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一个德国人，打了四次才赢
A German Man Who Won Only After Trying Four Times — A Beginner Story
HSK 1 Chinese listening practice. The story of German tennis star Alexander Zverev finally winning his first Grand Slam at Roland Garros after losing three prior finals, 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、网球、比赛 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.
他是德国人。
He is German.
他不在中国。
He is not in China.
他在德国。
He is in Germany.
他叫兹维列夫。
He is called Zverev.
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.
他二十九岁。
He is twenty-nine years old.
不大也不小。
Not too big, not too small.
在德国，很多人都认识他。
In Germany, many people know him.
在中国，也有人认识他。
In China, some people also know him.
你也可以认识他。
You can know him too.
那兹维列夫做什么呢？
So what does Zverev do?
他做的事，是打球。
What he does is play ball.
他打的球，叫"网球"。
The ball he plays is called 'tennis'.
什么是"网球"呢？
What is 'tennis'?
我们慢慢说。
We'll go slowly.
打网球的时候，两个人打。
When you play tennis, two people play.
一个人在这边。
One person on this side.
一个人在那边。
One person on that side.
他们把球打来打去。
They hit the ball back and forth.
打来打去，打来打去。
Back and forth, back and forth.
看谁打得好。
We see who hits well.
谁打得好，谁就赢。
Whoever hits well wins.
谁打得不好，谁就没有赢。
Whoever hits poorly doesn't win.
这就是网球。
This is tennis.
兹维列夫打网球，打了很多很多年。
Zverev has played tennis for many, many years.
他打得很好。
He plays very well.
打球的时候，也叫"比赛"。
When you play, it's also called a 'match'.
比赛就是这样：
A match is like this:
两个人打。
Two people play.
看谁赢。
We see who wins.
看谁没有赢。
We see who doesn't win.
赢了，就是好。
Winning is good.
没有赢，就不那么好。
Not winning is not so good.
兹维列夫打了很多比赛。
Zverev has played many matches.
有的时候赢。
Sometimes he wins.
有的时候没有赢。
Sometimes he doesn't win.
但是，比赛有很多种。
But, there are many kinds of matches.
有的比赛小。
Some matches are small.
有的比赛大。
Some matches are big.
最大的那种比赛，最有意思。
The biggest kind of match is the most interesting.
看的人也最多。
Also the most people watch.
打最大的比赛，要打很多天。
To play the biggest match, you have to play for many days.
一天一天，打很多天。
Day by day, many days.
打到最后，只有两个人。
By the end, only two people are left.
最后这两个人，再打一次。
These last two people play one more time.
谁赢，谁就是最好的人。
Whoever wins, that person is the best.
谁没有赢，谁就不是最好的人。
Whoever doesn't win, that person is not the best.
兹维列夫打到过最后这一次。
Zverev has reached this last match.
打到过几次呢？
How many times has he reached it?
打到过四次。
He has reached it four times.
四次！
Four times!
第一次，他没有赢。
The first time, he didn't win.
他不高兴。
He was not happy.
第二次，他没有赢。
The second time, he didn't win.
他也不高兴。
He was also not happy.
第三次，他也没有赢。
The third time, he also didn't win.
他还是不高兴。
He was still not happy.
喜欢他的人，也都不高兴。
The people who like him were also not happy.
他自己也在想：
He himself was thinking:
"我什么时候才能赢呢？
'When will I be able to win?'
他想了很多年。
He thought about it for many years.
今年，他又一次打到了最后。
This year, he again reached the last match.
这是第四次。
This was the fourth time.
他又能不能赢呢？
Could he win this time?
看的人都不知道。
The watchers didn't know.
喜欢他的人也都不知道。
The people who like him didn't know either.
他自己也不知道。
He himself didn't know.
今年最后这一次，是在一个法国的地方。
This year's last match was in a place called France.
法国就是一个国家。
France is a country.
这个地方，兹维列夫以前来过。
Zverev had been to this place before.
以前他在这个地方，没有赢。
Before, in this place, he didn't win.
今年他又来了。
This year he came again.
今年的比赛，很长。
This year's match was long.
打了四个小时。
He played for four hours.
四个小时，很长。
Four hours is long.
