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'Give Us Face' Ignites Public Fury: Why Did One of Han Hong's Sentences Shake Years of Trust? — episode cover art
3:48

'Give Us Face' Ignites Public Fury: Why Did One of Han Hong's Sentences Shake Years of Trust?

About this story

Han Hong's 'give us face' remark at a film premiere sparked fierce online backlash and donation cancellations; her tearful apology, the foundation's audited financials (¥783M income), and a reflection on public trust and internet outrage. HSK 3 Chinese listening practice.

This is an HSK 3-4 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 14 key vocabulary words such as 普通、道歉、观众 and walks through 7 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.

今天我们一件这几天中国网上沸沸主角歌手
很多中国人心里一直是一个特别存在
不只是一个唱歌明星看作"明星好人"
这些坚持慈善而且那种实在慈善
成立自己爱心基金不光还常常亲自医生药品物资送到偏远山区牧区
因为这么多年脚踏实地无数普通网友心甘情愿她的基金笔钱
可以"信任"宝贵东西
最近恰恰信任遇到一次不小冲击
事情起因其实很小
前段时间参加一部电影首映活动她是电影音乐制作
现场面对观众一句北京两千万人大家能不能我们面子帮忙票房一下
问题"面子"
网上立刻
很多网友反感他们逻辑一个别墅明星该是回馈社会怎么反过来"面子"绑架我们这些普通大家你的明星朋友捧场
他们看来一直以来公益形象完全不上
于是巨大舆论风波这样爆发
最让意外的是风波很快到了她的基金
一些原本长期基金网友一怒之下纷纷取消捐款
甚至一度消息退出公益
面对批评最终公开道歉
自己那句话措辞失当大家添了
据说写下道歉已经不成
承诺今后一定慎行踏实做事
与此同时她的基金正面回应外界种种质疑
他们公布去年财务数据全年收入亿支出亿账目经过审计公开
基金明确表示没有退出公益
这里我想一句
一句真的抹掉一个多年努力
表面上
大家之所以反应这么激烈恰恰因为他们曾经放得太高
我们喜欢一个好人一个"完美圣人"
一旦露出一点普通人的毛病我们失望加倍反弹
或许才是风波背后值得琢磨地方
最后我想留给问题
第一我们是不是"好人"苛刻
我们能不能允许一个好人犯错
第二我们网上愤怒敲下一句我们究竟是追求公平还是只是发泄情绪
问题没有标准答案但是值得我们认真一想
English transcript reference

Today we'll talk about a matter that's been fiercely debated on the Chinese internet these days, centered on singer Han Hong.

In many Chinese people's hearts, Han Hong has always been someone special.

She is not just a singing star, but is seen as 'the good person among celebrities'.

Over the years, she has persisted in charity — the most down-to-earth kind.

She founded her own charity foundation; not only donating money, but often leading teams in person to bring doctors, medicine and supplies to the most remote mountains and grasslands.

It's precisely because of her years of down-to-earth work that countless ordinary netizens willingly donate to her foundation each month.

You could say that 'trust' is Han Hong's most precious possession.

But recently, it was exactly this trust that took a considerable hit.

The cause of it all was actually very small.

Some time ago, Han Hong attended a film's premiere; she was the film's music producer.

At the scene, facing the audience, she said off the cuff: Beijing has over twenty million people — could you give us 'face' and help boost the opening box office?

The problem lay in those words: 'give us face'.

The moment it spread online, it blew up.

Many netizens were repelled; their logic was: you, a villa-dwelling star, should be giving back to society — how can you turn it around and use 'face' to pressure us ordinary people into paying to prop up you and your celebrity friends?

In their eyes, this clashed completely with Han Hong's long-standing charitable image.

And so a huge storm of public opinion erupted.

Most unexpectedly, the storm quickly spread to her foundation.

Some netizens who had long made monthly donations, in their anger, cancelled them one after another.

There was even, for a time, word that Han Hong would quit the charity world.

Facing overwhelming criticism, Han Hong finally apologized publicly.

She said her words had been ill-considered and poorly phrased, and had upset people.

It's said that as she wrote the apology, she was weeping too hard to speak.

She promised to speak and act cautiously, and work steadily, from now on.

