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Grindr's AI Pricing Sparks App Decline Debate — episode cover art
7:11

以前好用的软件,现在怎么了?

Grindr's AI Pricing Sparks App Decline Debate

About this story

Why people who loved Grindr for nearby chat, photos and travel now feel the app has changed for the worse. HSK 2 Chinese listening practice.

This is an HSK 2 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 17 key vocabulary words such as 附近、方便、聊天 and walks through 6 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.

说到现在的一个手机软件,很多人都在说它。
这个软件是用来找朋友的。
很多人手机里都有它。
但是,最近大家都不太高兴。
因为这个软件变了。
以前,它非常好用。
以前,你拿手机,看照片。
你可以看见很多人。
这些人都在你的附近。
他们离你很近。
你可以看他在哪里。
你可以看他的照片。
如果你觉得他很好,你就可以说话。
你可以写字给他。
他看见了,也会回答你。
你们可以聊天。
如果你们都高兴,就可以见面。
你们可以一起去喝咖啡。
也可以一起去看电影。
这非常快。
也非常方便。
大家都觉得很高兴。
因为找朋友变得很容易。
你不需要出门。
你在家里就可以找朋友。
你在床上也可以找朋友。
这就是以前的样子。
但是,现在不一样了。
现在的这个软件,让人觉得很累。
为什么呢?
第一,现在有很多别的东西。
当你打开手机的时候。
你看不见你想找的人。
你看见很多广告。
这些广告是你不想看的。
有人想让你买衣服。
有人想让你买车。
还有人想让你玩游戏。
但是你不想买东西。
你也不想玩游戏。
你只想找人说话。
这些广告这让人很生气。
你必须看这些东西。
看了以后,才能找人。
这浪费了很多时间。
第二,很多人不是真的。
以前,照片后面是真的人。
现在,很多是假的。
你看见一张照片。
照片很漂亮。
你觉得很高兴。
你说:"你好。
他回答很快。
但是,他不是真的人。
他是电脑。
或者他是骗子。
他想骗你的钱。
或者他只是一个机器。
这让你觉得很累。
你不知道谁是真的。
你不知道谁是假的。
你说了半天话。
最后发现他不是人。
你会觉得很不舒服。
第三,还有一个大问题。
这个问题是关于钱的。
现在的这个软件太贵了。
做软件的公司想赚钱。
他们想赚很多钱。
他们告诉大家。
你要给我们很多钱。
如果你不给钱,软件就不好用。
多少钱呢?
一个月要五百块。
大家听清楚了。
是一个月五百块。
不是一年五百块。
这非常非常贵。
你想一想。
五百块可以做什么?
五百块可以买很多好吃的菜。
你可以去很好的饭馆。
你可以吃很多次。
五百块可以买一件新衣服。
五百块可以买一张飞机票。
你可以坐飞机去旅游。
但是软件要这笔钱。
为什么要这么多钱?
公司说,给了钱,电脑就帮你。
电脑可以帮你找最好的人。
公司说,现在的电脑很聪明。
电脑知道你喜欢谁。
所以电脑帮你找。
但是,我们需要吗?
我想问问大家。
找朋友是人的事情。
不是电脑的事情。
我们自己有眼睛。
我们可以自己看。
我们有心。
我们知道自己喜欢谁。
不需要电脑告诉我们。
也不需要花五百块。
我觉得,做软件的公司不明白。
他们不知道我们在想什么。
我们想要简单的东西。
以前那个软件很简单。
你看照片,你说话,你见面。
这很好。
现在太难用了。
公司把软件做得太复杂。
里面有很多没用的东西。
如果你去饭馆吃饭。
你饿了。
你只想吃一碗米饭。
但是服务员给你很多别的东西。
他给你看书。
他给你听音乐。
但他不给你米饭。
你会高兴吗?
你一定不高兴。
现在的这个软件就是这样。
它不给我们最简单的东西。
它只想要我们的钱。
所以,很多人都很累。
大家想离开这个软件。
大家想去别的地方。
还有一点很重要。
现在世界变了。
我们的生活也变了。
以前,找朋友很难。
特别是一些不一样的朋友。
你不知道谁是你的朋友。
你必须用手机。
因为在手机上才安全。
但是现在,外面很开放。
现在的世界比以前好了。
你在公园可以找朋友。
你在工作的地方也可以。
你在商店也可以。
大家都不怕了。
你可以直接和人说话。
你可以看着他的眼睛。
你可以听见他的声音。
这比看手机好多了。
真的朋友是在外面的。
不是在手机里面的。
所以,这个软件不重要了。
没有它,我们也可以生活。
我们可以去外面玩。
我们可以去酒吧。
我们可以面对面说话。
这才是真的生活。
我们刚才说了很多。
这个软件的名字叫Grindr。
它是给男人用的。
男人在这里找男朋友。
以前它很有名。
它改变了大家的生活。
很多男人用它找到了爱人。
但是现在它有了大问题。
因为太贵了。
也因为不好用了。
还有很多假的人。
所以很多人说,它可能要完了。
大家都不想用了。
这就是关于Grindr的故事。
English transcript reference

