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Jeffrey Epstein and Jean-Luc Brunel — BBC Exposes the Brazil Modelling-Agent Pipeline — episode cover art
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西

Jeffrey Epstein and Jean-Luc Brunel — BBC Exposes the Brazil Modelling-Agent Pipeline

About this story

BBC investigation reveals how Jeffrey Epstein and Jean-Luc Brunel used a modelling agency to recruit Brazilian girls. HSK 5-6 Chinese listening practice.

This is an HSK 5-6 Chinese listening episode that runs about 12 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、焦点、忽视 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.

国际模特背后最近英国广播公司披露一份调查报告再次已故美国金融·斯坦罪恶帝国拉回公众视野
一次调查焦点落在南美洲尤其是巴西
提起斯坦人们往往会想到私人岛屿政商名流交易但在这个庞大剥削网络一个关键角色常常忽视就是法国模特经纪··
利用自己手中掌握模特经纪公司作为完美掩护黑手伸向那些怀成名梦想涉世未深年轻女孩
我们时间零零四年
那时西·只有十六岁住在巴西乡下刚刚开始模特展露头角
亲自登门拜访极其迷人试图说服她的母亲允许前往厄瓜多尔参加模特
对于一个普通巴西乡村家庭来说听起来简直像是天上下来馅饼
当时人们根本不知道真实面目知道他是一位著名巴西引荐
西顺利参加基尔举行比赛表面上组织严密正规合法活动参赛者都是十五十九岁花季少女
然而光鲜亮丽舞台背后潜伏着令人不寒而栗危机
一位当时同样只有十六岁西欧女孩回忆说行为举止十分怪异
就像小丑一样总是那些非常年轻巴西女孩
这位名为女孩敏锐察觉到似乎精准寻找那些处于地位猎物
控制女孩财务来自巴西东欧国家女孩显然成为他的首要目标
为什么巴西东欧
答案其实残酷这些地区经济条件相对落后女孩渴望通过模特改变命运这种成功极度渴望恰恰成为手中致命诱饵
比赛临近尾声西出了一个更大诱惑提出包揽所有费用纽约参加时装
按照规定他们必须联系西母亲征求同意
幸运的是这位母亲展现出了惊人直觉坚决
她的回答不行想都别想
事后回忆说敏锐感觉这些其实是寻找未成年自己女儿不幸他们盯上
正是这位母亲果断拒绝斩断西网络联系深渊擦肩而过
这种
根据美国政府后来公布文件显示就在模特决赛期间也就是零零四年八月二十四二十五日斯坦本人竟然就在基尔
更加令人毛骨悚然的是文件记录表明至少有一名参加活动十六岁以下模特同一至少两次登上斯坦私人飞机
西后来感慨自己当时完全不知道其实已经风暴中心母亲
然而并不一个女孩都能西这样幸运逃脱
另一名为安娜巴西女性我们展示招募系统如何一步步推向深渊
安娜故事揭示及其模特业务促成女孩斯坦建立联系方面扮演多么核心工具角色
安娜最初是在世纪圣保罗一名巴西招募
当时离开南部家乡满心欢喜以为圣保罗获得模特工作机会
