8:12
库里签了李宁——美国球星和中国公司的 4 亿大合同
Curry Signs With Li-Ning — An American Star's $400M Deal With a Chinese Brand
HSK 2 Chinese listening practice. The Curry / Li-Ning deal explained: $400M over 10 years, why Curry left Under Armour, why he picked Li-Ning over higher offers, and Draymond Green's reaction.
This is an HSK 2 Chinese listening episode that runs about 8 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 公司、觉得、比如 and walks through 6 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事情。
Today we're going to talk about something that happened recently.
一个美国的篮球球星，签了一个新的合同。
An American basketball sports star signed a new contract.
这个合同是跟一个中国公司签的。
This contract is with a Chinese company.
合同非常非常大。
The contract is enormous.
全世界都在说这件事。
The whole world is talking about it.
我们今天慢慢说一下。
Let's go through it slowly today.
先说这个球星。
First, the sports star.
这个球星叫库里。
This sports star is named Curry.
库里的全名是 Stephen Curry。
Curry's full name is Stephen Curry.
中文叫他库里。
In Chinese, people call him Kuli.
库里是美国人。
Curry is American.
他打篮球。
He plays basketball.
篮球是什么呢？
What is basketball?
篮球就是：一种球类运动。
Basketball is: a kind of ball sport.
两边各有一个高高的篮子。
On each side, there's a tall basket.
把球放进对方的篮子里，就有分。
Put the ball into the other side's basket and you get points.
分多的那一边，赢比赛。
The side with more points wins the game.
库里打篮球，非常厉害。
Curry plays basketball very, very well.
他在美国的一个有名的队里打球。
He plays on a famous team in America.
这个队叫勇士队。
This team is called the Warriors.
勇士队在加州。
The Warriors are based in California.
是美国最有名的篮球队之一。
They're one of the most famous basketball teams in America.
库里在勇士队，已经打了很多年。
Curry has played on the Warriors for many years.
他赢过四次冠军。
He has won the championship four times.
什么叫冠军呢？
What is a championship?
冠军就是：那一年所有队里，最厉害的那一个。
A championship means: the strongest team out of all the teams that year.
赢过四次冠军，是很厉害的事。
Winning the championship four times is very impressive.
所以美国人都认识库里。
So all Americans know Curry.
中国人也认识。
Chinese people also know him.
你可能也认识。
You might know him too.
为什么中国人认识库里呢？
Why do Chinese people know Curry?
因为他去过中国七次。
Because he has been to China seven times.
七次都是去和球迷见面。
All seven times were to meet fans.
什么叫球迷呢？
What are fans?
球迷就是：喜欢球星的人。
Fans are: people who love sports stars.
每次库里去中国，球迷都非常多。
Every time Curry goes to China, there are a huge number of fans.
人多得不得了。
A massive number of people.
所以在中国，库里也很有名。
So in China, Curry is also very famous.
今年，库里三十八岁了。
This year, Curry is thirty-eight.
对一个篮球球星来说，三十八岁不算年轻。
For a basketball star, thirty-eight isn't young.
但是他还在打球。
But he's still playing.
现在我们说他签的这个合同。
Now let's talk about the contract he signed.
他跟一个中国公司签了合同。
He signed a contract with a Chinese company.
这个公司叫李宁。
This company is called Li-Ning.
李宁是什么公司呢？
What is Li-Ning?
李宁是一个做球鞋、衣服的公司。
Li-Ning is a company that makes sneakers and clothes.
也做帽子，做别的运动东西。
It also makes hats, and other sports things.
李宁在中国非常有名。
Li-Ning is very famous in China.
是中国人都知道的一个大品牌。
It's a big brand that all Chinese people know.
什么叫品牌呢？
What does "brand" mean?
品牌就是：一个公司的名字。
A "brand" means: the name of a company.
比如说，李宁就是一个品牌。
For example, Li-Ning is a brand.
Nike 也是一个品牌。
Nike is also a brand.
那库里签的这个合同，是什么意思呢？
So what does this contract Curry signed mean?
合同的意思就是：以后库里穿李宁的鞋。
The contract means: from now on, Curry will wear Li-Ning's shoes.
打球穿。
When playing.
平时也穿。
And in daily life.
他的衣服上也是李宁。
His clothes will also be Li-Ning.
然后李宁给库里钱。
And Li-Ning will pay Curry.
这个合同，有多少钱呢？
How much money is this contract?
四亿美金。
Four hundred million US dollars.
四亿美金，听起来非常多。
Four hundred million sounds like a lot.