Speaking of a current mobile app, many people are talking about it.

This app is used for finding friends.

Many people have it on their phones.

However, recently everyone is not very happy.

Because this app has changed.

Before, it was very easy to use.

Before, you picked up your phone and looked at photos.

You could see many people.

These people were all in your vicinity.

They were very close to you.

You could see where he was.

You could look at his photos.

If you felt he was good, you could speak.

You could write to him.

If he saw it, he would also answer you.

You could chat.

If you were both happy, you could meet up.

You could go drink coffee together.

Or go watch a movie together.

This was very fast.

And very convenient.

Everyone felt very happy.

Because finding friends became very easy.

You didn't need to go out.

You could find friends while at home.

You could find friends while in bed too.

This is how it used to be.

But, now it is different.

This app now makes people feel very tired.

Why?

First, now there are many other things.

When you open your phone.

You cannot see the people you want to find.

You see many advertisements.

These advertisements are things you don't want to see.

Someone wants you to buy clothes.

Someone wants you to buy a car.

And someone wants you to play games.

But you don't want to buy things.

You also don't want to play games.

You only want to find someone to talk to.

These advertisements make people very angry.

You must watch these things.

Only after watching can you find people.

This wastes a lot of time.

Second, many people are not real.

Before, behind the photos were real people.

Now, many are fake.

You see a photo.

The photo is very beautiful.

You feel very happy.

You say: "Hello."

He answers very quickly.

However, he is not a real person.

He is a computer.

Or he is a scammer.

He wants to cheat you out of your money.

Or he is just a machine.

This makes you feel very tired.

You don't know who is real.

You don't know who is fake.

You talked for a long time.

Finally you discover he is not a human.

You will feel very uncomfortable.

Third, there is another big problem.

This problem is about money.

This app is now too expensive.

The company making the app wants to make money.

They want to make a lot of money.

They tell everyone.

You need to give us a lot of money.

If you don't give money, the app is not easy to use.

How much money?

Five hundred yuan a month.

Everyone listen clearly.

It is five hundred yuan a month.

Not five hundred yuan a year.

This is very, very expensive.

Think about it.

What can five hundred yuan do?

Five hundred yuan can buy a lot of delicious food.

You can go to very good restaurants.

You can eat many times.

Five hundred yuan can buy a new piece of clothing.

Five hundred yuan can buy a plane ticket.

You can take a plane to travel.

But the app wants this sum of money.

Why does it want so much money?

The company says, if you give money, the computer will help you.

The computer can help you find the best people.

The company says computers nowadays are very smart.

The computer knows who you like.

So the computer finds for you.

But, do we need this?

I want to ask everyone.

Finding friends is a human matter.

It is not a computer matter.

We have eyes ourselves.

We can see for ourselves.

We have hearts.

We know who we like.

We don't need a computer to tell us.

And we don't need to spend five hundred yuan.

I feel the company making the app doesn't understand.

They don't know what we are thinking.

We want simple things.

That app used to be very simple.