抵达这位所谓的立刻走了她的身份证件告诉现在欠下旅行拍摄照片债务
一种非常经典现代人口贩卖控制手段也就是债务束缚
安娜很快发现这里根本没有任何模特工作
那个女人实际安娜完全反应过来已经开始强迫接客
其中一位客户正是·斯坦
安娜十八几个星期带到圣保罗一位知名商人
那里听到那位商人斯坦形容世界直言不讳喜欢年轻女孩
几天安娜另外女性送到圣保罗一家豪华酒店斯坦挑选
最终斯坦
下来发生事情彻底暴露这个犯罪网络如何利用合法商业外衣运作
斯坦聚会告诉安娜第二巴黎并且已经安排同行
为了这种跨国旅行合法化模特经纪公司粉墨
安娜媒体展示她的护照上面一张美国商务签证批注赫然美国设立机构也就是美国模特经纪公司名字
安娜从未公司任何模特工作
签证唯一目的就是前往美国探望斯坦提供合法文件支持
不仅仅是一个伪造简历问题一个利用合法移民商业系统进行跨国剥削系统工程
法庭记录美国司法部文件印证一点
先是利用美国模特经纪公司后来通过名为MC2机构多个国家吸引女孩其中甚至包括未成年
直接证据来自MC2员工证词员工指出斯坦不仅美国建立经纪公司提供资金支持亲自支付由布公司安排签证费用
说明所谓的模特经纪公司很大程度上就是斯坦剥削帝国后勤保障
陪伴斯坦前往美国法国大约安娜经历一种极其扭曲心理控制
斯坦表现一种病态温柔
然后测试
比如三百美元散步还给自己
甚至故意留在她的房间测试是否归还
还为安娜支付英语课费用
这种夹杂着物质诱惑虚假关怀权力压迫互动受害者陷入极度混乱
安娜甚至一度觉得自己斯坦女朋友
跟着去了群岛私人岛屿
斯坦经常离开房子别的事情比如博物或者上课安娜怀疑为了掩盖他不希望看到其他勾当
直到一天安娜发现一个女人床上
终于意识斯坦许多女孩都做同样事情
这个男人世界不过众多收藏中的一个
这个网络中的权力结构也是令人
安娜回忆说斯坦告诉提出发生关系被爱斯坦拒绝理由我没因为你是我的
这种女性视为私人财产同伙之间进行炫耀分配行径赤裸裸展现他们女性本质
安娜得知甚至不知道自己感到庆幸还是感到更加恐惧
以后觉得她的眼神就像一头羔羊充满了贪婪吞噬欲望
肮脏交易背后始终充满了利益纠葛
安娜透露最初酒店见面巴黎旅行斯坦原本答应支付那位巴西一万美元现金
支付一部分安娜无意听到电话斯坦施压要求付清尾款
细节佛罗里达法院一份证词惊人吻合
当时MC2名前会计作证一位巴西女性巴西为爱斯坦和布安排女孩因为债务问题大发雷霆
安娜噩梦最终因为签证问题意外终止
迈阿密美国当局质疑谁在她的工作买单以及是否美国境内获取报酬随后取消她的签证
在此之前已经至少六次前往美国陪伴斯坦
签证取消斯坦提出一张绿卡以便住在美国安娜拒绝选择留在巴西家人身边
经历成为人生难以磨灭创伤
如今正义齿轮虽然转动缓慢终于开始运转
巴西联邦公共检察办公今年二月正式展开调查试图查明巴西境内是否存在斯坦相关招募网络
国家人口贩卖部门联邦检察表示他们希望那些曾和斯坦接触女性交谈彻底摸清这个系统运作方式
值得强调的是这些女性受害者绝不调查打击目标
按照相关劳工监察研究人员说法安娜其他女孩遭遇完全可以定性剥削目的人口贩卖
这种性质极其恶劣犯罪法律可能不受诉讼时效限制
意味那些曾经参与其中充当掮客巴西依然可能追究法律责任
一个关于权力财富极度剥削黑暗故事
西感激母亲当年坚决落入魔爪
安娜经历多年挣扎试图理清发生自己身上悲剧感到庆幸自己最终离开斯坦圈子重新建立自己生活
安娜自己幸运那些没能逃脱女性感到痛心
这个光怪陆离世界多少看似承诺背后隐藏不见陷阱
那些利用跨国信息利用年轻女孩美好生活渴望编织罪恶网络他们所作所为不仅是个体摧残更是整个人类文明底线践踏
English transcript reference

