Podcasts about Mandarin

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Rediscovering Tradition: A Heartfelt New Year in High-Tech City Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-12-05-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 广东的高科技城购物中心在冬季显得格外热闹。En: The Guangdong High-Tech City Shopping Center is especially lively during the winter.Zh: 五光十色的灯饰和节日装饰，让人感受到浓厚的春节气氛。En: The colorful lights and festive decorations give people a strong sense of the Chinese New Year atmosphere.Zh: 琳娜带着她的弟弟魏来到这里，准备为即将到来的春节购置礼物。En: Lina brought her younger brother Wei here to prepare gifts for the upcoming Spring Festival.Zh: 琳娜是一个事业心很强的女商人，但对家庭传统一直抱有一份柔软的感情。En: Lina is a very career-oriented businesswoman, but she has always held a soft spot for family traditions.Zh: 她想要为家人购买完美的礼物，希望这次春节能特别而愉快。En: She wants to buy perfect gifts for her family, hoping this Spring Festival will be special and joyful.Zh: 然而，繁忙的购物中心让她感到有些不知所措。En: However, the busy shopping center makes her feel a bit overwhelmed.Zh: 人群涌动，琳娜面对琳琅满目的选择，犹豫不决。En: With crowds bustling around her and faced with a dazzling array of choices, Lina is indecisive.Zh: 她想要在预算内找到合适的礼物，还要节省时间。En: She wants to find suitable gifts within budget and also save time.Zh: 魏比她小几岁，性格开朗。En: Wei, a few years younger than her, is cheerful by nature.Zh: 他注意到姐姐的压力，想帮助她放松。En: Noticing his sister's stress, he wants to help her relax.Zh: 他提议说：“姐，我们不如找一些有意义的东西，而不是贵的礼物。En: He suggests, "Sis, why don't we look for something meaningful instead of expensive gifts?Zh: 或许，我们可以考虑一些体验，而不是单纯的物品。En: Maybe we can consider some experiences rather than just objects."Zh: ”琳娜听了弟弟的建议，心里有些动摇。En: Hearing her brother's suggestion, Lina feels somewhat swayed.Zh: 商场的科技区吸引了她的注意，那里的最新设备让她心动。En: The technology area of the shopping mall caught her attention, with its latest gadgets tempting her.Zh: 但就在这时，魏在一个小店里发现了一套精致的茶具。En: But just then, Wei discovered a set of exquisite tea sets in a small store.Zh: 茶具让他们想起了小时候在奶奶家喝茶的情景，那是他们记忆中温暖的片段。En: The tea set reminded them of their childhood memories of drinking tea at Grandma's house, a warm moment etched in their memories.Zh: 在那个瞬间，琳娜意识到了春节的真正意义。En: In that moment, Lina realized the true meaning of Chinese New Year.Zh: 与其追求奢华的礼物，不如珍惜和亲人一起度过的时光。En: Rather than pursuing luxurious gifts, it's better to cherish the time spent with loved ones.Zh: 她决定和魏一起，为全家准备一次家庭茶会，而不是继续在商场里徘徊。En: She decides, along with Wei, to prepare a family tea party instead of wandering further in the shopping mall.Zh: 最终，琳娜和魏带着几份贴心而有意义的礼物离开了商场。En: In the end, Lina and Wei left the mall with a few thoughtful and meaningful gifts.Zh: 他们同心协力，为家庭准备了一场温馨的茶会，增添了节日的温情。En: Together, they prepared a warm tea party for the family, adding to the holiday's warmth.Zh: 琳娜感受到，比起昂贵的礼物，和家人在一起的宝贵时光才是最值得珍惜的。En: Lina felt that compared to expensive gifts, the precious time with family is what truly deserves to be cherished.Zh: 这个春节，从此变得不同寻常。En: From that point, this Spring Festival became extraordinary. Vocabulary Words:lively: 热闹festive: 节日的atmosphere: 气氛overwhelmed: 不知所措bustling: 涌动dazzling: 琳琅满目indecisive: 犹豫不决cheerful: 开朗experiences: 体验swayed: 动摇gadgets: 设备exquisite: 精致etched: 刻cherish: 珍惜luxurious: 奢华wander: 徘徊thoughtful: 贴心precious: 宝贵traditions: 传统soft spot: 柔软的感情prepare: 准备budget: 预算suggestion: 建议tempting: 心动moment: 瞬间meaningful: 有意义special: 特别joyful: 愉快array: 选择finally: 最终

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Snowy Dreams: Lian's Journey to Medical Empowerment Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-12-04-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在这个寒冷的冬天，辽阔的白雪覆盖了地面，空气中飘着细小的雪花。En: In this cold winter, the vast white snow covered the ground, with tiny snowflakes floating in the air.Zh: 一群高中生来到医院，他们是来了解医疗工作者的职业生涯。En: A group of high school students arrived at the hospital; they came to learn about the careers of healthcare workers.Zh: 在这群学生中，有一个名叫连的女孩。En: Among this group of students, there was a girl named Lian.Zh: 她一直对医学充满热情，但也常常质疑自己的能力。En: She has always been passionate about medicine but often doubts her own abilities.Zh: 她的好朋友明站在她的身边，热情地鼓励她：“你一定能做到的！En: Her good friend Ming stood by her side, enthusiastically encouraging her, "You can definitely do it!"Zh: ”医院里很忙碌，医生和护士们穿着白大褂，忙碌地走来走去。En: The hospital was busy, with doctors and nurses wearing white coats, bustling back and forth.Zh: 学生们被带到了一个明亮的会议室，那里能看到窗外的雪景。En: The students were taken to a bright conference room, where they could see the snowy scene outside the window.Zh: 而今天，他们的导游是一个名叫陶的医学院学生。En: Today, their guide was a medical school student named Tao.Zh: 陶给学生们介绍了医学院生活的点滴。En: Tao introduced the students to the ins and outs of life in medical school.Zh: 他的眼中闪烁着对医学的热爱，让连既羡慕又紧张。En: His eyes sparkled with a love for medicine, making Lian both envious and nervous.Zh: 她不知道自己是否能像陶一样热情和专业。En: She was unsure if she could be as passionate and professional as Tao.Zh: “小连，你想成为一名医生吗？En: "Xiao Lian, do you want to become a doctor?"Zh: ”陶微笑着问她。En: Tao asked her with a smile.Zh: “嗯……我想是的。En: "Um...Zh: 但我不确定自己能不能做到，”连低声说。En: I think so.Zh: 陶笑了笑，鼓励地说：“我也曾有过许多疑问。En: But I'm not sure if I can do it," Lian said softly.Zh: 有时候会怀疑自己，但只要坚持，就会进步。En: Tao smiled and encouragingly said, "I had many doubts, too.Zh: ”听到这番话，连心里感到一阵暖意。En: Sometimes you might doubt yourself, but as long as you persist, you will improve."Zh: 她鼓起勇气问陶：“你是怎么克服挑战的？En: Hearing these words, Lian felt a warmth in her heart.Zh: ”“我也有过许多挑战，但学习和实践让我不断成长。En: She mustered up the courage to ask Tao, "How did you overcome challenges?"Zh: 在遇到困难时，记得找朋友和老师聊聊，这会让你轻松很多。En: "I've faced many challenges, but learning and practice have allowed me to keep growing.Zh: ”陶回答。En: When facing difficulties, remember to talk to friends and teachers; it will ease the burden a lot," Tao replied.Zh: 通过这次对话，连似乎看到了未来的一丝希望。En: Through this conversation, Lian seemed to see a glimmer of hope for the future.Zh: 她开始相信自己的潜力，并为自己的梦想感到兴奋无比。En: She began to believe in her potential and felt incredibly excited about her dream.Zh: 在参观结束时，连走出了会议室，心中充满新的决心。En: At the end of the visit, Lian walked out of the conference room, filled with new determination.Zh: 她更坚定地认为自己能够在医学领域找到自己的位置。En: She was more convinced that she could find her place in the field of medicine.Zh: 明拍了拍连的肩膀，“看吧，我说过你可以的。En: Ming patted Lian on the shoulder, "See, I told you, you can do it."Zh: ”连微笑着点点头，内心的自信如同窗外的阳光，愈发明亮。En: Lian smiled and nodded, her inner confidence shining brighter, just like the sunlight outside the window.Zh: 她现在知道，只要努力，她也能成为像陶那样出色的医学生。En: She now knew that with effort, she too could become an outstanding medical student like Tao.Zh: 于是，医院的白色走廊中，连和明并肩走着，雪花在她们身后轻轻飘落，为这段重要旅程留下了温暖的记忆。En: So, in the white corridors of the hospital, Lian and Ming walked side by side, snowflakes gently falling behind them, leaving warm memories of this important journey. Vocabulary Words:vast: 辽阔snowflakes: 雪花healthcare workers: 医疗工作者passionate: 热情abilities: 能力enthusiastically: 热情地bustling: 忙碌conference room: 会议室guide: 导游sparkled: 闪烁envious: 羡慕professional: 专业persist: 坚持warmth: 暖意mustered: 鼓起overcome: 克服challenges: 挑战ease: 轻松burden: 负担potential: 潜力determination: 决心confidence: 自信shining: 明亮outstanding: 出色snowy scene: 雪景tiny: 细小beyond: 超出gently: 轻轻memories: 记忆career: 职业生涯

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Healing Hearts: A Hospital Ward Reunion Amidst Tensions Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-12-04-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 医院走廊里总是充满了忙碌的脚步声和轻声的交谈，那股特殊的消毒水味飘荡在空气中，与从微微开着的窗户吹进来的冬日寒风混合在一起，让人清醒。En: The corridor of the hospital was always filled with the sound of busy footsteps and soft conversations, with the distinct smell of disinfectant wafting in the air, mixing with the cold winter breeze blowing in through slightly open windows, keeping everyone alert.Zh: 明浩走在走廊上，他的眉头紧皱。En: Minghao walked down the hallway, his brow furrowed.Zh: 今天，他决定面对陈，解决他们之间长久以来的矛盾。En: Today, he decided to face Chen to resolve the longstanding conflict between them.Zh: 他知道，这一步并不容易，但为了丽华，他必须去做。En: He knew this step wouldn't be easy, but for Lihua, he had to do it.Zh: 丽华是他们共同的朋友，现在躺在三楼的病房里。En: Lihua was their mutual friend, currently lying in a third-floor ward.Zh: 病情虽然稳定，但需要精心照顾。En: Her condition, although stable, required meticulous care.Zh: 她，尽管病痛在身，却时常微笑着给周围的人带来阳光。En: Despite her illness, she often smiled, bringing sunshine to those around her.Zh: 她期待着明浩和陈能和解，希望过去的争吵不再影响到现在。En: She hoped that Minghao and Chen could reconcile and that past arguments would no longer affect the present.Zh: 明浩推开病房的门。En: Minghao pushed open the ward door.Zh: 陈已在里面，与丽华交谈，声音中带着丝丝紧张和不安。En: Chen was already inside, talking with Lihua, a hint of tension and unease in his voice.Zh: 看见明浩，陈的面色明显沉了下来。En: Upon seeing Minghao, Chen's expression noticeably darkened.Zh: 他们之间的气氛紧张而沉默。En: The atmosphere between them became tense and silent.Zh: “我们需要谈谈。”明浩开口，他的声音低沉但坚定。En: "We need to talk," Minghao began, his voice low but firm.Zh: 陈抬头看了他一眼，随即转向窗外，显得无动于衷。En: Chen glanced at him briefly, then turned towards the window, appearing indifferent.Zh: “丽华的情况需要我们一起做决定，”明浩说，“过去的事，我很抱歉，我知道是我的错，那次事故……我本应该更小心的。”En: "Lihua's condition requires us to make decisions together," Minghao said. "About the past, I'm sorry, I know it was my fault. That accident... I should have been more careful."Zh: 陈转过头，眼里闪过一丝复杂的情绪。En: Chen turned his head, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes.Zh: 他做了个深呼吸，仿佛在努力控制自己的情绪。En: He took a deep breath, seemingly trying to control his emotions.Zh: 丽华微微地笑，沙哑的声音打破了沉默：“你们都很重要，En: Lihua gently smiled, her raspy voice breaking the silence, "You both are important.Zh: 我不想看到你们因为我继续争吵。En: I don't want to see you continue arguing because of me.Zh: 明浩，陈，过去的事情已经过去了，En: Minghao, Chen, the past is past.Zh: 我们现在需要想办法一起面对。”En: We need to find a way to face the present together."Zh: 她的话如同一股温暖的溪流，化解了空气中的冰冷。En: Her words were like a warm stream, dissolving the coldness in the air.Zh: 陈沉默了一会儿，然后点了点头。En: Chen was silent for a moment, then nodded.Zh: “我想，我们应该摒弃过去，为丽华着想。”他终于说，声音不再强硬。En: "I think we should set aside the past for Lihua's sake," he finally said, his voice no longer harsh.Zh: 明浩感激地看着陈，两人眼中重新有了信任的光芒。En: Minghao looked at Chen with gratitude, a renewed trust shining in their eyes.Zh: 在丽华的鼓励下，他们决定从现在开始，携手为她的病情制定最好的治疗方案。En: Encouraged by Lihua, they decided to join forces from that moment on to plan the best treatment strategy for her condition.Zh: 短暂但重要的谈话，让明浩意识到，愿意打开自己的心扉，表达真正的感受，可以让人与人之间的关系更紧密。En: This brief but important conversation made Minghao realize that being willing to open one's heart and express true feelings can bring people closer together.Zh: 这个冬天，他们的心仿佛也暖了起来，不再被过去的阴影所笼罩。En: This winter, their hearts seemed to warm up, no longer overshadowed by the past.Zh: 故事在丽华温柔的笑声中结束，友谊和希望在寒冷的冬日里悄悄生长。En: The story ended with Lihua's gentle laughter, as friendship and hope quietly grew in the cold winter days. Vocabulary Words:corridor: 走廊footsteps: 脚步声distinct: 特殊的disinfectant: 消毒水wafting: 飘荡breeze: 寒风furrowed: 紧皱resolve: 解决longstanding: 长久以来conflict: 矛盾mutual: 共同的ward: 病房meticulous: 精心reconcile: 和解tension: 紧张unease: 不安indifferent: 无动于衷complex: 复杂的flickering: 闪过raspy: 沙哑的dissolving: 化解harsh: 强硬gratitude: 感激encouraged: 鼓励strategy: 方案realize: 意识到willing: 愿意overshadowed: 笼罩laughter: 笑声friendship: 友谊