四个小时里面，他打了五次小比赛。
Within four hours, he played five small matches.
第一次小比赛，他赢了。
The first small match, he won.
他打得很好。
He played very well.
他在想："今年好像可以赢。
He was thinking: 'It seems I can win this year.'
第二次小比赛，他没有赢。
The second small match, he didn't win.
他不太高兴。
He was a little unhappy.
第三次小比赛，他又赢了。
The third small match, he won again.
他高兴一点。
He was a bit happier.
他想："还要再赢一次，就赢了。
He thought: 'One more win and I've won.'
第四次小比赛，差一点。
The fourth small match, almost.
他差一点赢。
He almost won.
但是他没有赢。
But he didn't win.
他对面的那个人，也打得很好。
The person across from him also played very well.
这个人叫科博利。
This person is called Cobolli.
科博利不是德国人。
Cobolli is not German.
科博利也打得很好。
Cobolli also plays very well.
科博利也想赢。
Cobolli also wants to win.
他看着兹维列夫。
He is looking at Zverev.
他不想兹维列夫赢。
He doesn't want Zverev to win.
最后一次小比赛，第五次。
The last small match, the fifth one.
兹维列夫打得很好。
Zverev played very well.
科博利打得不那么好。
Cobolli played not as well.
最后兹维列夫赢了！
In the end, Zverev won!
他赢了。
He won.
他第一次赢这么大的比赛。
He won such a big match for the first time.
他等了很多年。
He waited for many years.
他高兴。
He was happy.
看的人也都高兴。
The watchers were all happy.
喜欢他的人都高兴。
The people who like him were all happy.
最后他说了一句话。
At the end he said a sentence.
他说：
He said:
"以前我在这里，不高兴。
'Before, I was not happy here.
今天我在这里，高兴了。
Today, I am happy here.'
最后，你想一下：
Finally, think about this:
你有没有一件事，做了很多次，还没有做好？
Is there something you have done many times and still haven't done well?
你看，他打了四次才赢。
Look, he won after playing four times.
你也可以。
You can too.
HSK 1. Emotional through-line: 不高兴 = unhappy, used many times before the final win.
Used many times: 我们说一个事 = let's talk about a matter.
Glossed inline: 两个人一起打，一个人在这边，一个人在那边 = two people play, one on each side.
Glossed inline: 比赛就是两个人打。看谁赢 = a match is two people playing, see who wins.
Central verb of the story. 谁打得好，谁就赢 = whoever plays well wins. 没有赢 = didn't win.
HSK 2 contrast connector, used to introduce the turn in the story.
Marks 'almost happened, but didn't'. 他差一点赢 = he almost won.
Emotional anchor: 他等了很多年 = he waited for many years (before finally winning).
The country where the final match was held. Glossed inline: 法国就是一个国家 = France is a country.
Marks something happening later than expected. 他打了四次才赢 = he only won after playing four times.
Pattern: 第 + number + 次 = the Nth time. 第一次, 第二次, 第三次, 第四次 = 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th time.
HSK 2 noun. 他打了四个小时 = he played for four hours.
* beyond level超纲词
Subject + 是 + Noun
Basic 'X is Y' identity sentence.
他是德国人。
兹维列夫不是德国人。
这就是网球。
Subject + 不 / 没有 + Verb
Negation. 不 for general/habitual, 没有 for 'didn't' (completed).
他不在中国。
他没有赢。
他不想兹维列夫赢。
Verb + 得 + Adjective (degree)
Describes HOW well an action is done. V + 得 + 很/不那么 + Adj.
他打得很好。
科博利打得不那么好。
谁打得好。
第 + Number + 次 (ordinal counter)
'the Nth time'. Used to count repeated attempts.
第一次
第二次
第三次
第四次
Subject + 差一点 + Verb
'Almost did X' — the action almost happened but didn't.
他差一点赢。
第四次小比赛，差一点。
...才 + Verb (only just then)
Marks something happening later than expected.
他等了很多年，今天才赢。
他打了四次才赢。
什么是 X 呢? (rhetorical question)
Used to ask 'what is X?' before defining X yourself.
什么是'网球'呢？
那兹维列夫做什么呢？