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BBC Exposes Epstein's Brazil Modeling Pipeline — episode cover art
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巴西女孩的危险经历:爱泼斯坦与模特经纪人的陷阱

BBC Exposes Epstein's Brazil Modeling Pipeline

About this story

Brazilian women tell the BBC how Epstein and modelling agent Brunel used fake visas and jobs to recruit young girls. HSK 3 Chinese listening practice.

This is an HSK 3-4 Chinese listening episode that runs about 7 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 16 key vocabulary words such as 调查、危险、经历 and walks through 5 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.

最近有一个很重要的国际新闻。
是关于美国富人爱泼斯坦的调查。
这个新闻非常引人注意。
爱泼斯坦是一个非常有钱的美国人。
他认识世界上很多有名的人。
但是他做过很多非常坏的事情。
他特别喜欢找一些年轻的女孩子。
然后他对这些女孩子做不好的事。
虽然他已经在监狱里死了,但是调查还在继续。
最近英国广播公司发现了新消息。
这些消息和南美的巴西有很大关系。
很多巴西的年轻女人接受了采访。
她们说出了当年发生的可怕经历。
爱泼斯坦是怎么找到巴西女孩的呢?
调查发现他利用了一个模特经纪人。
这个法国经纪人的名字叫布鲁内尔。
模特经纪人的工作是帮女孩找机会。
如果一个女孩想当模特,她就需要经纪人。
但是布鲁内尔没有好好做他的工作。
他把找模特变成了一个危险的陷阱。
他专门去寻找年轻又漂亮的女孩。
而且他特别喜欢去巴西的农村找。
因为去大城市当模特比在农村赚钱多。
女孩们的家庭条件可能也不是很好。
所以她们渴望去大城市工作的机会。
布鲁内尔就是利用了女孩的这个心理。
有一个叫格劳西亚的女孩讲了她的故事。
在二零零四年的时候她只有十六岁。
她住在巴西的一个小城市里。
那时候她刚刚开始学习当模特。
布鲁内尔亲自去了她的家。
他想让格劳西亚去参加一个模特比赛。
这个比赛在另外一个国家举行。
一开始格劳西亚的妈妈觉得很高兴。
但是妈妈很快就发现情况有些不对。
因为布鲁内尔总是喜欢和年轻女孩在一起。
他的行为让人觉得很不舒服。
后来布鲁内尔想把她带去美国纽约。
他说所有的费用都不用她们自己出。
但是格劳西亚的妈妈马上拒绝了。
妈妈觉得这些人其实是在找未成年的孩子。
所以妈妈坚决不同意女儿去美国。
如果当时妈妈同意了,结果一定会非常可怕。
格劳西亚现在非常感谢她的妈妈。
是妈妈的决定保护了她的安全。
但是不是所有的女孩都这么幸运。
另外一个叫安娜的女孩就没有逃脱危险。
安娜也是一个想当模特的巴西女孩。
有人告诉她在大城市有很多好机会。
所以她就离开家去了圣保罗。
但是到了那里以后情况完全改变了。
那个带她去的人把她的护照收走了。
而且还说安娜欠了他们很多钱。
安娜发现根本就没有模特的工作。
不久以后她就被带到了一个高级酒店。
在那里她第一次见到了爱泼斯坦。
当时有好几个女孩站在一起。
爱泼斯坦就在这些女孩里面选了安娜。
安娜觉得非常害怕,但是她没有办法逃跑。
因为她在一个陌生的地方而且没有钱。
那么这些女孩是怎么被带去美国的呢?
这就需要说到模特经纪人的作用了。
去美国是需要办签证的。
普通人办美国签证其实非常麻烦。
但是布鲁内尔有他自己的模特公司。
他利用这个公司给女孩们办了签证。
签证上写着女孩去美国是为了做模特。
但实际上这完全是一个谎言。
安娜说她从来没有在美国做过模特。
她去美国只有一个目的,那就是陪爱泼斯坦。
这就说明模特公司只是一个假象。
他们把合法的公司变成了做坏事的工具。
这种做法不但违法而且非常狡猾。
因为有了工作签证海关就不会怀疑。
这样爱泼斯坦就可以把女孩带在身边。
爱泼斯坦对这些女孩的控制非常复杂。
他不但控制她们的身体,还控制她们的心理。
比如他会给安娜很多钱,让她去买东西不用找钱。
他甚至故意把钱放在安娜的房间里。
如果安娜把钱还给他,他就会表扬她。
他用这种方法来测试女孩是不是听话。
而且他对女孩们有时候非常温柔。
他还会花钱让安娜去学习英语。
这种做法让年轻的女孩觉得很困惑。
她们甚至以为自己是爱泼斯坦的女朋友。
直到安娜发现爱泼斯坦和其他女孩在床上。
她才终于明白自己只是一个玩具。
那个模特经纪人也经常盯着她们。
安娜说他看她们的眼神就像狼看羊一样。
这让女孩们每天都生活在害怕之中。
现在巴西的政府终于开始调查这件事了。
因为这已经不是普通的犯罪了。
这其实是一种严重的人口买卖。
他们把女孩当成商品一样送来送去。
虽然爱泼斯坦和经纪人都已经死了。
但是当年在巴西帮忙的人还在。
巴西的警察希望能找到这些帮忙的人。
如果能找到证据,这些人就会被抓起来。
调查这件事情有非常重要的意义。
首先这可以给受害的女孩一个交代。
其次这也让大家看到了模特行业的危险。
很多年轻女孩都有一个美丽的梦想。
她们想站在舞台上成为有名的人。
但是有些坏人就是利用了女孩们的梦想。
我们必须要从这件事情里得到教训。
特别是那些家里有女儿的父母。
如果有人突然提供一个非常好的机会。
而且说不需要你花一分钱。
你一定要非常仔细地去检查。
因为世界上没有免费的面包。
太好的机会往往藏着最大的危险。
就像格劳西亚的妈妈那样。
在关键的时候要勇敢地说不。
另外社会也需要更好地保护年轻人。
政府应该加强对模特公司的管理。
不能让坏人随便把女孩带到别的国家。
如果发现有公司在做骗人的事情。
就必须马上用法律来惩罚他们。
年轻人不但要追求理想,更要学会保护自己的安全。
只有在一个安全的环境里,梦想才有价值。
English transcript reference