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Love and Resilience: A Journey Along the Snowy Great Wall Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-12-03-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 长城在冬至这一天显得格外雄伟。En: The Changcheng appeared particularly majestic on the day of the Winter Solstice.Zh: 白色的雪覆盖在城墙上，阳光下闪烁着点点亮光，大地静谧而广袤，仿佛世界也停了下来。En: White snow covered the walls, sparkling under the sunlight, the land vast and silent, as if the world had come to a halt.Zh: 这一天，梁和梅决定来这里，希望在这古老的地方找回，他们之间失去的联系。En: On this day, Liang and Mei decided to come here, hoping to find the lost connection between them in this ancient place.Zh: 他们沿着长城缓慢地前行，寒风凛冽，吹得脸颊发红。En: They walked slowly along the Great Wall, the biting cold wind reddening their cheeks.Zh: 梅挽着梁的手臂，她的一边脸仰望着他，脸上挂着微笑，但心中却充满了担忧。En: Mei held Liang's arm, her face upturned to him with a smile, yet her heart was full of worry.Zh: 她怕梁心里藏着什么，说不出口。En: She feared that Liang held secrets in his heart that he couldn't speak of.Zh: 其实，梁心里确实有很多疑虑。En: In truth, Liang did have many doubts.Zh: 他在这段关系中感到彷徨，总在思考该如何面对这些沉默的问题。En: He felt lost in the relationship, always pondering how to face these silent issues.Zh: 为了梅，也为了他自己，他希望今天能找到答案。En: For Mei, and for himself, he hoped to find answers today.Zh: 走了一段后，他们在一个较高的地方停了下来。En: After walking for a while, they stopped at a higher point.Zh: 这里的景色让人震撼，白雪覆盖的山脉连绵不绝。En: The view here was breathtaking, with snow-covered mountains stretching endlessly.Zh: 梅叹了口气，看向梁：“你还好吗？En: Mei sighed and looked at Liang, "Are you okay?"Zh: ”梁看着远方，不知从何说起。En: Liang stared into the distance, not knowing where to begin.Zh: 他的心在这冷风中沉重，却在期待中跳动。En: His heart was heavy in the cold wind, yet it beat with anticipation.Zh: 他深吸了一口气，终于说：“梅，我一直有些事情没有告诉你。En: He took a deep breath and finally said, "Mei, there are things I haven't told you.Zh: 我对我们的未来感到不确定。En: I'm uncertain about our future."Zh: ”梅愣了一下，迅速却温柔地抓紧了梁的手，“别怕，梁。En: Mei paused, then quickly but gently tightened her grip on Liang's hand, "Don't be afraid, Liang.Zh: 我们可以一起面对。En: We can face it together."Zh: ”这时，寒风似乎停了一瞬，一切都安静下来。En: At that moment, the cold wind seemed to pause, and everything fell silent.Zh: 梁感受到梅的温暖，心头的疑惑仿佛融化了。En: Liang felt Mei's warmth, and the doubts in his heart seemed to melt away.Zh: 他看着梅的眼睛，继续说：“谢谢你，也谢谢你总是这么乐观。En: He looked into Mei's eyes and continued, "Thank you, and thank you for always being so optimistic.Zh: 我不再想逃避。En: I don't want to run away anymore."Zh: ”在雪地上，他们紧紧相拥。En: In the snow, they embraced tightly.Zh: 此刻，双方心中的疑虑和不安都化成了理解和承诺。En: At this moment, both their doubts and anxieties transformed into understanding and commitment.Zh: 梅微笑着说：“我们一起走下去。En: Mei smiled and said, "Let's keep moving forward together."Zh: ”梁点点头，眼中闪烁着坚定。En: Liang nodded, determination gleaming in his eyes.Zh: 长城的某个地方，阳光照在他们身上，仿佛为他们的新起点注入了无尽的力量。En: Somewhere on the Great Wall, the sunlight shone on them, as if injecting endless strength into their new beginning.Zh: 故事在这团结中结束，梁变得更坦诚，而梅则对梁有了更深的理解。En: The story ends in this unity, with Liang becoming more honest and Mei gaining a deeper understanding of him. Vocabulary Words:majestic: 雄伟halt: 停下来biting: 凛冽reddening: 发红upturned: 仰望pondering: 思考breathtaking: 震撼sigh: 叹了口气anticipation: 期待uncertain: 不确定grip: 抓紧embraced: 拥anxieties: 不安commitment: 承诺optimistic: 乐观determination: 坚定gleaming: 闪烁understanding: 理解connection: 联系heart: 心silent: 静谧sparkling: 闪烁lost: 失去doubts: 疑虑face: 面对endlessly: 连绵不绝paused: 愣了一下transformed: 化成unity: 团结vast: 广袤

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Reconnecting with Roots: Li Wei's Journey Home to Huangshan Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-12-03-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 黄山的冬天宁静而美丽，白雪覆盖在连绵的山峰上，仿佛给整个世界披上一层纯白的外衣。En: The winter in Huangshan is tranquil and beautiful, with white snow covering the continuous mountain peaks, as if draping the entire world in a pure white coat.Zh: 这时正值冬至节，李伟站在山脚下，心里有些紧张。En: It was the time of the Winter Solstice festival, and Li Wei stood at the foot of the mountain, feeling somewhat nervous.Zh: 多年在国外生活，他一直觉得和故乡有些疏远。En: Having lived abroad for many years, he had always felt somewhat distant from his hometown.Zh: 李伟曾经很渴望走出国门，去看看外面的世界。En: Li Wei once longed to venture beyond his country's borders to see the world outside.Zh: 而今他回来了，来到黄山与家人团圆。En: Now, he has returned to Huangshan to reunite with his family.Zh: 可是，他的心中有些不安。En: However, there was some unease in his heart.Zh: 他担心自己与家人的隔阂，更害怕无法重新融入这个大家庭。En: He was worried about the estrangement he felt from his family and feared that he might not be able to reintegrate into this big family.Zh: 家人们已经在山上的小木屋里等着他，热情地期待着团聚。En: His family was already waiting for him in a cabin on the mountain, eagerly anticipating the reunion.Zh: 一进入房间，李伟闻到了熟悉的香味，是冬至的饺子。En: As he entered the room, Li Wei smelled the familiar aroma of Winter Solstice dumplings.Zh: 炉火燃烧着，温暖的光芒照亮了每一张笑脸。En: The fireplace crackled, its warm glow lighting up every smiling face.Zh: 大家围着桌子，气氛轻松愉快。En: Everyone gathered around the table, the atmosphere light and cheerful.Zh: 李伟坐在一旁，有些出神。En: Li Wei sat aside, a little lost in thought.Zh: 周围的谈笑仿佛与他隔着一层无形的墙。En: The laughter and conversation around him seemed separated from him by an invisible wall.Zh: 他开始怀疑，这些年在外，他是否已经变得不再属于这里。En: He began to doubt whether, after all these years abroad, he had changed so much that he no longer belonged here.Zh: 晚宴开始了，大家一边享用美食，一边分享着彼此的生活故事。En: The dinner began, and everyone enjoyed the food while sharing their life stories.Zh: 李伟知道，这是一个难得的机会。En: Li Wei knew this was a rare opportunity.Zh: 他鼓起勇气，决定坦诚相待，诉说自己的心声。En: He gathered his courage and decided to be honest, to express his innermost feelings.Zh: “我想跟大家分享一下我在国外的生活，”李伟开口说道，声音有些颤抖。En: “I want to share with everyone about my life abroad,” said Li Wei, his voice slightly trembling.Zh: 他讲述了自己初到他国时的迷茫，也回忆了想家的孤独。En: He spoke of the confusion he felt when he first arrived in a foreign country and also recalled the loneliness of missing home.Zh: 家人们静静地听着，眼中满是理解。En: His family listened quietly, their eyes full of understanding.Zh: 慢慢地，李伟的话变得流畅，他开始讲述在异国的成长和思考。En: Gradually, Li Wei's words flowed more smoothly as he started to share about his growth and reflections in the foreign land.Zh: 他说，他明白了家的意义，以及文化对一个人的影响。En: He said he had come to understand the meaning of home and the impact culture has on a person.Zh: 他的声音渐渐坚定，心中的不安仿佛一点一点消散了。En: His voice gradually grew firm, and the unease in his heart seemed to dissipate bit by bit.Zh: “无论身在何处，我始终是这片土地的一部分，”李伟总结道。En: "No matter where I am, I am always a part of this land," concluded Li Wei.Zh: 家人们报以热烈的掌声，母亲轻轻地握住李伟的手，温柔地笑着：“欢迎回家。En: His family responded with enthusiastic applause, and his mother gently held Li Wei's hand, smiling tenderly: "Welcome home."Zh: ”这一刻，李伟感到前所未有的温暖。En: In that moment, Li Wei felt an unprecedented warmth.Zh: 他终于摆脱了内心的隔阂，重新找到了属于自己的位置。En: He finally shed the inner barrier and found his rightful place once again.Zh: 他的心不再漂泊，而是安稳地停靠在家庭的港湾。En: His heart no longer wandered; it had come to rest securely in the harbor of his family.Zh: 李伟明白，文化和家人是他永远的根源。En: Li Wei understood that culture and family were his eternal roots.Zh: 他的身份在此确认，并在这次冬至节重新焕发了生机。En: His identity was confirmed here and was revitalized during this Winter Solstice festival.Zh: 窗外黄山的雪，依旧洁白，它似乎在祝愿着李伟寻找到的全新开始。En: Outside the window, the snow on Huangshan remained pristine, as if it was blessing the new beginning that Li Wei had found. Vocabulary Words:tranquil: 宁静continuous: 连绵draping: 披上unease: 不安estrangement: 隔阂reintegrate: 重新融入anticipating: 期待aroma: 香味crackled: 燃烧invisible: 无形belonged: 属于courage: 勇气trembling: 颤抖confusion: 迷茫loneliness: 孤独reflections: 思考impact: 影响dissipate: 消散firm: 坚定enthusiastic: 热烈tenderly: 温柔地unprecedented: 前所未有barrier: 隔阂wandered: 漂泊harbor: 港湾eternal: 永远revitalized: 焕发pristine: 洁白blessing: 祝愿roots: 根源

Book episode! What happens when a policy meant to shape a nation reaches into the most intimate corners of a family's life? Journalist Barbara Demick'sDaughters of the Bamboo Grove becomes a prism for a China where babies vanish, families fracture, and two identical lives grow up worlds apart. One twin speaks Mandarin, the other English. One hides in a bamboo grove; the other lands in Texas. Demick joins The Jacob Shapiro Show to explore the lives shaped, and misshaped, by China's restrictive one-child policy. Shapiro and Demick probe the emotional aftershocks of separation, the uneasy collision of two cultures when twins are reunited across continents, and the moral ambiguity of institutions that believed they were doing the right thing.--Timestamps:(00:00) - Introduction and Guest Introduction(00:46) - Discussing the Book: Daughters of the Bamboo Grove(02:04) - Barbara's Journey and Discoveries in China(05:15) - The Impact of China's One-Child Policy(11:28) - Adoption and Family Planning in China(21:21) - Cultural and Demographic Shifts in China(25:35) - Cultural Juxtaposition of Twins(26:35) - Impact of COVID on US-China Relations(27:35) - Adoption and Diplomatic Relations(28:31) - Challenges for Chinese and American Families(30:57) - Adoptees as Cultural Ambassadors(32:02) - Religious Influences in Adoption(34:42) - Economic Comparisons Between Families(39:18) - Psychological Trauma of Adoptees(45:13) -Author's Career and Future Projects(50:27) - Upcoming Book on Berlin--Referenced in the Show:Barbara Demick - https://www.barbarademick.com/Daughters of the Bamboo Grove - https://www.barbarademick.com/book/daughters-of-the-bamboo-grove/--Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.comJacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShapJacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe --The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com --Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today's volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.--

Citrus season is here! Kevin and Austin sit down in studio to discuss growing citrus like mandarins, Meyer lemons, Key limes, navel oranges and more. Kevin shares his favorite varieties, growing tips, pest management and even his recipe for delicious Key lime pie.Check out these Tips For Growing CitrusLearn more from our friends at Four Winds GrowersGreen Acres Garden PodcastGreen Acres Nursery & SupplyGreen Acres Garden Podcast GroupIn the greater Sacramento area? Learn how to make your yard Summer Strong and discover water-saving rebates at BeWaterSmart.info.

