A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
一个中国公司被美国看上了
China Blocks Meta from Buying AI Startup Manus
About this story
A simple story about China saying no to Meta — the US company that wanted to buy the AI startup Manus. HSK 1 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 8 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 18 key vocabulary words such as 公司、买、卖 and walks through 6 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
Speaking of a Chinese company that's been in the news lately, today we'll talk about it.
This company's name is Manus.
The name is written in English.
You can say "Ma-nu-si."
A "company" is a place where many people work together.
This company is special.
Why is it special?
Because it makes a thing.
This thing is called "AI."
AI is a computer that can think.
You know what a computer is, right?
It's the machine we use.
A normal computer does what you tell it to do.
You tell it to write, it writes.
But the AI Manus made is different.
You don't have to keep telling it what to do.
You say one big thing.
For example: I want to go to Japan.
Help me see, what's the best way to go.
Then this AI thinks by itself.
Looks by itself.
Does it by itself.
In the end, it tells you: this is the best way to go.
Isn't that amazing?
We call this thing an "agent."
In Chinese, it's "代理."
"代理" means someone helping you do things.
Your stuff, it does.
You don't have to think about much.
It thinks for itself.
Manus was made by Chinese people.
At the start, it was in Beijing.
You know Beijing, right?
It's the capital of China.
Later, Manus moved to Singapore.
Singapore is a small country.
Not China, but not far from China.
There are also many Chinese people there.
Why did they go to Singapore?
Because in Singapore, doing business is more convenient.
Later, a big American company wanted to buy Manus.
America is a country.
On the other side from China.
This American company is called Meta.
You may have heard of Meta.
Have you used Facebook?
Used Instagram?
Used WhatsApp?
These are all Meta's.
Meta is very, very big.
Meta wanted to buy Manus.
They said: we'll give you two billion US dollars.
How much is two billion?
It's a lot, lot of money.
It's $2,000,000,000.
A whole lifetime of money isn't this much.
Manus said: okay, you buy it.
They agreed in December last year.
But things weren't this simple.
The Chinese government heard about it.
The "government" is the people who manage the country.
The Chinese government said: hold on.
Not allowed.
Why not allowed?
Because the Chinese government feels Manus was made by Chinese people.
The technology inside is China's.
"Technology" means how to make a thing.
The way to make AI.
The Chinese government said: this technology cannot be given to America.
Today, the Chinese government officially said: no.
You can't buy.
You can't sell.
Today is April 27th.
What the Chinese government says is very important.
What the Chinese government says is law.
So Meta has no choice.
Manus has no choice either.
That two billion dollar deal is gone.
Meta said: what we did was all right.
We didn't do anything wrong.
We want to talk about it again.
But China said: no means no.
Now many people are wondering: what happens next?
Some think: maybe it's okay.
Some think: this is a big deal.
Why is it a big deal?
Because before, Chinese companies wanted American money.
They went to Singapore.
Opened a company in Singapore.
This way they could take American money.
But now they can't.
The Chinese government said: you cannot do this.
You have to ask me first.
After you ask me, if I say yes, then yes.
So from now on, Chinese AI companies going to America will be harder.
Let's talk about this Manus thing again.
Why is this company so big?
Because the AI Manus makes, many people like it.
Many companies make AI.
China has them, America has them.
But Manus's AI is different.
It's not for writing.
It's not for drawing.
It's for helping you do things.
You say a big thing, and it helps you finish it.
For example: you say, I have a job to do.
I have to look at lots of stuff.
I have to write a thing.
Your AI helps you look.
Helps you write.
Helps you finish.
You just speak, it does.
This thing is amazing.
So many people use it.
Manus started in March of last year.
At the start, no one knew it.
Later, many people started using it.
Manus made a lot, lot of money.
In one year, it made a hundred million dollars.
That's fast.
Also amazing.
So American Meta wanted to buy Manus.
They thought: if we buy Manus, we can also make this kind of AI.
But China said: no.
This thing is a matter between China and America.
Both countries want AI.
Both countries want to make the best AI.
So both countries are very tense.
"Tense" means a little worried.
A little afraid.
Worried about not doing well.
Worried about others being better than themselves.
China doesn't want America to take China's good things.
America also doesn't want China to take America's good things.
So this kind of thing will happen again.
What about us ordinary people?