Recently, there is a very important piece of international news.

It is about the investigation into the wealthy American, Epstein.

This news has attracted a lot of attention.

Epstein was a very rich American.

He knew many famous people in the world.

But he did many very bad things.

He especially liked to look for young girls.

Then he did bad things to these girls.

Although he has already died in prison, the investigation is still continuing.

Recently, the BBC discovered new information.

This information has a lot to do with Brazil in South America.

Many young Brazilian women were interviewed.

They spoke about the terrible experiences that happened back then.

How did Epstein find the Brazilian girls?

The investigation found that he used a model agent.

This French agent's name was Brunel.

A model agent's job is to help girls find opportunities.

If a girl wants to be a model, she needs an agent.

But Brunel did not do his job properly.

He turned scouting for models into a dangerous trap.

He specifically went looking for young and beautiful girls.

And he especially liked to look in the rural areas of Brazil.

Because being a model in a big city earns more money than in the countryside.

The girls' family conditions were probably not very good either.

So they longed for the opportunity to work in a big city.

Brunel took advantage of this psychology of the girls.

A girl named Glaucia told her story.

In 2004, she was only sixteen years old.

She lived in a small city in Brazil.

At that time, she had just started learning to be a model.

Brunel personally went to her home.

He wanted Glaucia to participate in a modeling competition.

This competition was held in another country.

At first, Glaucia's mother felt very happy.

But the mother quickly realized something was wrong with the situation.

Because Brunel always liked to be with young girls.

His behavior made people feel very uncomfortable.

Later, Brunel wanted to take her to New York, USA.

He said they wouldn't have to pay for any of the expenses themselves.

But Glaucia's mother immediately refused.

The mother felt that these people were actually looking for underage children.

So the mother firmly disagreed with her daughter going to the US.

If the mother had agreed at that time, the result would definitely have been terrible.

Glaucia is now very grateful to her mother.

It was her mother's decision that protected her safety.

But not all girls were so lucky.

Another girl named Anna did not escape the danger.

Anna was also a Brazilian girl who wanted to be a model.

Someone told her that there were many good opportunities in the big city.

So she left home and went to Sao Paulo.

But after arriving there, the situation completely changed.

The person who took her there took her passport away.

And also said that Anna owed them a lot of money.

Anna realized there was no modeling job at all.

Not long after, she was taken to a high-end hotel.

There, she met Epstein for the first time.

At that time, there were several girls standing together.

Epstein chose Anna from among these girls.

Anna felt very scared, but she had no way to escape.

Because she was in an unfamiliar place and had no money.

So how were these girls taken to the United States?

This requires talking about the role of the model agent.

Going to the US requires applying for a visa.

It is actually very troublesome for ordinary people to get a US visa.

But Brunel had his own modeling company.

He used this company to get visas for the girls.

The visa stated that the girls were going to the US to be models.

But in reality, this was a complete lie.

Anna said she had never worked as a model in the US.

She went to the US for only one purpose, and that was to accompany Epstein.

This shows that the modeling company was just a facade.

They turned a legal company into a tool for doing bad things.

This practice is not only illegal but also very cunning.

Because with a work visa, customs would not be suspicious.

That way, Epstein could keep the girls by his side.

Epstein's control over these girls was very complex.

He not only controlled their bodies but also controlled their minds.

For example, he would give Anna a lot of money and let her go shopping without needing change.

He even intentionally left money in Anna's room.

If Anna returned the money to him, he would praise her.

He used this method to test whether the girls were obedient.

Moreover, he was sometimes very gentle to the girls.

He would also spend money for Anna to learn English.

This kind of behavior made the young girls feel very confused.

They even thought they were Epstein's girlfriends.

