What is this Fluentide episode about?

Next, let's chat about why everyone likes playing games. This is a very interesting topic. Everyone likes playing games.

What level is this episode for?

This episode is calibrated for HSK 1 (beginner) learners.

What HSK levels is this episode available in?

The same story is available at HSK 1 (beginner), HSK 2 (elementary), HSK 3-4 (intermediate), HSK 5-6 (advanced). Switch level with the selector at the top of the page.

What vocabulary does this episode teach?

Key words: 觉得 (juéde, "to feel; to think"); 高兴 (gāoxìng, "happy; glad"); 告诉 (gàosu, "to tell"); 踢足球 (tī zúqiú, "to play soccer"); 事情 (shìqing, "thing; matter"); 决定 (juédìng, "to decide; decision").

What grammar patterns appear in this episode?

Subject + 想 + Verb: Expresses a desire or intention to do something. 把 + Object + Verb + Result: The 'Ba' construction is used to indicate how an action affects an object, moving or changing it. A + 没有 + B + Adjective: A comparative structure indicating that A is not as 'Adjective' as B.

Where can I listen to this episode?

At https://fluentide.com/episodes/why-people-love-playing-games — full transcript, line-by-line English translation, pinyin, vocabulary notes, and grammar callouts.

Why People Love Video Games — From Virtual Striving to the Quantified Life — HSK 1 Chinese Listening Practice (6:33)

下面聊聊大家为什么喜欢玩游戏。

Next, let's chat about why everyone likes playing games.

这是一个很有意思的话题。

This is a very interesting topic.

大家都喜欢玩游戏。

Everyone likes playing games.

男人喜欢，女人喜欢。

Men like it, women like it.

大人喜欢，孩子也喜欢。

Adults like it, children also like it.

今天我们说一个小故事。

Today we will tell a small story.

故事里有一个人。

There is a person in the story.

他的名字叫小明。

His name is Xiao Ming.

小明是一个学生。

Xiao Ming is a student.

他今年十二岁。

He is twelve years old this year.

他在北京上学。

He goes to school in Beijing.

小明有很多同学。

Xiao Ming has many classmates.

他也很多朋友。

He also has many friends.

每天，小明都要去学校。

Every day, Xiao Ming has to go to school.

他在学校里学习。

He studies at school.

他学习汉语。

He studies Chinese.

他学习写字。

He learns to write characters.

老师在前面说话。

The teacher speaks at the front.

小明在后面听。

Xiao Ming listens at the back.

老师说：“读这本书。

The teacher says: "Read this book."

小明就读这本书。

Xiao Ming then reads this book.

老师说：“写这个字。

The teacher says: "Write this character."

小明就写这个字。

Xiao Ming then writes this character.

小明不能说“不”。

Xiao Ming cannot say "no".

他必须做。

He must do it.

这是他的工作。

This is his job.

下午四点，小明回家了。

At four in the afternoon, Xiao Ming goes home.

他做完了作业。

He finished his homework.

现在是他的时间了。

Now is his time.

他想做什么？

What does he want to do?

他想玩游戏。

He wants to play games.

他拿出一个球。

He takes out a ball.

这是一个足球。

This is a soccer ball.

球是白色的。

The ball is white.

球是圆的。

The ball is round.

小明去外面的草地上。

Xiao Ming goes to the grass outside.

草地是绿色的。

The grass is green.

天气很好。

The weather is very good.

不冷也不热。

Not cold and not hot.

小明很高兴。

Xiao Ming is very happy.

他想怎么玩？

How does he want to play?

他想把球踢进前面的门里。

He wants to kick the ball into the goal ahead.

那个门不大。

That goal is not big.

那个门很远。

That goal is very far.

这是一个游戏。

This is a game.

游戏有规矩。

Games have rules.

什么是规矩？

What are rules?

规矩就是你也做，我也做。

Rules mean you do it, and I do it too.

大家都一样。

Everyone is the same.

在这个游戏里，规矩是不能用手。

In this game, the rule is you cannot use hands.

小明不能用手拿球。

Xiao Ming cannot use hands to hold the ball.

他只能用脚踢。

He can only kick with his feet.

这很难。

This is very difficult.

脚没有手灵活。

Feet are not as flexible as hands.

球会乱跑。

The ball runs around chaotically.

球不听话。

The ball is not obedient.

小明踢了一下。

Xiao Ming kicked it once.

球跑了。

The ball ran away.

球没有进门。

The ball did not go into the goal.

小明不高兴吗？

Is Xiao Ming unhappy?

不，他很高兴。

No, he is very happy.

他跑过去。

He runs over.

他再踢一下。

He kicks it once more.

这次球进了。

This time the ball went in.

小明大叫一声。

Xiao Ming shouts loudly.

他太高兴了。

He is so happy.

为什么他这么高兴？

Why is he so happy?

因为这很难。

Because this is hard.

如果用手拿球，放进门里。

If you use hands to take the ball and put it into the goal.

这太容易了。

This is too easy.

太容易的事情，不好玩。

Things that are too easy are not fun.

难的事情，才好玩。

Hard things are actually fun.

我们在游戏里，喜欢挑战。

In games, we like challenges.

我们喜欢做难的事。

We like doing difficult things.

还有一个原因。

There is another reason.

在学校里，老师告诉小明做什么。

At school, the teacher tells Xiao Ming what to do.

