4:16
马耳他是世界上第一个全民免费 ChatGPT 的国家
Malta Becomes the First Country to Give Everyone ChatGPT Plus
This is an HSK 3-4 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 合作、国家、同意 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.
5月16号，世界上有一个新闻。
On May 16, the world saw a piece of news.
是一个国家和 OpenAI 一起做的事。
It's something a country and OpenAI did together.
这个国家叫马耳他。
The country is called Malta.
马耳他在欧洲。
Malta is in Europe.
是一个在地中海里的小国。
It's a small country in the Mediterranean.
人不到六十万。
Less than six hundred thousand people.
比中国的一个小城市还小。
Smaller than a small Chinese city.
可是这个小国，
But this small country
今天做了一件世界上第一次的事。
did something today that's a world first.
是什么事？
What did they do?
马耳他和 OpenAI 一起说：
Malta and OpenAI said together:
"从现在开始，
"Starting now,
"马耳他所有的人，
"every person in Malta
"都可以用 ChatGPT 一年。
"can use ChatGPT for one year.
"不用钱。
"Free.
这是世界上第一个国家，
This is the world's first country
跟一个 AI 公司做这种合作。
to do this kind of partnership with an AI company.
ChatGPT 你知道吧。
You know ChatGPT, right?
就是 OpenAI 做的 AI。
It's the AI OpenAI made.
你跟它说话，
You talk to it,
它给你写答案。
it writes you an answer.
最好的 ChatGPT 叫 ChatGPT Plus。
The best ChatGPT is called ChatGPT Plus.
大概两百块人民币一个月。
About two hundred yuan a month.
一年就是两千多块。
One year is over two thousand yuan.
OpenAI 现在说：
OpenAI is now saying:
"马耳他的人，一年都不用给钱。
"Malta's people don't pay for a whole year.
OpenAI 为什么这么做？
Why is OpenAI doing this?
OpenAI 想：
OpenAI thinks:
我们要让更多的国家用 AI。
we need more countries to use AI.
OpenAI 也做了一个事。
OpenAI also started something.
叫"OpenAI for Countries"。
It's called "OpenAI for Countries."
就是说：
Meaning:
OpenAI 跟一个一个国家合作。
OpenAI partners with countries one by one.
帮国家的人用 AI。
Helping the country's people use AI.
马耳他是 OpenAI for Countries 的第一个国家。
Malta is the first country in OpenAI for Countries.
为什么是马耳他？
Why Malta?
第一，
First,
马耳他小。
Malta is small.
人少。
Few people.
做事快。
Fast to do things.
第二，
Second,
马耳他想做这个事。
Malta wanted to do this.
马耳他有一个人，叫 Ian Borg。
There's a man in Malta, called Ian Borg.
他是马耳他的副总理。
He is Malta's deputy prime minister.
他自己飞到美国，
He himself flew to the US,
和 OpenAI 见面，
met with OpenAI,
和 OpenAI 说这个事。
and talked to OpenAI about this.
后来，
Afterwards,
两边都同意了。
both sides agreed.
可是有一个问题。
But there's one condition.
不是所有马耳他人，
Not every Maltese person
一开始就可以用 ChatGPT。
can use ChatGPT right away.
为什么？
Why?
因为 OpenAI 和马耳他都说：
Because OpenAI and Malta both said:
"用 AI 之前，
"Before using AI,
"你要先学。
"you have to learn first.
学什么？
Learn what?
学 AI 是什么。
Learn what AI is.
学 AI 可以做什么。
Learn what AI can do.
学 AI 不可以做什么。
Learn what AI cannot do.
学怎么用 AI 不出问题。
Learn how to use AI without problems.
马耳他大学做了一个课。
The University of Malta made a course.
叫"AI for All"。
Called "AI for All."
你先去上这个课。
You take this course first.
上完了，
After finishing,
你才可以用 ChatGPT 一年不用钱。
you can use ChatGPT free for one year.
这个课是不用钱的。
The course is free.
也不用很久。
And it doesn't take long.
所有人都可以上。
Everyone can take it.
马耳他大学的人说：
Someone at the University of Malta said:
"我们要让 AI 变成所有人的东西，
"We want to make AI a thing for everyone,
"不是只有有钱人的东西。
"not just for rich people.
那么，
So,
马耳他的人怎么想？
how do Malta's people feel?
很多人开心。
Many are happy.
他们觉得：
They feel:
我们国家小，
our country is small,
可是这一次，
but this time,
我们是世界第一。
we are first in the world.
可是也有人不开心。
But some are not happy.
有的人担心：
Some are worried:
"小朋友会让 AI 替他做工作。
"Kids will let AI do their work.
"小朋友可能不自己想了。
"Kids might stop thinking for themselves.
