A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
汪涵道歉了：《监狱来的妈妈》是怎么回事
Mother From Prison Film Sparks Court Debate
About this story
Mother From Prison Film Sparks Court Debate. HSK 2 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 2 Chinese listening episode that runs about 5 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 电影、新闻、问题 and walks through 4 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.
English transcript reference
Today we're talking about a Chinese news story.
It's about a movie.
The movie is called "Mother From Prison."
Lately a lot of Chinese people have been talking about this movie.
Not because it's good.
Because something big happened with it.
The movie was originally going to be released on May 30.
But on May 20,
the movie was pulled.
That means it won't be shown.
Why?
Let's go through it slowly.
The story goes like this:
In 2009,
a woman named Zhao Xiaohong
killed her husband.
The court said:
that day they argued over a small household matter.
She went to the living room and got a fruit knife.
Then she stabbed her husband once.
It pierced his aorta.
Her husband died.
The court said it was "intentional injury causing death."
She was sentenced to 15 years.
That's the maximum time this crime can carry.
15 years later,
Zhao Xiaohong was released from prison.
This should have been her own life now.
But,
a film director found her.
This director is named Qin Xiaoyu.
He wanted to make a movie
telling Zhao Xiaohong's story.
He had Zhao Xiaohong play herself.
The movie even started filming in 2019.
At that time,
Zhao Xiaohong was still in prison.
The movie finished filming in 2021.
This year,
the movie was getting ready to release.
But there was a problem:
the movie says
that Zhao Xiaohong's husband abused her for a long time.
She couldn't take it,
so she killed him.
That is to say,
in the movie Zhao Xiaohong is a victim of domestic violence.
But the court's verdict does not say this.
The verdict says
that day they argued over a small thing —
"propping up the bed,"
a matter of how to set up the bed.
Not domestic violence.
That is to say:
the story the movie tells
and the real legal record
are not the same.
The movie took a person who killed someone
and wrote her as a pitiable victim of domestic violence.
When Chinese netizens saw the movie's description,
they were all very angry.
Some people said:
"This is whitewashing a killer.
"This is deceiving people.
Others said:
"A person who's been released is also a person.
"She can have a second chance too.
The two sides argued a lot.
Now we have to talk about a famous person.
His name is Wang Han.
Wang Han is a host on Hunan Television.
Day Day Up, I Am a Singer, Happy Camp —
if you've watched Chinese TV,
you've definitely heard of him.
He is very famous in China.
Many people like him.
But this time,
Wang Han's name
appeared on "Mother From Prison."
He is the "producer" of this movie.
That's a kind of big boss who handles things for a movie.
Wang Han got criticized along with it.
Chinese netizens said:
"Wang Han,
"how could you be the producer of a movie like this?
On May 19,
China Central Television also spoke up.
CCTV is China's official television network.
CCTV said:
this movie has problems.
On May 20,
the movie was pulled.
Late at night on May 20,
Wang Han posted an apology.
Wang Han said:
"I didn't look carefully at this movie's content.
"I didn't put money into the movie.
"I've already stopped working with them.
"I'm sorry.
Zhao Xiaohong's online account
was also shut down.
This matter
isn't over yet.
But the movie will not be released.
I read this news,
and I thought:
movies can tell real stories.
They can also tell made-up stories.
But they shouldn't say "this is real"
and then tell something fake.
What Zhao Xiaohong did,
the court has already judged.
The movie changing her story
is deceiving the people who watch it.
And Wang Han?
In China, Wang Han has the image of a thoroughly nice guy.
This time he didn't look carefully,
and put his name on it.
That's his mistake.
He apologized.
But some people say:
is an apology enough?
Some people say:
it's not enough.
Finally,
I'll ask you one question:
If a famous person
does something wrong,
after they apologize,
will you forgive them?
Think about it.
Okay.
That's all for today.
Talk tomorrow.
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇Movie. The whole episode is about one 电影 and the controversy that got it pulled from release.
News. The framing word — 'today we're talking about a Chinese news story.'
Problem, question. '但是有一个问题' — but there's a problem: the movie and the court verdict tell different stories.
To like. Wang Han is described as someone 很多人喜欢 — a lot of people like him. That public affection is exactly what made the backlash sting.
To feel, to think (an opinion). The episode reports what different people 觉得 about whether an apology is enough.
To be angry. When Chinese netizens saw the movie's description, they were all 很生气 — very angry.
Prison. The film's title is 《监狱来的妈妈》. Zhao Xiaohong served 15 years in 监狱.
The written court judgment. The episode's pivot: the 判决书 says a trivial argument led to the killing — the movie says domestic violence. They don't match.
Domestic violence. Short for 家庭暴力. The movie claims the killing was resistance to 家暴 — but the verdict never mentions it.
To whitewash — to repackage a guilty person so the public sees them as innocent or sympathetic. Critics say the movie tried to 洗白 a killer.
A film's credited 'producer' — sometimes a real investor, sometimes just a named figure lending prestige. Wang Han's role on this film.
To apologize; an apology. Wang Han posted a 道歉 on May 20. The episode ends by asking whether a 道歉 is enough.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法不是因为 A，是因为 B
A correction structure. The episode's hook: 很多人在说这个电影。不是因为它好，是因为它出了大事 — people are talking about the movie, not because it's good, but because something big went wrong.
不是因为它好。是因为它出了大事。
把 A 写成 B
The 把 construction with 写成 (write-into). 电影把一个杀人的人，写成了一个可怜的家暴受害者 — the movie portrayed a killer as a pitiable victim of domestic violence. Useful for any 'depict X as Y' statement.
电影把一个杀人的人，写成了一个可怜的家暴受害者。
应该 / 不应该 + Verb
应该 marks what is right or expected; 不应该 the opposite. The episode's moral spine: 不应该说'这是真的'，然后讲一个假的 — you shouldn't say 'this is real' and then tell something fake.
不应该说'这是真的'，然后讲一个假的。
X 就够吗?
够 = enough. 就够吗 turns a statement into a pointed question. 道歉就够吗？— 'Is an apology enough?' A compact way to challenge whether something settles a matter.
道歉就够吗？
Proper nouns
专有名词Free account
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