A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
Snapchat 老板，帮很多人还钱
Snapchat Founder Erases $550M in Medical Debt
About this story
Snapchat Founder Erases $550M in Medical Debt. HSK 1 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 1 Chinese listening episode that runs about 5 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 9 key vocabulary words such as 钱、医生、医院 and walks through 3 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.
English transcript reference
Today, let's talk about a person.
This person has a lot of money.
He has a lot, a lot of money.
He is also a good person.
He has money, and he loves to help people.
Let's talk about the money part first.
No wait — let's talk about money first.
In America, seeing a doctor costs a lot of money.
You go to the hospital.
You see a doctor.
Then, you owe a lot of money.
Some people don't have much money.
They don't have that much money.
They have to repay the hospital's money.
This money is called debt.
Debt is money that must be repaid.
Owe today, repay tomorrow.
Don't repay today, and you repay tomorrow.
The debt grows day by day.
Later it's a lot — a lot, a lot.
Some people can't repay the debt.
There are many such people.
In America, many people have debt.
Many, many people have debt.
They are unhappy.
They think: this debt, how do I repay it?
They think it over — there's no money.
Repay today, repay tomorrow too.
They need to see a doctor.
Seeing a doctor once costs a lot of money.
Not seeing a doctor isn't good either.
After seeing a doctor, there's little money left.
With little money left, debt appears.
In America, many people all have debt.
One person has debt, two people have debt.
Many, many people all have debt.
Okay, now let's talk about this good person.
His name is Spiegel.
He made a thing.
Many people know this thing.
It's called Snapchat.
Many people use it.
Many people like it.
He made this thing.
So he has a lot of money.
No — he has a lot, a lot of money.
He and Miranda are family.
Miranda is also a good person.
The two of them both want to help people.
They think: we have a lot of money.
Let's help people repay their debt.
No sooner said than done.
Their money helped many people.
They helped many people repay their debt.
How many people did they help in all?
Many, many people.
These people are all in America.
They all live in one big place.
No — one big home.
This home has a lot of people.
Now, these people have no debt.
They are happy.
They don't have to repay debt anymore.
Tomorrow, Miranda is going to speak.
Miranda says: listen to me.
Your debt is gone.
You don't have to repay it.
Your money — you don't have to pay it back.
This is a good thing, not a bad thing.
Don't overthink it.
Spiegel is happy too.
He has money, and he loves to help people.
For a person to have money is good.
Having money and also helping people — that's good.
Money can help people.
A little money can help one family.
A lot of money can help many families.
Think about one family.
There's a dad and a mom in the family.
There's also a son and a daughter.
Back then, they had debt.
Dad and mom were both unhappy.
Now, they have no debt.
Dad and mom are happy.
The son and daughter are happy too.
They can buy things now.
They can go see a doctor now.
They're glad to go see a doctor now.
Seeing a doctor doesn't cost a lot now either.
The whole family is doing well.
There are many, many such families.
Not one family — many families.
Now, many people in America are happy.
They have no debt.
They all say: thank you.
They all say: thank you, Spiegel.
They all say: thank you, Miranda.
Okay, today we talked about a good person.
No — two good people.
They have money, and they love to help people.
Thank you for listening to me.
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇HSK 1. money. 他有很多钱 = he has a lot of money.
HSK 1. doctor. 你看医生 = you see a doctor.
HSK 1. hospital. 你去医院 = you go to the hospital.
HSK 1. happy. 他们很高兴 = they are happy.
HSK 1. to buy. 他们可以买东西了 = now they can buy things.
HSK 1. to know / recognize. 很多人都认识它 = many people know it.
The core word of the story. 债，是要还的钱 = debt is money that must be repaid.
To pay back money you owe (read huán, not hái). 他们要还医院的钱 = they must repay the hospital.
To help someone. 他也爱帮人 = he also loves to help people. Fuller form is 帮助.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法要 + 动词
"Must / need to" do something. Expresses obligation.
他们要还医院的钱。
明天，米兰达要说话。
没有...了 / 不...了
A change of state — something that was true is no longer true.
现在，这些人没有债了。
他们不要还债了。
Proper nouns
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