Actually it doesn't have much to do with us.
The AI we use is still the same.
The AI that does things is still the same.
But this thing shows us one thing.
Making AI isn't just about technology.
It's also about countries.
It's also about money.
It's also about governments.
That's what we're talking about today.
There's a Chinese company called Manus.
The AI it makes is amazing.
American Meta wanted to buy it.
China said it wasn't allowed.
This happened on April 27th.
It's not a small thing.
Today's story is finished.
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇HSK 2 noun. 一家公司 (one company — measure word 家). 大公司 = big company, 小公司 = small company. The episode talks about Manus 公司 and Meta 公司.
Means to obtain something by paying money. Here, a big American company wants to buy Manus.
HSK 2. The mirror of 买. Note the tones: 买 (3rd tone) vs 卖 (4th tone) — easy to confuse but very different.
HSK 1. 多少钱 = how much money. 美元 = US dollar, 元 = yuan. The episode mentions 二十亿美元 (2 billion US dollars).
HSK 2. 国 (country) + 家 (home). 中国 = China, 美国 = USA. 国家 means a sovereign nation as a whole.
HSK 1. 中 (middle) + 国 (country). The English name comes from this — but in Chinese the literal sense is 'the middle kingdom.'
HSK 1. 美 (beautiful) + 国 (country). A phonetic + meaning approximation of 'America.' 美元 = US dollar.
HSK 1. 想买 = want to buy. 我想 = I think. Two senses depending on what follows: verb after = 'want to V', otherwise = 'think.'
HSK 1. 做事 = do things, 做工作 = do work. The episode says Manus 做 AI = Manus makes AI. Very general verb.
HSK 1. 电 (electric) + 脑 (brain). Literally 'electric brain.' 用电脑 = use a computer.
HSK 2. Used for events, situations, business. 一件事情 = one matter (measure word 件). Different from 东西 (which is for physical things).
HSK 4 but glossed inline in the episode. 技 (skill) + 术 (method). 高技术 = high tech. The know-how behind making something.
HSK 4. The episode glosses it as '管国家事情的人' (the people who manage the country). 中国政府 = the Chinese government.
Very common loanword. The full Chinese term is 人工智能 = artificial intelligence. In speech, people just say 'AI.' The episode glosses it as 'a computer that can think.'
HSK 5. The Chinese term for 'agent' as in 'AI agent.' 代 (instead of) + 理 (handle). Also used in business: 代理公司 = an agency firm.
HSK 4. 亿 = 100,000,000. 一亿 = 100 million; 二十亿 = 2 billion. Note: in Chinese counting, 万 (10k) and 亿 (100M) are the major break points, NOT thousand/million.
HSK 4. Used for both people (我很紧张 = I'm nervous) and situations (关系紧张 = tense relations). The episode uses it for the China-US tension.
HSK 4. 正式说 = officially say. 正式工作 = formal/full-time job. Opposite is 非正式 (informal).
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法X 就是 Y (definition)
The teacher's pattern. Used to define a new term inline using simpler words. Listen for it whenever a beyond-HSK-1 word appears.
公司就是很多人一起做事的地方。
代理就是有人帮你做事。
政府就是管国家事情的人。
因为 ... + clause
'Because + reason.' At HSK 1 level often used alone (without 所以). The reason clause comes after 因为.
因为它做了一个东西。
因为去新加坡，做事比较方便。
因为中国政府觉得，Manus是中国人做的。
想 + Verb (want to V)
Modal of desire. 想 + verb phrase = 'want to V'. Subject + 想 + verb. Very common HSK 1 structure.
Meta想买Manus。
我想去日本。
他们想：买了Manus，我们也可以做这种AI。
不可以 / 可以 (cannot / can — permission)
The most basic permission modal. 可以 = may/can; 不可以 = cannot/may not. Different from 会 (be able / will) — 可以 is about whether something is allowed.
不可以买，也不可以卖。
你们不可以买。
我说可以，才可以。
比 comparison
A 比 B + adjective. The basic comparison structure. 'A is more X than B.'
你一辈子的钱也没有这么多。
担心别人比自己好。
Subject + 自己 + V (does it itself)
自己 = self/oneself. Used after the subject to emphasize that someone does something on their own. 它自己想 = it thinks by itself.
然后这个AI自己想。
自己看。
自己做。
Proper Nouns
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