A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
香港"四哥"谢贤离世：他撑起了香港电影最好的时代
Hong Kong's 'Fourth Brother' Patrick Tse Dies — the Man Who Helped Build HK Cinema's Golden Age
About this story
Hong Kong's 'Fourth Brother' Patrick Tse Dies — the Man Who Helped Build HK Cinema's Golden Age. HSK 3 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 3-4 Chinese listening episode that runs about 2 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 9 key vocabulary words such as 电影、身体、准备 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.
English transcript reference
Today, let's talk about a Hong Kong legend who has just passed away: Xie Xian (Patrick Tse).
Many people may not know the name well, but you've surely heard of his son — Nicholas Tse.
In Hong Kong's entertainment world, Xie Xian was a true elder statesman; everyone fondly called him "Fourth Brother."
On July 20, Fourth Brother passed away quietly at home, at the age of eighty-nine.
Xie Xian's life was almost half the history of Hong Kong cinema itself.
Back in the 1950s, he entered the business as a teenager and quickly rose to fame.
The young Xie Xian was strikingly handsome, one of the most famous leading men of his era.
Over his life, he made nearly two hundred films.
Later, he moved into TV dramas.
In 1980, his lead role in "The King of Gamblers" helped the TV station win back the ratings crown.
That series became a classic in many people's hearts.
You could say Xie Xian's generation held up the most glorious era of Hong Kong film and television.
In his whole life, Xie Xian never truly left the stage.
Even in his eighties, he was still acting.
A few years ago, at eighty-five, he won Best Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards for a single film.
With that, he became the oldest Best Actor in the awards' history.
It's a record no one has broken to this day.
In his final years, Xie Xian rarely appeared in public, and his health declined day by day.
This April, someone ran into him at Victoria Peak and said he'd grown very thin and needed a wheelchair.
Nicholas Tse was preparing a concert on the mainland at the time; the moment he heard, he hurried back to Hong Kong.
Following Fourth Brother's wishes, the family kept the funeral very low-key.
Nicholas Tse said: don't cry for Dad; remembering him at his most perfect is enough.
A man who acted his whole life has, just like that, quietly taken his final bow.
The films and TV dramas Xie Xian left behind will stay with us always.
OK, that's it for today — see you next time.
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Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇半部香港电影史 — half the history of Hong Kong cinema.
身体也一天不如一天 — his health declined day by day.
谢霆锋当时正在内地准备开演唱会 — Nicholas was preparing a concert.
一听到消息，就赶紧回了香港 — the moment he heard the news, he rushed back.
不要为爸爸哭 — don’t cry for Dad.
Beyond HSK 1-3. 年纪最大的影帝 — the oldest Best Actor.
Beyond HSK 1-3. 香港电影金像奖 — Hong Kong’s top film awards.
Beyond HSK 1-3. 他又转去拍电视剧 — he moved into TV dramas.
Beyond HSK 1-3. 一位香港传奇人物 — a Hong Kong legend.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法一 + Verb1，就 + Verb2
"as soon as V1, then V2" — one action immediately triggers the next.
一听到消息，就赶紧回了香港。
就算... 还...
"even (when)... still..." — concession stressing persistence.
就算到了八十多岁，他还在拍戏。
Proper Nouns
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