Interactive transcript · 198 lines
Good morning!
早上好！
Welcome to TalkCast, your daily dose of global news.
欢迎收 听 TalkCast，为您带来每日一剂全球新闻。
I am Olivia.
我是奥莉薇娅。
And I am Benjamin.
我是本杰明。
Happy Sunday, everyone.
大家周日快乐。
It is wonderful to have you with us on this beautiful morning.
在这个美好的早晨，能有大家的陪伴真是太棒了。
Yes, it is a great morning to learn some English and catch up on the latest stories.
是的，在这个美好的早晨，非常适合学学英语，顺便了解一下最新的新闻。
Today is September 20, 2026.
今天是2026年9月20日。
We have some very exciting stories for you today, Olivia.
奥莉薇娅，我们今天给大家准备了一些非常令人兴奋的新闻。
We will talk about big business changes, nostalgic toys, smart shopping, and some very high -paying jobs.
我们将聊聊重大商业变动、怀旧的玩具、明智购物以及一些高薪工作。
That is right.
一点没错。
Let us start with our first headline.
让我们从第一条头条新闻开始吧。
One of the most famous business leaders in the world is stepping down.
世界上最著名的商业领袖之一即将卸任。
Oh, are you talking about Warren Buffett?
噢，你谈论的是沃伦·巴菲特吗？
Yes, I am.
是的，没错。
Warren Buffett has decided to step down as the chairman of his massive company, Berkshire Hathaway.
沃伦·巴菲特决定卸任他旗下庞大的伯克希尔·哈撒韦公司的董事长一职。
Wow, that is historical.
哇，这真是历史性的。
He has been the leader of that company for decades.
他担任这家公司的掌门人已有数十年之久。
Who is going to take his place now?
现在谁来接替他的位置呢？
His son, Howard Buffett, is taking over.
他的儿子霍华德·巴菲特将接任。
Howard wants to make sure that the unique culture of Berkshire Hathaway stays the same.
霍华德希望确保伯克希尔·哈撒韦独特的企业文化保持不变。
That sounds like a very big job.
这听起来可是一项非常艰巨的工作。
But, Olivia, for our listeners who might not know, what exactly does Berkshire Hathaway do?
不过，奥莉薇娅，对于可能还不了解的听众来说，伯克希尔·哈撒韦究竟是做什么的呢？
Is it just one company?
它只是一家公司吗？
No, it is actually a giant conglomerate. Conglomerate?
不，它实际上是一家巨型企业集团。企业集团？
That is a very difficult word.
那真是个非常困难的词。
Can you explain what a conglomerate is?
你能解释一下什么是企业集团吗？
Of course.
当然可以。
Think of a conglomerate like a massive basket.
把企业集团想象成一个庞大的篮子。
Inside this basket, there are many different smaller companies that do completely different things.
在这个篮子里，有许多不同的小公司，各自从事着完全不同的业务。
For example, some make shoes, some sell insurance, and some even make candy.
例如，有些做鞋子，有些卖保险，有些甚至做糖果。
But they are all owned by the same big basket.
但它们都拥有于同一个大篮子底下。
Ah, that makes perfect sense.
啊，这就完全说得通了。
So Howard Buffett is now holding this big basket.
所以霍华德·巴菲特现在正拿着这个大篮子。
He has a very interesting background, right?
他有着非常有趣的背景，对吧？
He was not always a businessman.
他并非一直都是个商人。
Yes, you are right.
是的，你说得正确的。
Howard used to be a sheriff and even a professional war photographer.
霍华德曾经当过警长，甚至还做过专业的战地摄影师。
He has lived a very exciting life.
他过着非常精彩的生活。
Now his main goal is to protect his father's business culture.
现在他的主要目标是保护他父亲的商业文化。
I think that is wise.
我觉得那是明智的。
When a company is that successful, you do not want to change the recipe.
当一家公司如此成功时，你不会想去改变它的成功秘诀。
I wish him the best of luck.
我祝他好运。
Now, let us move on to our second story.
现在，让我们进入第二个故事。
This one might make you feel very nostalgic.
这个故事可能会让你感到非常怀旧的。
Do you remember a store called Toys R Us?
你记得一家叫“玩具反斗城”的商店吗？
Of course I do.
当然记得。
I loved going there when I was a little boy.
我小的时候特别喜欢去那里。
But wait, did they not close all their stores a few years ago?
等等，他们几年前不是关闭了所有门店吗？
They did close most of them.
他们确实关掉了大部分门店。
However, they are now planning a major comeback.
然而，他们现在正计划一次重大的东山再起。
They are going to open 120 new stores just in time for the holiday shopping season.
他们计划赶在节日购物季及时开设 120 家新门店。
120 stores?
