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Peak Boomer Is Over: Elderly Incomes and Wealth Are Falling Behind the Young Across the Rich World — episode cover art
2:01

婴儿潮一代的好日子到头了

Peak Boomer Is Over: Elderly Incomes and Wealth Are Falling Behind the Young Across the Rich World

About this story

HSK 1: Across 26 of 32 rich countries, elderly incomes now trail younger people's — from Greece and the UK to China's later retirement age and the end of annual pension rises.

This is an HSK 2 Chinese listening episode that runs about 2 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 老人、钱、国家 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.

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原文

Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.

很多国家的老人,钱比年轻人少了。
最近,有人看了三十二个很有钱的国家。
在二十六个国家里,老人的钱比年轻人少。
很多年以前,不是这样。
六十年代的美国,很多老人没有钱。
十个老人里有三个,钱不够吃饭和住房。
年轻人里,十个只有一个钱不够。
后来,国家给老人更多钱。
老人一年比一年有钱。
到了二零一二年,美国老人和年轻人差不多了。
希腊的老人,钱快要比年轻人多了。
可是现在,又变了。
希腊的年轻人,现在比老人钱多。
英国的老人,现在钱比年轻人少。
不过,老人还是有钱。
在美国,买房子的人年纪大了。
几年以前,买房的人差不多五十四岁。
现在,他们五十八岁。
这些年,东西贵了很多。
老人每个月拿的钱,一直是一样多。
东西贵了,这些钱就不够了。
国家给老人的钱,也比以前少了。
国家开始给孩子更多钱。
德国和日本,都给孩子加了钱。
美国给这几年出生的孩子一千块。
老人还要多工作几年。
在中国,人老了就不工作了。
多大年纪不工作,七十多年没有变过。
现在变了。
男人以后到六十三岁才不工作。
女人到五十五岁,也有人到五十八岁。
国家的钱不多了。
老人每年多拿钱,这样的事可能不会再有了。
English transcript reference

In many countries, old people have less money than young people.

Recently, someone looked at thirty-two very rich countries.

In twenty-six countries, old people have less money than young people.

Many years ago, it was not like this.

In 1960s America, many old people had no money.

Three out of ten old people did not have enough money for food and housing.

Among young people, only one out of ten did not have enough money.

Later, the country gave old people more money.

Old people became richer year by year.

By 2012, old and young people in America were about the same.

In Greece, old people were almost richer than young people.

But now, it has changed again.

In Greece, young people now have more money than old people.

In the UK, old people now have less money than young people.

However, old people still have money.

In America, people buying houses are getting older.

A few years ago, homebuyers were about fifty-four years old.

Now, they are fifty-eight.

In recent years, things have become much more expensive.

The money old people get every month has stayed the same.

Things are more expensive, so this money is not enough.

The money the country gives old people is also less than before.

The country has started giving children more money.

Germany and Japan have both increased money for children.

America gives one thousand dollars to children born in recent years.

Old people also have to work more years.

In China, people stop working when they get old.

The age at which people stop working has not changed for over seventy years.

Now it has changed.

Men will not stop working until they are sixty-three.

Women stop at fifty-five, and some at fifty-eight.

The country does not have much money.

Old people getting more money every year — this may not happen again.

Listen again

Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.

What vocabulary does this episode teach?

词汇
lǎorénold person; elderly

HSK 1. Common noun for old people; appears throughout the script.

qiánmoney

HSK 1. Core noun; used in phrases like 钱不够 (not enough money).

guójiācountry; nation

HSK 1. Used for both the country and the government in this script.

duōmany; much; more

HSK 1. Used in comparisons: 钱比年轻人少 (less money than young people).

shǎofew; little; less

HSK 1. Opposite of 多; key in comparative sentences.

gōngzuòto work; job

HSK 1. Used as a verb: 不工作 (not work).

mǎito buy

HSK 1. Appears in 买房子 (buy a house).

fángzihouse; apartment

HSK 1. Common noun; 买房子 = buy a house.

suìyears old (age)

HSK 1. Used for age: 五十四岁 (54 years old).

guìexpensive

HSK 1. 东西贵了很多 = things have become much more expensive.

háizichild

HSK 1. Used for children receiving government money.

niánqīngrényoung person

HSK 1. 年轻 (young) + 人 (person); contrasted with 老人.

* beyond level超纲词

What grammar patterns appear in this episode?

语法

A 比 B + adjective

Comparison structure: 'A is more [adjective] than B'. Used to compare money between old and young people.

老人的钱比年轻人少。

希腊的年轻人,现在比老人钱多。

一年比一年 + adjective

Means 'more [adjective] year by year' — a fixed comparative pattern showing gradual change.

老人一年比一年有钱。

快(要) + verb/adjective + 了

Indicates something is about to happen or almost at a state: 'almost / about to'.

希腊的老人,钱快要比年轻人多了。

到了 + time + 了

Marks reaching a point in time: 'by [time]'.

到了二零一二年,美国老人和年轻人差不多了。

还是 + adjective/verb

Means 'still' — something remains the same despite other changes.

不过,老人还是有钱。

才 + verb

Indicates 'only then' or 'not until' — a later-than-expected time.

男人以后到六十三岁才不工作。

可能 + 不会 + verb + 了

Expresses a negative future possibility: 'may no longer / probably won't happen again'.

老人每年多拿钱,这样的事可能不会再有了。

Proper nouns

专有名词
美国MěiguóUnited States希腊XīlàGreece英国YīngguóUnited Kingdom德国DéguóGermany日本RìběnJapan中国ZhōngguóChina

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