A Chinese podcast · Same story, 4 levels
电影里的科技老板：从英雄到反派
Tech Bosses on Film: From Heroes to Villains
About this story
Two hosts talk about this year's films about tech company bosses, which show them as cold where earlier films made them heroes, and whether watching them changes anyone's mind. HSK 2 Chinese listening practice.
This is an HSK 2 Chinese listening episode that runs about 2 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 电影、冷、好人 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.
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原文Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.
Yue
今年有一部新电影，说的是Facebook的老板。Xinghe
没看。Yue
我看了。Xinghe
很冷？Yue
对。Xinghe
嗯。Yue
今年有好几部电影，说的都是科技公司的老板。Xinghe
是。Yue
电影里的老板，没有一个是英雄。Xinghe
英雄。Yue
对，英雄。Xinghe
嗯。Yue
以前不是这样的。Xinghe
嗯。Yue
电影里，他是英雄。Xinghe
那是以前。Yue
对，是以前。Xinghe
什么变了？Yue
以前，电影里做科技的人是英雄。Xinghe
好，电影变了，这个我看到了。Yue
人也变了吧。Xinghe
我看没变。Yue
嗯，是不多。Xinghe
十几年前，也有一部电影，说的是Facebook的老板。Yue
对，第一部。Xinghe
第一部，看的人很多。Yue
嗯。Xinghe
还有，去看的是什么人？Yue
你说。Xinghe
不喜欢这些公司的人。Yue
嗯。Xinghe
看电影以前不喜欢，看了以后还是不喜欢。Yue
嗯……Xinghe
喜欢这些公司的人，不去看。Yue
嗯。Xinghe
说了以后呢？Yue
以后？Xinghe
对。Yue
我也是，先看手机。Xinghe
你看，Yue
嗯。Xinghe
我们说科技公司的老板不好，说了很多，手机还是天天用，一天也没少用。Yue
对。Xinghe
老板不看这个。Yue
我还是觉得，人会变。Xinghe
嗯。English transcript reference
This year there's a new film about the boss of Facebook.
Have you seen it?
No.
I have.
The boss in the film is very cold.
Very cold?
Yes.
In the film, he doesn't seem like a good person.
Mm.
This year there are quite a few films, all about the bosses of tech companies.
Yes.
Of the bosses in these films, not one is a hero.
A hero.
Yes, a hero.
The person everyone likes, the best person in the film.
Mm.
It wasn't like this before.
Ten-odd years ago, there was a film about a person who worked in technology,
Mm.
In the film, he was a hero.
Lots of people went to see it.
That was before.
Yes, that was before.
So I'm saying, it's changed.
What's changed?
Before, people in technology were heroes in films.
Now they aren't.
OK, the films have changed, I can see that.
And the people?
People have changed too, I'd say.
I don't think they've changed.
This new film you're talking about, very few people saw it.
Mm, not many, true.
Ten-odd years ago there was also a film about the boss of Facebook.
Right, the first one.
The first one, lots of people saw it.
This year's one, far fewer people saw it.
Mm.
Even if few people saw it, the films have still changed.
And who goes to see them?
You tell me.
People who don't like these companies.
Mm.
They didn't like them before watching, and they still don't like them after.
Mm...
People who like these companies don't go.
Mm.
But the people who saw it will talk.
I saw it, and I came and told you.
And after telling me?
After?
Yes.
When I got up this morning, the first thing I did was look at my phone.
Me too, I looked at my phone first.
You see,
Mm.
We say the bosses of tech companies are bad, we say it a lot, and we still use our phones every day, not one day less.
Right.
But using their things isn't liking them.
The bosses don't look at that.
The bosses only look at whether you use them.
I still think people can change.
Mm.
I'll wait and see.
Listen again
Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.
What vocabulary does this episode teach?
词汇HSK 1. 看电影 is to watch a film.
HSK 1. Here about a person: cold, without warmth.
HSK 2. 不像好人: does not seem like a good person.
HSK 2. 电影变了: films have changed.
HSK 2. 以前不是这样的: it was not like this before.
HSK 2. 看了以后: after watching.
HSK 1. 先看手机: look at the phone first.
HSK 1. 不喜欢这些公司的人: people who do not like these companies.
HSK 3. 科技公司: a tech company.
HSK 3. 科技公司的老板: the boss of a tech company.
Beyond the HSK 1 to 5 lists. The person everyone likes, the best person in the film.
HSK 3. 一部电影: one film. 这一部: this one.
* beyond level超纲词
What grammar patterns appear in this episode?
语法说的是 + Noun
说的是 tells what a film or a story is about.
今年有一部新电影，说的是Facebook的老板。
不像 + Noun
不像 means does not seem like, is not like.
电影里的他，不像好人。
没有一个是 + Noun
没有一个 means not a single one.
电影里的老板，没有一个是英雄。
以前……，Verb + 了 + 以后还是……
以前 and 以后 set before against after; 还是 says nothing changed.
看电影以前不喜欢，看了以后还是不喜欢。
一 + Measure + 也没 + Verb
One, with 也没, says not even one: not even one day less.
一天也没少用。
Verb + 不 + Verb
A verb, 不 and the verb again ask whether or not.
老板只看你用不用。
Proper nouns
专有名词Free account
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