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Whispers of Adventure: Discovering Zijincheng's Hidden Secrets Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-12-02-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 紫禁城的冬日早晨，雪花轻轻地飘落在砖红色的城墙和金黄色的屋顶上。En: On a winter morning in Zijincheng, snowflakes gently fell on the brick-red city walls and the golden-yellow rooftops.Zh: 明和夏跟随他们的老师和同学们，兴奋地走入这座壮丽的古老宫殿。En: Ming and Xia followed their teacher and classmates, excitedly entering this magnificent ancient palace.Zh: 明总是对历史充满好奇心。En: Ming was always full of curiosity about history.Zh: 他走在队伍的最后，看着周围的景色，心里想着如何能找到一个不为人知的地方，让自己从人群中脱颖而出。En: He walked at the end of the line, looking around at the scenery, pondering how he could find an unknown place to distinguish himself from the crowd.Zh: 他的朋友夏平时很安静，但她喜欢读各种冒险故事，暗中希望自己也能有一次冒险。En: His friend Xia was usually very quiet, but she enjoyed reading various adventure stories, secretly hoping she could have an adventure herself.Zh: "夏，我有个主意。" 明悄悄地对夏说。En: "Xia, I have an idea," Ming whispered to Xia.Zh: “什么主意？” 夏好奇地问。En: "What idea?" Xia asked curiously.Zh: “我们一起去找一个没有人去过的地方。我听说，在紫禁城里，有一些不在官方导览里的秘密。” 明低声说道，眼中闪烁着兴奋的光芒。En: "Let's find a place no one else has been to. I heard there are some secrets in the Zijincheng that aren't on the official tour," Ming said softly, his eyes sparkling with excitement.Zh: 夏犹豫了一下，但她也想尝试着去冒险一次。En: Xia hesitated for a moment, but she also wanted to try going on an adventure.Zh: 于是，她点了点头。“好吧，但我们要快点，不能被发现。”En: So, she nodded. "Alright, but we have to be quick and not get caught."Zh: 他们趁着一个转角，无声无息地脱离了队伍。En: When they reached a corner, they silently separated from the group.Zh: 走过几道长廊，他们终于发现了一扇半掩着的旧木门。En: After walking through several corridors, they finally discovered a half-closed old wooden door.Zh: 门后，他们进入了一个古老而寂静的庭院。En: Behind the door, they entered an ancient and quiet courtyard.Zh: 庭院被雪覆盖，显得格外安宁，四周的树枝上挂着晶莹剔透的冰晶。En: The courtyard was covered with snow, appearing extraordinarily peaceful, with crystal-clear icicles hanging from the branches around.Zh: "这里真美。" 夏轻声说道。En: "This place is so beautiful," Xia said softly.Zh: "是啊，这就是我想看到的东西。" 明回道，脸上露出了得意的笑容。En: "Yeah, this is what I wanted to see," Ming replied, with a satisfied smile on his face.Zh: 但时间渐渐过去，两人意识到他们停留得太久，可能会错过和小组会合的时间。En: But as time passed, they realized they had stayed too long and might miss the group's meeting time.Zh: 顿时，他们的心跳加速，赶紧按照来时的路返回。En: Suddenly, their hearts beat faster, and they hurried back the way they came.Zh: 幸好，他们及时赶回起点，同学们正准备上车。En: Fortunately, they returned to the starting point in time, as the classmates were just preparing to get on the bus.Zh: “我们做到了。” 明喘着气说道。En: "We did it," Ming said, panting.Zh: “是啊，这趟冒险真值得。” 夏微微笑着，眼里充满了感激。En: "Yes, this adventure was truly worth it," Xia said with a slight smile, her eyes filled with gratitude.Zh: 回到车上，明和夏对视一眼，心照不宣地决定将这次不寻常的探索作为他们的小秘密。En: Back on the bus, Ming and Xia exchanged a glance, tacitly deciding to keep this unusual exploration as their little secret.Zh: 从此以后，明变得更自信，而夏也觉得冒险比想象中更有趣。En: From then on, Ming became more confident, and Xia found adventure more fascinating than she had imagined.Zh: 紫禁城的冒险，让他们的友谊更加深厚，并激励他们在生活中寻找更多可能性。En: The adventure in the Zijincheng deepened their friendship and inspired them to seek more possibilities in life. Vocabulary Words:snowflakes: 雪花brick-red: 砖红色rooftops: 屋顶magnificent: 壮丽的curiosity: 好奇心pondering: 思考distinguish: 脱颖而出secretly: 暗中hesitated: 犹豫corridors: 长廊half-closed: 半掩着的icicles: 冰晶extraordinarily: 格外admiration: 崇拜heartbeat: 心跳tacitly: 心照不宣地exploration: 探索confidence: 自信possibilities: 可能性adventure: 冒险whispered: 悄悄地说glance: 对视gratitude: 感激starting point: 起点fascinating: 有趣separated: 脱离discover: 发现courtyard: 庭院branches: 树枝sparkling: 闪烁

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Unearthed Secrets: A Journey Through Time in Zijincheng Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-12-02-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 冬天的清晨，紫禁城被一层淡淡的雾气笼罩。En: On a winter morning, the Zijincheng was shrouded in a light layer of mist.Zh: 漫步在宏伟的宫殿间，莲心中充满了好奇。En: As Lian strolled among the magnificent palaces, her heart was filled with curiosity.Zh: 莲是一名历史学的学生，特别迷恋古代文物。En: Lian is a student of history, particularly fascinated by ancient artifacts.Zh: 今天，她和考古学家明约在紫禁城的庭院中汇合。En: Today, she is meeting with archaeologist Mingyue in the courtyard of the Zijincheng.Zh: 对于莲来说，这是一场不同寻常的探险。En: For Lian, this is an extraordinary adventure.Zh: 几天前，他们偶然发现了一张神秘的地图。En: A few days ago, they accidentally discovered a mysterious map.Zh: 地图上描述了一个隐藏的宝物，据说就埋藏在紫禁城的某个角落。En: The map described a hidden treasure, supposedly buried in some corner of the Zijincheng.Zh: 莲兴奋地想要揭开这个秘密，她总觉得这个宝物能为她的身份寻根溯源。En: Lian was excited to uncover the secret, feeling that this treasure might trace the roots of her identity.Zh: 然而，明对此持怀疑态度，认为地图可能不可信，而且关于守护灵的传说更是无稽之谈。En: However, Ming was skeptical, believing the map might not be credible, and the legends of guardian spirits were nonsense.Zh: “可这地图是不完整的。”明拿着地图说。En: "But this map is incomplete," Ming said, holding the map.Zh: 他脸上露出几分担忧，“你不觉得这太冒险了吗？”En: His face showed a hint of worry, "Don't you think this is too risky?"Zh: 莲坚定地说：“我们必须试一试。也许这是一生一次的机会。”En: Lian replied firmly, "We must try. Perhaps this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."Zh: 于是，两人开始沿着地图上的指引前进。En: Thus, the two began to follow the directions on the map.Zh: 冷风吹拂，紫禁城的庭院中静得出奇，仿佛在等待着什么。En: The cold wind blew, and the courtyard of the Zijincheng was unusually quiet, as if waiting for something.Zh: 随着越往前，路径变得越来越难辨。En: As they progressed, the path became increasingly indistinct.Zh: 莲拉紧她的围巾，对明轻声说：“就快到了。”En: Lian tightened her scarf and softly said to Ming, "We're almost there."Zh: 沿途，他们开始感到一种难以名状的压力，就像被某种无形的力量监视。En: Along the way, they began to feel an indescribable pressure, as if being watched by some invisible force.Zh: 突然，空气中响起了奇异的声音，树叶无风自响。En: Suddenly, strange sounds filled the air, and the leaves rustled without wind.Zh: 莲和明心中都涌起了一阵恐惧。En: Both Lian and Ming felt a surge of fear.Zh: “也许传说是真的？”明不再那么坚定。En: "Perhaps the legends are true?" Ming was no longer so steadfast.Zh: 他开始有些动摇。En: He started to waver.Zh: 但莲没有放弃。En: But Lian did not give up.Zh: 她感受到使命感的驱动，继续朝前走。En: Driven by a sense of mission, she continued walking forward.Zh: 不远处，一扇隐蔽的门出现在她的视野中。En: Not far away, a concealed door appeared in her sight.Zh: 两人对视一眼，默契地走上前去，推开那扇看似普通的门。En: They exchanged a glance and stepped forward in unison, pushing open what seemed like an ordinary door.Zh: 他们进入了一个小小的密室，映入眼帘的不是宝物，而是一段刻在石板上的信息。En: They entered a small secret chamber, where they were greeted not by treasure but by an inscription on a stone slab.Zh: 文字简单，却充满力量：“遗产重于金银，守护胜于占有。”En: The words were simple yet powerful: "Legacy is weightier than gold and silver, protection surpasses possession."Zh: 虽然没有找到预期中的宝物，莲却从中领悟到了更深刻的道理。En: Although they did not find the treasure they anticipated, Lian gained a deeper understanding.Zh: 她转向明，微笑着说：“有些秘密是属于过去的，值得我们去保护，而非占有。”En: She turned to Ming and said with a smile, "Some secrets belong to the past and are worth protecting, not possessing."Zh: 明点头，同意地说道：“历史的分量在于保存，而不是探寻。En: Ming nodded in agreement and said, "The significance of history lies in preservation, not exploration.Zh: 我们都学到了宝贵的一课。”En: We have both learned a valuable lesson."Zh: 走出密室，雾气渐渐散去，阳光重新洒在紫禁城壮丽的屋檐上。En: As they walked out of the secret chamber, the mist gradually dissipated, and the sunlight once again shone on the magnificent eaves of the Zijincheng.Zh: 莲与明在这一刻都明白了，守护历史才是最珍贵的宝藏。En: At that moment, both Lian and Ming understood that safeguarding history is the most precious treasure. Vocabulary Words:shrouded: 笼罩curiosity: 好奇magnificent: 宏伟artifacts: 文物extraordinary: 不同寻常accidentally: 偶然mysterious: 神秘treasure: 宝物skeptical: 怀疑credible: 可信legend: 传说guardian spirit: 守护灵incomplete: 不完整opportunity: 机会unusual: 出奇indistinct: 难辨scarf: 围巾indescribable: 难以名状pressure: 压力invisible: 无形concealed: 隐蔽inscription: 刻legacy: 遗产possession: 占有significance: 分量preservation: 保存exploration: 探寻gradually: 渐渐magnificent eaves: 壮丽的屋檐safeguarding: 守护

The Men Who Killed The News (Book)My Substack (Subscribe)* Consider leaving a review on Apple or Spotify * (nothing does more to help grow the show)---Eric Beecher is a veteran journalist, editor and entrepreneur whose experienced first hand the dramatic evolution of the previous 40 years of media. From broadsheet's to TV to the internet to facebook, podcasts, now AI. Eric has been across all these, both an employee and employer as the business models were repeatedly shaken and recast. And he asks, what is the cumulative damage when owners of journalism place profits and power over civic responsibility and decency. That book is called, ‘The Men Who Killed The News' and series a history of media moguldom, the perennial story of power and influence chipping away ever so gradually, the role good journalism esteems in helping us make sense of the world. It's not nostalgia for the good old days, but rather an attempt to understand how we got here, and whether there is anything that can be done about it.Eric was formerly the youngest editor at the Sydney Morning Herald before being recruited by Murdoch himself to run at the time, his latest media acquisition, before resigning sighting ethical differences. Eric runs today alongside his colleagues, Crikey, The Mandarin and SmartCompany. Eric is a major architect of modern Australian independent media, and it is my pleasure to welcome him to the podcast. 

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Secrets of the Forbidden City Revealed by Young Adventurers Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-12-01-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 紫禁城的秋风轻轻吹拂，金黄的屋顶在阳光下闪烁着耀眼的光芒。En: The autumn breeze softly brushed through the Zijin Cheng, the Forbidden City, as the golden roofs shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight.Zh: 紫涵和美玲，两个好朋友，跟随学校旅游团，一起踏入了这个宏伟的古老皇宫。En: Zihan and Meiling, two good friends, followed the school tour group and stepped into this magnificent ancient palace together.Zh: 紫涵充满期待地四下张望，他对历史充满浓厚的兴趣，总想找到一些不为人知的秘密来惊艳他的历史老师和同学。En: Zihan looked around full of expectation; he had a deep interest in history and always wanted to find some unknown secrets to impress his history teacher and classmates.Zh: 相比之下，美玲更享受与朋友们的嬉笑玩耍。En: In contrast, Meiling enjoyed laughing and playing with friends more.Zh: 她走在紫涵身边，手握相机，不时停下来与同学合影。En: She walked beside Zihan, holding a camera, and frequently stopped to take photos with classmates.Zh: "紫涵，你看，前面有一家很特别的纪念品店！"美玲兴奋地指着前方，她拉着紫涵的手，想要过去看看。En: "Zihan, look, there's a very special souvenir shop ahead!" Meiling excitedly pointed forward, pulling Zihan's hand, eager to go and see.Zh: 紫涵却显得有些犹豫，他心中依然惦记着他的历史探险计划。En: However, Zihan appeared a bit hesitant, his mind still preoccupied with his historical exploration plan.Zh: "美玲，我想去那边的安静角落看看。或许能发现什么特别的东西呢。”紫涵指了指一处鲜有人至的角落。En: "Meiling, I want to check out that quiet corner over there. Maybe I'll discover something special." Zihan pointed to a scarcely visited corner.Zh: 美玲噘了噘嘴，但还是理解地点了点头，“好吧，不过你可要快点，我还想去那边的凉亭小歇一会儿呢。”En: Meiling pouted but understandingly nodded, "Alright, but hurry up, I still want to rest for a while at the pavilion over there."Zh: 紫涵走向那片静谧之地，他仔细观察着屋檐上的雕刻和墙上的图案。En: Zihan headed towards the tranquil area, carefully observing the carvings on the eaves and the patterns on the walls.Zh: 他突然注意到一位坐在角落里的老先生，手中捧着一本泛黄的书。En: He suddenly noticed an elderly gentleman sitting in the corner, holding a yellowed book.Zh: "您好，您在看什么？"紫涵好奇地问。En: "Hello, what are you reading?" Zihan asked curiously.Zh: 老先生抬起头来，微微一笑，“孩子，你对这里感兴趣吗？让我来告诉你一个秘密。En: The old gentleman looked up, smiling slightly, "Child, are you interested in this place? Let me tell you a secret.Zh: 在这片宫墙后，其实有一个隐藏的密室，曾经是皇帝秘密会面的地方。”En: Behind these palace walls, there's actually a hidden chamber which used to be where the emperor held secret meetings."Zh: 紫涵听得目瞪口呆，这个信息正是他想要的。En: Zihan listened, dumbfounded—this information was exactly what he was looking for.Zh: 他飞快地将这一消息记录下来，然后兴冲冲地跑回到美玲和大家身边。En: He quickly jotted down the news and then eagerly ran back to Meiling and everyone else.Zh: “大家，我有一个惊人的发现！”紫涵大声说道，随后把关于密室的故事讲给大家听。En: "Everyone, I have an amazing discovery!" Zihan exclaimed loudly, and then told the story about the secret chamber.Zh: 朋友们听得入神，连老师都对紫涵刮目相看。En: His friends listened intently, and even the teacher looked at Zihan with new respect.Zh: “紫涵，你真厉害！”美玲对紫涵竖起大拇指，表示赞许。En: "Zihan, you're amazing!" Meiling gave him a thumbs-up to show her praise.Zh: 虽然她更喜欢拍照玩耍，但她也知道紫涵的发现有多么难得。En: Although she preferred taking photos and playing, she also recognized how rare Zihan's find was.Zh: 经过这次经历，紫涵对自己的兴趣更加充满信心，并学会了如何在追求历史知识与享受友谊之间找到平衡。En: After this experience, Zihan felt more confident about his interests and learned how to balance the pursuit of historical knowledge with enjoying friendships.Zh: 而美玲呢，也开始对这些古迹产生浓厚的兴趣，理解了教育体验的真正价值。En: As for Meiling, she also began to develop a strong interest in these ancient sites, understanding the true value of educational experiences.Zh: 在夕阳的余晖下，他们逐渐离开紫禁城，那金色的宫墙悄悄地陪伴着两个年轻人的成长与领悟。En: Under the afterglow of the sunset, they gradually left the Forbidden City, with the golden palace walls quietly accompanying the growth and understanding of these two young individuals. Vocabulary Words:breeze: 秋风shimmered: 闪烁magnificent: 宏伟expectation: 期待unknown: 不为人知impress: 惊艳contrast: 相比之下souvenir: 纪念品preoccupied: 惦记tranquil: 静谧carvings: 雕刻eaves: 屋檐elderly: 老yellowed: 泛黄secret: 秘密dumbfounded: 目瞪口呆discovery: 发现thumbs-up: 竖起大拇指balance: 平衡pursuit: 追求value: 价值afterglow: 余晖accompanying: 陪伴growth: 成长understanding: 领悟palace: 皇宫ancient: 古老frequently: 不时curious: 好奇jotted: 记录

