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从"买"到"租"：Apple 停掉旧计划，推出 Apple Upgrade 租赁
From 'Buy' to 'Lease': Apple Ends Its Old Plan and Launches Apple Upgrade Leasing
A medium Chinese listening story: Apple killed its old iPhone installment plan and launched Apple Upgrade, a leasing program from ~$18/month for iPhone, Watch, Mac and iPad, part of a shift from owning to renting.
This is an HSK 3-4 Chinese listening episode that runs about 1 minute. 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 11 key vocabulary words such as 改变、计划、担心 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.
最近，Apple 做了一个不小的改变。
Recently, Apple made a sizable change.
它停掉了以前那个"分期买 iPhone"的老计划，换成了一个新的，叫 Apple Upgrade。
It shut down the old "buy an iPhone in installments" plan and swapped in a new one, called Apple Upgrade.
这个新计划最大的不同，藏在一个字里：过去你是"买"手机，现在你是"租"手机。
The biggest difference in the new plan hides in one word: before, you "bought" your phone; now, you "lease" it.
简单说，你每个月付一点钱，比如 iPhone 大概十八美元，就能一直用着比较新的设备。
Simply put, you pay a bit each month, for an iPhone about eighteen dollars, and you get to keep using a fairly new device.
除了 iPhone，手表、电脑、平板，也都可以这样租。
Besides the iPhone, watches, computers, and tablets can all be leased this way.
租一到两年以后，你可以把旧的还回去，再换一台新的。
After leasing for one to two years, you can hand the old one back and swap for a new one.
如果你用旧手机来抵一部分，每个月还能付得更少。
If you use your old phone as credit, your monthly payment can be even lower.
听起来很方便，可也有人担心。
It sounds convenient, but some people are worried.
因为不管你付了多久，这台手机，始终不算你自己的。
Because no matter how long you pay, this phone still isn't really your own.
一旦你不付了，手机也就要还回去。
The moment you stop paying, the phone has to go back.
这几年，越来越多的东西，都从"一次买断"，变成了"每月付费"。
In recent years, more and more things have shifted from "buy it once" to "pay every month."
现在，连手机也走上了这条路。
Now, even phones have gone down this road.
于是很多人开始问：我们是不是正在慢慢习惯"什么都不真正拥有"？
So many people are starting to ask: are we slowly getting used to "never really owning anything"?
做了一个不小的改变 = made a sizable change.
那个老计划 = that old plan.
也有人担心 = some people are worried.
简单说 = simply put.
慢慢习惯 = slowly getting used to.
越来越多的东西 = more and more things.
手表、电脑、平板 = watches, computers, tablets.
你是"租"手机 = you "lease" the phone.
也都可以这样租 = can all be leased this way.
比较新的设备 = a fairly new device.
手表、电脑、平板 = watches, computers, tablets.
* beyond level超纲词
过去……，现在……
过去 X，现在 Y = "before X, now Y".
过去你是"买"手机，现在你是"租"手机。
不管……，都/始终……
不管 X，始终 Y = "no matter X, always Y".
不管你付了多久，这台手机，始终不算你自己的。
从 A 变成 B
从 A 变成 B = "change from A into B".
都从"一次买断"，变成了"每月付费"。
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