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ChatGPT 一年不用钱：马耳他做了一件大事
One Year Free: Why Malta's ChatGPT Deal Matters
This is an HSK 2 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 新闻、公司、重要 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.
今天我想跟你说一个新闻。
Today I want to tell you about a news story.
是一个很小的国家的新闻。
It's news about a very small country.
这个国家叫马耳他。
This country is called Malta.
你听过马耳他吗？
Have you heard of Malta?
没听过也没关系。
It's okay if you haven't.
马耳他在哪儿？
Where is Malta?
马耳他在大海里。
Malta is in the sea.
是一个不大的国家。
It's a small country.
中国很大，
China is big,
美国很大，
the US is big,
马耳他很小。
Malta is small.
中国有很多很多人。
China has lots and lots of people.
美国也有很多人。
The US also has many people.
马耳他只有五十多万人。
Malta only has just over five hundred thousand people.
很小，
Very small,
可是这个国家今天做了一件大事。
but this country did something big today.
是什么事？
What did they do?
今天 OpenAI 和马耳他一起做了一个新东西。
Today OpenAI and Malta did something new together.
OpenAI 是什么？
What is OpenAI?
OpenAI 是美国的一个公司。
OpenAI is a company in the US.
是一个做 AI 的公司。
It's a company that makes AI.
ChatGPT 你听过吗？
Have you heard of ChatGPT?
ChatGPT 就是 OpenAI 做的。
ChatGPT is what OpenAI made.
是一个 AI。
It's an AI.
你跟它说话，
You talk to it,
它会回答你。
it answers you.
你问它问题，
You ask it questions,
它会告诉你。
it tells you.
你让它帮你写一些字，
You ask it to help write something,
它会帮你写。
it'll help write.
可是 ChatGPT 不是不用钱的。
But ChatGPT isn't free.
你想用最好的 ChatGPT，
If you want the best ChatGPT,
你要给钱。
you have to pay.
要给多少钱？
How much?
一个月差不多两百块。
About two hundred yuan a month.
不是所有人都有钱用最好的 ChatGPT。
Not everyone has money for the best ChatGPT.
可是马耳他做了一件事。
But Malta did something.
马耳他说：
Malta said:
"我们国家的人，
"Our country's people,
"都可以用 ChatGPT。
"can all use ChatGPT.
"一年都不用给钱。
"For one year, no payment.
也就是说：
That is to say:
马耳他所有人，
all of Malta's people
现在都可以用最好的 ChatGPT，
can now use the best ChatGPT,
一年都不用钱。
for one year with no money.
这是世界上第一次。
This is a world first.
在以前没有过。
Never happened before.
没有别的国家做过这个事。
No other country has done this.
马耳他是第一个。
Malta is the first.
为什么是马耳他？
Why Malta?
第一，
First,
马耳他小，
Malta is small,
人也少。
few people.
做新的事容易。
Doing new things is easier.
第二，
Second,
马耳他想做。
Malta wanted to.
他们想：
They thought:
AI 是新的东西，
AI is new,
也很重要。
and important.
我们的人要学。
Our people need to learn it.
可是不是马上就给所有人。
But it's not given to everyone immediately.
马耳他说：
Malta said:
"我们的人要先学。
"Our people have to learn first.
"学了 AI 是什么，
"Learn what AI is,
"学了怎么用，
"learn how to use it,
"再开始用。
"then start using it.
所以马耳他做了一个学习的东西。
So Malta made a learning thing.
你先去学。
You go and learn it first.
学了以后，
After learning,
你才可以用 ChatGPT 一年不用钱。
you can use ChatGPT free for one year.
这个学习的东西叫"AI for All"。
This learning thing is called "AI for All."
就是说：AI 是给所有人的。
Meaning: AI is for everyone.
是马耳他的大学做的。
It was made by Malta's university.
不用很久。
It doesn't take long.
学了以后，
After learning,
你就可以用 ChatGPT 一年。
you can use ChatGPT for one year.
马耳他的人开心吗？
Are Malta's people happy?
很多人很开心。
Many people are happy.
他们说：
They say:
"我们的国家小，
"Our country is small,
"可是我们做了一件大事。
"but we did something big.