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Li Yang's Voice: Courage and Change at the Climate Summit Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-12-01-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 北京的冬天寒冷而迷人，街道上挂满了节日的灯饰，雪花轻轻地飘落，给这个繁忙的城市增添了一丝宁静。En: The winter in Beijing is cold yet enchanting, with streets adorned with festive lights, as snowflakes gently fall, adding a touch of tranquility to this bustling city.Zh: 此时，国际气候变化高峰论坛正在一座宏伟的礼堂内举行，来自世界各地的代表们齐聚一堂。En: At this time, the International Climate Change Summit is being held in a grand hall, gathering delegates from around the world.Zh: 礼堂里，一场学校间的演讲比赛即将开始。En: In the hall, an inter-school speech competition is about to begin.Zh: 李阳，一位高中三年级的学生，站在后台，心中忐忑不安。En: Li Yang, a senior high school student, stands backstage, filled with nervousness.Zh: 她对环境保护充满热情，但面对大场合的演讲，她却总是感到不安。En: She is passionate about environmental protection, but when it comes to speaking in large venues, she always feels uneasy.Zh: 台下，是来自世界各地的权威和专家，气氛紧张而严肃。En: In the audience are authorities and experts from all over the world; the atmosphere is tense and serious.Zh: 身边的梅, 她的搭档，显得格外沉着自信。En: Beside her is Mei, her partner, who appears exceptionally calm and confident.Zh: 梅热爱舞台，从不害怕聚光灯的瞩目。En: Mei loves the stage and is never afraid of the spotlight.Zh: 而对李阳来说，仅仅站在这样的大舞台上，便已需要克服巨大的心理障碍。En: For Li Yang, just standing on such a large stage requires overcoming a huge psychological barrier.Zh: 比赛即将开始，梅微笑着对李阳说：“别担心，我们会做得很棒的。En: As the competition is about to start, Mei smiles and says to Li Yang, "Don't worry, we're going to do great."Zh: ”然而，李阳却不愿在此刻退缩。En: However, Li Yang is not willing to back down at this moment.Zh: 她点点头，心中默默决定：她也要站在舞台上，展现她对环保的热情。En: She nods, silently deciding in her heart: she too will stand on stage and demonstrate her passion for environmental protection.Zh: 轮到他们的时候，李阳和梅走上了舞台。En: When it's their turn, Li Yang and Mei walk onto the stage.Zh: 礼堂内一片寂静，所有的目光都聚集在她们身上。En: The hall falls silent, all eyes are on them.Zh: 李阳深吸一口气，开始了她的部分。En: Li Yang takes a deep breath and begins her part.Zh: 开头她有些结巴，但随着她的讲述深入，她的热忱逐渐战胜了恐惧。En: She starts with a bit of a stammer, but as she delves deeper into her story, her enthusiasm gradually overcomes her fear.Zh: 她谈到地球的未来，谈到年轻一代的责任，声音越来越坚定。En: She speaks about the future of the Earth, about the responsibility of the younger generation, and her voice grows more firm.Zh: 她动情地描述了自己对自然的热爱，以及希望通过行动改变世界的愿望。En: She passionately describes her love for nature and her wish to change the world through action.Zh: 每一个字都深深感染了现场的听众。En: Every word deeply moves the audience.Zh: 演讲结束，礼堂陷入了短暂的沉默，接着爆发出雷鸣般的掌声。En: When the speech concludes, the hall falls into a brief silence, followed by a thunderous applause.Zh: 李阳和梅微笑着离开舞台，她们的努力得到了认可。En: Li Yang and Mei leave the stage smiling, their efforts recognized.Zh: 李阳甚至收到了知名环境倡导者的个人赞誉，这让她倍感自豪。En: Li Yang even receives personal praise from a renowned environmental advocate, which makes her feel immensely proud.Zh: 此次演讲，不仅让学校在环保议题上崭露头角，也让李阳发现了自己声音的力量。En: This speech not only showcased the school in the field of environmental topics but also allowed Li Yang to discover the power of her own voice.Zh: 她知道，那些曾经让她恐惧的东西，如今变成了她迈向改变的动力。En: She realized that the things that once filled her with fear have now become her motivation to drive change.Zh: 此时，北京夜色降临，落雪为城市增添了一层银色的薄被。En: At this moment, night falls over Beijing, and the falling snow adds a silver blanket to the city.Zh: 李阳走在街头，心中充满了温暖和希望。En: Li Yang walks through the streets, her heart filled with warmth and hope.Zh: 无论前路多坎坷，她已经下定决心，要成为一个为环境发声的人。En: No matter how challenging the road ahead might be, she is determined to be a voice for the environment. Vocabulary Words:enchanting: 迷人adorned: 挂满snowflakes: 雪花tranquility: 宁静bustling: 繁忙delegates: 代表nervousness: 忐忑不安authority: 权威expert: 专家tense: 紧张barrier: 障碍stammer: 结巴firm: 坚定advocate: 倡导者praise: 赞誉immensely: 倍感showcase: 崭露头角motivation: 动力determined: 下定决心grand: 宏伟passionate: 热情psychological: 心理spotlight: 聚光灯concludes: 结束thunderous: 雷鸣般renowned: 知名hall: 礼堂generation: 一代delve: 深入overcomes: 战胜

Mandarin Program with Jimmy and Linda - Her Quiet Strength - 1st December 2025 by 98.5 ONE FM

Today's Episode:Discover how a young woman from the UK fell head-over-heels for Chinese food and became one of its greatest storytellers. In this episode, meet Fuchsia Dunlop — the first foreigner to train at a Sichuan chef school, and explore her delicious journey into Chinese cuisine.Membership Preview:Discover China's breakfast culture with next MaoMi Chinese+ episode! From hot, filling meals in the north to soft, light dishes in the south, and unique local specialties in every city. Learn about morning markets, local traditions, and the warmth of a Chinese morning.Support MaoMi & Get exclusive   to premium content!https://www.buzzsprout.com/1426696/subscribe ↗️Transcript and translations are available on https://maomichinese.comInterested in any topics? Leave me a message on: https://maomichinese.com or https://www.instagram.com/maomichinese/?hl=en*Please note that Spotify does not support the membership program.Text me what you think :)Support the show

Chinese characters are beautiful and fascinating, but learning to write them by hand is time-consuming. If you want to learn to write Chinese characters by hand with the least possible time investment, what's the best approach?#learnchinese #characters #hanzi #handwriting #strategyA minimum-effort approach to writing Chinese characters by hand: https://www.hackingchinese.com/a-minimum-effort-approach-to-writing-chinese-characters-by-handThe building blocks of Chinese, part 1: Chinese characters and words in a nutshell: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-building-blocks-of-chinese-part-1-chinese-characters-and-words-in-a-nutshellMy best advice on how to learn Chinese characters: https://www.hackingchinese.com/my-best-advice-on-how-to-learn-chinese-characters16 reasons to learn to write Chinese characters by hand: https://www.hackingchinese.com/reasons-to-learn-to-write-chinese-characters-by-handDo you have to learn to write Chinese characters by hand? https://www.hackingchinese.com/is-it-necessary-to-learn-to-write-chinese-characters-by-handHow to improve your Chinese handwriting: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-improve-your-chinese-handwritingAn introduction to extensive reading for Chinese learners: https://www.hackingchinese.com/introduction-extensive-reading-chinese-learnersWhat to read to improve your Chinese and why: https://www.hackingchinese.com/what-to-read-to-improve-your-chinese-and-whyLearning to pronounce Mandarin with Pinyin, Zhuyin and IPA: Part 1: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-to-pronounce-mandarin-with-pinyin-zhuyin-and-ipa-part-1How to learn Zhuyin (Bopomofo) in two hours: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-learn-zhuyin-bopomofo-in-two-hoursPhonetic components, part 1: The key to 80% of all Chinese characters: http://www.hackingchinese.com/phonetic-components-part-1-the-key-to-80-of-all-chinese-charactersSpaced repetition software and why you should use it: http://www.hackingchinese.com/an-introduction-to-spaced-repetition-softwareSkritter review: Boosting your Chinese character learning: http://www.hackingchinese.com/boosting-your-character-learning-with-skritterLearning to write Chinese characters through communication: http://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-to-write-chinese-characters-through-communicationReal communication: What it is, why you want it and how to get it: https://www.hackingchinese.com/real-communication-what-it-is-why-you-want-it-and-how-to-get-itMore information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found at https://www.hackingchinese.comMusic: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: From Tension to Triumph: An Office Team's Revival Story Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-30-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在秋天的某个早晨，公司办公室的玻璃墙上反射着城市的晨光。En: On a certain autumn morning, the glass walls of the company's office reflected the city's morning light.Zh: 员工们一边忙着手中的工作，一边不时地讨论着一个对公司未来至关重要的项目。En: The employees were busy with their work while occasionally discussing a project critical to the company's future.Zh: 这个项目的成功与否，直接关系到连和伟两人的职业生涯。En: The success or failure of this project directly affected the careers of both Lian and Wei.Zh: 连是这个项目的项目经理，En: Lian is the project manager for this project.Zh: 她是一个追求完美的人，希望通过这次项目能获得晋升。En: She is a perfectionist, hoping to earn a promotion through this project.Zh: 伟是团队的领队，他更看重团队的协调与每一个成员的贡献。En: Wei is the team leader, and he values team coordination and each member's contribution more.Zh: 两人的目标虽然不同，但都希望这个项目能够顺利完成。En: Although their goals are different, both hope this project will be completed smoothly.Zh: 一天，团队收到一个坏消息。En: One day, the team received bad news.Zh: 负责供应的供应商没有按时交货，这会严重影响项目的进度。En: The supplier responsible for supplies did not deliver on time, which would severely affect the project timeline.Zh: 连感到前所未有的压力，她开始事无巨细地管理每一个细节，这让团队成员们感到疲惫。En: Lian felt unprecedented pressure and began to manage every detail meticulously, leaving the team members exhausted.Zh: 伟看在眼里，他认为现阶段需要寻找新的解决方案，而不是纠结于细节。En: Wei noticed this and believed that it was necessary to find new solutions at this stage, rather than being bogged down with details.Zh: 伟决定和连沟通。En: Wei decided to communicate with Lian.Zh: “连，我知道你为了项目付出了很多。En: “Lian, I know you've put a lot into this project.Zh: 但现在是时候考虑新的方案了。” 伟说道。En: But now it's time to consider new solutions,” Wei said.Zh: 他建议联系其他供应商，或尝试寻找替代材料。En: He suggested contacting other suppliers or trying to find alternative materials.Zh: 连犹豫不决。En: Lian was indecisive.Zh: 她知道如果不改变计划，可能会错过截止日期。En: She knew that if they didn't change the plan, they might miss the deadline.Zh: 但是改变计划，意味着会有更大的未知风险。En: But changing the plan meant greater unknown risks.Zh: “我们能做到吗？”连问伟。En: "Can we do it?" Lian asked Wei.Zh: 伟坚定地看着她，“我们是一个团队，一定能成功的。”En: Wei looked at her firmly, “We are a team, and we will definitely succeed.”Zh: 连最终下定决心，选择相信伟的提议。En: Lian finally made up her mind and chose to trust Wei's proposal.Zh: 她允许团队以新的方式开展工作。En: She allowed the team to work in a new way.Zh: 随着截止日期越来越近，整个办公室的气氛愈加紧张。En: As the deadline approached, the atmosphere in the office grew increasingly tense.Zh: 但在伟的带领下，团队成员们齐心协力，终于在最后时刻完成了项目。En: But under Wei's leadership, the team members worked together and finally completed the project at the last moment.Zh: 上级对这个结果非常满意，并给予了连和伟高度的评价。En: The higher-ups were very satisfied with the result and gave Lian and Wei high praise.Zh: 连意识到，合作和信任往往比个人追求更重要。En: Lian realized that cooperation and trust are often more important than personal pursuits.Zh: 她学会了倾听自己的团队，并在随后的工作中，变得更加开放。En: She learned to listen to her team and became more open in subsequent work.Zh: 秋天的阳光依旧温暖，办公室里的员工们也重新展现出活力。En: The autumn sunlight remained warm, and the employees in the office regained their vitality.Zh: 对于连和伟来说，这不只是一个项目的结束，而是一个新开始。En: For Lian and Wei, this was not just the end of a project, but a new beginning.Zh: 未来，他们将一起继续创造属于他们的辉煌。En: In the future, they will continue to create brilliance that belongs to them together. Vocabulary Words:autumn: 秋天reflected: 反射perfectionist: 追求完美的人promotion: 晋升coordination: 协调contribution: 贡献supplier: 供应商timeline: 进度meticulously: 事无巨细地exhausted: 疲惫alternatives: 替代材料indecisive: 犹豫不决deadline: 截止日期proposal: 提议tensive: 紧张atmosphere: 气氛praise: 评价realized: 意识到cooperation: 合作trust: 信任pursuits: 追求subsequent: 随后的remained: 依旧vitality: 活力careers: 职业生涯smoothly: 顺利unprecedented: 前所未有firmly: 坚定地allocated: 分配brilliance: 辉煌