Speaking of the dark web behind the international modeling circle, a recent investigation report disclosed by the BBC has once again brought the evil empire of the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein back into the public eye.

This time, the focus of the investigation fell on South America, especially Brazil.

Mentioning Epstein, people often think of private islands, political and business celebrities, and power-money transactions, but in this massive network of sexual exploitation, a key 'headhunter' role is often overlooked: the French model agent Jean-Luc Brunel.

Brunel used the modeling agencies he controlled as a perfect cover to reach out his dark hands to young, inexperienced girls harboring dreams of fame.

Let's turn the clock back to 2004.

At that time, Glaucia Fecter was only sixteen years old, living in the Brazilian countryside, and had just begun to make a name for herself in the modeling world.

Brunel personally visited her home and, using an extremely charming manner, tried to persuade her mother to allow her to travel to Ecuador to participate in a modeling competition.

For an ordinary Brazilian rural family, this sounded simply like a pie falling from the sky.

People at the time had no idea of Brunel's true colors; they only knew he was introduced by a famous Brazilian talent scout.

Glaucia successfully participated in the competition held in Guayaquil. On the surface, this was a well-organized, legitimate beauty pageant, and the contestants were all teenage girls aged fifteen to nineteen.

However, behind this glamorous stage lurked a chilling crisis.

A Western European contestant, who was also only sixteen at the time, recalled that Brunel's behavior was very bizarre.

He acted like a clown, always hovering around those very young Brazilian girls.

This girl, going by the pseudonym Laura, keenly sensed that Brunel seemed to be precisely targeting prey in vulnerable positions.

He controlled the girls' finances, and girls from Brazil and Eastern European countries clearly became his primary targets.

Why Brazil and Eastern Europe?

The answer is actually quite cruel: the economic conditions in these regions are relatively backward, and the girls are eager to change their destinies through modeling. This extreme desire for success became exactly the deadliest bait in the predator's hands.

As the competition neared its end, Brunel threw an even bigger temptation at Glaucia: he offered to cover all expenses and fly her to New York to participate in a fashion show.

According to regulations, they had to contact Glaucia's mother, Barbara, to seek her consent.

Fortunately, this mother showed astonishing intuition and resolve.

Her answer was: 'No, don't even think about it.'

Barbara recalled afterwards that she acutely felt these people were actually looking for minors, and her daughter had unfortunately been targeted by them.

It was this mother's decisive refusal that severed Glaucia's connection to Brunel's network, allowing her to narrowly escape the abyss.

This lingering fear was by no means unfounded anxiety.

According to documents later released by the US government, right during the finals of that modeling competition, namely on August 24 and 25, 2004, Epstein himself was actually in Guayaquil.

Even more hair-raising is that document records indicate at least one model under sixteen who participated in the event boarded Epstein's private jet at least twice in that same year.

Glaucia later remarked with deep emotion that she was completely unaware at the time that she was actually in the center of the storm, and it was her mother who saved her.

However, not every girl was lucky enough to escape like Glaucia.

Another Brazilian woman, under the pseudonym Anna, showed us how this recruitment system pushed people step by step into the abyss.

Anna's story reveals what a core instrumental role Brunel and his modeling business played in facilitating the connection between girls and Epstein.

Anna was initially recruited at the beginning of this century by a Brazilian madam in São Paulo.

At that time, she left her hometown in the south, full of joy, thinking she could get modeling job opportunities in São Paulo.

But when she arrived, this so-called 'contact person' immediately confiscated her ID documents and told her she now owed a debt for travel and photo shoots.

This is a very classic modern human trafficking control method, namely debt bondage.

Anna quickly discovered that there was no modeling work here at all.

That woman was actually a madam, and before Anna could fully react, she had already started forcing her to receive clients.

And one of the clients was exactly Jeffrey Epstein.

A few weeks after Anna turned eighteen, the madam took her to the mansion of a well-known businessman in São Paulo.

There, she heard that businessman describe Epstein as the 'king of the world' and say bluntly, 'He likes young girls.'

A few days later, Anna and two other women were sent to a luxury hotel in São Paulo for Epstein to choose from.

Ultimately, Epstein chose her.

What happened next completely exposed how this criminal network operated using a legitimate business guise.

Epstein told Anna at a party that he was going to Paris the next day and had already arranged for her to travel with him.

To legitimize this transnational travel, Brunel's modeling agency made its appearance.

Anna showed the media her passport, which had a US business visa on it, and the annotation clearly displayed the name of the agency Brunel established in the US, namely Karin Models.

Anna admitted frankly that she had never done any modeling work for this company.

The sole purpose of this visa was to provide legal document support for her to travel to the US to visit Epstein.

This is not just a matter of forging a resume; this is a systematic project utilizing legal immigration and business systems for transnational sexual exploitation.

Both court records and US Department of Justice documents corroborate this point.

Brunel first used Karin Models USA, and later an agency called MC2, to attract girls from multiple countries, even including minors among them.

More direct evidence comes from the testimony of a former MC2 employee, who pointed out that Epstein not only provided financial support for Brunel to establish the agency in the US, but also personally paid the visa fees arranged by Brunel's company.

This shows that the so-called modeling agency was, to a large extent, the 'logistics department' of Epstein's sexual exploitation empire.

During the approximately four months she accompanied Epstein to the US and France, Anna experienced extremely twisted psychological manipulation.

Epstein showed her a sick kind of 'tenderness.'

He would give her money and then test her.

