A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
加拿大一比零赢了南非
Canada Beat South Africa One to Zero
About this story
A beginner Chinese listening lesson on the World Cup knockouts: Canada 1-0 South Africa. Simple HSK 1 sentences about a do-or-die game and Eustáquio's last-minute winner.
This is an HSK 1 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 7 key vocabulary words such as 进球、淘汰赛、小心 and walks through 3 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 soccer match.
There are two teams.
One team is South Africa.
One team is Canada.
Both teams wanted to win.
South Africa wanted to win.
Canada wanted to win too.
They all wanted to score.
Score one goal, and you get one point.
The team with more points wins.
Many people came to watch today.
So very many people.
Everyone wanted to watch the two teams play.
Both teams really wanted to win.
Both teams really wanted points.
South Africa wanted to score.
Canada wanted to score too.
Both teams really wanted to score.
Everyone sat there watching the game.
They watched the two teams.
They watched the ball.
Both teams came out.
They all wanted to play well.
None of them wanted to lose.
This game, many people wanted to watch.
Today's game was very important.
Why was it important?
Let me tell you.
The earlier games were the group stage.
In the group stage, losing one was okay.
You could still play other teams.
But today was different.
Lose today, and you go home.
You can't play anymore.
So both teams really wanted to win.
Neither wanted to go home.
The match began.
Both teams were very careful.
Because losing means going home.
So neither dared to be careless.
Neither wanted to concede first.
For a long time at first, no one scored.
It was still zero to zero.
Both teams were waiting for a chance.
The fans were all very tense.
Everyone wondered: who will score first?
Time passed minute by minute.
It was almost over.
Still zero to zero.
Both teams had played a long time.
Everyone was getting a little tired.
Neither could score.
The fans thought: will it be zero to zero?
But, right at the very end,
Canada scored a goal!
The scorer is named Eustáquio.
This goal came so late.
It went in nearly after ninety minutes.
Now it was one to zero.
Canada was ahead!
Canada's people went wild.
They jumped up with joy.
South Africa's people were sad.
They had almost held on.
But in the end they conceded.
The match was over.
The score was one to zero.
Canada won.
South Africa lost.
Canada was so happy.
They won and can keep playing.
The losing team goes home, the winning team moves on.
Canada advanced to the next round.
And Canada is one of the hosts of this World Cup.
Playing at home, they won again.
So they were especially, especially happy.
Many Canada fans rejoiced along with them.
South Africa had to go home.
They were a little sad.
But they played very well too.
They fought right to the end.
Losing to Canada is no disgrace.
South Africa's fans were proud of them too.
This was a World Cup match.
Now it's the knockout stage.
In the knockouts, lose and you go home.
So every game is very tense.
Today, Canada beat South Africa one to zero.
That was today's match.
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇考纲词。做事很注意、不大意。两个队都很小心。
考纲词。心里很急、很怕。看球的人都很紧张。
考纲词。很有意义。今天这场球很重要。
考纲词。接着做下去。他们赢了，可以继续踢。
考纲词。为某事感到光荣。球迷为他们骄傲。
把球踢进门。加拿大进了一个球。
输了就回家、不能再踢的比赛。现在是淘汰赛。
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法输了，就要…
'Lose, and you have to…' — a consequence that follows a condition.
今天输了，就要回家。
因为…，所以…
'Because…, therefore…' — cause and effect.
因为输了就回家，所以谁也不敢大意。
差一点就…
'Almost / very nearly…' — something nearly happened.
他们差一点就守住了。
Proper Nouns
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