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Overcoming Fears: Lina's Brave Leap for Career Success Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-30-08-38-19-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 办公室里，一片节日气氛。En: The office was filled with a festive atmosphere.Zh: 温暖的灯光中，圣诞树上挂满了彩色的灯泡和金色的小铃铛。En: In the warm lighting, the Christmas tree was adorned with colorful lights and golden little bells.Zh: 每个角落都洋溢着节日的喜庆。En: Every corner was brimming with the joy of the holiday.Zh: 而窗外，寒冷的秋末冬初风轻轻吹拂。En: Outside the window, a cold late autumn, early winter breeze blew gently.Zh: 这天，公司举办圣诞节派对。En: On this day, the company was holding a Christmas party.Zh: 作为一名尽职却内向的初级经理，丽娜走进装饰得焕然一新的办公室，内心忐忑不安。En: As a diligent but introverted junior manager, Lina walked into the newly decorated office, feeling nervous inside.Zh: 她希望能在今天的派对上吸引到陈经理的注意，争取到升职的机会，但她一直挣扎于自己的社交恐惧。En: She hoped to catch Chen manager's attention at today's party and strive for a promotion opportunity, but she constantly struggled with her social anxiety.Zh: 丽娜的同事，小魏，正在热情地与其他同事交谈，似乎浑身充满了活力和自信。En: Lina's colleague, Xiao Wei, was enthusiastically chatting with other colleagues, seemingly full of energy and confidence.Zh: 小魏注意到了站在一旁不知所措的丽娜，鼓励她：“没关系，丽娜，今天是个好机会，你要抓住机会自我表现。”En: Xiao Wei noticed Lina standing awkwardly on the side and encouraged her, “It's okay, Lina. Today is a good opportunity; you should seize the chance to express yourself.”Zh: 丽娜点了点头，但心里依旧不安。En: Lina nodded, but she was still anxious inside.Zh: 终于，礼物交换环节开始了。En: Finally, the gift exchange segment began.Zh: 秘书将一个精美的礼物递给丽娜，里面是一条手工围巾。En: The secretary handed Lina a delicate gift, which contained a handmade scarf.Zh: 丽娜轻声道谢，但她注意到，陈经理也在看着这边。En: Lina softly thanked them but noticed that Manager Chen was also looking in this direction.Zh: 献礼时间到了，丽娜做了一个深呼吸，决定迎接挑战。En: The time came for gift presentations, and Lina took a deep breath, deciding to face the challenge.Zh: 她拿着礼物，尽量自然地走到了不远处的陈经理面前。En: She held the gift and walked as naturally as possible towards Manager Chen.Zh: 陈经理微笑地看着她，似乎在等待她的发言。En: Manager Chen smiled at her, seemingly expecting her to speak.Zh: 丽娜清了清嗓子，声音微微颤抖地说：“陈经理，感谢您一直以来的指导和帮助。En: Lina cleared her throat and, with a slightly trembling voice, said, “Manager Chen, thank you for your guidance and support all this time.Zh: 我也想借此机会感谢我的团队，感谢所有的支持和鼓励。En: I also want to take this opportunity to thank my team and everyone for their support and encouragement.Zh: 我希望能有更多的机会为公司贡献。”En: I hope to have more opportunities to contribute to the company.”Zh: 陈经理被丽娜的勇气打动，认真的回声：“你的表现和努力我都看在眼里，En: Manager Chen was moved by Lina's courage and sincerely responded, “I have noticed your performance and effort.Zh: 改天我们找时间聊聊你在公司的未来。”En: Let's find some time to talk about your future in the company soon.”Zh: 丽娜惊喜地笑了，心中充满了说不出的欣喜和满足。En: Lina smiled with surprise, her heart filled with indescribable joy and satisfaction.Zh: 原来，只要踏出那一小步，她可以克服恐惧，勇敢去争取想要的东西。En: It turns out that with just a small step forward, she could overcome her fear and bravely strive for what she wanted.Zh: 派对上，气氛愈发欢快。En: At the party, the atmosphere became increasingly joyful.Zh: 丽娜心中不再胆怯，取而代之的是一种全新的自信。En: No longer timid, Lina felt a new sense of confidence.Zh: 这次经历让她明白，她的能力和努力值得被关注和认可。En: This experience taught her that her abilities and efforts deserve attention and recognition.Zh: 不远处，小魏给了她一个鼓励的眼神，丽娜感激地回以笑容。En: Not far away, Xiao Wei gave her an encouraging look, and Lina gratefully returned the smile.Zh: 窗外寒风依旧，但办公室里已是暖意融融。En: The cold wind still blew outside, but inside the office, warmth prevailed.Zh: 丽娜感受到一种全新的节日氛围，她知道，未来一切都会越来越好。En: Lina felt a brand-new holiday atmosphere, knowing that everything in the future would only get better. Vocabulary Words:festive: 节日atmosphere: 气氛adorned: 挂满breeze: 风diligent: 尽职introverted: 内向nervous: 忐忑不安promotion: 升职anxiety: 恐惧enthusiastically: 热情地confident: 自信awkwardly: 不知所措seize: 抓住delicate: 精美trembling: 颤抖guidance: 指导satisfaction: 满足timid: 胆怯recognition: 认可prevail: 融融contribute: 贡献opportunity: 机会support: 支持encouragement: 鼓励overcome: 克服enthusiasm: 欢快fear: 恐惧challenge: 挑战attention: 关注joyful: 喜庆

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Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Unveiling The Enigmatic Autumn Melody of Xiangshan Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-29-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在香山的一个秋天傍晚，树叶在微风中轻轻摇曳。En: On an autumn evening at Xiangshan, the leaves gently swayed in the breeze.Zh: 香山因其美丽的秋景闻名，各种红色和金色的叶子绘成一个令人目眩的画布。En: Xiangshan is renowned for its beautiful autumn scenery, with various shades of red and gold leaves painting a dazzling canvas.Zh: 然而，有一样东西在这个秋天的傍晚让这里更为不平凡——一个神秘的曲调在每个黄昏时回荡。En: However, there was something that made this autumn evening even more extraordinary—a mysterious melody echoed every dusk.Zh: 莲是一位孤独的音乐家，他常常来香山寻找灵感。En: Lian was a solitary musician who often came to Xiangshan seeking inspiration.Zh: 莲有一个秘密，他在秋天失去了一个心爱的人，这段记忆总是让他心痛。En: Lian had a secret; he had lost a beloved person in autumn, a memory that always pained him.Zh: 每当这股旋律响起，莲仿佛又回到了过去。En: Whenever this melody played, Lian felt as though he was transported back in time.Zh: 他心中涌起的情感如潮水般不可阻挡。En: The emotions surged within him like an unstoppable tide.Zh: 他觉得这曲调或许能帮他与逝去的爱人建立一种联系。En: He thought perhaps this melody could help him establish a connection with his departed lover.Zh: 可是，莲每次试图追寻这旋律的源头时，它仿佛总是离他而去。En: Yet, every time Lian tried to locate the source of the melody, it seemed to elude him.Zh: 旋律时隐时现，像是故意引导他去某个地方。En: The melody appeared and disappeared, as if deliberately leading him somewhere.Zh: 莲决定不放弃，于是他开始跟随这浪漫却又神秘的曲调，不惜把日常责任抛在脑后。En: Lian decided not to give up, so he began to follow the romantic yet mysterious melody, even at the cost of abandoning his daily responsibilities.Zh: 一个傍晚，莲再次被旋律吸引，走得比往常更远。En: One evening, Lian was once again drawn by the melody and ventured farther than usual.Zh: 他踏入一片隐秘的空地，黄昏的光芒将这片空地映照得金黄色。En: He stepped into a hidden clearing, the twilight cast a golden hue over the area.Zh: 空地中央有一棵孤独的柳树，旋律似乎从那里传出。En: In the center of the clearing stood a solitary willow tree, and the melody seemed to emanate from there.Zh: 莲走近树，发现树干上刻着一行文字，是多年前那位心上人留下的。En: Lian approached the tree and discovered an inscription on the trunk, left by his beloved years ago.Zh: 树下放着一只手工雕刻的木笛，原来旋律是风穿过笛孔时发出的。En: Beneath the tree lay a hand-carved wooden flute; it turned out the melody was produced by the wind passing through the flute's holes.Zh: 莲心里充满了温暖。En: Lian felt warmth fill his heart.Zh: 虽然过往的岁月不能重来，但他知道这旋律是爱人留给他的礼物。En: Although the past years could not return, he knew the melody was a gift left by his love.Zh: 莲静静地坐在树下，手指轻轻抚摸着笛子，怀念转化为安慰。En: Lian sat quietly beneath the tree, gently caressing the flute with his fingers, his nostalgia transforming into solace.Zh: 那个旋律不再是心痛的呼唤，而是美好回忆的馈赠。En: The melody was no longer a painful call but a gift of beautiful memories.Zh: 莲明白了，重要的不是执着于过去，而是珍惜现在拥有的点滴瞬间。En: Lian understood that the important thing was not to cling to the past but to cherish the fleeting moments of the present.Zh: 香山的秋天依旧美丽，而莲心中的旋律更加和谐。En: The autumn at Xiangshan was as beautiful as ever, and the melody in Lian's heart became even more harmonious.Zh: 他微笑着，仿佛手握住了过去，与现在握手言和。En: He smiled, as if grasping the past and making peace with the present. Vocabulary Words:solitary: 孤独的swayed: 摇曳breeze: 微风renowned: 闻名scenery: 景dazzling: 目眩extraordinary: 不平凡mysterious: 神秘的melody: 旋律echoed: 回荡inspiration: 灵感memory: 记忆emotions: 情感surged: 涌起interim: 暂时的elude: 使无法得到harmonious: 和谐venture: 冒险clearing: 空地discovery: 发现inscription: 刻字trunk: 树干emanate: 发出caressing: 抚摸nostalgia: 怀念solace: 安慰cherish: 珍惜fleeting: 稍纵即逝kaleidoscope: 万花筒grasping: 抓住

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Unearthing Secrets: An Adventure in the Forgotten Bunker Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-28-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 秋天的一个下午，李华、金海和美琳跟随学校一起参观一个旧地下掩体。En: One autumn afternoon, Lihua, Jinhai, and Meilin followed the school on a tour of an old underground bunker.Zh: 这里是一片历史悠久的地方，地面上是金色的落叶，轻轻飘落在他们的脚边。En: This place was steeped in history, with golden fallen leaves gently drifting down at their feet.Zh: 空气中有一丝丝凉意。En: There was a hint of chill in the air.Zh: 李华对历史充满好奇，总是渴望揭开隐藏的故事。En: Lihua was filled with curiosity about history and always eager to uncover hidden stories.Zh: 她兴奋地走在队伍的前面，不时用手电筒照亮那些幽暗的角落。En: She excitedly walked at the front of the group, occasionally using a flashlight to illuminate the dim corners.Zh: 地下掩体是一个迷宫，到处都是昏暗的走廊，冷硬的水泥墙壁使得这里犹如冻结的时间。En: The underground bunker was a maze, with dark corridors everywhere, and the cold, hard concrete walls made it feel like frozen time.Zh: 金海站在李华身旁。En: Jinhai stood beside Lihua.Zh: 他是个好奇又略显鲁莽的同学，喜欢冒险。En: He was a curious yet slightly reckless classmate who loved adventure.Zh: 他不安分地四处张望，寻找刺激。En: Restlessly, he looked around for excitement.Zh: 美琳跟在后面，谨慎小心，担心会出什么麻烦。En: Meilin followed behind, cautious and worried that something might go wrong.Zh: “你们看，这里好像有个封闭的入口。”李华指着一个被摇曳的铁门遮住的角落。En: "Look, there seems to be a closed entrance here," Lihua pointed to a corner blocked by a swaying iron door.Zh: 她心里涌起一种探险的冲动。En: She was filled with a sense of adventure.Zh: 美琳犹豫地说：“但是那里是禁止进入的，我们还是不要进去吧。”En: Meilin hesitated and said, "But it's forbidden to enter there. We'd better not go in."Zh: 李华却不甘心，悄悄地策划着在老师不注意的时候偷偷进去。En: Yet Lihua was not resigned, quietly planning to sneak in when the teacher wasn't paying attention.Zh: 她知道有一个时机——当老师看到一块特别的展品时，总会滔滔不绝地讲解。En: She knew there was a perfect opportunity — when the teacher saw a special exhibit, they would always give a long explanation.Zh: 果然，机会来了。En: Sure enough, the chance came.Zh: 老师正专注于讲述掩体的历史故事，而队伍的注意力也都集中在那里。En: The teacher was engrossed in narrating the history of the bunker, and the group's attention was all focused there.Zh: 李华对金海和美琳使了个眼色，他们迅速溜走。En: Lihua gave a look to Jinhai and Meilin, and they quickly slipped away.Zh: 经过一扇旧门，他们进入了一个封闭的区域。En: Passing through an old door, they entered a sealed-off area.Zh: 这里尘埃弥漫，空气中充满了历史的味道。En: Dust filled the air, laced with the scent of history.Zh: 墙角散落着几件文物，似乎在诉说着曾经的秘密。En: A few artifacts were scattered in the corner, seemingly telling long-lost secrets.Zh: 金海兴奋地拍了拍李华的肩膀，“李华，我们真的找到了一些东西！”En: Jinhai excitedly patted Lihua's shoulder and said, "We really found something, Lihua!"Zh: 然而，随着他们的脚步声变得急促，一声警报忽然响起，刺耳的声音在狭窄的过道中回荡。En: However, as their footsteps quickened, a sudden alarm blared, its piercing sound echoing through the narrow passage.Zh: 瞬间，他们意识到惹了麻烦。En: In an instant, they realized they had gotten into trouble.Zh: 老师和管理员迅速赶来，三人被带回去。En: The teacher and the administrator hurried over, and the three were taken back.Zh: 老师严厉地批评了他们，强调了安全的必要性和遵守规则的重要性。En: The teacher sternly criticized them, emphasizing the need for safety and the importance of following rules.Zh: 李华点点头，她内心感到愧疚。En: Lihua nodded, feeling guilty inside.Zh: 幸运的是，他们发现的文物引起了当地博物馆的重视。En: Fortunately, the artifacts they discovered caught the attention of the local museum.Zh: 经过专家的鉴定，这些是宝贵的历史资料。En: After expert appraisal, they were verified as valuable historical materials.Zh: 小镇的历史被重新书写。En: The town's history was rewritten.Zh: 而李华也从这次冒险中领悟到，探索是好的，但要负责任，敬畏历史。En: From this adventure, Lihua learned that while exploring is good, it must be done responsibly and with respect for history.Zh: 从此，李华对于历史的热情更加强烈，她成了一名认真的历史爱好者。En: Since then, Lihua's passion for history grew even stronger, and she became a serious history enthusiast.Zh: 虽然她经历了一次惊险的旅程，但也学会了在好奇心和责任感中找到平衡，尊重过去，珍惜当下。En: Although she went through a thrilling journey, she also learned to find balance between curiosity and responsibility, respecting the past and cherishing the present. Vocabulary Words:autumn: 秋天bunker: 掩体steeped: 悠久curiosity: 好奇illuminate: 照亮maze: 迷宫corridors: 走廊concrete: 水泥reckless: 鲁莽adventure: 探险swaying: 摇曳exhibit: 展品engrossed: 专注narrating: 讲述sealed: 封闭artifacts: 文物blared: 响起echoing: 回荡sternly: 严厉emphasizing: 强调guilty: 愧疚appraisal: 鉴定verified: 验证historical: 历史的responsibly: 负责任respect: 敬畏enthusiast: 爱好者thrilling: 惊险balance: 平衡cherishing: 珍惜

