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马斯克的 SpaceX 上市，他成了世界首富
Musk's SpaceX Goes Public, and He Becomes the World's Richest
HSK 2 Chinese listening practice. SpaceX's record IPO explained simply: what 'going public' means, why a rocket-and-satellite company drew frantic buyers, the first-day surge, and how Musk became the richest person on Earth.
This is an HSK 2 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 上网、特别、为什么 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.
今天我们说一件最近的大事。
Today we'll talk about a recent big event.
这件事，跟一个美国公司有关系。
This event is connected to an American company.
我们先说这个公司。
First, let's talk about this company.
这个公司，在美国，很有名。
This company is in America, and it's very famous.
它做一个很特别的东西。
It makes a very special thing.
这个东西，可以飞上天。
This thing can fly up into the sky.
飞得非常非常高。
It flies extremely, extremely high.
比飞机还要高很多。
Much higher than an airplane.
它能飞到天的外面。
It can fly beyond the sky.
这个东西，叫"火箭"。
This thing is called a 'rocket'.
火箭很大，也很贵。
A rocket is very big, and very expensive.
做一个火箭，要花很多钱。
Making one rocket costs a lot of money.
那火箭是用来做什么的呢？
So what is a rocket used for?
火箭可以带着人，飞上天。
A rocket can carry people up into the sky.
也可以带着东西，飞上天。
It can also carry things up into the sky.
比如说，带一些机器上去。
For example, carrying some machines up.
这些机器，放在很高很高的天上。
These machines are placed very, very high in the sky.
它们有什么用呢？
What are they for?
它们可以让你上网。
They can let you get online.
就算你在很远的地方，
Even if you're in a faraway place,
旁边一个人都没有，
with no one beside you,
你也可以上网。
you can still get online.
这个公司，就是做这些的。
This company does exactly these things.
它做火箭。
It makes rockets.
也做天上的机器。
It also makes the machines in the sky.
在美国，几乎所有人都知道这个公司。
In America, almost everyone knows this company.
在中国，知道它的人也很多。
In China, a lot of people know it too.
那今天，发生了什么事呢？
So today, what happened?
今天，这个公司做了一件大事。
Today, this company did a big thing.
它"上市"了。
It went public ('listed').
什么是上市呢？
What does 'going public' mean?
我们慢慢说。
We'll go slowly.
以前，这个公司，是几个人的。
Before, this company belonged to a few people.
别人想买它的一块，也买不到。
Others couldn't buy a piece of it even if they wanted to.
但是今天，不一样了。
But today, it's different.
今天开始，这个公司，把自己分成很多小块。
Starting today, this company divided itself into many small pieces.
每一小块，叫一"股"。
Each small piece is called a 'share'.
谁想买，都可以买。
Whoever wants to buy, can buy.
你买了一股，你就有了公司的一小块。
If you buy one share, you own a small piece of the company.
这个公司以后赚了钱，
If this company earns money later,
你也可以分到一点。
you can get a little share of it too.
这就叫上市。
This is what 'going public' means.
今天，想买这个公司的人，特别特别多。
Today, the number of people wanting to buy this company was enormous.
为什么这么多人想买呢？
Why did so many people want to buy?
因为大家都觉得：
Because everyone thinks:
这个公司，以后会越来越好。
this company will get better and better.
火箭会越来越多。
There will be more and more rockets.
天上的机器，也会越来越多。
More and more machines in the sky too.
所以现在买一点，以后可能会更值钱。
So buying a little now might be worth more later.
就这样，买的人挤破了头。
And so, buyers crowded in, fighting to get in.
这个公司，一天就卖了很多很多钱。
This company, in one day, sold an enormous amount.
具体卖了多少呢？
Exactly how much did it sell?
这么说吧。
Let's put it this way.
这是世界上，到现在为止，最大的一次上市。
This is the biggest 'going public' in the world so far.
以前没有任何一个公司，
No company before,
上市的时候，卖到过这么多钱。
when going public, had ever sold this much money's worth.
