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在世界之巅求婚，然后被捕：帝国大厦徒手攀爬背后的浪漫与危险
A Proposal at the Top of the World, Then Arrest: The Romance and Danger Behind the Empire State Building Climb
Advanced Chinese listening practice. A reflective account of the Russian couple who free-climbed the Empire State Building, unfurled a peace banner and got engaged before their arrest on eight charges — the spectacle, the fame economy of extreme stunts, and the ethics of our clicks.
This is an HSK 5-6 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 14 key vocabulary words such as 热血沸腾、捏一把汗、负盛名 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.
今天，我们聊一件既让人热血沸腾，又让人捏一把汗的事。
Today we'll talk about something that both sets the blood racing and makes you break out in a cold sweat.
就在前几天，两个来自俄罗斯的年轻人，徒手爬上了纽约的帝国大厦。
Just days ago, two young Russians free-climbed New York's Empire State Building.
帝国大厦，是纽约的象征，也是全世界最负盛名的摩天大楼之一。
The Empire State Building is a symbol of New York and one of the most renowned skyscrapers in the world.
而这两个人，从大楼的外墙，一路攀爬，最终登上了顶端那根细细的天线塔。
And these two climbed up the building's exterior wall all the way to the slender antenna tower at its peak.
请注意，全程没有绳索，没有任何安全保护。
Note: no ropes, no safety protection whatsoever, the entire way.
在几百米的高空，任何一个微小的失误，都足以致命。
Hundreds of meters up, any tiny mistake is enough to be fatal.
然而，他们不仅成功登顶，还在塔尖上，展开了一面写着"和平"的旗帜。
Yet they not only reached the top, but on the spire unfurled a banner reading 'peace'.
紧接着，是这场冒险中，最出人意料的一幕。
Then came the most unexpected moment of the whole adventure.
原来，这两个人是一对情侣。
It turns out the two are a couple.
男生在世界之巅，单膝跪地，向女生求了婚。
At the top of the world, the man knelt on one knee and proposed.
女生含泪答应，两人在纽约璀璨的夜景之上，交换了戒指。
In tears she said yes, and above New York's glittering night skyline, they exchanged rings.
一时间，这组照片，点燃了全球的社交网络。
In an instant, the photos set the global social networks ablaze.
那么，他们到底是谁？
So, who exactly are they?
他们绝非一时冲动的普通游客。
They are by no means ordinary tourists acting on impulse.
这对情侣，一个叫伊万，一个叫安吉丽娜，是全球"爬楼圈"里响当当的人物。
This couple — Ivan and Angelina — are big names in the global 'rooftopping' world.
多年来，他们徒手挑战世界各地的超高层建筑，并把整个过程拍下来，发到网上。
For years, they've free-climbed super-tall buildings around the world, filming it all and posting it online.
他们的传奇经历，甚至被拍成了一部广受关注的纪录片。
Their legendary exploits were even made into a widely watched documentary.
有意思的是，让他们一战成名的作品里，就有一座位于中国天津的摩天大楼。
Interestingly, among the climbs that made their name is a skyscraper in Tianjin, China.
换句话说，用生命去征服一座又一座地标，既是他们的激情，也是他们赖以成名的事业。
In other words, conquering landmark after landmark with their lives is both their passion and the career their fame rests on.
但这一次，浪漫的故事，迎来了一个并不浪漫的结尾。
But this time, the romantic story met a distinctly unromantic ending.
当他们从大楼上下来，早已等候多时的纽约警察，将两人当场逮捕。
When they came down, the New York police, who had long been waiting, arrested them on the spot.
他们一共被起诉了八项罪名，包括非法闯入、鲁莽危害他人安全、蓄意破坏等等。
They were charged with eight counts in all, including unlawful entry, reckless endangerment, and criminal mischief.
帝国大厦方面也回应称，整个事件已妥善处理，楼内的租户与游客，全程没有受到任何威胁。
The Empire State Building responded that the whole incident had been handled properly, and its tenants and visitors were never under any threat.
说到这里，我想和你聊聊，这件事更深的一层。
Speaking of this, I want to talk with you about a deeper layer.
它之所以让无数人又爱又恨，是因为它精准地，踩在了两种情绪的交界处。
The reason it makes so many people both love and hate it is that it lands precisely on the border between two emotions.