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Cold War Inside: How a Bunker Drill Built Unbreakable Bonds Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-28-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在北半球的冬季，寒风从地面上呼啸而过，而地下掩体里却安静无声,En: In the winter season of the Northern Hemisphere, cold winds howl across the ground, yet inside the underground bunker, it is silent.Zh: 墙壁厚重，机器嗡嗡作响，屏幕不时闪烁着光.En: The walls are thick, machines hum, and screens occasionally flicker with light.Zh: 这里是李伟的工作场所,En: This is Li Wei's workplace.Zh: 他是一名小心谨慎的掩体技术员，负责应急演习的工作.En: He is a cautious bunker technician responsible for emergency drills.Zh: 他担心着这不稳的世界局势，深怕某天演习会变成现实.En: He worries about the unstable world situation, fearing that one day these drills might become reality.Zh: 今天是演习日，李伟的神经绷得紧紧的，他希望一切都能圆满成功.En: Today is drill day, and Li Wei is on edge, hoping that everything goes smoothly.Zh: 他的同事张敏却对此持怀疑态度.En: His colleague Zhang Min, however, is skeptical.Zh: “这些演习没必要,” 张敏总是说：“浪费时间和精力.”En: "These drills are unnecessary," Zhang Min always says, "a waste of time and energy."Zh: 另一位同事成锐总是显得不够紧张，常常做事漫不经心.En: Another colleague, Cheng Rui, always seems not tense enough, often working carelessly.Zh: 李伟知道，他必须激励团队，向大家证明这次演习的重要性.En: Li Wei knows he must motivate the team and show everyone the importance of this drill.Zh: 于是，李伟制定了详细的计划，给每个人安排了明确的任务.En: So, Li Wei devises a detailed plan, assigning clear tasks to everyone.Zh: 演习开始时，掩体里虽然紧张，但在李伟的指挥下，一步步进行得井井有条.En: When the drill begins, the bunker is tense, but under Li Wei's command, everything proceeds orderly.Zh: 就在那时，突然警报响起，刺耳的声音在密闭的空间里回荡.En: Suddenly, the alarm goes off, its piercing sound echoing in the enclosed space.Zh: 李伟的心猛地一紧，他必须立刻判断，这是真正的威胁，还是设备的故障.En: Li Wei's heart tightens; he must immediately determine if this is a real threat or a system malfunction.Zh: “保持冷静，”他对自己说.En: "Stay calm," he tells himself.Zh: 他冲向主控室，快速分析数据，检查系统是否真的有问题.En: He rushes to the control room, quickly analyzes the data, and checks if the system truly has issues.Zh: 经过一番紧张的排查，李伟发现，这只是一个小小的技术故障.En: After a tense investigation, Li Wei discovers that it is merely a minor technical malfunction.Zh: 警报误响，并没有真实的威胁.En: The alarm was a false alarm, with no actual threat.Zh: 李伟长出了一口气，然后笑着对团队说：“这次我们学到很多，做得很好。”En: Li Wei breathes a sigh of relief and then smiles at the team, saying, "We learned a lot this time, well done."Zh: 在他的带领下，团队成员们更加团结，张敏也不得不承认演习是有意义的.En: Under his leadership, the team members became more united, and even Zhang Min had to admit the drills were meaningful.Zh: 成锐则开始对演习有了更多的责任感.En: Cheng Rui also began to take more responsibility during the drills.Zh: 经过这次事件，李伟不仅对自己的领导能力更有信心，也更能应对突发情况.En: After this incident, Li Wei gained more confidence in his leadership and better prepared for emergencies.Zh: 他的团队也因为这次假警报的事件变得更加紧密，准备好随时应对未来可能的各种挑战.En: His team also became closer due to the false alarm incident, ready to face future challenges.Zh: 地下掩体，依旧安静，却多了一份默契和信任.En: The underground bunker remains silent, but it now holds a deeper sense of camaraderie and trust. Vocabulary Words:howl: 呼啸bunker: 掩体technician: 技术员emergency: 应急drill: 演习unstable: 不稳skeptical: 怀疑motivates: 激励piercing: 刺耳enclosed: 密闭sigh of relief: 长出一口气camaraderie: 默契screens: 屏幕flicker: 闪烁occasionally: 不时hums: 嗡嗡assigning: 安排carelessly: 漫不经心malfunction: 故障investigation: 排查united: 团结significant: 意义responsibility: 责任scenario: 情况confident: 信心task: 任务orderly: 井井有条burden: 负担investigate: 调查determined: 判断

S5E12 The Future of AI in Merchandising & Buying with Noah Herschman and Jeff FishIn Season 5, Episode 12 of The Retail Razor Show, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down with Noah Herschman and Jeff Fish of Intelo.ai to explore how agentic AI is revolutionizing retail merchandising and buying. From the art and science of retail merchandising to the persistent challenges of planning and allocation, this episode dives deep into how collaborative intelligence empowers merchandisers, planners, and buyers to make smarter, faster, and more creative decisions.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Why merchandising is the “hub of the wheel” in retail successThe balance between creativity and analytics in buying decisionsHow agentic AI enhances human judgment without replacing itReal-world examples of AI improving in-season planning and merchandising financial plansWhy spreadsheets aren't going away, but AI agents make them smarterThe future of retail technology and how Agentic AI delivers superpowers to retail merchandisersSubscribe to the Retail Razor Podcast Network: https://retailrazor.com/Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://retailrazor.substack.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTubeAbout our GuestsNoah Herschman. Senior Industry Advisor, Intelo.aiNoah is an ecommerce strategist who's been shaping online retail since the 1990s. He's held leadership roles at Amazon, eBay, and Groupon. As a Microsoft Senior Retail Industry Architect, he has worked with more than 150 global retail & CPG clients. Noah has lived in China for 15 years and fluent in Mandarin, Noah operates out of Hong Kong. He is currently a Senior Industry Advisor for Intelo.aiJeffrey Fish, Co-CEO, Intelo.aiJeffrey Fish Co-Founded the Chatly platform serving global retail & hospitality brands targeting the China market (exited to Salesforce in 2020). He then led Salesforce China in partnership with Alibaba Cloud. Now he's scaling up Intelo's Collaborative Intelligence Agentic Merchandising & Planning Platform.Chapters:00:00 Previews 01:39 Show Intro 04:13 Welcome Noah Herschman & Jeff Fish 04:37 Guest Backgrounds and Expertise 07:33 The Importance of Retail Merchandising 11:41 Challenges and Solutions in Modern Merchandising 16:25 The Role of Agentic AI in Merchandising 23:09 Future of Agentic AI and Merchandising 40:04 Practical Steps for Retailers 41:36 How to Reach Out And Contact 42:10 Show CloseMeet your hosts, helping you cut through the clutter in retail & retail tech:Ricardo Belmar is an NRF Top Retail Voices for 2025 & a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2021 – 2025. Thinkers 360 has named him a Top 10 Retail, & AGI Thought Leader, a Top 50 Management, Transformation, & Careers Thought Leader, a Top 100 Digital Transformation & Agentic AI Thought Leader, plus a Top Digital Voice for 2024 and 2025. He is an advisory council member at George Mason University's Center for Retail Transformation, and the Retail Cloud Alliance. He was most recently the director partner marketing for retail & consumer goods in the Americas at Microsoft.Casey Golden, is CEO of Luxlock, a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert from 2023 - 2025, and a Retail Cloud Allianceadvisory council member. Obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer. After a career on the fashion and supply chain technology side of the business, now slaying franken-stacks and building retail tech! Currently, Casey is the North America Leader for Retail & Consumer Goods at CI&T.Includes music provided by imunobeats.com, featuring Overclocked, and E-Motive from the album Beat Hype, written by Heston Mimms, published by Imuno.

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Facing Fear Together: A Tale of Friendship and Resilience Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-27-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 辽阔的田野医院里，帐篷星罗棋布，护士和医生们忙碌地穿梭其中。En: In the vast field hospital, tents were scattered like stars, with nurses and doctors busily shuttling back and forth.Zh: 空气中弥漫着消毒水的味道，微风轻拂，带来自然的气息与学生们低声谈论的声音。En: The air was filled with the scent of disinfectant, and a gentle breeze brought the fragrance of nature along with the low murmurs of students.Zh: 学校健康检查在蔓延的春意中忙中有序地进行。En: The school's health check was progressing orderly amidst the spreading breath of spring.Zh: 连站在检查队伍的末尾，看着前方等待的同学们，她的心情随着时间的推移变得越来越紧张。En: Lian, standing at the end of the check-up line, watched the students waiting in front with her mood growing increasingly anxious over time.Zh: 其实，连并不害怕看病，但针头却是她心中的阴影。En: Actually, Lian wasn't afraid of seeing the doctor, but needles were her shadowed fear.Zh: 即使在明媚的春光下，她心中的担忧也没有减轻。En: Even under the bright spring light, her worries did not lessen.Zh: 她身边的美琳注意到了连的紧张，轻轻地碰了碰她的肩膀，温柔地说道：“连，不用担心，都会过去的。”En: Meilin, standing next to her, noticed Lian nervousness and gently touched her shoulder, softly saying, "Lian, don't worry, it will all be over soon."Zh: 连扭头微微一笑，点了点头，但内心的不安仍然像蝴蝶一样盘旋不散。En: Lian turned her head with a slight smile and nodded, but the unease in her heart continued to swirl like a butterfly.Zh: 队伍慢慢向前移动，终于轮到连了。En: The line moved slowly forward, and finally, it was Lian turn.Zh: 为了掩饰心中的恐惧，她鼓起勇气，决定第一个上前。En: To disguise her inner fear, she gathered her courage and decided to go first.Zh: “我来第一个！”连坚决地说道，心里想着只要早些结束就能早些解脱。En: "I'll go first!" Lian said resolutely, thinking that the sooner it ended, the sooner she would be relieved.Zh: 护士微笑着示意连坐下，拿出针管。En: The nurse smiled and gestured for Lian to sit down, taking out the syringe.Zh: 连吞咽了一下口水，她的手微微颤抖。En: Lian swallowed hard, her hands trembling slightly.Zh: 这时，美琳轻轻地走到她身边，握住她的手，贴近耳边说：“闭上眼睛，深呼吸，一切都会好起来的。”En: At this moment, Meilin gently walked over, held her hand, and whispered in her ear, "Close your eyes, take a deep breath, everything will be fine."Zh: 听着美琳温柔而坚定的话语，连慢慢闭上眼睛，深深吸了一口气。En: Listening to Meilin gentle yet firm words, Lian slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath.Zh: 当她再次睁开眼睛时，针已经扎完了。En: When she opened her eyes again, the injection was already done.Zh: 连没有哭泣，反而感到一种前所未有的轻松和胜利感。En: Lian did not cry; instead, she felt an unprecedented sense of relief and victory.Zh: 她感激地对美琳笑了笑，“谢谢你，美琳，我做到了。”En: She gratefully smiled at Meilin, "Thank you, Meilin, I did it."Zh: 随着健康检查的结束，连的心中也由忐忑变为踏实。En: With the health check over, Lian heart shifted from anxiety to calm.Zh: 她意识到有时候面对恐惧需要的不是独自承担，而是朋友的支持。En: She realized that sometimes facing fear isn't about bearing it alone, but about having a friend's support.Zh: 通过这次经历，连和美琳之间的友谊更加坚固，她们都知道在彼此的支持下，任何困难都会迎刃而解。En: Through this experience, the friendship between Lian and Meilin grew even stronger, and they both knew that with each other's support, any difficulty could be overcome.Zh: 夕阳西下，田野医院在和煦的春风中渐渐安静下来，而连的心灵也因为收获了一份珍贵的友情而愈加宁静。En: As the sun set and the field hospital gradually quieted down in the warm spring breeze, Lian's heart also became more serene, enriched by the precious friendship she had gained. Vocabulary Words:vast: 辽阔的scattered: 星罗棋布disinfectant: 消毒水fragrance: 气息murmurs: 低声谈论orderly: 忙中有序end: 末尾anxious: 紧张shadowed fear: 阴影unease: 不安swirl: 盘旋disguise: 掩饰courage: 勇气resolutely: 坚决地gestured: 示意swallowed: 吞咽trembling: 颤抖gently: 轻轻地hold: 握住whispered: 贴近耳边说sense of relief: 轻松unprecedented: 前所未有的victory: 胜利感gratefully: 感激地shifted: 变为serene: 宁静enriched: 收获precious: 珍贵的realized: 意识到overcome: 迎刃而解

