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Why Public Kissing Is Everywhere in Spain: From Franco's Repression to the Streets of Madrid — episode cover art
3:08

太阳门广场的吻

Why Public Kissing Is Everywhere in Spain: From Franco's Repression to the Streets of Madrid

About this story

Easy Chinese listening: Spain's old 'public scandal' law, the 1987 Sun Gate Square kiss-in, and why public kissing is now common in Spain. HSK 3 Chinese listening practice.

This is an HSK 3 Chinese listening episode that runs about 3 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 警察、大家、以前 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.

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原文

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

一九八六年,马德里的警察带走了两个女人。
她们没有偷东西,也没有打人。
她们只是在街上亲了对方一下。
那时候,西班牙有一条很老的法律。
这条法律叫公共丑闻罪。
两个人在大家面前亲嘴,警察就可以把人带走。
两个女人在警察局里待了两天。
两天以后,她们才被放出来。
这条法律是佛朗哥留下来的。
一九三九年到一九七五年,佛朗哥一个人说了算。
那些年,一对男女在街上亲嘴,也可能被罚钱。
一九七五年,佛朗哥死了。
他死了以后,年轻人开始做新的音乐,拍新的电影。
他们越来越想在大家面前表达自己。
可是那条老法律还在。
为了改这条法律,很多人已经上街很多年了。
一九八七年,一群喜欢同性的男人和女人一起去了太阳门广场。
太阳门广场是马德里的一个大广场。
到了那个时候,很多对情侣一起亲了对方。
旁边围了很多人看。
后来,他们每年都上街,用亲嘴来结束。
九十年代前后,马德里的游行还是在太阳门广场这样结束。
一九八八年,公共丑闻罪终于被取消了。
从这以后,警察不能再用这条法律抓人。
现在,西班牙的情况很不一样。
百分之六十五的西班牙人住在公寓楼里。
这个比例在欧洲是最高的。
公寓不大,房子又贵,年轻人很难搬出去。
伊莎贝尔二十八岁,从国外回来,又住回了父母家。
她在父母家已经住了三年。
她说,在西班牙,大家一般都很接受在公共场合亲嘴。
马德里一位研究社会的教授安帕罗·拉森说,这跟住的地方有关系。
家里的地方小,情侣想单独在一起,就只能出去。
他们去公园,找一张座位坐下。
拉森说,如果没有人给你难看的眼神,这件事就容易多了。
她也说,不是每对情侣都一样自在。
两个男人或者两个女人在一起,别人看得更多。
在巴伦西亚,以前给婚礼拍照的葆拉·富里奥想得更远。
她说,亲嘴只是冰山的一角。
冰山在水面上只露出一小块,下面还有很大的一块。
现在,在西班牙的街上、公园里、广场上,亲嘴是很平常的事。
English transcript reference

In 1986, police in Madrid took away two women.

They hadn't stolen anything, and they hadn't hit anyone.

They had only kissed each other once on the street.

At that time, Spain had a very old law.

This law was called the 'public scandal' offense.

If two people kissed in front of everyone, the police could take them away.

The two women stayed at the police station for two days.

Only after two days were they released.

This law was left over from Franco.

From 1939 to 1975, Franco alone had the final say.

In those years, a man and a woman kissing on the street could also be fined.

In 1975, Franco died.

After he died, young people began making new music and new films.

They increasingly wanted to express themselves in front of everyone.

But that old law was still there.

To change this law, many people had already been going out on the streets for many years.

In 1987, a group of men and women who liked the same sex went together to Puerta del Sol square.

Puerta del Sol is a big square in Madrid.

By that time, many couples kissed each other together.

A lot of people gathered around to watch.

Later, every year they went out on the streets and ended with kissing.

Around the 1990s, Madrid's parades still ended this way in Puerta del Sol.

In 1988, the 'public scandal' offense was finally abolished.

After this, the police could no longer use this law to arrest people.

Now, Spain's situation is very different.

Sixty-five percent of Spaniards live in apartment buildings.

This proportion is the highest in Europe.

Apartments are small and housing is expensive, so it's hard for young people to move out.

Isabel is 28, returned from abroad, and moved back into her parents' home.

She has already lived in her parents' home for three years.

She says that in Spain, people generally accept kissing in public.

Amparo Lasén, a professor in Madrid who studies society, says this has to do with where people live.

Home space is small, so if couples want to be alone together, they can only go out.

They go to parks and find a seat to sit down.

Lasén says that if no one gives you a dirty look, this is much easier.

She also says that not every couple is equally comfortable.

When two men or two women are together, others look more.

In Valencia, Paula Furió, who used to photograph weddings, thinks further.

She says kissing is just the tip of the iceberg.

The iceberg only shows a small piece above the water; below there is a much bigger piece.

Now, on Spain's streets, in parks, and in squares, kissing is a very ordinary thing.

Listen again

Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.

What vocabulary does this episode teach?

词汇
jǐngchápolice

HSK 2. Common noun; appears in '警察带走了两个女人'.

dàjiāeveryone

HSK 2. Refers to 'everyone' or 'all people'; '在大家面前' = in front of everyone.

yǐqiánbefore; previously

HSK 2. Time noun; '以前给婚礼拍照' = used to photograph weddings.

yǐhòuafter; later

HSK 2. Time noun; '两天以后' = two days later.

kāishǐto begin; to start

HSK 2. Verb; '开始做新的音乐' = began making new music.

biǎodáto express

HSK 2. Verb; '表达自己' = express oneself.

róngyìeasy

HSK 2. Adjective; '这件事就容易多了' = this matter is much easier.

píngchángordinary; common

HSK 2. Adjective; '是很平常的事' = is a very ordinary thing.

fǎlǜlaw

HSK 2. Used for laws and regulations; '一条法律' (a law).

chǒuwénscandal

HSK 5/6. Noun; '公共丑闻罪' = public scandal offense.

qínglǚcouple; lovers

HSK 5. Noun; '很多对情侣' = many couples.

yóuxíngparade; march

HSK 5. Noun/verb; '马德里的游行' = Madrid's parade.

* beyond level超纲词

What grammar patterns appear in this episode?

语法

在 + Place + Verb

Indicates the location where an action takes place.

她们只是在街上亲了对方一下。

两个女人在警察局里待了两天。

被 + Verb + Complement

Passive voice; indicates something is done to the subject.

两天以后,她们才被放出来。

一九八八年,公共丑闻罪终于被取消了。

越来越 + Adjective/Verb

Expresses a gradual increase: 'more and more'.

他们越来越想在大家面前表达自己。

为了 + Verb Phrase, Subject + Verb

Expresses purpose: 'in order to'.

为了改这条法律,很多人已经上街很多年了。

如果 + Clause, 就 + Clause

Conditional: 'if..., then...'.

如果没有人给你难看的眼神,这件事就容易多了。

从 + Time + 以后

Means 'from (a time) onward'.

从这以后,警察不能再用这条法律抓人。

Proper nouns

专有名词
马德里MǎdélǐMadrid西班牙XībānyáSpain佛朗哥FólǎnggēFranco太阳门广场Tàiyángmén GuǎngchǎngPuerta del Sol伊莎贝尔Yīshāběi'ěrIsabel安帕罗·拉森Ānpàluó LāsēnAmparo Lasén巴伦西亚BālúnxīyàValencia葆拉·富里奥Bǎolā Fùlǐ'àoPaula Furió

Sources

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