在游戏里，小明自己选。

In games, Xiao Ming chooses for himself.

他想踢球，就踢球。

If he wants to play soccer, he plays soccer.

他想跑，就跑。

If he wants to run, he runs.

他是自己的主人。

He is his own master.

他可以做决定。

He can make decisions.

这种感觉很好。

This feeling is very good.

我们都喜欢这种感觉。

We all like this feeling.

这叫“自由”。

This is called "freedom".

游戏让我们觉得自由。

Games make us feel free.

再看看游戏里的东西。

Let's look at things in games again.

游戏里有分数。

There are scores in games.

小明踢进一个球。

Xiao Ming kicks a ball in.

他得了一分。

He gets one point.

他又踢进一个球。

He kicks another ball in.

他得了两分。

He gets two points.

分数很清楚。

Scores are very clear.

一就是一。

One is one.

二就是二。

Two is two.

你看得见你的分数。

You can see your score.

你知道你做得好不好。

You know if you did well or not.

分数高，就是好。

High score means good.

分数低，就是不好。

Low score means bad.

这很简单。

This is very simple.

但是在生活里，不简单。

But in life, it is not simple.

生活里没有分数。

There are no scores in life.

你是好人吗？

Are you a good person?

你是坏人吗？

Are you a bad person?

你的工作好吗？

Is your job good?

我们不知道。

We don't know.

有时候，我们很迷茫。

Sometimes, we are very confused.

不知道前面是什么。

We don't know what is ahead.

不知道做得对不对。

We don't know if we are doing it right.

但是在游戏里，你知道。

But in games, you know.

你看得见目标。

You can see the goal.

目标就是那个门。

The goal is that door.

你看得见分数。

You can see the score.

分数就是那个数字。

The score is that number.

所以我们喜欢游戏。

So we like games.

游戏让我们觉得清楚。

Games make us feel clear.

游戏让我们觉得安心。

Games make us feel at ease.

现在，我们想一想生活。

Now, let's think about life.

生活是不是游戏？

Is life a game?

有时候，生活像游戏。

Sometimes, life is like a game.

在学校，学生有考试。

At school, students have exams.

考试有分数。

Exams have scores.

一百分是赢。

One hundred points is winning.

五十分是输。

Fifty points is losing.

在公司，大人有工作。

In companies, adults have jobs.

工作有钱。

Jobs provide money.

钱也是分数。

Money is also a score.

钱多是赢。

Having lots of money is winning.

钱少是输。

Having little money is losing.

很多人看分数。

Many people look at the score.

很多人看钱。

Many people look at money.

我们觉得，钱多就是好。

We think that having lots of money is good.

分数高就是好。

Having a high score is good.

这就像在玩游戏。

This is just like playing a game.

但是，这有问题。

But, there is a problem with this.

这有很大的问题。

There is a big problem with this.

阮先生写了一本书。

Mr. Ruan wrote a book.

他在书里说，游戏是游戏，生活是生活。

He says in the book that games are games, and life is life.

在游戏里，分数最重要。

In games, the score is the most important.

你为了分数踢球。

You play soccer for the score.

但是在生活里，分数不是最重要的。

But in life, the score is not the most important.

钱不是最重要的。

Money is not the most important.

如果你只看钱，你会不开心。

If you only look at money, you will be unhappy.

你会忘了别的东西。

You will forget other things.

你会忘了你的朋友。

You will forget your friends.

你会忘了你的家人。

You will forget your family.

你会忘了爱。

You will forget love.

小明踢球的时候，他很高兴。

When Xiao Ming plays soccer, he is very happy.

不是因为分数。

Not because of the score.

是因为他在跑。

It is because he is running.

是因为他在笑。

It is because he is laughing.

是因为他和朋友在一起。

It is because he is together with friends.

如果小明只看分数。

If Xiao Ming only looks at the score.

他会很累。

He will be very tired.

他会不高兴。

He will be unhappy.

如果球没进，他会生气。

If the ball doesn't go in, he will be angry.

这就不好玩了。

This would not be fun anymore.

所以，我们要小心。

So, we must be careful.

不要把生活变成游戏。

Do not turn life into a game.

不要只看那些数字。

Do not only look at those numbers.

数字是冷的。

Numbers are cold.

人是热的。

People are warm.

我们要看见人。

We need to see people.

我们要看见爱。

We need to see love.

这个故事告诉我们什么？

What does this story tell us?

这个故事是关于“为什么玩游戏”。

This story is about "why we play games".

游戏很好。

Games are good.

游戏让我们学习。

Games let us learn.

游戏让我们知道怎么做决定。

Games let us know how to make decisions.

游戏让我们知道怎么面对困难。

Games let us know how to face difficulties.

但是，不要迷失在游戏里。

But, do not get lost in games.

不要让分数控制你。

Do not let scores control you.

不要让钱控制你。

Do not let money control you.

你是玩游戏的人。

You are the person playing the game.

你不是游戏里的东西。

You are not a thing in the game.

我们要聪明一点。

We need to be a little smarter.

我们要知道什么是最重要的。

We need to know what is the most important.

最重要的东西，往往没有分数。

The most important things often do not have scores.

最重要的东西，在你的心里。

The most important things are in your heart.

人为什么喜欢玩游戏

What is this episode about?

Script

What vocabulary does this episode teach?

What grammar patterns appear in this episode?

Proper Nouns

Sources

More HSK 1 Episodes