120家商店？
That is a huge comeback.
那真是一次巨大的回归。
But why now?
但为什么是现在？
Are kids today buying more physical toys instead of playing on mobile phones?
现在的孩子们是在购买更多的实体玩具，而不是玩手机吗？
Actually, it is not just about kids.
实际上，这不仅仅是关于孩子的事情。
The secret behind this comeback is a group of people called kidults. Kidults?
这次回归背后的秘密是一群被称为“顽童”（成人玩具迷）的人。顽童？
That is a very funny word.
那是一个非常滑稽的词。
What does it mean?
它是什么意思？
It is a combination of the words kid and adult.
它是“孩子”（kid）和“成人”（adult）这两个词的结合。
It refers to adults who love to buy, collect, and play with toys.
它指的是那些喜欢购买、收藏和玩玩具的成年人。
Oh, I see.
噢，我明白了。
Like adults who buy expensive Lego sets, action figures, or vintage board games. Exactly.
就像那些购买昂贵的乐高套装、手办或复古桌游的成年人。确实如此。
Research shows that adult toy collectors are spending more money than ever before.
研究表明，成年玩具收藏家们在玩具上的花费比以往任何时候都多。
They have jobs and income, so they can afford to buy the toys they always wanted when they were younger.
他们有工作和收入，所以他们能负担得起购买那些年轻时一直想要的玩具。
That is so true.
确实如此。
I must admit, I still buy Lego sets sometimes.
我必须承认，我有时仍会买乐高套装。
It makes me feel happy and relaxed after a long day of work.
在结束了一整天漫长的工作后，它让我感到快乐和放松。
You see?
你瞧？
You are a kiddle too, Benjamin.
你也是个大孩子，本杰明。
And because of people like you, Toys R Us is opening these new physical stores.
正因为有像你这样的人，玩具反斗城才开设了这些新的实体门店。
They want to create a fun place where both children and adults can enjoy shopping together.
他们想要创造一个有趣的地方，让孩子和成年人都能在这里一起享受购物的乐趣。
I cannot wait to visit one of their new stores.
我迫不及待地想去光顾他们的一家新店了。
It will feel like traveling back in time.
那感觉就像穿越回了过去。
Now, let us switch to our next story, which is also about shopping, but in a very different way.
现在，让我们切换到我们的下一个故事，这个故事也与购物有关，但方式截然不同。
The city of Seattle is planning to do something very interesting regarding grocery store prices.
西雅图市正计划在关于杂货店价格方面做一些非常有趣的事情。
Oh, what is Seattle planning to do?
噢，西雅图计划做什么？
They want to ban supermarkets from using algorithmic price discrimination.
他们想要禁止超市使用算法价格歧视。
Wow, Olivia.
哇，奥利维亚。
Algorithmic price discrimination.
算法价格歧视。
That is a very long and scary phrase.
那是一个非常长且可怕的短语。
Can you explain that in simple English?
你能用简单的英语解释一下吗？
Yes, of course.
是的，当然。
Some people also call it surveillance pricing.
有些人也称之为监控定价。
Imagine you go to a supermarket to buy milk.
想象一下你去超市买牛奶。
A smart computer program looks at you, or looks at your phone data.
一个智能计算机程序会看着你，或者查看你的手机数据。
It sees that you really need milk right now.
它看到你现在真的很需要牛奶。
So the computer instantly raises the price just for you.
所以电脑会立即专为你提高价格。
Wait, that is terrible.
等等，那太糟糕了。
So if the store thinks I am rich, or if they see I am in a hurry, they charge me more money for the
所以，如果商店觉得我很富有，或者看到我很匆忙，他们就会对我收费更多以购买
exact same bottle of milk?
完全相同的一瓶牛奶？
Yes, that is exactly how it works.
是的，这正是它的运作方式。
The computer uses algorithms, which are smart step -by -step rules, to decide the price based on your
计算机利用算法（即一套套智能的步骤规则）来决定价格，基于你的
personal information.
个人信息。
That feels very unfair.
那感觉非常不公平。
It's like dynamic pricing for ride -sharing apps when it rains, but for basic food? Exactly.
就像下雨天网约车软件的动态定价一样，但这是针对基本食品？一点没错。
City leaders in Seattle say this technology makes groceries too expensive, especially for families
西雅图的城市领导人表示，这种技术让杂货变得太贵了，特别是对于那些
who do not have a lot of money.
没有很多钱的家庭。
They believe that a carton of eggs should cost the same for everyone, no matter who they are.
他们认为，一盒鸡蛋对每个人来说都应该是一样的价格，不管他们是谁。
I completely agree with Seattle on this.
在这件事上我完全同意西雅图的看法。
Shopping for food is stressful enough without computers trying to play tricks on us.
