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库里穿了李宁的鞋
Curry Now Wears Li-Ning Shoes — A Beginner Story in Simple Chinese
HSK 1 Chinese listening practice. The story of American basketball star Steph Curry switching from an American shoe company to the Chinese brand Li-Ning, told one slow step at a time using only beginner-level Chinese.
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 6 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 事、鞋、公司 and walks through 7 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.
今天我们说一个事。
Today we'll talk about a thing.
这个事，是一个人的事。
This thing is about a person.
我们说说这个人。
Let's talk about this person.
他是美国人。
He is American.
他不在中国。
He is not in China.
他在美国。
He is in America.
他叫库里。
He is called Curry.
他的名字叫库里。
His name is Curry.
你认识他吗？
Do you know him?
没关系。
It's okay if you don't.
我们慢慢说。
We'll go slowly.
库里三十八岁。
Curry is thirty-eight years old.
不大也不小。
Not too big, not too small.
在美国，很多人都认识他。
In America, many people know him.
在中国，也有很多人认识他。
In China, many people also know him.
你也可以认识他。
You can know him too.
那库里做什么呢？
So what does Curry do?
库里做的事，是打球。
What Curry does is play ball.
什么是打球？
What is 'playing ball'?
打球就是：用手玩球。
Playing ball means: using your hands to play with a ball.
打球的人，跑来跑去。
People who play ball run back and forth.
跑得很快。
They run very fast.
库里跑得很快。
Curry runs very fast.
他打球，打得很好。
He plays ball, and he plays very well.
他打球，打了很多很多年。
He has played ball for many, many years.
美国人都喜欢看他打球。
American people all like watching him play.
中国人也喜欢看他打球。
Chinese people also like watching him play.
你也可以看看他打球。
You can also watch him play.
那库里打什么球呢？
So what kind of ball does Curry play?
库里打的球，叫"篮球"。
The ball Curry plays is called 'basketball'.
什么是"篮球"呢？
What is 'basketball'?
因为有一个篮子。
Because there is a basket.
篮子在上面。
The basket is up high.
高高的，在上面。
High up, above.
打球的人，把球放到篮子里。
The players put the ball into the basket.
球到篮子里。
The ball goes into the basket.
就有分。
Then you get a point.
分多的那一边，赢了。
The side with more points wins.
分少的那一边，没赢。
The side with fewer points doesn't win.
这就是篮球。
This is basketball.
好。
Okay.
现在你知道库里了。
Now you know Curry.
库里是美国人。
Curry is American.
库里打篮球。
Curry plays basketball.
打得很好。
He plays very well.
认识了库里。
We've met Curry.
我们再说一个新的东西。
Now we'll talk about something new.
库里有很多鞋。
Curry has many shoes.
你也有鞋。
You have shoes too.
我也有鞋。
I have shoes too.
我们都有鞋。
We all have shoes.
但是库里的鞋，不是一般的鞋。
But Curry's shoes are not regular shoes.
他的鞋，是打篮球的鞋。
His shoes are basketball shoes.
打篮球的时候穿的。
He wears them when he plays basketball.
他每天都穿。
He wears them every day.
天天都穿。
Every single day he wears them.
那他的鞋，是哪里来的呢？
So where do his shoes come from?
库里不自己做鞋。
Curry doesn't make his own shoes.
他不做鞋。
He doesn't make shoes.
他的鞋，是别人做的。
His shoes are made by someone else.
谁做的呢？
Who makes them?
是一个大大的"公司"做的。
They are made by a big 'company'.
公司是这样：
A company is like this:
很多人一起工作。
Many people work together.
他们一起做一种东西。
They make one kind of thing together.
他们一起卖。
They sell it together.
这个，就是公司。
This is what a company is.
比如说：
For example:
有的公司做电话。
Some companies make phones.
有的公司做电视。
Some companies make televisions.
有的公司做衣服。
Some companies make clothes.
有的公司做鞋。
Some companies make shoes.
库里的鞋，是一个公司做的。
Curry's shoes are made by a company.
这个公司，以前在美国。
This company used to be in America.
是美国的公司。
It is an American company.
库里很喜欢这家美国公司。
Curry really liked this American company.
他穿这家公司的鞋。
He wore this company's shoes.
穿了十三年。
He wore them for thirteen years.
时间很长。
That's a long time.
他每天都穿这家公司的鞋。
He wore this company's shoes every day.
天天都穿。
Every single day.
但是，去年。
But, last year.
库里和这家美国公司，分开了。
Curry and this American company parted ways.
他不穿这家美国公司的鞋了。
He stopped wearing this American company's shoes.
他不穿了。
He doesn't wear them anymore.
他现在穿谁的鞋呢？
Whose shoes does he wear now?
有很多公司想给库里做鞋。
Many companies wanted to make shoes for Curry.