而且，这不是一年的钱。
And this isn't one year's pay.
这个合同要签十年。
This contract is signed for ten years.
也就是说：以后十年里。
That means: for the next ten years.
库里穿李宁。
Curry wears Li-Ning.
李宁给库里钱。
Li-Ning pays Curry.
你可能要问：为什么这个合同这么大？
You might want to ask: why is this contract so big?
为什么大家都在说？
Why is everyone talking about it?
因为这件事有几个特别的地方。
Because this thing has several special points.
第一个特别的地方。
The first special point.
库里以前不是穿李宁的鞋。
Curry didn't used to wear Li-Ning's shoes.
他以前穿一个美国公司做的鞋。
He used to wear shoes from an American company.
那个公司叫 Under Armour。
That company is called Under Armour.
库里在 Under Armour 已经穿了十三年的鞋。
Curry wore Under Armour shoes for thirteen years.
十三年，是很长的时间。
Thirteen years is a long time.
而且他在 Under Armour 里有自己的牌子。
And in Under Armour, he had his own brand.
叫"库里牌子"。
Called "Curry Brand."
他自己当老板。
He was the boss of it himself.
但是去年十一月。
But last November.
库里跟 Under Armour 分开了。
Curry and Under Armour split up.
他不再穿 Under Armour 了。
He's no longer wearing Under Armour.
当时大家都在猜：他下一步去哪里。
At the time, everyone was guessing: where would he go next?
有的人说：他可能还回 Nike。
Some said: maybe he'll go back to Nike.
有的人说：他可能签 Adidas。
Some said: maybe he'll sign with Adidas.
但是大家都没有猜对。
But everyone guessed wrong.
他选了一个中国公司。
He chose a Chinese company.
他选了李宁。
He chose Li-Ning.
这是大家觉得不一样的地方。
This is the part people find different.
第二个特别的地方。
The second special point.
合同的钱真的非常多。
The money in the contract really is a lot.
四亿美金。
Four hundred million US dollars.
对一个三十八岁的球星来说，这种钱很少见。
For a thirty-eight-year-old sports star, this kind of money is rare.
而且。
And.
我刚才说四亿，但是其实。
I just said four hundred million, but actually.
李宁不是给他最多钱的那一个公司。
Li-Ning isn't the company that offered the most money.
还有别的公司给的钱比李宁更多。
Other companies offered more than Li-Ning.
但是库里没有选他们。
But Curry didn't choose them.
他选了李宁。
He chose Li-Ning.
这就更让人觉得奇怪。
This makes it even more puzzling.
那库里为什么选李宁呢？
So why did Curry choose Li-Ning?
他自己说了一个原因。
He himself said one reason.
他有两个朋友，已经在穿李宁的鞋了。
He has two friends who already wear Li-Ning's shoes.
这两个朋友也是篮球球星。
These two friends are also basketball stars.
一个叫巴特勒。
One is named Butler.
巴特勒跟库里在一个队里。
Butler is on the same team as Curry.
他们一起打球。
They play together.
还有一个叫韦德。
There's also one named Wade.
韦德是美国的老球星。
Wade is a veteran American sports star.
他以前非常有名。
He used to be very famous.
现在不打球了。
He doesn't play anymore.
但是他还跟李宁合作。
But he still works with Li-Ning.
库里看了他们穿李宁的鞋。
Curry saw them wearing Li-Ning's shoes.
他也试了试。
He tried them too.
他试了之后觉得："这鞋真的可以。
After trying them, he thought: "These shoes really are good."
所以他签了李宁。
So he signed with Li-Ning.
他的队友格林听了这个消息，说了一句话。
His teammate Green heard the news and said one sentence.
他说："这真的不可思议。
He said: "This is truly unbelievable."
"不可思议"的意思是：太厉害了，想都想不到。
"Unbelievable" means: too amazing to imagine.
格林还说："三十八岁了，还能签这么大的合同。
Green also said: "At thirty-eight, still getting a contract this big."
"以前从来没有过。
"This has never happened before."
第三个特别的地方。
The third special point.
是李宁的"野心"。
Is Li-Ning's "ambition."
什么叫野心呢？
What is ambition?
野心就是：想做很大很大的事。
Ambition means: wanting to do something very, very big.
李宁现在请到了库里。
Now Li-Ning has signed Curry.
李宁想做什么呢？
What does Li-Ning want to do?
他们说：以后要在美国开很多店。
They say: from now on they'll open many stores in America.
店里卖库里的鞋。
The stores will sell Curry's shoes.
也卖库里的衣服。
And sell Curry's clothes.
