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一个中国公司被美国看上了
China Blocks Meta from Buying AI Startup Manus
HSK 1 Chinese listening practice. A simple story about China saying no to Meta — the US company that wanted to buy the AI startup Manus.
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 8 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 18 key vocabulary words such as 公司、买、卖 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.
说到一个最近很有名的中国公司，今天我们来说说它。
Speaking of a Chinese company that's been in the news lately, today we'll talk about it.
这个公司的名字叫Manus。
This company's name is Manus.
名字是用英文写的。
The name is written in English.
你可以说"玛努斯"。
You can say "Ma-nu-si."
公司就是很多人一起做事的地方。
A "company" is a place where many people work together.
这个公司很特别。
This company is special.
为什么很特别？
Why is it special?
因为它做了一个东西。
Because it makes a thing.
这个东西叫"AI"。
This thing is called "AI."
AI就是一个会想事的电脑。
AI is a computer that can think.
电脑你认识吧？
You know what a computer is, right?
就是我们用的那个机器。
It's the machine we use.
一般的电脑会做你叫它做的事。
A normal computer does what you tell it to do.
你叫它写字，它就写字。
You tell it to write, it writes.
但是Manus做的这个AI不一样。
But the AI Manus made is different.
你不用一直叫它做事。
You don't have to keep telling it what to do.
你说一个大事情。
You say one big thing.
比如：我想去日本。
For example: I want to go to Japan.
帮我看一看，怎么去最好。
Help me see, what's the best way to go.
然后这个AI自己想。
Then this AI thinks by itself.
自己看。
Looks by itself.
自己做。
Does it by itself.
最后它告诉你：你这样去最好。
In the end, it tells you: this is the best way to go.
是不是很厉害？
Isn't that amazing?
我们叫这个东西"agent"。
We call this thing an "agent."
中文叫"代理"。
In Chinese, it's "代理."
代理就是有人帮你做事。
"代理" means someone helping you do things.
你的事，它来做。
Your stuff, it does.
你不用想很多。
You don't have to think about much.
它自己想。
It thinks for itself.
Manus是中国人做的。
Manus was made by Chinese people.
开始的时候在北京。
At the start, it was in Beijing.
北京你认识吧？
You know Beijing, right?
是中国的首都。
It's the capital of China.
后来呢，Manus去了新加坡。
Later, Manus moved to Singapore.
新加坡是一个小国家。
Singapore is a small country.
不是中国，但是离中国不远。
Not China, but not far from China.
也有很多中国人在那里。
There are also many Chinese people there.
为什么去新加坡？
Why did they go to Singapore?
因为去新加坡，做事比较方便。
Because in Singapore, doing business is more convenient.
后来，有一个美国的大公司想买Manus。
Later, a big American company wanted to buy Manus.
美国是一个国家。
America is a country.
在中国的另一边。
On the other side from China.
这个美国公司叫Meta。
This American company is called Meta.
Meta你可能听过。
You may have heard of Meta.
你用过Facebook吗？
Have you used Facebook?
用过Instagram吗？
Used Instagram?
用过WhatsApp吗？
Used WhatsApp?
这些都是Meta的。
These are all Meta's.
Meta很大很大。
Meta is very, very big.
Meta想买Manus。
Meta wanted to buy Manus.
他们说：我们给你二十亿美元。
They said: we'll give you two billion US dollars.
二十亿是多少？
How much is two billion?
是很多很多的钱。
It's a lot, lot of money.
是2,000,000,000元美元。
It's $2,000,000,000.
你一辈子的钱也没有这么多。
A whole lifetime of money isn't this much.
Manus说：好，你买吧。
Manus said: okay, you buy it.
他们去年十二月说好的。
They agreed in December last year.
但是，事情不是这么简单。
But things weren't this simple.
中国的政府听到了。
The Chinese government heard about it.
政府就是管国家事情的人。
The "government" is the people who manage the country.
中国政府说：等一等。
The Chinese government said: hold on.
不可以。
Not allowed.
为什么不可以？
Why not allowed?
因为中国政府觉得，Manus是中国人做的。
Because the Chinese government feels Manus was made by Chinese people.
里面的技术是中国的。
The technology inside is China's.
技术就是怎么做一个东西。
"Technology" means how to make a thing.
做AI的方法。
The way to make AI.
中国政府说：这个技术不能给美国。
The Chinese government said: this technology cannot be given to America.
