A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels

苹果的新 Siri 终于来了,但中国还要再等等
Apple's New Siri Finally Arrives — But China Still Has to Wait
About this story
Apple's two-year wait for the new Siri: the original 2024 promise, the repeated delays, what the new Siri AI can now actually do (conversation memory, screen awareness, personal data), and why Chinese and EU users are still left waiting. HSK 3 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 3-4 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 13 key vocabulary words such as 满意、复杂、放弃 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.
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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 we'll talk about something everyone has been discussing lately.
It's related to Apple.
We all know, Apple is a big American company.
Around the world, there are extraordinarily many people who use Apple phones.
Inside an Apple phone, there is a thing called 'Siri'.
Siri has been inside Apple phones for many years.
You talk to Siri.
Siri talks back to you.
You ask it a question, it answers you.
But, to be honest.
The Siri of the past few years has not made many people very satisfied.
If you ask it something slightly more complex.
It can't understand.
Or, the answer it gives you isn't even about the same thing you asked about.
Sometimes, you have to say it again.
Sometimes, you just give up.
And pull out a different tool to use.
So, over these past two years.
Apple has been doing one thing —
Redoing Siri from scratch.
Making a new, smarter Siri.
This was promised two years ago.
Two years ago, at the same conference.
Apple already promised:
'We will make a brand-new Siri.
It will know your things.
It will help you do things.
It will become very smart.'
Everyone was very excited.
But things weren't that simple.
At the time, Apple said: 'It'll be usable by the end of this year.'
Later it became: 'Next year.'
Then later it became: 'Wait a bit longer.'
Just like that, waited one year.
Waited another year.
Some tech media started to write:
'Apple can't make it.'
'Apple has fallen behind on this AI thing.'
'Its competitors — Google, OpenAI, Microsoft.'
'They have all already made it.'
Apple, in its heart, actually also understood:
'If we don't make it, people really won't believe us anymore.'
This year, Apple's new Siri has finally arrived.
At Apple's developer conference this year.
Apple officially announced 'Siri AI'.
This time's Siri is completely different from before.
Let's name a few changes.
First, it can remember your conversations.
What you said to it, it remembers.
Next time, you can pick up from the previous topic and keep going.
You don't have to explain from the beginning every single time.
Second, it can 'see' your phone screen.
What App you're using, what you're looking at — it knows.
You can just say: 'This — help me handle it.'
It will understand what you mean by 'this'.
Third, it can use your data to help you do things.
You say: 'That address my friend sent yesterday, navigate to it.'
The new Siri can open WeChat.
Find that message.
Then help you open Maps.
Sounds very impressive.
But, for Chinese users, there is some bad news.
The new Siri is not available in China for now.
Why?
Because this kind of AI needs to access many people's data.
China has its own rules about that.
Apple said: 'We have been in ongoing talks with the Chinese side.
When it's possible, we'll give it to Chinese users.'
But, when will that be?
Apple didn't give an exact date.
So, Chinese users still have to wait some more.
Also, it's unavailable in Europe too.
The reason is similar.
Finally, let's think.
What does this thing teach us?
Actually two points.
First, promising one thing is easy.
Actually making it takes a lot of effort and a lot of time.
You say it'll take a month.
It might take a year.
You say a year.
It might take two years.
It's not that you don't want to be fast.
It's that some things really can't be rushed.
Second, the person waiting may not get what they want.
The new Siri arrived, but Chinese and European users are still waiting.
Finally, I want to ask you.
Lately, around you, is there something
someone promised you, but never delivered?
Or something you promised someone, and never delivered?
Apple took two years.
Not especially long, not especially short.
What about you?
Your thing — how much longer will you have to wait?
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇HSK 3-4. 让很多人不太满意 = made many people not very satisfied.
HSK 4. 你问它的事情稍微复杂一点 = you ask it something slightly more complex.
HSK 4. 你只能放弃 = you can only give up. Marks the previous Siri's failure mode.
HSK 3. 它能记住你们的对话 = it can remember your conversations.
HSK 1-3. world.
HSK 1-3. map.
HSK 1-3. way, method.
Central concept. 苹果就答应过 = Apple already promised. 别人答应了你 = someone promised you.
HSK 4. 拿出别的工具来用 = pull out a different tool to use. Marks the alternative.
HSK 4 adverb. 把 Siri 重新做一遍 = redo Siri from scratch.
HSK 5. 所有人都很期待 = everyone was very anticipating.
HSK 5. 苹果在 AI 这件事上,已经落后了 = Apple has fallen behind on this AI thing.
HSK 4. 它的对手 = its competitors. Used in tech and sports context.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法让 + Object + Adj / Verb (causative)
'make / cause Object to be Adj / do Verb'.
让很多人不太满意。
再不做出来,大家就真的不相信我们了。
老实说 / 其实 / 说实话 (frank-talk markers)
Spoken markers that signal an honest aside. Common in podcast register.
但是,老实说。
苹果心里其实也明白:...
Verb + 一遍 / 一次 / 一下 (number + measure)
Indicates a single instance / round of an action.
把 Siri 重新做一遍。
你只能再说一遍。
Subject + 一直 + 在 + Verb
'has been V-ing continuously up to now'.
苹果一直在做一件事。
我们一直在跟中国这边沟通。
没有那么 + Adj
'not as Adj as that'. Used to soften or downplay.
事情没有那么简单。
新的 Siri,没有那么快来。
能不能 + Verb? (yes-no question)
'is X able to Verb?'. Often used rhetorically.
能不能真正追上同行?
对...来说 (from X's perspective)
'for / from the perspective of X'. Topicalizes whose POV is being discussed.
对中国用户来说,有一个坏消息。
对苹果来说,是一个商业损失。
Proper Nouns
专有名词Free account
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