3:43
为了更漂亮，他打了一针：没想到，这一针要了他的命
He Got an Injection to Look Prettier — He Never Imagined It Would Take His Life — A Beginner Story in Simple Chinese
HSK 1 Chinese listening practice. A true, gentle cautionary story: a man who worked his whole life in beauty died from a routine cosmetic injection that went wrong. Most injections are safe, but 'very rare' is not 'never' — told slowly in beginner Chinese.
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 12 key vocabulary words such as 漂亮、年轻、花 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.
今天，
Today,
我们说一个人。
we'll talk about a person.
也说一件，
And about
不太好的事。
something not so good.
你想不想，
Do you want
让你，
to make yourself
更漂亮一点？
a little more beautiful?
我想，
I think
很多人，
many people
都会想。
would.
对不对？
Right?
我们都想，
We all want
看上去，
to look
更好。
better.
也想，
We also want
看上去，
to look
更年轻。
younger.
为了更漂亮，
To be more beautiful,
有的人，
some people
会花很多钱。
spend a lot of money.
也会，
They also
做很多事。
do many things.
今天的这个人，
The man we're talking about today
就是这样。
was just like that.
好，
Okay,
现在，
now,
我们来说他。
let's talk about him.
这个人，
This person
是一个男的。
was a man.
他今年，
This year, he was
五十六岁。
fifty-six.
他的工作，
His job
非常好。
was a very good one.
他在一个，
He worked at a
很大的公司。
very big company.
这个公司，
This company —
是做什么的呢？
what did it do?
这个公司，
This company
就是，
was one that
帮别人，
helped people
变漂亮的。
become beautiful.
他们做的东西，
The things they make,
你可能也用过。
you may have used too.
比如，
For example,
擦脸的，
face creams,
还有香水。
and perfume.
这个男人，
This man,
在这个公司，
at this company,
做了，
worked for
二十五年。
twenty-five years.
他懂很多，
He knew a lot
关于"美"的事。
about 'beauty'.
可是，
But
就是这样，
exactly such
一个最懂"美"的人，
a person, who understood 'beauty' best,
最后，
in the end,
却因为，
because
想让自己变美，
he wanted to make himself beautiful,
出了大事。
met with disaster.
那么，
So,
他到底，
what exactly
出了什么事呢？
happened to him?
事情，
It
是这样的。
went like this.
为了，
In order
让自己的脸，
to make his face
更好看，
look better,
他去，
he went
打了一针。
and got an injection.
这种针，
This kind of injection,
很多人，
many people
都打过。
have had.
打完以后，
Afterward,
脸上，
on the face,
会少一些，
there are fewer
皱纹，
wrinkles,
人看起来，
and a person looks
会更年轻。
younger.
这种针，
This injection
听起来，
sounds
很小，
small,
很安全。
very safe.
可是，
But
就在这一次，
this one time,
出事了。
something went wrong.
那个，
The thing
打进去的东西，
that was injected
跑到了，
went
不该去的地方。
where it shouldn't.
跑到了，
It went
他的身体里面。
deep inside his body.
然后，
Then,
他突然，
he suddenly
觉得很不舒服。
felt very unwell.
很快，
Very soon,
他就，
he
不行了。
was gone.
他走的时候，
When he passed,
他的爱人，
his loved one
就在他身边。
was right beside him.
一针，
An injection
本来，
was meant,
只是为了，
only,
变漂亮一点。
to make him a bit more beautiful.
谁能想到，
Who could have imagined
最后，
that in the end
会是这样。
it would be like this.
要说清楚，
To be clear,
打这种针，
getting this kind of injection,
大部分时候，
most of the time,
是安全的。
is safe.
每年，
Every year,
都有很多很多人，
very many people
去打。
get them.
出事的，
Those who have an accident
非常非常少。
are very, very few.
但是，
But
"非常少"，
'very few'
不是，
is not
"没有"。
'none'.
再小的事，
Even the smallest thing
也会有，
still carries
一点点风险。
a little risk.
最后，
Finally,
我想问你：
I want to ask you:
为了更漂亮，
to be more beautiful,
你愿意，
how far
做到哪一步？
are you willing to go?
在漂亮，
Between beauty
和安全之间，
and safety,
你会，
how
怎么选呢？
would you choose?
HSK 1 考纲词. 让你，更漂亮一点 = to make you a bit more beautiful. The whole theme.
HSK 2 考纲词. 他在一个，很大的公司 = he worked at a very big company.
HSK 2 考纲词. 跑到了，他的身体里面 = it went deep inside his body.
看上去，更年轻 = to look younger.
会花很多钱 = spend a lot of money.
擦脸的，还有香水 = face cream, and perfume — the company's products.
他懂很多，关于美的事 = he knew a lot about beauty.
脸上，会少一些，皱纹 = there would be fewer wrinkles on the face.
他去，打了一针 = he went and got an injection. 打针 = to get an injection.
很小，很安全 = small and safe; later: 在漂亮和安全之间 = between beauty and safety.
他的爱人，就在他身边 = his loved one was right beside him.
也会有，一点点风险 = there is still a little risk.
* beyond level超纲词
为了 + Goal (in order to)
States purpose.
为了更漂亮，有的人，会花很多钱。
为了，让自己的脸，更好看。
更 + Adj (more / -er)
Comparative degree.
看上去，更好。
人看起来，会更年轻。
Verb + 完 + 以后 (after finishing...)
Marks completion then a following state.
打完以后，脸上，会少一些，皱纹。
却因为 ... ，出了大事 (yet because..., disaster struck)
Marks an ironic, unexpected turn.
却因为，想让自己变美，出了大事。
谁能想到 ... (who could have imagined...)
Expresses surprise at an outcome.
谁能想到，最后，会是这样。
"X"，不是"Y" (X is not Y)
Draws a careful distinction.
“非常少”，不是，“没有”。
在 A 和 B 之间，你会怎么选？(between A and B, how would you choose?)
An either-or question for the close.
在漂亮，和安全之间，你会，怎么选呢？