而且，这个公司的股票，
What's more, this company's stock,
第一天就涨了差不多两成。
on the very first day, rose about twenty percent.
也就是说，
In other words,
早上买的人，到了晚上，钱就变多了。
people who bought in the morning had more money by the evening.
说到这里，还有一个人，不能不提。
Speaking of which, there's one person we can't leave out.
他就是这个公司的老板。
He is this company's boss.
他的名字，很多人都听过。
Many people have heard his name.
他叫马斯克。
He's called Musk.
公司上市以后，
After the company went public,
马斯克自己的钱，一下子变得特别多。
Musk's own money suddenly became enormous.
多到什么程度呢？
How enormous?
他成了全世界，钱最多的人。
He became the person with the most money in the entire world.
而且是历史上第一个，
And he's the first one in history
钱多到这个程度的人。
to have money on this scale.
以前从来没有人，到过这个数。
No one before had ever reached this number.
最后，我们一起想一想。
Finally, let's think together.
一个造火箭的公司，
A rocket-making company,
今天把自己分成小块，卖给了全世界。
today divided itself into small pieces and sold them to the whole world.
无数人抢着买。
Countless people scrambled to buy.
这说明什么呢？
What does this show?
说明很多人都相信：
It shows that many people believe:
以后，人去天上的事，会越来越多。
in the future, people going to the sky will happen more and more.
天上，会变成一门很大的生意。
The sky will become a huge business.
他们赌的，是未来。
What they're betting on is the future.
这个未来，会不会来呢？
Will this future come?
我们都不知道。
None of us knows.
但是今天，很多人，已经下注了。
But today, many people have already placed their bets.
最后我想问你一下。
Finally, I want to ask you.
如果有一天，普通人也能坐火箭，上天看一看。
If one day, ordinary people could also ride a rocket up to take a look,
你想去吗？
would you want to go?
你最想，在天上看到什么？
What would you most want to see in the sky?
它们可以让你上网 = they let you get online. The Starlink function.
HSK 3. 想买的人特别特别多 = an especially large number of people wanted to buy.
HSK 1-2. why.
HSK 1-2. company.
HSK 1-2. side / beside.
HSK 1-2. history.
HSK 1-2. morning.
Glossed inline: 可以飞上天，比飞机还要高 = can fly up into the sky, higher than an airplane.
Glossed inline: 把自己分成很多小块，谁想买都可以买 = divide itself into small pieces anyone can buy. The core concept.
Glossed inline: 每一小块，叫一'股' = each small piece is called a 'share'.
HSK 4. 带一些机器上去 = carry some machines up — the episode's plain word for satellites.
以后可能会更值钱 = might be worth more later. 值 (worth) + 钱 (money).
HSK 4. 公司以后赚了钱 = if the company earns money later.
买的人挤破了头 = buyers crowded in frantically. Vivid spoken expression.
* beyond level超纲词
什么是 X 呢? + full answer
Rhetorical definition question, fully answered. Glosses 火箭, 上市.
什么是上市呢？
那火箭是用来做什么的呢？
就算 ... 也 ... (even if)
Concessive: 'even if X, still Y'.
就算你在很远的地方，旁边一个人都没有，你也可以上网。
A 比 B + 还要 + Adj
Comparison with intensifier: 'even more Adj than B'.
比飞机还要高很多。
Verb + 着 + Object (carrying / holding)
着 marks an accompanying manner.
火箭可以带着人，飞上天。
也可以带着东西，飞上天。
越来越 + Adjective
'more and more X'. Marks escalation.
这个公司，以后会越来越好。
火箭会越来越多。
也就是说 + Clause (in other words)
Discourse marker that rephrases / clarifies.
也就是说，早上买的人，到了晚上，钱就变多了。
会不会 + Verb? (will it or won't it?)
Yes-no question about the future, often rhetorical.
这个未来，会不会来呢？
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