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Courage Under Pressure: A Nurse's Daring Day in Crisis Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-27-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 李伟抬头，看着灰蒙蒙的天空。En: Li Wei raised her head and looked at the gray sky.Zh: 晚秋的空气冷飕飕，白色帐篷外满地枯黄的落叶随风而动。En: The late autumn air was chilly, and outside the white tents, dried yellow leaves were moving with the wind.Zh: 这个搭建在空地上的临时医院正经历着最忙碌的时刻。En: This temporary hospital set up on an open ground was experiencing its busiest time.Zh: 李伟是这里的护士，工作时长常常超过十二小时。En: Li Wei is a nurse here, and her work hours often exceed twelve hours.Zh: 尽管疲惫，她从不抱怨。En: Despite the exhaustion, she never complains.Zh: 她总是尽力确保每一个病人得到最好的照顾。En: She always tries to ensure that every patient receives the best care.Zh: 这一天，本是个普通的日子。En: This day was supposed to be an ordinary one.Zh: 然而，突然的警报声打破了医院的平静。En: However, a sudden alarm broke the hospital's calm.Zh: 一场严重的车祸发生在不远处，大批的伤员被迅速送往这里。En: A serious car accident occurred not far away, and a large number of injured people were quickly brought here.Zh: 李伟知道，这会成为她职业生涯中最具挑战性的一天。En: Li Wei knew this would become one of the most challenging days of her career.Zh: 李伟与她的同事韩明、张书快速地收拾准备。En: Li Wei, along with her colleagues Han Ming and Zhang Shu, quickly gathered what they needed.Zh: 他们只有有限的药品和设备，但病人却不断增加。En: They only had limited supplies and equipment, but the number of patients was continuously increasing.Zh: 刘伟可以感受到自己的压力在不断增加。En: Li Wei could feel the pressure mounting.Zh: 面对众多伤员，她必须做出选择，决定优先治疗哪些病人。En: Faced with so many injured, she had to make choices and prioritize which patients to treat first.Zh: 随着病床的占满，李伟遇到了一个特别复杂的病例。En: As the beds filled up, Li Wei encountered a particularly complex case.Zh: 一个年轻人伤情严重，立即需要手术。En: A young man was severely injured and needed immediate surgery.Zh: 站在他身边的李伟感到巨大的责任。En: Standing beside him, Li Wei felt an immense responsibility.Zh: 她迅速做出决定，在没有上级医师的情况下开始初步治疗。En: She quickly made the decision to start preliminary treatment without a senior doctor's supervision.Zh: 决定的瞬间，她感到自己的心跳加快。En: In that moment of decision, she felt her heartbeat accelerate.Zh: 帐篷里的灯光闪烁，医护人员忙碌不止，耳边尽是机器的嘀嘀声。En: The lights in the tent flickered, and the medical staff continued to be busy, with the beeping of machines surrounding them.Zh: 李伟沉着地指挥着，手中的操作一刻不停。En: Li Wei calmly directed the team, her hands continuously at work.Zh: 经过几小时的紧张努力，病人的病情终于稳定许多。En: After several hours of tense effort, the patient's condition finally stabilized significantly.Zh: 夜幕降临，寒意渐浓。李伟终于得以稍作停歇。En: As night fell and the cold deepened, Li Wei was finally able to take a brief rest.Zh: 韩明递给她一杯热茶，张书则拍了拍她的肩膀，表示鼓励。En: Han Ming handed her a cup of hot tea, while Zhang Shu patted her on the shoulder in encouragement.Zh: “觉得如何？”韩明问，“有没有想去感恩节聚餐？”En: "How do you feel?" Han Ming asked, "Do you want to attend a Thanksgiving dinner?"Zh: 李伟笑了，疲惫却满足。En: Li Wei smiled, exhausted but satisfied.Zh: “我们今天救了许多人，我想这就是我们最好的庆祝。”她感慨地说。En: "We saved many people today; I think that's our best celebration," she said with emotion.Zh: 尽管累得几乎支撑不住，心里却满是成就感。En: Though she was almost too tired to stand, her heart was full of a sense of achievement.Zh: 她知道，接下来的每一天，她都会更有信心，更相信自己的能力。En: She knew that in the days to come, she would be more confident and have greater faith in her abilities.Zh: 李伟走到帐篷外，让凉爽的风驱散倦意。En: Li Wei walked outside the tent, allowing the cool breeze to dispel her weariness.Zh: 她抬头仰望天星，深吸一口气，准备迎接下一个黎明。En: She looked up at the stars in the sky, took a deep breath, and prepared to welcome the next dawn. Vocabulary Words:chilly: 冷飕飕temporary: 临时hospital: 医院exceed: 超过exhaustion: 疲惫complains: 抱怨alarm: 警报injured: 伤员challenging: 挑战性supplies: 药品equipment: 设备pressure: 压力priority: 优先complex: 复杂surgery: 手术responsibility: 责任preliminary: 初步supervision: 监督flickered: 闪烁stabilized: 稳定encouragement: 鼓励Thanksgiving: 感恩节celebration: 庆祝achievement: 成就感confident: 信心abilities: 能力breeze: 风dawn: 黎明tent: 帐篷career: 职业生涯

We sit down with the brand new Swiss Brewers Cup Champion, Sierra Yeo, just three days after her incredible victory! Sierra shares all the details from one of the most competitive Swiss Brewers Cup in years , her mental preparation strategies , and the intense process of dialing in coffee under pressure.She also reveals the story behind her championship-winning coffee, the unique equipment she used, and, most importantly, the full recipe so you can recreate her brew at home!

The middle-class Chinese custom of having an "ayi" (housekeeper) is one that most foreigners can get on board with right away. With the domestic assistance, however, can come language difficulties. In this lesson, learn some of the most importance Mandarin words relating to cleaning the home. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1503

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Unveiling Arctic Secrets: The Mysterious Stone Discovery Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-26-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 浩瀚的北极苔原上，漫天的积雪与冰冻覆盖了一切。En: On the vast Arctic tundra, snow and ice cover everything in sight.Zh: 这里是一个迷人的地方，虽然寒冷刺骨，但对连和宏来说，这是他们的研究领域。En: It is a fascinating place, bitterly cold, yet for Lian and Hong, this is their research domain.Zh: 在感恩节左右，虽然他们不直接庆祝，但西方文化的影响让他们意识到这是一个确定方向的重要时机。En: Around Thanksgiving, though they don't celebrate it directly, the influence of Western culture has made them realize that this is an important time to set directions.Zh: 连是一名充满好奇心的环境科学家，他热衷于发现自然的奥秘。En: Lian is a curious environmental scientist, passionate about uncovering the mysteries of nature.Zh: 他的助手宏更为务实，有点怀疑连的理论，但仍然愿意支持。En: His assistant, Hong, is more pragmatic and somewhat skeptical of Lian's theories, yet he is still willing to support him.Zh: 他们的任务是调查苔原上一个神秘的地质异常。En: Their mission is to investigate a mysterious geological anomaly on the tundra.Zh: 一天，连在他们的探险中发现了一块奇怪的石头，表面光滑，和周围的地形完全不同。En: One day during their exploration, Lian discovered a strange stone with a smooth surface, completely different from the surrounding terrain.Zh: 连感到这可能是一个重要的发现。En: Lian felt this might be an important discovery.Zh: 他想要揭开这个谜团，但天气严酷，无情的暴风雪使得前进异常困难。En: He wanted to unravel this mystery, but the harsh weather and relentless blizzard made it extremely difficult to proceed.Zh: 宏对此持怀疑态度，觉得或许这只是自然的巧合。En: Hong was skeptical about this, thinking it might just be a natural coincidence.Zh: 然而，连依然坚持要进一步调查。En: Nevertheless, Lian was determined to investigate further.Zh: 他相信直觉，认为这石头背后一定隐藏着某种秘密。En: He trusted his intuition, believing that there must be a secret hidden behind this stone.Zh: 在暴风雪的间隙，他们小心翼翼地继续前行。En: During a break in the blizzard, they cautiously continued forward.Zh: 雪地上，白茫茫的景象中，只有他们两人的身影。En: On the snow-covered ground, amidst the vast white landscape, only their two figures were visible.Zh: 终于，在一块厚厚的冰层中，连发现了一个不可思议的物体。En: Finally, within a thick layer of ice, Lian discovered an incredible object.Zh: 那是一块巨大且异常的黑色石头，内部似乎有某种闪闪发光的矿物。En: It was a huge and peculiar black stone, seemingly containing some kind of shimmering mineral inside.Zh: 这样的发现完全颠覆了连对这里地质构造的理解。En: This discovery completely overturned Lian's understanding of the geological structure here.Zh: “这东西可能是千百万年前的遗迹，”连喃喃道，眼中闪烁着兴奋的光芒。En: “This might be a relic from millions of years ago,” Lian murmured, a gleam of excitement in his eyes.Zh: “或许，我们找到了某种线索。”En: “Perhaps we've found some kind of clue.”Zh: 宏见状，也不禁被感染了一丝兴奋。En: Seeing this, Hong couldn't help but feel a tinge of excitement too.Zh: “看来这值得我们进一步研究。”En: “It seems this is worth further research.”Zh: 从这次发现后，连开始意识到，科学研究不只是基于理性和逻辑，直觉和灵感同样重要。En: Following this discovery, Lian began to realize that scientific research is not only based on reason and logic; intuition and inspiration are just as important.Zh: 他学会了在科学严格与内心感觉中寻找平衡。En: He learned to find a balance between scientific rigor and inner feeling.Zh: 连和宏在返回基地后，开始准备新的研究计划，打算对这块奇异石头进行更加深入的分析。En: After returning to base, Lian and Hong began preparing a new research plan, intending to conduct a more in-depth analysis of this strange stone.Zh: 尽管北极冬季的天气依旧无情，但他们心中燃起的热情胜过一切寒冷。En: Despite the relentless Arctic winter weather, the passion ignited in their hearts surpassed any cold.Zh: 新的发现带来新的问题，但同时也带来了无限的可能性。En: New discoveries brought new questions, but they also brought endless possibilities.Zh: 探索不会停止，这只是他们探寻奥秘之旅的开始。En: The exploration will not stop; this is only the beginning of their journey to uncover mysteries. Vocabulary Words:vast: 浩瀚tundra: 苔原fascinating: 迷人的bitterly: 刺骨environmental: 环境pragmatic: 务实skeptical: 怀疑geological: 地质anomaly: 异常terrain: 地形unravel: 揭开harsh: 严酷blizzard: 暴风雪relentless: 无情intuitive: 直觉cautiously: 小心翼翼peculiar: 异常shimmering: 闪闪发光mineral: 矿物relic: 遗迹murmur: 喃喃道gleam: 闪烁excavation: 挖掘uncover: 发现possibilities: 可能性rigor: 严格inspiration: 灵感expedition: 探险figure: 身影layer: 层