今天，中国政府正式说：不行。
Today, the Chinese government officially said: no.
你们不可以买。
You can't buy.
你们不可以卖。
You can't sell.
今天是四月二十七号。
Today is April 27th.
中国政府的话很重要。
What the Chinese government says is very important.
中国政府的话就是法律。
What the Chinese government says is law.
所以Meta没有办法。
So Meta has no choice.
Manus也没有办法。
Manus has no choice either.
那二十亿美元的事，没有了。
That two billion dollar deal is gone.
Meta说：我们做的事都对。
Meta said: what we did was all right.
我们没有做不对的事。
We didn't do anything wrong.
我们想再说一说。
We want to talk about it again.
但是中国说：不行就是不行。
But China said: no means no.
现在很多人想：以后会怎么样？
Now many people are wondering: what happens next?
有人觉得：可能没事。
Some think: maybe it's okay.
有人觉得：这是大事。
Some think: this is a big deal.
为什么是大事？
Why is it a big deal?
因为以前，中国公司想要美国的钱。
Because before, Chinese companies wanted American money.
他们就去新加坡。
They went to Singapore.
在新加坡开一个公司。
Opened a company in Singapore.
这样就可以拿美国的钱。
This way they could take American money.
但是现在不行了。
But now they can't.
中国政府说：你们不可以这样。
The Chinese government said: you cannot do this.
你们要先问我。
You have to ask me first.
问了我，我说可以，才可以。
After you ask me, if I say yes, then yes.
所以以后，中国的AI公司，去美国就难了。
So from now on, Chinese AI companies going to America will be harder.
我们再说一说Manus这个东西。
Let's talk about this Manus thing again.
为什么这个公司这么大？
Why is this company so big?
因为Manus做的AI很多人喜欢。
Because the AI Manus makes, many people like it.
做AI的公司很多。
Many companies make AI.
中国有，美国有。
China has them, America has them.
但是Manus的AI不一样。
But Manus's AI is different.
它不是写字。
It's not for writing.
它不是画画。
It's not for drawing.
它是帮你做事。
It's for helping you do things.
你说一个大事，它就帮你做完。
You say a big thing, and it helps you finish it.
比如：你说，我要做一个工作。
For example: you say, I have a job to do.
我要看很多东西。
I have to look at lots of stuff.
我要写一个东西。
I have to write a thing.
你的AI就帮你看。
Your AI helps you look.
帮你写。
Helps you write.
帮你做完。
Helps you finish.
你只要说，它就做。
You just speak, it does.
这个东西很厉害。
This thing is amazing.
所以很多人用。
So many people use it.
Manus去年三月开始。
Manus started in March of last year.
开始的时候，没有人知道。
At the start, no one knew it.
后来很多人开始用。
Later, many people started using it.
Manus赚了很多很多钱。
Manus made a lot, lot of money.
一年赚了一亿美元。
In one year, it made a hundred million dollars.
这很快。
That's fast.
也很厉害。
Also amazing.
所以美国的Meta想买Manus。
So American Meta wanted to buy Manus.
他们想：买了Manus，我们也可以做这种AI。
They thought: if we buy Manus, we can also make this kind of AI.
但是中国说：不行。
But China said: no.
这个事情，是中国和美国的事情。
This thing is a matter between China and America.
两个国家都要AI。
Both countries want AI.
两个国家都想做最好的AI。
Both countries want to make the best AI.
所以两个国家都很紧张。
So both countries are very tense.
紧张就是有点担心。
"Tense" means a little worried.
有点害怕。
A little afraid.
担心做不好。
Worried about not doing well.
担心别人比自己好。
Worried about others being better than themselves.
中国不想美国拿走中国的好东西。
China doesn't want America to take China's good things.
美国也不想中国拿走美国的好东西。
America also doesn't want China to take America's good things.
所以这种事情，以后还会有。
So this kind of thing will happen again.
我们普通人怎么想？
What about us ordinary people?
其实和我们没有太大的关系。
Actually it doesn't have much to do with us.
我们用的AI还是一样。
The AI we use is still the same.
做事的AI还是一样。
The AI that does things is still the same.
但是这个事情说明一件事。
But this thing shows us one thing.
做AI不只是技术的事。
Making AI isn't just about technology.
还是国家的事。
It's also about countries.
也是钱的事。
It's also about money.
也是政府的事。
It's also about governments.