一边，是极致的浪漫与勇气——在世界之巅，为爱人许下承诺。
On one side, the ultimate romance and courage — making a vow to your love at the top of the world.
另一边，是极致的危险与违法——把两条人命，悬于一线之间。
On the other, the ultimate danger and lawlessness — two lives hanging by a thread.
我们坐在屏幕前，一边惊呼"疯了"，一边又忍不住一次次点开视频，看得热血沸腾。
We sit before our screens, gasping 'they're crazy', yet can't help replaying the video again and again, blood pumping.
可我们或许没有意识到：我们的每一次点赞、每一次转发、每一次惊叹，都在为这种玩命的行为，投上一票。
But perhaps we don't realize: every like, every share, every gasp casts a vote for this life-risking act.
正是这千万次的欢呼，把危险，变成了流量；把流量，变成了名气和金钱。
It is these millions of cheers that turn danger into traffic, and traffic into fame and money.
而这，又会诱使多少毫无经验的年轻人，为了同样的掌声，去模仿这足以致命的一跃？
And how many inexperienced young people might this tempt to imitate that potentially fatal leap, for the same applause?
节目的最后，我想把两个问题，留给你。
At the end of the show, I want to leave you two questions.
第一，当勇敢与鲁莽只有一线之隔，我们到底该为这样的壮举喝彩，还是该为它可能带来的后果担忧？
First, when courage and recklessness are separated by a hair, should we cheer such a feat, or worry about the consequences it may bring?
第二，在这个流量至上的时代，我们每个人的目光，究竟是在欣赏勇敢，还是在悄悄地，为下一场更危险的表演，递上筹码？
Second, in this age where traffic is king, is each of our gazes admiring bravery — or quietly handing over the chips for the next, even more dangerous performance?
这两个问题，没有标准答案。
These two questions have no standard answer.
但是它们，值得你我，认真地想一想。
But they are worth our — yours and mine — serious reflection.
既让人热血沸腾，又让人捏一把汗 = both blood-racing and nerve-wracking.
让人捏一把汗的事 = a thing that makes you sweat with worry.
全世界最负盛名的摩天大楼之一 = one of the world's most renowned skyscrapers.
从大楼的外墙，一路攀爬 = climbing all the way up the building's outer wall.
任何一个微小的失误，都足以致命 = any tiny mistake is enough to be fatal.
男生在世界之巅，向女生求了婚 = at the top of the world, he proposed.
全球爬楼圈里响当当的人物 = big names in the global rooftopping world.
让他们一战成名的作品 = the work that made their name in one stroke.
将两人当场逮捕 = arrested the two on the spot.
包括非法闯入、鲁莽危害他人安全、蓄意破坏 = including unlawful entry, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief.
把两条人命，悬于一线之间 = two lives hanging by a thread.
把危险，变成了流量 = turning danger into traffic. 流量至上 = traffic is king.
又会诱使多少毫无经验的年轻人，去模仿 = how many inexperienced youths might it lure into imitation.
为下一场更危险的表演，递上筹码 = handing over the chips for the next, more dangerous performance.
* beyond level超纲词
既让人 X，又让人 Y (makes one both X and Y)
Two simultaneous reactions.
一件既让人热血沸腾，又让人捏一把汗的事。
不仅 ... ，还 ... (not only..., but also...)
Escalates beyond the first feat.
他们不仅成功登顶，还在塔尖上，展开了一面写着和平的旗帜。
绝非 ... (by no means...)
Emphatic formal negation.
他们绝非一时冲动的普通游客。
换句话说，... (in other words...)
Restates a point more sharply.
换句话说，用生命去征服一座又一座地标，既是他们的激情，也是他们赖以成名的事业。
之所以 ... ，是因为 ... 精准地踩在 ... (the reason ... is that it lands precisely on...)
Frames why something is so gripping.
它之所以让无数人又爱又恨，是因为它精准地，踩在了两种情绪的交界处。
正是 X，把 A 变成了 B (it is precisely X that turns A into B)
Assigns causation emphatically.
正是这千万次的欢呼，把危险，变成了流量。
这两个问题，没有标准答案。但是它们，值得你我，认真地想一想。
The channel's signature normal-level close.
这两个问题，没有标准答案。但是它们，值得你我，认真地想一想。