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美国要不要不再调表？众议院投了票，Trump 也支持
Should America Stop Changing the Clocks? The House Voted, and Trump Backs It
An easy Chinese listening story: the U.S. House voted to stop changing the clocks twice a year, Trump supports it, but bright evenings would mean dark winter mornings.
This is an HSK 2 Chinese listening episode that runs about 2 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 快、慢、小时 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.
在很多地方，一年里，有两次，大家都要动一动表。
In many places, twice a year, everyone has to change the clocks.
一次，表快一个小时；一次，表慢一个小时。
Once, the clock goes forward an hour; once, it goes back an hour.
这件事看着不大，可是很多人都很不喜欢。
It seems like a small thing, but a lot of people really dislike it.
因为动了表，那几天，大家都少睡了一个小时，一整天都很累。
Because after the change, for a few days everyone sleeps an hour less and feels tired all day.
在美国，最近这件事，有了一个大变化。
In America, this issue just saw a big change.
前几天，美国一个很重要的地方——众议院，投了一次票。
A few days ago, a very important body in America, the House of Representatives, held a vote.
很多人都投了“同意”：以后，不要再动表了。
Many voted "yes": from now on, stop changing the clocks.
也就是说，美国以后有可能，一年都不动表，就用夏天的那个时间。
In other words, America may soon stop changing the clocks all year and just keep summer time.
Trump 也说：这个好，我支持。
Trump says so too: this is good, I support it.
不动表，好在哪里？
What's good about not changing the clocks?
好处是：以后到了晚上，天黑得晚，外面亮的时候更多。
The upside: in the evening it gets dark later, so there is more daylight outside.
下了班，天还亮着，大家可以出去走一走、玩一玩。
After work, while it is still light, people can go out for a walk and have some fun.
可是，也有人不高兴。
But some people aren't happy.
因为，要是一年都用夏天的时间，冬天的上午，天会很晚才亮。
Because if you keep summer time all year, on winter mornings it gets light very late.
冬天，小孩很早就要去上学，可是外面还是黑的。
In winter, kids have to leave for school very early, but it's still dark outside.
大人开车去上班，外面也黑黑的，不太安全。
Adults drive to work in the dark too, which isn't very safe.
所以到现在，还有一个问题，大家吵得很厉害：
So for now, there is still one question people are arguing over fiercely:
是不动表好，还是就这样一直动下去好？
Is it better to stop changing the clocks, or to just keep changing them like this?
这件事，还要美国的另一个地方，再投一次票，才能真的定下来。
This still needs another body in America to vote again before it is truly settled.
你呢？
And you?
在你那里，一年里也动表吗？
Where you are, do the clocks change too?
表快一个小时 = the clock goes an hour faster (forward).
表慢一个小时 = the clock goes an hour slower (back).
少睡一个小时 = to sleep one hour less.
有人不高兴 = some people are unhappy.
到了晚上 = when evening comes.
很早就要去上学 = have to leave for school very early.
一个很重要的地方 = a very important place/body.
投了"同意" = voted "yes" / in agreement.
我支持 = I support it.
不太安全 = not very safe.
动表 / 调表 = to change the clocks.
冬天的上午 = a winter morning.
* beyond level超纲词
因为……
因为 introduces a reason: "because…".
因为动了表，那几天，大家都少睡了一个小时。
要是……，就……
要是 sets up a condition ("if…"), often paired with 就 for the result.
要是一年都用夏天的时间，冬天的上午，天会很晚才亮。
是 A，还是 B？
A choice question weighing two options.
是不动表好，还是就这样一直动下去好？
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