A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
马斯克的火箭公司，上市了
Musk's Rocket Company Went Public
About this story
The story of a famous American rocket company going public in the biggest stock sale ever, and its boss Musk becoming the richest person in the world — told one slow step at a time using only beginner-level Chinese. 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 12 key vocabulary words such as 买、卖、我们 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.
English transcript reference
Today we'll talk about a thing.
This thing is about a company.
Let's talk about this company.
This company is in America.
It's not in China.
It's in America.
This company is very big.
In America, many people know it.
In China, some people also know it.
So what does this company do?
We'll go slowly.
This company makes a thing.
This thing can go up to the sky.
What is 'going up to the sky'?
You're down below.
The sky is up above.
The sky is very, very high.
This thing can go up.
Up to the very high sky.
This thing is called a 'rocket'.
A rocket is very big.
Bigger than your house.
Making one rocket takes a lot, a lot of money.
This company makes rockets.
It has made many rockets.
Its rockets can all go up to the sky.
It has made many rockets.
Its rockets fly very high.
In America, this company is very famous.
In China, some people know it too.
This company also made another thing.
This thing is also in the sky.
It lets you get online.
Even in a faraway place, you can get online.
Even if there's no one else beside you,
you can still get online.
So many people like this company.
Okay.
Now you know this company.
This company makes rockets.
Rockets fly very high.
So today, what did this company do?
Today, this company did a big thing.
Before, this company belonged to one person.
To a few people.
Others couldn't buy it.
But today, it's different.
Today, this company said:
'Hello everyone.
Now, you can buy us too.
You can buy a little piece of us.
Once you buy a little piece,
that little piece is yours.'
What does that mean?
We'll go slowly.
Before, this company was big, but it wasn't for sale.
Today, the company divided itself into many, many small pieces.
Every small piece can be sold.
You give money, and you get a small piece.
Many people want to buy.
Very, very many people come to buy.
Everyone wants a small piece of this company.
Why?
Because everyone thinks:
this company will be even better in the future.
It will make more and more rockets.
The company will also get bigger and bigger.
So today, a huge number of people bought in.
This company suddenly sold a lot of money's worth.
How much did it sell?
A lot, a lot.
The most ever in the world.
No company before had ever sold this much.
There's one more thing.
This company has a boss.
You might have heard his name.
He's called Musk.
After today, Musk has a huge amount of money.
How much?
He's the person with the most money in the world.
No one before ever had this much money.
He's the first.
Finally, let's think together.
A company whose product flies up into the sky.
Today, it divided itself into small pieces and sold them to everyone.
Many people came to buy.
Why does everyone want to buy?
Because everyone believes:
in the future, there will be more and more things in the sky.
Maybe they're thinking right.
Maybe not right.
We'll only know later.
Finally, I want to ask you.
When you look up at the sky,
what do you think about?
Do you want to go up and take a look?
Think about it.
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇HSK 1 verb. Central to the IPO concept: 你可以买我们的一小块 = you can buy a small piece of us.
HSK 1 verb. 每一小块都可以卖 = every small piece can be sold. The company sells pieces of itself.
HSK 1. we; us.
HSK 1. they; them.
HSK 1. what.
HSK 1. today.
Glossed inline: 可以上到很高的天上的东西，比你的家还要大 = a thing that can go very high into the sky, bigger than your house. 火 (fire) + 箭 (arrow).
HSK 2. A company that makes rockets. The central organization in the story.
Glossed inline: 你在下面，天在上面，这个东西可以上去 = you're below, the sky is above, this thing can go up.
它能让你上网 = it lets you get online. The Starlink satellite idea, made concrete.
How the episode explains a share (股): 公司把自己分成很多小块 = the company divides itself into small pieces.
HSK 4. 这个公司有一个老板 = this company has a boss — Musk.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法Subject + 是 / 不是 + Noun
Basic identity: 'X is / is not Y'.
这个公司，在美国。
它不在中国。
他是世界上钱最多的人。
什么是 X 呢? + answer (gloss)
Rhetorical question used to define a new word, then answered.
什么是上天呢？
什么意思呢？
为什么呢？
可以 + Verb (can / be allowed to)
可以 marks possibility or permission, before the verb.
这个东西，可以上天。
现在，你也可以买我们了。
每一小块，都可以卖。
比 + Object + Adjective (comparison)
'more Adj than Object'. Basic comparison.
比你的家，还要大。
越 + Verb + 越 + Adjective
'the more... the more...'. Escalation.
火箭会越做越多。
公司也会越来越大。
以前 ... 今天 ... (before vs now)
Time contrast structuring the before/after of the IPO.
以前，这个公司是几个人的。
但是今天，不一样了。
因为 + Clause (because)
HSK 2 cause marker.
因为大家都觉得：这个公司，以后会更好。
因为大家相信。
Proper Nouns
专有名词Free account
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