没有电脑来捉弄我们，买食品本身就已经够令人紧张的了。
Many shoppers feel the same way.
许多购物者也有同感。
If Seattle passes this law, stores that break the rule could face very big fines.
如果西雅图通过这项法律，违反规定的商店可能会面临巨额罚款。
It will be interesting to see if other cities follow Seattle's example. Yes.
看看其他城市是否会效仿西雅图的榜样，这将是一件很有趣的事。是的。
Let us hope more cities protect shoppers from these smart pricing computers.
让我们希望更多的城市能够保护购物者免受这些智能定价电脑的干扰。
Speaking of food, our next story is about a very famous burger chain.
说到食物，我们的下一个故事是关于一家非常著名的汉堡连锁店。
If you are looking for a job with a great salary, you might want to listen to this.
如果你正在寻找一份高薪的工作，你可能会想听听这个。
Oh, are we talking about fast food jobs?
哦，我们是在讨论快餐店的工作吗？
Usually fast food jobs do not pay very high salaries, do they?
通常快餐店工作的薪水都不是很高，对吧？
Normally, yes.
正常情况下，是的。
But at In -N -Out Burger, things are very different.
但在 In-N-Out 汉堡，情况却截然不同。
The company recently shared that their store managers now make an average of more than $200 ,000 a year.
该公司最近透露，他们的分店经理现在的平均年薪超过20万美元。
$200 ,000 a year?
一年20万美元？
For managing a burger restaurant?
就为了管理一家汉堡餐厅？
That is an amazing salary.
那是一笔惊人的薪水。
That is more than many doctors or lawyers earn.
这比许多医生或律师挣得还多。
It is true.
这是真的。
In -N -Out is famous for paying its employees very well.
In-N-Out 以给员工发高薪而闻名。
They believe that if they pay their workers well, the workers will be happy, stay with the company
他们相信，如果他们给员工优厚的报酬，员工就会工作愉快，并留在公司
for a long time, and provide excellent service.
很长一段时间，并提供优质的服务。
That makes a lot of sense.
这很有道理。
If you have a happy manager, the rest of the staff will be happy too, and the burgers will probably
如果有一个快乐的经理，其他员工也会很快乐，汉堡很可能也会
taste better. Exactly.
味道更好。没错。
Many managers at In -N -Out actually started as regular workers, cleaning the floors or making french fries.
In-N-Out 的许多经理实际上是从普通员工做起的，比如扫地或炸薯条。
The company loves to promote its own people.
公司喜欢晋升自己内部的员工。
As a result, their workers are very loyal.
结果，他们的员工非常忠诚。
That is a wonderful business model.
那是一个极好的商业模式。
Maybe I should think about a career change, Olivia.
也许我应该考虑换个职业，奥利维亚。
I can wear one of those cute paper hats.
我可以戴上那种可爱的纸帽子。
You would look great in that hat, Benjamin.
本杰明，你戴那顶帽子一定会看起来棒极了。
But let us look at our next story before you submit your job application.
但在你想提交求职申请之前，让我们先看看下一个故事。
This is a story about the future of travel.
这是一个关于出行未来的故事。
Is it about flying cars? Close.
是关于飞车的吗？很接近了。
A company called Joby Aviation just completed a very special flight.
一家名为 Joby Aviation 的公司刚刚完成了一次非常特别的飞行。
They flew an airplane all the way across the United States.
他们驾驶飞机一路横跨了整个美国。
That's a journey of over 3 ,000 miles.
那是超过3000英里的旅程。
A 3 ,000 -mile flight is impressive.
3000英里的飞行确实令人赞叹。
But what makes this flight special?
但这次飞行有什么特别之处呢？
Planes fly across the country every day.
每天都有飞机飞越这个国家。
This flight was completely autonomous. Autonomous?
这次飞行是完全自主的。自主？
So you mean there was no human pilot sitting inside the plane?
所以你的意思是飞机里没有人类飞行员？
Yes, that is correct.
是的，完全正确。
The plane was controlled entirely by a smart computer system.
飞机完全由智能计算机系统控制。
It managed the takeoff, the entire flight across multiple states, and the landing all by itself.
它自己完成了起飞、跨越多个州的整个飞行过程以及降落。
That sounds incredibly cool, but also a little bit scary.
这听起来极其酷炫，但也有点可怕。
I am not sure if I would feel comfortable sitting in a plane with no pilot at the front.
我不确定如果飞机前面没有飞行员，我坐着会不会觉得自在。
It is a common fear.
这是一种普遍的恐惧。
However, Joby Aviation says that computer systems can actually be safer than human pilots, because
然而，Joby Aviation 表示，计算机系统实际上比人类飞行员更安全，因为
computers do not get tired, distracted, or stressed.
