4:52
Snapchat 老板捐钱，帮人免除医疗债务
The Snapchat Boss Donates to Cancel People’s Medical Debt
This is an HSK 2 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 12 key vocabulary words such as 新闻、问题、高兴 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.
今天我们说一件美国的新闻。
Today we're talking about a piece of news from America.
这个新闻，让很多人很高兴。
This news made a lot of people happy.
故事里有一个很有钱的人。
In the story there's a very rich man.
他的名字叫斯皮格尔。
His name is Spiegel.
你可能不认识他。
You might not know him.
但是你可能用过他做的东西。
But you may have used something he made.
他做了一个手机上的东西，叫 Snapchat。
He made an app on the phone, called Snapchat.
很多年轻人都喜欢用它。
A lot of young people like to use it.
因为这个东西，他有了很多很多钱。
Because of it, he became very, very rich.
他有一个太太，叫米兰达。
He has a wife named Miranda.
米兰达是一个很有名的人。
Miranda is a very famous person.
他们两个人，都想帮别人。
The two of them both want to help others.
好，现在我们说钱的事情。
Okay, now let's talk about the money part.
在美国，看病很贵。
In America, seeing a doctor is expensive.
有的时候，看一次病要很多钱。
Sometimes, one doctor's visit costs a lot of money.
有的人没有那么多钱。
Some people don't have that much money.
他们只能先欠医院的钱。
They can only owe the hospital money for now.
这个欠的钱，我们叫它医疗债务。
This money owed, we call it medical debt.
在美国，很多人都有这样的债务。
In America, many people have this kind of debt.
这个债务是一个很大的问题。
This debt is a very big problem.
很多人因为看病，欠了很多钱。
Many people, because of medical care, owe a lot of money.
他们每天都很担心。
They worry every single day.
他们不知道这个钱要怎么还。
They don't know how to repay this money.
有的人生了一次大病，就欠了很多钱。
Some people get one serious illness and end up owing a lot.
有的人为了还钱，卖了自己的东西。
Some people sell their own things just to repay the money.
在美国，医疗债务是一个很大的问题。
In America, medical debt is a very big problem.
差不多每四个人里，就有一个人有这样的债务。
Roughly one in every four people has this kind of debt.
所以这不是一个人的事，是很多人的事。
So this isn't one person's problem — it's many people's.
斯皮格尔和米兰达知道了这件事。
Spiegel and Miranda learned about this.
他们想帮这些人。
They wanted to help these people.
他们找到了一个组织。
They found an organization.
这个组织做的事情很特别。
What this organization does is very special.
他们会用很少的钱，买很多的债务。
They use very little money to buy a lot of debt.
你可能会问：为什么买债务？
You might ask: why buy debt?
因为买了以后，他们就把债务免除了。
Because after buying it, they cancel the debt.
免除的意思是：这个钱，你不用还了。
Cancelling it means: this money, you don't have to repay.
你可能会觉得很奇怪。
You might find this strange.
为什么这些债务可以用很少的钱买到呢？
Why can this debt be bought with so little money?
因为很多医院知道，有的人真的还不了钱。
Because many hospitals know some people really can't repay.
与其一直等，不如便宜一点卖出去。
Rather than wait forever, better to sell it off cheap.
所以这个组织，才能用很少的钱，做很大的事。
So this organization can do a big thing with very little money.
更让人高兴的是这个数字。
What's even better is this number.
你捐十块钱，就能免除一千块钱的债务。
You donate ten dollars, and it cancels a thousand dollars of debt.
所以一点点钱，能帮很多人。
So a little money can help many people.
斯皮格尔和米兰达捐了很多钱。
Spiegel and Miranda donated a lot of money.
他们一共免除了多少债务呢？
How much debt did they cancel in all?
五亿五千万美元。
550 million US dollars.
这是一个很大很大的数字。
That's a very, very big number.
有多少人不用还钱了？
How many people no longer have to repay?
差不多二十六万个家。
Roughly 260,000 families.
这些人都住在加州。
These people all live in California.
加州是美国的一个地方。
California is a place in America.
在加州，圣地亚哥这个城市，得到的帮助最多。
In California, the city of San Diego got the most help.
那里差不多有四万个人，不用还钱了。
There, roughly 40,000 people no longer have to repay.
其实，这个组织已经做了很多年。
Actually, this organization has been doing this for many years.
它帮过美国很多地方的人。
It has helped people in many places across America.
到现在，它一共免除了四百多亿美元的债务。
To date, it has cancelled over 40 billion dollars of debt.
除了斯皮格尔，还有别的有名的人也在这样做。
Besides Spiegel, other famous people are doing this too.
有一个很有名的女人，也捐了很多钱帮别人免除债务。
One very famous woman also donated a lot to cancel others' debt.
现在，这些人可以好好过日子了。
Now, these people can live well.
过几天，他们会收到一封信。
In a few days, they'll receive a letter.
信上说：你的医疗债务，没有了。
The letter says: your medical debt is gone.
米兰达还说了一句很重要的话。
Miranda also said something very important.
她说：如果你收到这样的信，请相信它。
She said: if you get a letter like this, please believe it.
这是真的，不是假的。
It's real, not fake.
你的债务真的没有了。
Your debt really is gone.
为什么她要这样说呢？
Why did she say this?
因为有的人不敢相信这么好的事。
Because some people don't dare believe something this good.
在美国，还有别的有钱人也这样做。
In America, other rich people do this too.
他们用自己的钱，帮别人还债务。
They use their own money to help others clear their debt.
这是一件很好的事情。
This is a very good thing.
一个人有钱，可以自己花。
A person with money can spend it on themselves.
也可以拿出来，帮很多人。
Or they can give it out to help many people.
斯皮格尔和米兰达，选了帮别人。
Spiegel and Miranda chose to help others.
当然，也有人有别的看法。
Of course, some people see it differently.
有的人说，这是很好的事。
Some say this is a great thing.
也有的人说，这个钱应该给最穷的人。
Others say this money should go to the poorest people.
不管你怎么想，有一件事是真的。
No matter what you think, one thing is true.
二十六万个家，现在真的轻松多了。
260,000 families are now truly much more at ease.
他们不用每天想着债务了。
They no longer have to think about debt every day.
他们可以好好睡觉了。
They can sleep well now.
今天的新闻就到这里。
That's it for today's news.
谢谢你听我说。
Thank you for listening.
A piece of news. 一件美国的新闻 = a piece of news from America.
A problem or question. 一个很大的问题 = a very big problem.
Happy. 让很多人很高兴 = made many people happy.
Hospital. 先欠医院的钱 = owe the hospital money first.
Doctor; here used via 看病 (see a doctor).
Money. 没有那么多钱 = not have that much money.
Cheap; low-priced. 便宜一点卖出去 = sell it off a bit cheaper.
Name. 他的名字叫斯皮格尔 = his name is Spiegel.
Debt (formal). 医疗债务 = medical debt — the topic of the episode.
To cancel a debt so it need not be repaid. 把债务免除了 = cancelled the debt.
To donate money. 捐了很多钱 = donated a lot of money.
Relating to medical care. 医疗债务 = medical debt.
* beyond level超纲词
只能 + 动词
"Can only" — the sole option left.
他们只能先欠医院的钱。
不敢 + 动词
"Not dare to" do something.
有的人不敢相信这么好的事。