有的人担心：
Some are worried:
"OpenAI 是美国公司。
"OpenAI is an American company.
"它会不会知道我们的事？
"Will it know our business?
这些问题，
These questions
都没有答案。
don't have answers.
OpenAI 说：
OpenAI says:
"我们会很小心。
"We will be careful.
"我们不会随便用马耳他人的字。
"We won't casually use Maltese people's words.
可是有的人还是担心。
But some are still worried.
担心的人和开心的人，
Worried people and happy people
都有。
both exist.
我自己怎么想？
What do I think myself?
我想：
I think:
这是一个新的事。
this is a new thing.
我们没有做过。
We haven't done it before.
所以会有人怕，
So some will be afraid,
也会有人开心。
and some will be excited.
最重要的是：
The most important thing is:
我们要看一年以后，
we need to see, a year from now,
马耳他变成了什么样子。
what Malta has become.
如果马耳他的人，
If Malta's people
用 AI 真的学到了新东西，
really learn new things from AI,
真的工作做得更好，
really do their work better,
那别的国家也会做。
then other countries will do this too.
如果马耳他的人，
If Malta's people
学习不好了，
stop studying well,
工作也不好了，
and work badly,
那别的国家就要小心了。
then other countries will have to be careful.
所以，
So,
2026 年 5 月 16 号，
May 16, 2026,
是一个要记得的日子。
is a date worth remembering.
一个 AI 公司，
An AI company,
和一个小国家，
and a small country,
一起做了一件以前没有人做过的事。
together did something no one had done before.
好的。
Okay.
今天就说到这里。
That's all for today.
明天再聊。
Talk tomorrow.
To cooperate; a cooperative arrangement. The center of the news: the OpenAI–Malta 合作. 合 (join) + 作 (work).
A nation / country (as a sovereign political unit). Malta is the first 国家 to do a deal like this — the size of the unit matters.
To agree (to a proposal). '两边都同意了' — both sides agreed. The minimum verb you need to describe any signed deal.
Influence; impact. Used in the meta-thinking part of the episode: 影响 covers both 'AI's effect on us' and 'this deal's effect on other countries.'
Important. The episode's editorial signal: '这些问题都很重要' — these concerns are all important. Use it to flag what should not be ignored.
To worry (about). Two specific worries are voiced: kids using AI instead of thinking; an American company knowing too much. 担 (carry) + 心 (heart) — to carry something on your heart.
Government. The deal is government-level — not just for individuals. OpenAI is pursuing government partners through 'OpenAI for Countries.' 政 (politics) + 府 (office).
Deputy Prime Minister. Malta's 副总理 Ian Borg personally flew to the US to negotiate the deal. 副 (vice / deputy) + 总理 (prime minister).
A citizen. The Malta deal covers all 马耳他公民 — including those living abroad. 公 (public) + 民 (people).
Free, no payment. The episode uses 不用钱 in the script body, but 免费 is the headline word and what learners will read in any modern Chinese news.
Trust. The unstated load-bearing word of the whole story: Malta is choosing to 信任 OpenAI with its citizens' data. 信 (believe) + 任 (assign / entrust).
A project or program. 'OpenAI for Countries' is described as a new 项目 — a deliberate program for engaging national governments.
* beyond level超纲词
等于 + Verb / Noun
等于 = 'equal to.' Used to translate a fact into its real-world weight. The narrator's calculation — 'six hundred thousand times two thousand 等于 十几亿' — uses 等于 mathematically, but it's also the standard idiom for 'is effectively' (你这样做等于放弃 = 'doing this is effectively giving up').
OpenAI 等于送给马耳他十几亿的东西。
让 / 帮 + Object + Verb (causative)
让 = 'let / make.' 帮 = 'help.' Both put another subject inside your verb — and both are central to AI ethics talk. '让 AI 替你做工作' = 'let AI do your work for you' (the negative case); '帮 你 用 AI' = 'help you use AI' (the positive case). The same surface grammar carries opposite values.
小朋友会让 AI 替他做工作。
帮国家的人用 AI。
如果...就... (conditional)
Standard Chinese conditional. The episode uses paired 如果 sentences to weigh both outcomes: 'If Malta does well, other countries will follow. If Malta does badly, they'll be careful.' Symmetry is the rhetorical move; 如果 is just the structural skeleton.
如果马耳他的人用 AI 真的学到了新东西，那别的国家也会做。
不会随便 + Verb
随便 = 'casually / however one likes.' Negated: 'we won't be careless about it.' OpenAI's reassurance — '我们不会随便用马耳他人的字' — uses this to promise data restraint. Note the construction puts the modifier between the negation and the verb.
我们不会随便用马耳他人的字。