今天我们说的就是这个。
That's what we're talking about today.
有一个中国公司叫Manus。
There's a Chinese company called Manus.
它做的AI很厉害。
The AI it makes is amazing.
美国的Meta想买它。
American Meta wanted to buy it.
中国说不可以。
China said it wasn't allowed.
这个事情发生在四月二十七号。
This happened on April 27th.
是一个不小的事。
It's not a small thing.
今天的故事说完了。
Today's story is finished.
HSK 2 noun. 一家公司 (one company — measure word 家). 大公司 = big company, 小公司 = small company. The episode talks about Manus 公司 and Meta 公司.
HSK 1 verb. 买东西 = buy things. The opposite is 卖 (sell). The whole episode is about who can 买 Manus.
HSK 2. The mirror of 买. Note the tones: 买 (3rd tone) vs 卖 (4th tone) — easy to confuse but very different.
HSK 1. 多少钱 = how much money. 美元 = US dollar, 元 = yuan. The episode mentions 二十亿美元 (2 billion US dollars).
HSK 2. 国 (country) + 家 (home). 中国 = China, 美国 = USA. 国家 means a sovereign nation as a whole.
HSK 1. 中 (middle) + 国 (country). The English name comes from this — but in Chinese the literal sense is 'the middle kingdom.'
HSK 1. 美 (beautiful) + 国 (country). A phonetic + meaning approximation of 'America.' 美元 = US dollar.
HSK 1. 想买 = want to buy. 我想 = I think. Two senses depending on what follows: verb after = 'want to V', otherwise = 'think.'
HSK 1. 做事 = do things, 做工作 = do work. The episode says Manus 做 AI = Manus makes AI. Very general verb.
HSK 1. 电 (electric) + 脑 (brain). Literally 'electric brain.' 用电脑 = use a computer.
HSK 2. Used for events, situations, business. 一件事情 = one matter (measure word 件). Different from 东西 (which is for physical things).
HSK 4 but glossed inline in the episode. 技 (skill) + 术 (method). 高技术 = high tech. The know-how behind making something.
HSK 4. The episode glosses it as '管国家事情的人' (the people who manage the country). 中国政府 = the Chinese government.
Very common loanword. The full Chinese term is 人工智能 = artificial intelligence. In speech, people just say 'AI.' The episode glosses it as 'a computer that can think.'
HSK 5. The Chinese term for 'agent' as in 'AI agent.' 代 (instead of) + 理 (handle). Also used in business: 代理公司 = an agency firm.
HSK 4. 亿 = 100,000,000. 一亿 = 100 million; 二十亿 = 2 billion. Note: in Chinese counting, 万 (10k) and 亿 (100M) are the major break points, NOT thousand/million.
HSK 4. Used for both people (我很紧张 = I'm nervous) and situations (关系紧张 = tense relations). The episode uses it for the China-US tension.
HSK 4. 正式说 = officially say. 正式工作 = formal/full-time job. Opposite is 非正式 (informal).
* beyond level超纲词
X 就是 Y (definition)
The teacher's pattern. Used to define a new term inline using simpler words. Listen for it whenever a beyond-HSK-1 word appears.
公司就是很多人一起做事的地方。
代理就是有人帮你做事。
政府就是管国家事情的人。
因为 ... + clause
'Because + reason.' At HSK 1 level often used alone (without 所以). The reason clause comes after 因为.
因为它做了一个东西。
因为去新加坡，做事比较方便。
因为中国政府觉得，Manus是中国人做的。
想 + Verb (want to V)
Modal of desire. 想 + verb phrase = 'want to V'. Subject + 想 + verb. Very common HSK 1 structure.
Meta想买Manus。
我想去日本。
他们想：买了Manus，我们也可以做这种AI。
不可以 / 可以 (cannot / can — permission)
The most basic permission modal. 可以 = may/can; 不可以 = cannot/may not. Different from 会 (be able / will) — 可以 is about whether something is allowed.
不可以买，也不可以卖。
你们不可以买。
我说可以，才可以。
比 comparison
A 比 B + adjective. The basic comparison structure. 'A is more X than B.'
你一辈子的钱也没有这么多。
担心别人比自己好。
Subject + 自己 + V (does it itself)
自己 = self/oneself. Used after the subject to emphasize that someone does something on their own. 它自己想 = it thinks by itself.
然后这个AI自己想。
自己看。
自己做。