You looked at photos, you talked, you met.

This was very good.

Now it is too hard to use.

The company made the app too complex.

Inside there are many useless things.

If you go to a restaurant to eat.

You are hungry.

You just want to eat a bowl of rice.

But the waiter gives you many other things.

He gives you books to read.

He gives you music to listen to.

But he doesn't give you rice.

Will you be happy?

You definitely won't be happy.

This app now is just like this.

It doesn't give us the simplest things.

It only wants our money.

So, many people are very tired.

Everyone wants to leave this app.

Everyone wants to go elsewhere.

There is one more important point.

Now the world has changed.

Our lives have also changed.

Before, finding friends was hard.

Especially some different friends.

You didn't know who was your friend.

You had to use a phone.

Because only on the phone was it safe.

But now, the outside is very open.

The world now is better than before.

You can find friends in the park.

You can also do it at work.

You can also do it in shops.

Everyone is not afraid anymore.

You can talk to people directly.

You can look into his eyes.

You can hear his voice.

This is much better than looking at a phone.

Real friends are outside.

Not inside the phone.

So, this app is not important anymore.

Without it, we can also live.

We can go outside to play.

We can go to bars.

We can talk face to face.

This is real life.

We just said a lot.

The name of this app is Grindr.

It is for men to use.

Men find boyfriends here.

Before, it was very famous.

It changed everyone's lives.

Many men used it to find lovers.

But now it has big problems.

Because it is too expensive.

Also because it is not easy to use.

And there are many fake people.

So many people say, it might be finished.

Everyone doesn't want to use it.

This is the story about Grindr.

Listen again

Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.

What vocabulary does this episode teach?

词汇
fùjìnnearby / vicinity

A location word indicating the area close to someone or something.

fāngbiànconvenient

Adjective describing something easy to use or helpful.

liáotiānto chat

Verb meaning to have a casual conversation.

zhàopiànphoto / picture

Noun. Measure word is 张 (zhāng).

róngyìeasy

Adjective. The opposite of 难 (nán - difficult).

qīngchuclear / clearly

Can describe vision, understanding, or hearing.

lǚyóuto travel / tourism

Verb or Noun regarding traveling for pleasure.

shēngyīnvoice / sound

Noun referring to what is heard.

shēnghuólife / to live

Noun or Verb referring to daily life or existence.

ruǎnjiànsoftware / app

Refers to computer programs or phone applications.

guǎnggàoadvertisement

Noun. Marketing messages seen in media.

làngfèito waste

Verb. Often used with time (时间) or money (钱).

piànziscammer / cheat

Noun. A person who deceives others.

fùzácomplicated / complex

Adjective. The opposite of 简单 (jiǎndān - simple).

jiǔbābar / pub

Noun. A place to drink alcohol.

kāifàngopen / open-minded

Adjective describing a society or attitude that is accepting.

miànduìmiànface to face

Phrase indicating direct physical presence.

* beyond level超纲词

What grammar patterns appear in this episode?

语法

如果...就... (rúguǒ... jiù...)

A conditional structure meaning 'If [condition], then [result]'. The '就' emphasizes the consequence.

如果你觉得他很好,你就可以说话。

如果你们都高兴,就可以见面。

如果你不给钱,软件就不好用。

离 (lí)

Used to express distance between two places or people. Structure: A + 离 + B + Distance/Adjective.

他们离你很近。

把 (bǎ) Sentence

A structure used to emphasize the result of an action on a specific object. Structure: Subject + 把 + Object + Verb + Result.

公司把软件做得太复杂。

比 (bǐ)

Used for making comparisons. Structure: A + 比 + B + Adjective.

现在的世界比以前好了。

这比看手机好多了。

用来 (yònglái)

Means 'used for' or 'used to'. It explains the function or purpose of something.

这个软件是用来找朋友的。

半天 (bàntiān)

Literally 'half a day', but figuratively used to mean 'a long time' or 'quite a while'.

你说了半天话。

Proper nouns

专有名词
GrindrGrindrGrindr (dating app)

Sources

来源

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