For example, giving her $300 to go for a walk, and when she tried to return the change to him, he would tell her to keep it for herself.

He would even deliberately leave money in her room to test whether she would return it.

He also paid for Anna's English classes.

This interaction, mixed with material temptation, false care, and power oppression, threw the victim into extreme confusion.

Anna even once felt she was Epstein's girlfriend.

She followed him to his private island in the US Virgin Islands.

Epstein would often ask her to leave the house to do other things, such as going to a museum or taking classes; Anna suspected this was to cover up other shady dealings he didn't want her to see.

It wasn't until one day, when Anna found him in bed with another woman, that she woke up as if from a dream.

She finally realized that Epstein was doing the same thing to many girls.

In this man's world, she was nothing more than one of numerous collectibles.

The power structure within this network was also nauseating.

Anna recalled that Epstein once told her Brunel had proposed having relations with her, but was rejected by Epstein on the grounds that 'I didn't let him touch you, because you are mine.'

This behavior of treating women as private property, showing them off, and distributing them among accomplices nakedly revealed their nature of objectifying women.

Anna said that when she learned about this, she didn't even know if she should feel fortunate or even more terrified.

From then on, she felt the way Brunel looked at her was like a wolf staring at a lamb, full of greed and the desire to devour.

Behind this dirty deal, there were always entanglements of interests.

Anna revealed that for the initial meeting at the hotel and the trip to Paris, Epstein had originally promised to pay that Brazilian madam $10,000 in cash.

But he only paid a portion, and Anna once accidentally overheard the madam pressuring Epstein on the phone, demanding he pay the balance.

This detail matches astonishingly well with a 2010 testimony in a Florida state court.

At that time, a former accountant for MC2 testified that a Brazilian woman was arranging girls for Epstein and Brunel in Brazil and flew into a rage over a debt issue.

Anna's nightmare eventually came to an unexpected end due to visa issues.

In Miami, US authorities questioned who was paying for her work and whether she was getting paid within the US, and subsequently canceled her visa.

Prior to this, she had traveled to the US at least six times to accompany Epstein.

After her visa was canceled, Epstein had offered to help her get a green card so she could live in the US, but Anna refused; she chose to stay in Brazil with her family.

This experience became an indelible trauma in her life.

Today, although the wheels of justice turn slowly, they have finally begun to move.

The Brazilian Federal Public Prosecutor's Office officially launched an investigation this February, attempting to find out whether a recruitment network related to Epstein exists within Brazil.

Federal prosecutors from the national anti-human trafficking department stated that they hope to speak with women who have had contact with Epstein to thoroughly figure out how this system operated.

It is worth emphasizing that these women are victims, absolutely not the targets of the investigation.

According to relevant labor inspectors and researchers, the encounters of Anna and other girls can entirely be classified as human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

This crime of an extremely heinous nature may not be subject to a statute of limitations in law.

This means that those Brazilians who once participated in it, acting as madams or brokers, could still possibly be held legally accountable.

This is a dark story about power, wealth, and extreme exploitation.

Glaucia is grateful for her mother's resolute 'no' back then, which saved her from falling into the evil clutches.

And Anna, after years of struggling to make sense of the tragedy that happened to her, also feels fortunate that she finally left Epstein's circle and rebuilt her life.

Anna says she is lucky, but she feels even more heartbroken for those women who couldn't escape.

In this bizarre and motley world, how many seemingly glamorous promises hide bottomless pitfalls behind them.

Those who exploit transnational information gaps and young girls' desires for a better life to weave a network of sin—their actions are not only a devastation to individuals, but also a trampling on the bottom line of all human civilization.

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Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.

What vocabulary does this episode teach?

词汇
diàocháinvestigation / to investigate

A common verb/noun used in contexts of research, police work, or journalism. Often paired with 报告 (report) or 展开 (to launch/start).

jiāodiǎnfocus / focal point

Refers to the center of attention or the main point of an issue. Often used in news reporting.

hūshìto neglect / to ignore

Means to overlook something important, either intentionally or unintentionally.

chèdǐthorough / thoroughly

An adverb or adjective indicating that an action is done completely, leaving nothing behind.

kòngzhìto control

Can refer to physical control, psychological control (心理控制), or financial control (控制财务).

mìngyùndestiny / fate

Refers to the course of someone's life, often used with verbs like 改变 (to change) or 掌握 (to grasp/control).

jīngjìeconomy

HSK 1-4. economy.

zhèngfǔgovernment

HSK 1-4. government.