At the same time, her foundation directly answered the various doubts raised.

They released last year's financials: over 700 million yuan in income, nearly 300 million in spending, all audited and open to inspection.

The foundation also stated clearly that Han Hong had not withdrawn from charity.

Speaking of this, I want to say one more thing to you.

Can one sentence really erase a person's years of effort?

On the surface, Han Hong simply misspoke.

But dig deeper: people reacted so fiercely precisely because they had once placed her so high.

We always like to enshrine a good person as a 'perfect saint'.

But the moment they show a single ordinary flaw, our disappointment rebounds twofold.

This, perhaps, is what's most worth pondering behind the whole affair.

Finally, I want to leave you two questions.

First, are we too harsh on 'good people'?

Can we allow a good person to make mistakes too?

Second, when we angrily type out each sentence online, are we really seeking fairness, or just venting emotion?

These two questions have no standard answer, but they're worth thinking about seriously.

Listen again

Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.

What vocabulary does this episode teach?

词汇
pǔtōngordinary; common

HSK 3. 无数普通网友 = countless ordinary netizens.

dàoqiànto apologize

HSK 3 band. 韩红最终公开道歉 = Han Hong finally apologized publicly.

guānzhòngaudience

HSK 3 band. 面对观众,她随口说了一句 = facing the audience, she said off the cuff.

yīnyuèmusic

HSK 3. 她是这部电影的音乐制作人 = she was the film’s music producer.

huódòngevent; activity

HSK 3 band. 参加了一部电影的首映活动 = attended a film premiere event.

xiāoxinews; message

HSK 3. 甚至一度还传出消息 = word even spread for a time.

pīpíngto criticize; criticism

HSK 3 band. 面对铺天盖地的批评 = facing overwhelming criticism.

fèi fèi yáng yáng(idiom) abuzz; talk of the town

在中国网上吵得沸沸扬扬的事 = a matter fiercely abuzz on the Chinese internet.

císhàncharity; philanthropy

她坚持做慈善 = she persists in charity.

jījīnhuìfoundation

她成立了自己的爱心基金会 = she founded her own charity foundation.

wùzīsupplies; materials

把医生、药品和物资,送到最偏远的山区 = bringing doctors, medicine and supplies to remote areas.

jiǎo tà shí dì(idiom) down-to-earth; grounded

正因为她这么多年脚踏实地 = precisely because of her years of down-to-earth work.

xīn gān qíng yuàn(idiom) willingly, of one's own accord

无数普通网友,才会心甘情愿地…捐钱 = countless netizens willingly donate.

biéshùvilla

你一个住着别墅的明星 = you, a villa-dwelling star.

* beyond level超纲词

What grammar patterns appear in this episode?

语法

不只是 X,更 ... (not just X, but even more...)

Escalates beyond the obvious.

她不只是一个唱歌的明星,更被看作是明星里的好人。

正因为 ... ,才 ... (precisely because..., only then...)

Marks a strong causal link.

正因为她这么多年脚踏实地,无数普通网友,才会心甘情愿地捐钱。

恰恰是 ... (it is precisely...)

Emphatic identification, often ironic.

恰恰是这份信任,遇到了一次不小的冲击。

问题就出在 ... 上 (the problem lies exactly in...)

Pinpoints the crux.

问题就出在,给个面子这四个字上。

之所以 ... ,恰恰是因为 ... (the reason ... is precisely that...)

Explicitly frames a cause.

大家之所以反应这么激烈,恰恰是因为,他们曾经把她放得太高了。

一旦 ... ,就 ... (once..., then...)

An irreversible trigger.

可一旦他露出一点普通人的毛病,我们的失望,就会加倍反弹。

这两个问题,没有标准答案,但是值得 ... 想一想

The channel's reflective close.

这两个问题,没有标准答案,但是值得我们认真想一想。

Proper Nouns

专有名词
韩红Hán HóngHan Hong — singer and hands-on philanthropist爱心基金会Àixīn Jījīnhuìthe (Han Hong) Love Charity Foundation北京BěijīngBeijing给个面子gěi ge miànzi'give (us) face' — the phrase that sparked the backlash票房piàofángbox office公益gōngyìpublic welfare; charitable work

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