他们还想：在中国也开很多店。
They also want to: open many stores in China.
让中国人也买。
So Chinese people will buy too.
所以李宁请库里。
So Li-Ning hired Curry.
不只是为了让库里穿李宁。
Not just to have Curry wear Li-Ning.
是想用库里的名字。
But to use Curry's name.
把李宁卖到全世界。
To sell Li-Ning to the whole world.
但是，这件事也有人不开心。
But not everyone is happy about this.
有的美国人说：库里是美国人。
Some Americans say: Curry is American.
为什么去签中国公司呢？
Why is he signing with a Chinese company?
还有人提到一件事。
Some also mention one thing.
就是：以前李宁的鞋。
That is: Li-Ning's shoes.
在美国，是不能卖的。
Used to not be allowed to be sold in America.
有美国的人说：李宁的工厂，有问题。
Some Americans say: Li-Ning's factories have problems.
我们今天不说这个问题大不大。
We won't get into whether the problem is big or small today.
但是，这是这件事背后的一个事情。
But it's something in the background of this story.
最后，我自己看这个新闻，有一种感觉。
Finally, when I look at this news, I have one feeling.
就是：世界真的在变。
That is: the world really is changing.
以前，美国球星都签美国公司。
In the past, American sports stars all signed with American companies.
中国球星签中国公司。
Chinese sports stars signed with Chinese companies.
现在不一样了。
Now it's different.
钱去哪里，人就去哪里。
Wherever the money is, that's where people go.
中国市场太大了。
The Chinese market is too big.
中国的球迷太多了。
Chinese fans are too many.
所以美国球星，开始签中国公司。
So American sports stars are starting to sign with Chinese companies.
我猜，以后会有更多这样的事。
I'm guessing, more of this will happen in the future.
最后我想问你一个问题。
Finally I want to ask you a question.
你的国家。
In your country.
有没有有名的人，签了别的国家公司的合同呢？
Are there famous people who've signed contracts with companies from other countries?
那种合同，让人觉得"以前不可能"。
The kind of contract that makes people feel "this would have been impossible before."
你听了，是什么感觉呢？
How did you feel hearing about it?
是觉得这是好事。
Did you think it was good?
还是觉得有点奇怪？
Or did you think it was a little strange?
你怎么看？
How do you see it?
HSK 2 noun. 中国公司 / 美国公司 — the central distinction in the story.
HSK 2 verb. Used many times: 库里觉得这鞋很好 / 大家觉得不一样.
HSK 2 connector. 比如说，李宁就是一个品牌 — introduces concrete examples.
HSK 1, within HSK 1-2. 你听了，是什么感觉呢？ = how did you feel hearing about it?
HSK 1, within HSK 1-2. 他有两个朋友，已经在穿李宁的鞋了 = he has two friends already wearing Li-Ning.
HSK 2 conjunction. Often paired with 所以. 因为他试了李宁的鞋 = because he tried Li-Ning's shoes.
Beyond HSK 1-2. Central role-noun for Curry.
Beyond HSK 1-2. 篮 + 球. Glossed inline in the episode.
Beyond HSK 1-2. The contract at the heart of the story.
HSK 4, beyond HSK 1-2. The episode glosses it inline: 品牌就是一个公司的名字.
Beyond HSK 1-2. The episode glosses it: 野心就是想做很大很大的事 = wanting to do something very, very big.
Beyond HSK 1-2. Classic 4-character expression. Draymond Green's reaction.
* beyond level超纲词
Subject + 跟 + Object + Verb-phrase
跟 = 'with'. Used heavily here for partnership/deal language.
他跟一个中国公司签了合同。
巴特勒跟库里在一个队里。
Subject + 让 + Object + Verb
让 = 'make / let / cause'. Marks causation.
让中国人也买。
李宁要让自己变得更国际化。
什么 + 是 + Noun? / Noun + 是什么?
Definition-asking 设问句 used to introduce inline glosses for hard words.
什么叫品牌呢？
什么叫野心呢？
篮球是什么呢？
因为... + 所以...
Cause-and-effect. Both clauses are typically kept.
因为有库里。李宁可以更容易进美国市场。
所以美国人都认识库里。
对... + 来说
Topicalizer: 'for...' or 'from the perspective of...'.
对一个三十八岁的球星来说，这种钱很少见。
对一个篮球球星来说，三十八岁不算年轻。
Verb + 过 + Number + 次
Verb + 过 marks past experience; + 数量 + 次 specifies frequency.
他去过中国七次。
他赢过四次冠军。