A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
6:15
世界杯：替补建奇功，瑞士下半场连进四球四比一大胜波黑
World Cup: Substitutes Spark Switzerland to a 4-1 Win Over Bosnia
中级中文世界杯战报：上半场零比零，瑞士替补登场后下半场连进四球，曼赞比梅开二度、巴尔加斯建功、队长扎卡点球锁定胜局，四比一大胜波黑，收获首胜。含生词、语法和全文英文翻译。
This is an HSK 3-4 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 10 key vocabulary words such as 默契、谨慎、世界 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.
Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.
Switzerland beat Bosnia four to one — a match in which the two halves looked like two completely different teams.
In the first half the two sides played out a dull, goalless stalemate, with neither managing to score.
But in the second half, Switzerland played as if they'd become a different team, scoring four goals in a row to win big in the end.
Switzerland and Bosnia both come from Europe, and before the match the two teams were considered quite close in quality.
Switzerland is an established powerhouse with smooth overall teamwork and plenty of experienced players.
Bosnia were not to be underestimated either — physically strong and never afraid of a tough battle.
So before the match began, almost no one could have predicted such a lopsided scoreline.
And no one imagined that all four goals of the game would come entirely in the second half.
At the start of the match, both teams looked extremely cautious.
They both made their defending solid first, unwilling to push up and take risks lightly.
Neither wanted to make the first mistake, so the game was a bit dull for a while.
The two sides traded blows, but genuinely threatening chances were few.
At the end of the entire first half, the score was still nil-nil.
The fans in the stands wondered: will the second half be a bit better?
However, no one imagined that the real show was only just beginning in the second half.
At half-time, Switzerland's head coach made a key decision.
He brought on several substitutes all at once, hoping to bring some change to the match.
As it turned out, this substitution became the turning point of the whole match.
The moment these substitutes came on, they completely sparked Switzerland's attack to life.
They were fast and dynamic, leaving Bosnia's defense unable to cope for a while.
Bosnia, who had been playing so steadily, began to be thrown into a scramble by Switzerland's quick attacks.
And Switzerland played with more and more confidence, as if they'd suddenly found the key to scoring.
Not long after the second half began, Switzerland broke the deadlock first.
One to nil — Switzerland finally took the lead.
And this goal seemed to open the floodgates of Switzerland's attack.
After taking the lead, Switzerland played more and more smoothly, attacking in wave after wave.
Before long, they added another, rewriting the score to two to nil.
Right after, Switzerland scored again, three to nil.
In a short span of time, Switzerland scored three in a row, completely taking control of the match.
For Bosnia, this kind of second half was without doubt like a nightmare.
Just one half earlier, they were still going toe-to-toe with Switzerland.
But in the blink of an eye, the score had been stretched to three goals by their opponent.
Although Bosnia were heavily behind, they did not give up at that.
They kept attacking hard, and finally scored a goal too.
Three to one — Bosnia pulled one back, and the game looked a bit better.
Still, Switzerland's form today was simply too good, giving their opponent no real chance.
Near the end of the match, Switzerland won a penalty.
The one who stepped up to take it was Switzerland's captain Xhaka, the core and leader of this team.
Experienced and unfazed by the pressure, he made no mistake, firmly sealing the score at four to one.
As captain, stepping up to convert a penalty at a moment like this is also a mark of mettle.
In the end, Switzerland won the match by the big margin of four to one.
In this match, Switzerland's substitutes can be said to have made a great contribution.
One of them, Manzambi, scored two goals all by himself, putting in an eye-catching performance.
After the match, the whole Switzerland team was thrilled.
Because this was their first win at this World Cup.
And what's more, they didn't just win — they won quite handsomely, scoring four goals all at once.
For Switzerland, this was without doubt a very ideal start.
Of course, the losing side Bosnia needn't feel too dejected.
They defended quite well in the first half, keeping the score at nil-nil throughout.
And even when heavily behind in the second half, they still scored a goal.
It's just that against a red-hot Switzerland with such outstanding substitutes, they couldn't hold off the attack in the end.
After the match, people's discussion revolved around the game.
Some said Switzerland's substitutes were so crucial — they changed the entire match.
Others sighed that the two halves of the same match could be so completely different.
Actually, this is one of the most interesting things about football.
Some matches get more exciting the further they go; sometimes, a single substitution is enough to change the whole course of a match.
This also shows that a coach's in-game decisions are sometimes just as important as the players' performance on the pitch.
A team's strength is measured not only by the starting eleven, but also by the depth on the bench.
Today's Switzerland proved their overall strength precisely through the outstanding play of their substitutes.
For Switzerland, taking such a thoroughly satisfying big win in their opener will fill them with confidence.
For Bosnia, the group stage has only just begun, and they still have a chance to adjust and fight for a better result.
A four-one game, with both the brilliance of Switzerland's substitutes and Bosnia's defiance — this is the World Cup.
And the huge contrast between that dull first half and the explosive second is exactly the most unforgettable thing about this match.
For fans, getting to see a match like this — restrained at first, then suddenly bursting to life — is itself a treat.
Alright, that's the whole story of Switzerland versus Bosnia. See you next time.
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
瑞士整体配合默契。
两支球队都显得格外谨慎。
HSK 1-3. world.
HSK 1-3. key.
HSK 1-3. experience.
成语 (近义)。这是一场上下半场判若两队的比赛。
考纲词。这次换人，成了整场比赛的转折点。
考纲词。他们一上场，就彻底激活了瑞士的进攻。
考纲词。让波黑的防线一下子有些招架不住。
成语。瑞士又乘胜追击，攻入一球。
* beyond level超纲词
像…一样
'like … / as if …'.
可到了下半场，瑞士却像变了一支球队一样。
事实证明，…
'as it turned out / the facts proved that …'.
事实证明，这次换人，成了整场比赛的转折点。
不只…，还要…
'not only …, but also …'.
一支球队的强大，不只看首发的十一个人，还要看替补席上的深度。
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