"我们是第一。
"We are first.
可是也有人不开心。
But some are not happy.
为什么不开心？
Why not?
有的人想：
Some people think:
"AI 太多了。
"There's too much AI.
"我们的小孩子，
"Our children
"可能不学习了。
"might stop studying.
"小孩子可能让 AI 给他做工作。
"Kids might let AI do their work for them.
也有人想：
Others think:
"AI 会知道我家的事。
"AI will know about our families.
"OpenAI 在美国。
"OpenAI is in the US.
"美国会知道我们的事吗？
"Will the US learn about us?
这些问题，
These questions
都很重要。
are all important.
我也在想。
I'm thinking about them too.
你也可以想。
You can think about them too.
最后，
Finally,
我问你一个问题：
let me ask you one question:
如果你的国家也做这个，
If your country did this too,
你想用 ChatGPT 一年不用钱吗？
would you want to use ChatGPT free for a year?
你想用 AI 帮你做什么？
What would you ask AI to help you with?
你想一下。
Think about it.
好的。
Okay.
今天我们就说到这里。
That's all for today.
明天再聊。
Talk tomorrow.
News. The opening device — '今天我想跟你说一个新闻'. In Chinese, 新闻 is for events/reports; for personal updates use 消息 (HSK 3).
Company / firm. OpenAI is introduced as '美国的一个公司'. Built from 公 (public) + 司 (manage).
Important. Two crucial uses: 'AI is 重要' (technology people must learn) and 'these worries are 重要' (concerns worth listening to).
Easy / simple. The narrator's structural insight: small countries find new policies 容易 to implement; big countries don't.
To tell. Structure: 告诉 + person + content. 'AI 告诉你' = 'AI tells you.' Distinct from 说 (to say) — 告诉 always implies a recipient.
A question or a problem (context decides). The episode uses both senses: 'AI 会回答你的问题' (question) and '这些问题都很重要' (concerns/issues to think about).
A country, a nation. The story turns on the size of countries — small 国家 can move fast; big 国家 take a decade. Compound: 国 (state) + 家 (household).
Free, no fee. The headline-level news word. The episode uses the simpler 不用钱 ('don't need money'), but 免费 is the standard formal phrasing learners will see in any modern Chinese news headline.
University. 马耳他的大学 made the 'AI for All' course. Compound: 大 (great) + 学 (learning) — the 'great learning,' from a Confucian text title.
A citizen (of a country). The Malta deal is for all Maltese 公民 — both those living in Malta and those abroad. 公 (public) + 民 (people) = 'people of the public sphere.'
To cooperate / a cooperative deal. The Malta–OpenAI 合作 is the heart of the news. 合 (join) + 作 (work) — 'working together.'
All, every (often paired with 都). The structural reveal: 'all 马耳他人' get the deal, not just some. 所有的人 = every person.
* beyond level超纲词
也就是说 + clause
也就是说 introduces a restatement or implication. The narrator uses it to translate facts into stakes: 'Malta said X. 也就是说, every Maltese person can now use the best ChatGPT free.' Useful for any explainer-style speech.
也就是说：马耳他所有人，现在都可以用最好的 ChatGPT。
可是 / 但是 + clause (contrast)
可是 and 但是 both mean 'but.' 可是 is slightly more conversational; 但是 more neutral. The episode pivots multiple times on 可是 — 'But this small country did something big.' Both are HSK 2.
可是这个国家今天做了一件大事。
可是也有人不开心。
第一... 第二... (enumeration)
Numbered enumeration. The narrator uses 第一 / 第二 to break 'why Malta?' into two clean reasons. A staple of explainer-style Chinese — once you can hold a 第一 / 第二 / 第三 list, you can structure any argument.
第一，马耳他小。第二，马耳他想做。
如果 + clause₁, clause₂
如果 marks a conditional. The closing call-to-action uses it: '如果你的国家也做这个，你想用 ChatGPT 一年不用钱吗？' — 'If your country also did this, would you want a free year of ChatGPT?' 如果 is HSK 3 but extremely common, so worth meeting at easy level.
如果你的国家也做这个，你想用 ChatGPT 一年不用钱吗？