电脑不会疲劳、分心或感到有压力。
I guess that is true.
我猜测那是真的。
Still, if something goes wrong, a human pilot can make creative decisions.
不过，如果出了什么问题，人类飞行员可以做出有创造性的决定。
But this is definitely a huge step forward.
但这绝对是一个巨大的进步。
For autonomous travel, they want to use these planes as air taxis in big cities in the future.
对于自主飞行，他们希望未来在大型城市将这些飞机用作空中出租车。
Yes, that is their plan.
是的，那就是他们的计划。
They want to make travel faster and cleaner.
他们想让旅行变得更快、更清洁。
It is very exciting technology to watch. Definitely.
这确实是项非常值得关注的令人兴奋的技术。确实如此。
It feels like we're living in the future.
感觉我们就像生活在未来一样。
Finally, we have some very good news for our listeners who use Amazon Prime.
最后，我们为使用亚马逊 Prime 的听众们带来了一些非常好的消息。
You might be getting some money back.
你可能会得到一些退款。
Oh, I love getting money back.
哦，我喜欢拿到退款。
How can we get this refund?
我们该如何拿到这笔退款呢？
Amazon has expanded a settlement with the FTC.
亚马逊已经扩大了与联邦贸易委员会（FTC）达成的和解。
Because of this, millions of Amazon Prime customers could receive refunds of up to $200.
正因如此，数百万亚马逊 Prime 用户可能会收到高达200美元的退款。
That is wonderful news.
那真是个极好的消息。
But wait, what is the FTC?
不过等等，FTC是什么？
The FTC is the Federal Trade Commission.
FTC指的是联邦贸易委员会。
It is a government agency in the United States.
它是美国的一个政府机构。
Their job is to protect consumers.
他们的职责是保护消费者。
They make sure that big companies treat customers fairly and do not use deceptive practices.
他们确保大公司公平对待客户，不采用欺骗性的手段。
So they are like the referee in a soccer match.
所以他们就像是足球比赛中的裁判。
They make sure everyone plays by the rules.
他们确保每个人都遵守规则。
Yes, that is a perfect metaphor.
是的，这是一个完美的比喻。
In this case, the FTC argued that Amazon made it too difficult for customers to cancel their Prime subscriptions.
在此案中，FTC指控亚马逊让客户很难取消他们的Prime订阅。
As a result, Amazon has to pay this money back to affected customers.
因此，亚马逊必须将这笔钱退还给受影响的客户。
Well, I'm going to check my email inbox today to see if I'm getting a refund.
好吧，我今天得去检查一下我的邮箱收件箱，看看我能不能拿到退款。
Yes, definitely check your email.
是的，一定要检查你的邮件。
It is always nice to get some unexpected money.
收到一些意料之外的钱总是令人高兴的。
It surely is.
确实 如此。
And that brings us to the end of our news stories for today.
今天的彩条新闻报道播报到这里就结束了。
Before we finish, we have an interesting question for our listeners today.
在结束之前，我们今天给听众们准备了一个有趣的问题。
If you had the chance, would you travel on a plane with no pilot?
如果有机会，你愿意乘坐没有飞行员的飞机旅行吗？
Please write your answers in the comments section.
请在评论栏写下你们的答案。
Tell us why you would or would not do it.
告诉我们你为什么会或不会这样做。
You can also read what other listeners think about it.
你也可以阅读其他听众对此的看法。
It is a great way to practice your English. Writing.
这是一个练习英语写作的好方法。
Yes, we look forward to reading your comments.
是的 ，我们期待阅读你们的评论。
Also, we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who supports us.
此外，我们想对所有支持我们的人表示由衷的感谢。
TalkCast needs your help to keep growing.
TalkCast 需要您的帮助来继续成长。
If you enjoy our show, please consider subscribing, sharing it with your friends, and joining our
如果您喜欢我们的节目，请考虑订阅、与您的朋友分享，并加入我们的
TalkCast membership.
TalkCast 会员。
Your support means everything to us.
您的支持对我们来说就是一切。
Also, remember that you can find the complete English text and audio of this show on our website at
另外，请记住，您可以在我们的网站上找到本期节目的完整英文文本和音频，网址为
www .talkcast .com and on our WeChat official account, which is also named TalkCast.
www.talkcast.com 以及我们的微信官方公众号，该公众号的名字也叫 TalkCast。
We post them regularly to help you study.
我们会定期发布这些内容以帮助您学习。
Thank you again for listening.
再次感谢您的收听。
Have a wonderful Sunday, and we will see you next time on TalkCast.
祝您度过一个美好的周日，我们下期 TalkCast 再见。
Have a great day, everyone. Goodbye. Bye.
祝大家度过美好的一天。再见。拜拜。