ànwǎngdark web

A modern term referring to the hidden parts of the internet, used metaphorically here to describe an illicit, hidden network of crime in the real world.

bōxuēto exploit / exploitation

A strong word often used in socio-economic or criminal contexts, as in 性剥削 (sexual exploitation) or 经济剥削 (economic exploitation).

shèshìwèishēninexperienced in the ways of the world

A four-character idiom describing young people who lack life experience and are therefore vulnerable or naive.

zhǎnlùtóujiǎoto make a name for oneself / to stand out

An idiom (a variation of 崭露头角) meaning to reveal one's outstanding talent or to start gaining recognition in a particular field.

qǐrényōutiānunfounded anxiety / groundless fears

A famous idiom derived from a story about a man from the state of Qi who worried the sky would fall. Used to describe unnecessary worry.

máogǔsǒngránabsolutely terrified / hair-raising

An idiom describing extreme fear or horror, literally translating to 'hair and bones standing on end'.

lǎobǎomadam (of a brothel)

A highly specific noun referring to a woman who procures prostitutes or runs a brothel.

fěnmòdēngchǎngto make one's appearance

Originally referring to actors putting on makeup and going on stage. In modern usage, it often has a satirical tone, meaning bad actors or organizations stepping into the spotlight to play a role.

* beyond level超纲词

What grammar patterns appear in this episode?

语法

说到 + Topic, ...

Used at the beginning of a sentence to introduce a topic of conversation or writing, equivalent to 'Speaking of...' or 'When it comes to...'

说到国际模特圈背后的暗网,最近英国广播公司披露的一份调查报告,再次将已故美国金融家杰弗里·爱泼斯坦的罪恶帝国拉回了公众视野。

将 + Object + 拉回 + Place/State

Uses '将' (a formal equivalent of '把') to indicate the action of pulling or bringing an object back into a certain state or focus (e.g., 'back into the public eye').

再次将已故美国金融家杰弗里·爱泼斯坦的罪恶帝国拉回了公众视野。

表面上看 + Clause 1, 然而 + Clause 2

A contrastive structure used to highlight the difference between the superficial appearance ('On the surface...') and the hidden reality ('However...').

表面上看,这是一场组织严密、正规合法的选美活动... 然而,在这光鲜亮丽的舞台背后,却潜伏着令人不寒而栗的危机。

直到 + Time/Condition, Subject + 才 + Verb

Indicates that an action did not happen, or a realization did not occur, until a specific time or condition was met. '才' emphasizes the lateness or difficulty of the realization.

直到有一天,安娜发现他和另一个女人在床上,她才如梦初醒。

不仅是...更是...

An advanced progression structure meaning 'not only [A], but what's more [B]'. It is used to elevate the significance or severity of a point.

他们的所作所为,不仅是对个体的摧残,更是对整个人类文明底线的践踏。

Proper Nouns

专有名词
英国广播公司Yīngguó Guǎngbō GōngsīBritish Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)杰弗里·爱泼斯坦Jiéfúlǐ ÀipōsītǎnJeffrey Epstein南美洲NánměizhōuSouth America巴西BāxīBrazil让·吕克·布鲁内尔Ràng Lǚkè Bùlǔnèi'ěrJean-Luc Brunel格劳西娅·费克特Géláoxīyà FèikètèGlaucia Fecter厄瓜多尔Èguāduō'ěrEcuador瓜亚基尔Guāyàjí'ěrGuayaquil劳拉LáolāLaura东欧Dōng'ōuEastern Europe纽约NiǔyuēNew York芭芭拉BābālāBarbara美国MěiguóUnited States安娜ĀnnàAnna圣保罗ShèngbǎoluóSão Paulo巴黎BālíParis卡琳模特经纪公司Kǎlín Mótè Jīngjì GōngsīKarin ModelsMC2MC2MC2 (Modeling Agency)法国FǎguóFrance美属维尔京群岛Měishǔ Wéi'ěrjīng QúndǎoUS Virgin Islands佛罗里达州Fóluólǐdá ZhōuFlorida迈阿密Mài'āmìMiami巴西联邦公共检察官办公室Bāxī Liánbāng Gōnggòng Jiǎncháguān BàngōngshìBrazilian Federal Public Prosecutor's Office

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