美国的公司想做。
American companies wanted to.
中国的公司也想做。
Chinese companies also wanted to.
都想给库里做鞋。
They all wanted to make shoes for Curry.
都想给库里钱。
They all wanted to give Curry money.
库里也在想。
Curry was also thinking.
他想了几个月。
He thought for several months.
今天，我们知道答案了。
Today, we know the answer.
库里换了。
Curry changed.
他不再穿美国公司的鞋。
He no longer wears the American company's shoes.
他现在穿一个中国公司的鞋。
He now wears a Chinese company's shoes.
中国公司！
A Chinese company!
这就是这个事最有意思的地方。
This is the most interesting part of the story.
那这个中国公司是谁呢？
So who is this Chinese company?
这个中国公司，叫"李宁"。
This Chinese company is called 'Li-Ning'.
李宁做鞋。
Li-Ning makes shoes.
也做衣服。
It also makes clothes.
中国人都认识李宁。
Chinese people all know Li-Ning.
但是美国人不太认识。
But American people don't really know it.
现在好了。
Now things are different.
库里穿李宁。
Curry wears Li-Ning.
所以美国人也认识李宁了。
So American people now know Li-Ning too.
最后我们想一想。
Finally, let's think.
为什么大家都在说这个事呢？
Why is everyone talking about this?
因为：以前没有这样的事。
Because: this kind of thing has not happened before.
以前美国的有名的人，穿美国的鞋。
Before, famous American people wore American shoes.
中国的有名的人，穿中国的鞋。
Famous Chinese people wore Chinese shoes.
现在不一样了。
Now it is different.
一个有名的美国人，穿中国的鞋。
A famous American person wears Chinese shoes.
是新的事。
It is a new thing.
有的人喜欢。
Some people like it.
有的人不喜欢。
Some people don't like it.
我们今天不说谁对谁错。
Today we won't say who is right and who is wrong.
我们今天只说：有这么一件事。
Today we only say: this thing happened.
最后，你看一下你的鞋。
Finally, take a look at your own shoes.
你的鞋是哪里做的？
Where are your shoes made?
是中国做的吗？
Are they made in China?
还是别的地方做的呢？
Or somewhere else?
你看一下就知道了。
Take a look and you'll know.
Used many times: 我们说一个事 = let's talk about a matter. Most common HSK 2 word for 'thing/event' (not a physical object).
库里有很多鞋 = Curry has many shoes. The whole story is about whose shoes Curry wears.
Glossed inline: 公司就是很多人一起工作，一起做一种东西，一起卖 = a company is many people working together to make and sell one kind of thing.
Glossed inline: 有一个篮子在上面，把球放到篮子里，就有分 = there is a basket up high, put the ball in the basket, you get a point.
Glossed inline: 打球就是用手玩球 = playing ball means using your hands to play with a ball.
Central to the story: 库里换了 = Curry switched. He stopped wearing one company's shoes and started wearing another's.
HSK 2 contrast connector. 库里的鞋，不是一般的鞋 → 但是 introduces the contrast.
Used to introduce a list of examples: 比如说，有的公司做电话，有的公司做电视 = for example, some companies make phones, some make televisions.
不是一般的鞋 = not regular shoes. Used to mark something as special / different from the norm.
Pattern: V + 的时候 = when V-ing. 打篮球的时候穿的 = worn when playing basketball.
他的鞋，是别人做的 = his shoes are made by someone else (not by himself).
球到篮子里，就有分 = the ball goes in the basket, you get a point. 分多的那一边赢了 = the side with more points wins.
* beyond level超纲词
Subject + 是 + Noun
The most basic identity sentence: 'X is Y'. Used many times here to introduce who Curry is.
他是美国人。
他叫库里。
库里是美国人。
Subject + 有 + Object
'X has Y'. Used to introduce possessions/existence at the most basic level.
库里有很多鞋。
你也有鞋。
有一个篮子。
Subject + 不 / 没 + Verb
Negation. 不 for general/habitual, 没 for completed actions (introduced later).
他不在中国。
他不做鞋。
他不穿了。
都 / 也 (universal / also)
都 = all; 也 = also. Both come BEFORE the verb. Used heavily here to build parallel statements.
美国人都喜欢看他打球。
中国人也喜欢看他打球。
都想给库里做鞋。
Verb + 得 + Adjective (degree complement)
Describes HOW well/poorly an action is done. 打 + 得 + 很好 = plays very well.
他打球，打得很好。
库里跑得很快。
跑得很快。
Verb + 的时候 (when V-ing)
Marks the time during an action. Comes before the main clause.
打篮球的时候穿的。
什么是 X 呢? (rhetorical question)
Used to ask 'what is X?' before defining X yourself. The 呢 softens the question.
什么是打球？
什么是"篮球"呢？