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Evergrande Founder's London Mansion Sits Empty — episode cover art
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恒大许家印:伦敦最贵的房子,没有人住

Evergrande Founder's London Mansion Sits Empty

About this story

Evergrande Founder's London Mansion Sits Empty. HSK 1 Chinese listening practice.

This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 4 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 10 key vocabulary words such as 钱、买、认识 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.

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原文

Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.

今天,我们说一个房子。
这个房子,在伦敦。
这个房子,很大很大。
这个房子,要很多很多钱。
在伦敦,这个房子要的钱,最多。
可是,没有人住在里面。
房子里,一个人都没有。
我们来说一说。
我们说一个人。
他有很多很多钱。
他叫许家印。
许家印,是最有钱的人。
很多人都认识他。
很多人都想认识他。
他有一个很大的公司。
这个公司,叫恒大。
恒大很大很大。
很多很多人,在恒大工作。
恒大是做房子的。
恒大做房子,也卖房子。
他做了很多很多房子。
所以,他有了很多钱。
他买了伦敦的这个房子。
这个房子很大很大。
房子里,东西很多很多。
房子里,可以住很多很多人。
一家人住在里面,很好。
很多人都想有这个大房子。
可是现在,没有人住。
这个大房子,没有人住。
因为恒大有了大问题。
恒大有很多很多债。
债,是要还的钱。
恒大还不了很多债。
所以,许家印也有了大问题。
现在,这个房子是谁的?
房子上,写的是丁玉梅的名字。
丁玉梅是谁?
她是许家印的家人。
可是现在,他们不是一家人了。
丁玉梅想卖这个房子。
可是,她不能卖。
因为有人说:现在不可以卖。
恒大也想要这个房子。
可是恒大也不可以。
所以,这个房子,没有人买。
也没有人住。
房子里,没有人。
一年,两年,三年。
房子里,都没有人。
可是,房子外面,有一个人。
这个人,住在房子外面。
他不是有钱人。
他没有大房子。
他今天在这里,明天也在这里。
他住在这里,很多天了。
他住在这里,三年了。
房子里,没有人。
房子外面,有一个人。
你看,这个房子很大很大。
房子里,一个人都没有。
房子外面,一个人住了三年。
这个房子,要的钱最多。
可是,房子里没有人。
一个人,住在房子的外面。
好,今天我们说了这个房子。
一个很大的房子,没有人住。
一个很贵的房子,是空的。
English transcript reference

Today, let's talk about a house.

This house is in London.

This house is very, very big.

This house costs a lot, a lot of money.

In London, this house costs the most money.

But no one lives in it.

Inside the house, there's no one at all.

Let's talk about it.

Let's talk about a person.

He has a lot, a lot of money.

His name is Xu Jiayin.

Xu Jiayin was the richest person.

Many people knew him.

Many people wanted to know him.

He had a very big company.

This company is called Evergrande.

Evergrande was very, very big.

Many, many people worked at Evergrande.

Evergrande built houses.

Evergrande built houses and sold houses.

He built many, many houses.

So he made a lot of money.

He bought this house in London.

This house is very, very big.

Inside the house, there are many, many things.

Many, many people could live inside.

A family living inside would be wonderful.

Many people would love to have this big house.

But now, no one lives there.

This big house — no one lives in it.

Because Evergrande ran into big trouble.

Evergrande had a lot, a lot of debt.

Debt is money that must be paid back.

Evergrande couldn't pay back its huge debt.

So Xu Jiayin also ran into big trouble.

Now, whose house is it?

On the house, the name written is Ding Yumei.

Who is Ding Yumei?

She was Xu Jiayin's family.

But now, they're no longer family.

Ding Yumei wants to sell this house.

But she can't sell it.

Because someone says: right now it can't be sold.

Evergrande also wants this house.

But Evergrande can't have it either.

So no one buys this house.

And no one lives in it.

Inside the house, there's no one.

One year, two years, three years.

All that time, no one is inside.

But outside the house, there's a person.

This person lives outside the house.

He is not a rich man.

He has no big house.

He's here today, and here tomorrow too.

He has lived here for many days.

He has lived here for three years.

Inside the house, no one.

Outside the house, one person.

Look, this house is very, very big.

Inside, there's no one at all.

Outside, one person has lived for three years.

This house costs the most money.

But inside, there's no one.

One person lives outside the house.

Okay, today we talked about this house.

A very big house, with no one living in it.

A very expensive house, standing empty.

Listen again

Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.

What vocabulary does this episode teach?

词汇
qiánmoney

HSK 1. money. 他有很多钱 = he has a lot of money.

mǎito buy

HSK 1. to buy. 他买了这个房子 = he bought this house.

rènshito know

HSK 1. to know / recognize. 很多人都认识他 = many people knew him.

zhùto live

HSK 1. to live / stay. 没有人住 = no one lives there.

jiāhome; family

HSK 1. home / family. 一家人住在里面 = a family living inside.

xiǎngto want; think

HSK 1. to want. 丁玉梅想卖这个房子 = Ding Yumei wants to sell.

fángzihouse

The whole story. 伦敦最贵的房子 = London’s most expensive house.

gōngsīcompany

A company. 一个很大的公司,叫恒大 = a big company called Evergrande.

zhàidebt

Debt. 恒大有很多很多债 = Evergrande had a lot of debt.

màito sell

To sell. 恒大做房子,也卖房子 = Evergrande builds and sells houses.

* beyond level超纲词

What grammar patterns appear in this episode?

语法
因为...↗

"Because…" — gives a reason.

因为恒大有了大问题。

也↗

"Also / too" — adds another action or item.

恒大做房子,也卖房子。

也没有人住。

不能 / 不可以 + 动词

"Cannot" — expresses inability or a ban.

可是,她不能卖。

现在不可以卖。

Proper nouns

专有名词
许家印Xǔ JiāyìnXu Jiayin (Evergrande founder, aka Hui Ka Yan)恒大HéngdàEvergrande (the collapsed property giant)丁玉梅Dīng YùméiDing Yumei (Xu Jiayin’s ex-wife)伦敦LúndūnLondon

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