Until Anna found Epstein in bed with other girls.

Only then did she finally realize she was just a toy.

That model agent also constantly stared at them.

Anna said the way he looked at them was like a wolf looking at sheep.

This made the girls live in fear every day.

Now the Brazilian government has finally started investigating this matter.

Because this is no longer an ordinary crime.

This is actually a serious form of human trafficking.

They sent the girls back and forth like commodities.

Although both Epstein and the agent are already dead.

But the people who helped in Brazil back then are still around.

The Brazilian police hope to find these people who helped.

If evidence can be found, these people will be arrested.

Investigating this matter has very important significance.

First of all, this can give the victimized girls an explanation.

Secondly, this also lets everyone see the dangers of the modeling industry.

Many young girls have a beautiful dream.

They want to stand on stage and become famous people.

But some bad people simply took advantage of the girls' dreams.

We must learn a lesson from this matter.

Especially those parents who have daughters at home.

If someone suddenly offers a very good opportunity.

And says you don't need to spend a single penny.

You must check it very carefully.

Because there is no free bread in the world.

Opportunities that are too good to be true often hide the greatest dangers.

Just like Glaucia's mother.

You must bravely say no at critical moments.

In addition, society also needs to better protect young people.

The government should strengthen the management of modeling companies.

Bad people cannot be allowed to casually take girls to other countries.

If a company is found to be doing deceptive things.

They must immediately be punished using the law.

Young people should not only pursue their ideals but also learn to protect their own safety.

Only in a safe environment can dreams have value.

Listen again

Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.

What vocabulary does this episode teach?

词汇
diàocháto investigate / investigation

Used as both a noun and a verb. Commonly used in news or formal contexts to refer to looking into a matter.

wēixiǎndanger / dangerous

Can be used as an adjective (dangerous) or a noun (danger). Often paired with 遇到 (to encounter) or 逃脱 (to escape).

jīnglìexperience / to go through

Refers to personal experiences or things one has gone through. Often used as a noun in narratives.

jùjuéto refuse / to reject

A formal way to say 'no' to an offer, request, or suggestion.

qiānzhèngvisa

A travel document. The verb commonly paired with it is 办 (to apply for/process).

huáiyíto doubt / to suspect

Used when someone thinks something might be wrong or untrue.

fùzácomplicated / complex

Describes situations, methods, or emotions that are not simple.

shènzhìeven / so much so that

Used to emphasize an extreme case or to take a statement a step further.

bǎohùto protect / protection

Means to keep safe from harm. Can be used as a verb or a noun.

mótèmodel

A loanword from the English word 'model', referring to fashion or runway models.

jīngjìrénagent / broker

Refers to a professional who represents someone, such as an actor, model, or athlete.

xiànjǐngtrap / pitfall

Can be a literal physical trap or a figurative trap designed to deceive someone.

kěwàngto long for / to thirst for

Expresses a very strong desire or wish for something, often an opportunity or a better life.

jiǎohuácunning / sly

Used to describe someone who is tricky and deceitful.

wèichéngniánunderage / minor

Literally 'not yet adult'. Used as an adjective to describe children or adolescents under the legal age.

rénkǒu mǎimàihuman trafficking

A compound term combining 'population/people' (人口) and 'buying and selling' (买卖).

* beyond level超纲词

What grammar patterns appear in this episode?

语法

不但... 而且/还... (búdàn... érqiě/hái...)

A conjunction pattern meaning 'not only... but also...'. It is used to connect two clauses and show a progression or addition in meaning.

这种做法不但违法而且非常狡猾。

他不但控制她们的身体,还控制她们的心理。

把字句 (bǎ zì jù)

The '把' construction is used to emphasize how an object is handled, disposed of, or changed by an action. The structure is: Subject + 把 + Object + Verb + Result/Direction.

他把找模特变成了一个危险的陷阱。

那个带她去的人把她的护照收走了。

是...的 (shì... de)

This structure is used to emphasize the time, place, manner, or purpose of an action that has already happened in the past.

爱泼斯坦是怎么找到巴西女孩的呢?

是妈妈的决定保护了她的安全。

如果... 就... (rúguǒ... jiù...)

A conditional pattern meaning 'If... then...'. '如果' introduces the condition, and '就' introduces the result.

如果一个女孩想当模特,她就需要经纪人。

如果能找到证据,这些人就会被抓起来。

只有... 才... (zhǐyǒu... cái...)

Expresses a necessary condition, meaning 'Only if... then...'. It indicates that the result can only be achieved under the specified condition.

只有在一个安全的环境里,梦想才有价值。

Proper nouns

专有名词
爱泼斯坦ÀipōsītǎnEpstein英国广播公司Yīngguó Guǎngbō GōngsīBBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)南美NánměiSouth America巴西BāxīBrazil布鲁内尔Bùlǔnèi'ěrBrunel格劳西亚GéláoxīyàGlaucia美国MěiguóUnited States纽约NiǔyuēNew York安娜ĀnnàAnna圣保罗ShèngbǎoluóSao Paulo

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