不是我做的。敏贤Mǐnxián· Minxian
大家不看你。他们都在看我。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
我知道。敏贤Mǐnxián· Minxian
你可以走。我不能走。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
但是,我现在不想走。敏贤Mǐnxián· Minxian
你有选择。我没有。程谨之Chéng Jǐnzhī· Cheng Jinzhi
清峄,现在不用结婚了。你可以走。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
不。我不走。程谨之Chéng Jǐnzhī· Cheng Jinzhi
你不想结婚。现在可以走了。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
你们要我来,我能不来吗?你们要我走,我能不走吗?这不是自由。程谨之Chéng Jǐnzhī· Cheng Jinzhi
你想要什么?清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
我要自己选择。程谨之Chéng Jǐnzhī· Cheng Jinzhi
你想怎么做?清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
我知道敏贤家的秘密。我也有照片。程谨之Chéng Jǐnzhī· Cheng Jinzhi
你要做什么?清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
我要结婚。但是,你们现在要听我说。旁白pángbái· Narrator
大家都不说话。现在,两个家都听清峄说。敏贤Mǐnxián· Minxian
你高兴了吗?清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
他们听我了。敏贤Mǐnxián· Minxian
他们听你。但是,你听我了吗?清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
我想要自由。敏贤Mǐnxián· Minxian
你有了一点自由。我的自由呢?旁白pángbái· Narrator
清峄没有说。两个家听他了。但是,敏贤也不能自己选择。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
素素。旁白pángbái· Narrator
素素是清峄爱的人。清峄想,她三年前已经死了。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
这是她喜欢的花。旁白pángbái· Narrator
清峄看着花。素素还在吗?清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
去找,我要知道她是谁。旁白pángbái· Narrator
第二天,清峄和敏贤站在一起。清峄的哥哥也要结婚。他在等一个女人。清渝Qīngyú· Qingyu
清峄,她来了。旁白pángbái· Narrator
牧兰走进来。清峄看见她,不能说话。她的脸和素素一样。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
素素?牧兰Mùlán· Mulan
你好。我叫牧兰。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
你是素素。牧兰Mùlán· Mulan
不。我叫牧兰。我要和你哥哥结婚。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
电影院里不见的东西,是你拿走的吗?牧兰Mùlán· Mulan
对。这是我给你的礼物。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
你认识素素吗?牧兰Mùlán· Mulan
今天不说这个。我们还有很多时间。清峄Qīngyì· Qingyi
你到底是谁?牧兰Mùlán· Mulan
我说了。我叫牧兰。旁白pángbái· Narrator
清峄想,素素已经死了。English transcript reference
Qingyi lived in prison for three years. Today, he came home.
I'm home.
You're back? Good. The family wants you to marry Minxian.
I came home today, and I have to get married today?
Yes. Your marriage will be good for both families.
I don't know her.
You can get to know each other slowly.
I lived in prison for three years. You never came to see me. Now you want me to get married?
You are a son of this family. You have to listen to the family.
I understand. But I don't want to get married.
Go and meet her first. Once you know each other, we can talk about marriage again.
Fine, I'll meet her. But I want to choose for myself.
Qingyi came home. But he could not choose whether he wanted to marry.
Are you Qingyi?
Yes. Are you Minxian?
Yes. I will not marry you.
Good. I don't want to marry you either.
Then go and tell your family.
You can tell them too.
They won't listen to me.
They won't listen to me either.
You and I are not the same.
Neither of us can choose. How are we different?
I don't like you.
I don't like you either. The two families are the ones making us marry.
I won't go and tell them with you.
Fine. Then we'll both tell our families no.
We are not the same.
They both wanted to say no. But they did not say it together. They said, "You and I are not the same."
Look! It's Minxian!
Don't look! Turn off the film!
In the film, Minxian was with someone. Everyone saw it, and a reporter took photographs.
Don't take pictures! Turn off the film!
What is happening?
Minxian's family was very unhappy. They said, "There will be no marriage."
Now you're free.
I didn't do this.
No one is looking at you. They are all looking at me.
I know.
You can leave. I can't.
But I don't want to leave now.
You have a choice. I don't.
Qingyi, you don't have to marry now. You can leave.
No. I'm not leaving.
You don't want to marry. Now you can leave.
When you tell me to come, can I refuse? When you tell me to leave, can I refuse? That isn't freedom.
What do you want?
I want to choose for myself.
What do you want to do?
I know Minxian's family's secret. I also have photographs.
What are you going to do?
I will marry her. But now you have to listen to me.
No one spoke. Now both families were listening to Qingyi.
Are you happy now?
They listened to me.
They listened to you. But did you listen to me?
You don't want to listen to your family. Now you want me to listen to you.
I want freedom.
You got a little freedom. What about mine?
Qingyi said nothing. The two families listened to him. But Minxian still could not choose for herself.
A woman had been inside the cinema. Later, something was missing, and a flower was left there.
Susu.
Susu was the woman Qingyi loved. Qingyi thought she had died three years ago.
This was her favorite flower.
Qingyi looked at the flower. Could Susu still be alive?
Find her. I want to know who she is.
The next day, Qingyi and Minxian stood together. Qingyi's older brother was also getting married. He was waiting for a woman.
Qingyi, she's here.
Mulan walked in. Qingyi saw her and could not speak. Her face looked just like Susu's.
Susu?
Hello. My name is Mulan.
You are Susu.
No. My name is Mulan. I am going to marry your older brother.
Did you take the missing item from the cinema?
Yes. This is my gift to you.
Do you know Susu?
We won't talk about that today. We still have plenty of time.
Who are you really?
I told you. My name is Mulan.
Qingyi thought Susu was dead.
But Mulan had the same face as Susu, and she also knew the cinema's secret.
Was she Susu?
Episode one did not say.
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What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇to return home
to marry
to like someone or something
to know a fact
a place where prisoners are held
something kept hidden
the ability to choose for yourself
to decide between possibilities
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法不想 + verb
Use 不想 before a verb to say someone does not want to do it.
我不想结婚。
但是,我现在不想走。
和……一样
Use 和……一样 to say two people or things are alike.
她和素素一样。
Proper Nouns
专有名词Sources
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