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Braving the Arctic: Uncovering Secrets Beneath the Ice Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-26-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在遥远的北极冻原上，秋风呼啸而过，阳光微弱。En: On the distant Arctic tundra, the autumn wind howls through, and the sunlight is weak.Zh: 冰雪覆盖着整个大地，一片洁白无瑕。En: Ice and snow cover the entire land, a flawless white expanse.Zh: Ming、Lihua和Cheng正行走在这片无边无际的冰原上。En: Ming is walking on this boundless ice field with Lihua and Cheng.Zh: 他们三人都是科学团队的一员，肩负着一个重要的任务。En: The three are members of a scientific team, carrying an important mission.Zh: Ming是个充满好奇的科学家，总是想揭开自然的秘密。En: Ming is a curious scientist, always seeking to uncover the secrets of nature.Zh: 这次，他对冰下神秘的物体充满了热情。En: This time, he is full of enthusiasm about the mysterious object beneath the ice.Zh: 他相信，这个发现可能会带来前所未有的科学突破。En: He believes this discovery could lead to an unprecedented scientific breakthrough.Zh: 但内心深处，他也害怕失败。En: But deep down, he also fears failure.Zh: Lihua跟随Ming的脚步，她是个勇敢无畏的研究员。En: Lihua follows in Ming's footsteps—she is a brave and fearless researcher.Zh: 她对每个细节都非常敏感，因为她与过去的一次重大发现有着深刻的个人联系。En: She is very sensitive to every detail because she has a deep personal connection to a significant past discovery.Zh: Cheng是他们的向导，他小心谨慎，总是担心团队的安全。En: Cheng is their guide, cautious and always concerned about the team's safety.Zh: 他心里藏着深深的不安。En: He harbors a deep unease within.Zh: 他们沿着冰面缓缓前行，当Lihua突然停住脚步，指着前方说：“看，那里有一个东西！”En: They proceed slowly along the ice surface when Lihua suddenly stops, pointing ahead: “Look, there's something over there!”Zh: 他们走近一看，果然发现了一块被冰封住的奇异物体。En: Upon closer inspection, they indeed discover a strange object encased in ice.Zh: Ming十分兴奋，他想马上挖掘出来。En: Ming is very excited; he wants to excavate it immediately.Zh: 但Cheng皱起眉头说道：“温度很低，天冷风大，而且暴风雪马上要来了。”En: But Cheng frowns and says, “The temperature is very low, it's cold and windy, and a blizzard is coming soon.”Zh: 他提出先撤回营地，等待天气好转。En: He suggests they retreat to the camp first and wait for the weather to improve.Zh: Ming心情复杂，他知道Cheng说得很有道理，但心中的好奇心让他不愿放弃现在的机会。En: Ming feels conflicted; he knows Cheng makes a valid point, but his curiosity drives him to not give up this opportunity.Zh: Lihua支持Ming，认为他们应该尝试一下。En: Lihua supports Ming, believing they should give it a try.Zh: 就在他们犹豫不决时，天空忽然阴沉下来，暴风雪毫无预警地袭来。En: As they hesitate, the sky suddenly darkens, and a blizzard hits without warning.Zh: 风雪狂怒地拍打着他们，时间已不多。En: The wind and snow rage around them, and time is short.Zh: Ming迅速做出决定：“我们试着尽快取出一部分样本，然后马上撤退！”En: Ming quickly decides: “Let's try to extract a part of the sample quickly, then retreat immediately!”Zh: 三人合作迅速，在冰面上奋力挖掘，终于从冰中拿出一小块物体的碎片。En: The three work together swiftly, digging hard on the ice surface, finally extracting a fragment of the object from the ice.Zh: 在风雪中，他们慌忙撤回营地。En: Amidst the snowstorm, they hurriedly retreat to the camp.Zh: 虽然暴风雪带来了不少麻烦，但他们终于成功带回了样本。En: Although the blizzard caused considerable trouble, they successfully brought back the sample.Zh: Ming明白了自己需要学会在好奇与安全之间找到平衡。En: Ming realized he needs to learn to balance curiosity and safety.Zh: 他知道，有时候等待和团队合作是最明智的选择。En: He understands that sometimes waiting and teamwork are the wisest choices.Zh: 故事结束时，他们围坐在温暖的帐篷里，庆祝感恩节，共同分享这个成功。En: As the story concludes, they sit together in the warm tent, celebrating Thanksgiving, and sharing in this success.Zh: Ming微笑着看着手中的样本，心里满怀希望和满足。En: Ming smiles at the sample in his hand, filled with hope and satisfaction.Zh: 这片寒冷的土地，给他们带来了意想不到的收获。En: This cold land has brought them an unexpected harvest. Vocabulary Words:tundra: 冻原howls: 呼啸flawless: 无瑕boundless: 无边无际enthusiasm: 热情unprecedented: 前所未有fearless: 无畏researcher: 研究员sensitive: 敏感significant: 重大cautious: 谨慎harbors: 藏着unease: 不安inspection: 检查encased: 封住excavate: 挖掘frowns: 皱眉blizzard: 暴风雪conflicted: 复杂curiosity: 好奇心hesitate: 犹豫extract: 取出fragment: 碎片swiftly: 迅速retreat: 撤退considerable: 不少balance: 平衡teamwork: 合作concludes: 结束harvest: 收获

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Zoo Adventure: The Great Red Panda Escape Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-25-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 北京动物园的秋天，阳光明媚，红色的枫树叶随风飘落，地上铺满金黄的银杏叶。En: In the autumn at the Beijing Zoo, the sun shines brightly, red maple leaves fall with the wind, and the ground is covered with golden ginkgo leaves.Zh: 游客们兴致盎然，拿着手机拍照，享受着凉爽的秋风。En: Visitors are full of enthusiasm, taking photos with their phones and enjoying the cool autumn breeze.Zh: 就在这一天，丽华心急如焚，因为她负责的红熊猫不见了。En: On this very day, Li Hua is anxious because the red panda she is in charge of has disappeared.Zh: 丽华是动物园的饲养员，平常总是细心照顾动物，但今天早上，她一转身，红熊猫竟然消失了。En: Li Hua is a zookeeper who usually takes care of the animals attentively, but this morning, when she turned around, the red panda had vanished.Zh: 正好，她的堂弟明来参观动物园。En: Coincidentally, her cousin Ming came to visit the zoo.Zh: 他是个技术高手，又特别喜欢看侦探小说。En: He's a tech whiz and is particularly fond of detective novels.Zh: 还有一个是游客勇，他对中国文化特别感兴趣，趁着假期来动物园游玩。En: Another person is a tourist named Yong, who is especially interested in Chinese culture and is taking advantage of his vacation to visit the zoo.Zh: 当丽华把红熊猫丢失的事情告诉他们时，明兴奋地拍拍胸口说：“没问题，让我来帮忙。”En: When Li Hua told them about the missing red panda, Ming excitedly patted his chest and said, "No problem, let me help."Zh: 而勇也干劲十足地表示：“我可以四处找找。”En: Meanwhile, Yong also expressed with enthusiasm, "I can look around."Zh: 他们三人开始在动物园里寻找失踪的红熊猫。En: The three of them started searching for the missing red panda in the zoo.Zh: 丽华有点儿着急，因为她不记得最后一次看到红熊猫是在什么地方。En: Li Hua was a bit anxious because she couldn't remember where she last saw the red panda.Zh: 明拿出了手机，试图用卫星地图分析，但是很快发现，这里和小说中的侦探案子完全不同，找起动物来似乎没那么简单。En: Ming took out his phone and tried to analyze the area using a satellite map, but soon realized that this was completely different from detective cases in novels; searching for an animal seemed not so easy.Zh: 勇一路走一路看，看到每个角落都不放过。En: As Yong walked, he looked around, not missing a single corner.Zh: 他对每个动物都有问不完的问题，但此刻他只想找到迷路的红熊猫帮助丽华。En: He had endless questions about each animal, but at this moment, all he wanted was to find the lost red panda to help Li Hua.Zh: 不知不觉，他们走到了一个小树林。En: Unknowingly, they walked into a small grove.Zh: 突然，勇指着一棵树大喊：“看，那是红熊猫吗？”En: Suddenly, Yong pointed at a tree and shouted, "Look, is that the red panda?"Zh: 他们抬头一看，果然，是那只逃跑的小家伙，正懒洋洋地趴在树枝上。En: They looked up, and sure enough, it was the little fugitive, lazily lying on the branch.Zh: “真不该让它自己待着。”丽华自责道。En: "I really shouldn't have let it stay alone," Li Hua said, blaming herself.Zh: 他们想了个办法，把从其他地方拿来的竹子作为诱饵，慢慢诱导红熊猫下树。En: They came up with a plan and used bamboo from elsewhere as bait to slowly lure the red panda down from the tree.Zh: 经过一番努力，红熊猫终于回到了丽华的手中。En: After some effort, the red panda finally returned to Li Hua's hands.Zh: 丽华感激地看着明和勇：“谢谢你们，没有你们我都不知道怎么办好。”En: Li Hua looked gratefully at Ming and Yong and said, "Thank you. Without you, I wouldn't have known what to do."Zh: 在重回笼舍的路上，丽华意识到，做好工作的同时，信任朋友也很重要。En: On the way back to the enclosure, Li Hua realized that while doing a good job is important, trusting friends is too.Zh: 明明白了，现实和书中的推理过程并不一样；而勇则更加欣赏动物园饲养员们的耐心和细心。En: Ming understood that reality and the reasoning process in books are not the same; while Yong further appreciated the patience and attention of the zookeepers.Zh: 最终，红熊猫安全回到它的家，没有人发现它曾经短暂的“冒险”。En: In the end, the red panda returned safely to its home without anyone noticing its brief "adventure."Zh: 他们笑着走出了树林，享受着秋日的北京动物园和相聚的时光。En: They walked out of the grove with smiles, enjoying the autumn day at the Beijing Zoo and the time spent together. Vocabulary Words:autumn: 秋天brightly: 明媚enthusiasm: 兴致盎然anxious: 心急如焚vanished: 消失coincidentally: 正好detective: 侦探excitedly: 兴奋地pat: 拍拍eager: 干劲十足analyze: 分析corner: 角落unknowingly: 不知不觉fugitive: 逃跑的小家伙lazily: 懒洋洋地blame: 自责bait: 诱饵gratefully: 感激enclosure: 笼舍trusting: 信任patience: 耐心attention: 细心appreciated: 欣赏safely: 安全adventure: 冒险enjoying: 享受especially: 特别vacation: 假期plan: 办法zookeeper: 饲养员

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Moonlit Courage: Lian's Quest for the Jade Rabbit Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-25-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在一个凉爽的秋天夜晚，满月挂在天上，将温柔的光芒洒在一座废弃的仓库之上。En: On a cool autumn night, a full moon hung in the sky, casting its gentle light over an abandoned warehouse.Zh: 这个仓库曾经繁忙，如今却只剩下锈蚀的横梁和吱嘎作响的地板。En: This warehouse was once bustling but now only had rusted beams and creaky floors remaining.Zh: 窗户大多破碎，只能透进几缕微弱的月光。En: Most windows were broken, allowing only a few faint moonbeams to enter.Zh: 空气中漂浮着尘埃，时不时能听到老鼠的窸窣声，增添了一丝神秘的气息。En: Dust hung in the air, and the occasional sound of mice added a touch of mystery to the place.Zh: 这是中秋节前夕，莲站在仓库外，心中满是期待和忧虑。En: It was the eve of the Zhongqiu Jie (Mid-Autumn Festival), and Lian stood outside the warehouse, filled with both anticipation and worry.Zh: 她记得奶奶常把那只精雕细琢的玉兔放在中秋节的餐桌上，象征着团圆和幸福。En: She remembered how her grandmother always placed that intricately carved jade rabbit on the Zhongqiu Jie table, symbolizing reunion and happiness.Zh: 如今，玉兔不见了。En: Now, the jade rabbit was missing.Zh: 几天前，一些小偷潜入了她的家，偷走了这珍贵的传家宝。En: A few days ago, some thieves had broken into her house and stolen this precious heirloom.Zh: 她必须在节日庆典前找到它。En: She had to find it before the festival celebration.Zh: “这地方有鬼，”伟低声说。En: “This place is haunted,” Wei whispered.Zh: 他和陈显得有些紧张。En: He and Chen looked somewhat nervous.Zh: “没鬼。”陈安慰道，却也不敢踏进一步。En: “No ghosts,” Chen reassured, but he barely dared to take a step forward.Zh: 莲坚定地说：“我要进去找玉兔。”En: Lian said firmly, “I'm going in to find the jade rabbit.”Zh: 她知道如果再耽搁，可能就找不到了。En: She knew if she delayed any longer, she might never find it.Zh: 仓库里阴影笼罩，莲的每一步都伴随着心跳声和地板的吱嘎声。En: Shadows enveloped the warehouse, and each of Lian's steps was accompanied by the sound of her heartbeat and the creaking of the floor.Zh: 她必须在井井有条的搜索和凭直觉探查之间做出选择。En: She had to choose between a meticulous search and following her intuition.Zh: 最终，莲决定跟随直觉，向仓库深处走去，那里月光最少，阴影最深。En: Ultimately, Lian decided to trust her intuition and walked deeper into the warehouse, where the moonlight was faintest and shadows were deepest.Zh: 忽然，她在一堆废弃的箱子后发现了那只熟悉的玉兔。En: Suddenly, she found the familiar jade rabbit behind a pile of discarded boxes.Zh: 就在她伸手去拿的时候，一个黑影出现在她身后。En: Just as she reached out to grab it, a dark figure appeared behind her.Zh: 那人贪婪地盯着玉兔，显然也想要它。En: The person eyed the jade rabbit greedily, clearly wanting it as well.Zh: “这可是我的，”黑影沙哑地说，语气中充满威胁。En: “This is mine,” the shadowy figure said hoarsely, with a threatening tone.Zh: 莲没有退缩。En: Lian did not back down.Zh: 她环顾四周，注意到堆放在货架上的旧铁管。En: She glanced around and noticed some old iron pipes stacked on a shelf.Zh: 她假装顺从地后退，趁机抄起一根铁管猛击地下，让灰尘四散，扰乱了那人的视线。En: She pretended to back away submissively, then seized an opportunity to grab a pipe and strike the ground, sending dust everywhere, distracting the person.Zh: 趁着那人惊慌，莲抓起玉兔，快速闪身。En: As the person was startled, Lian grabbed the jade rabbit and quickly dodged.Zh: 就在这时，伟和陈冲了进来。En: At that moment, Wei and Chen rushed in.Zh: “快走！”伟喊道。En: “Let's go!” Wei shouted.Zh: 三人合力将对手逼退，随后迅速逃出仓库。En: The three of them united to push the opponent back, then swiftly escaped the warehouse.Zh: 月亮依旧高悬，当莲紧握着玉兔站在仓库外时，心中充满了新生的信心。En: The moon still hung high when Lian stood outside the warehouse, clutching the jade rabbit, filled with newfound confidence.Zh: 她终于相信自己的直觉，也更加理解了奶奶和那传家宝的意义。En: She finally believed in her intuition and understood more about her grandmother and the meaning of the heirloom.Zh: 那夜，她与朋友们一起，终于回到了家人的身边，成功赶上了中秋团圆的庆祝。En: That night, she and her friends finally returned to their family's side, just in time for the Zhongqiu reunion celebration.Zh: 月饼香甜，玉兔光泽如新，一切都显得那么圆满。En: The mooncakes were sweet, the jade rabbit shone anew, and everything seemed so complete. Vocabulary Words:cool: 凉爽warehouse: 仓库abandoned: 废弃rusted: 锈蚀beams: 横梁creaky: 吱嘎作响mice: 老鼠mystery: 神秘anticipation: 期待intricately: 精雕细琢carved: 雕刻heirloom: 传家宝haunted: 有鬼intuition: 直觉shadows: 阴影meticulous: 井井有条discarded: 废弃greedily: 贪婪地hoarsely: 沙哑地threatening: 威胁submissively: 顺从dodged: 闪身opponent: 对手confidence: 信心reunion: 团圆celebration: 庆典mooncakes: 月饼clutching: 紧握confidence: 信心complete: 圆满

In this episode, Jared sits down with Renata Mirkova, a Chinese language educator from the Czech Republic whose journey into Mandarin began not with a grand plan, but almost by accident. What started as a university entrance decision led her to master Chinese, live in China, and now teach both Czech and Chinese across cultural boundaries.Renata shares the unique challenges of learning Chinese in a non-English-speaking environment, including outdated textbooks from the 60s, Czech-Sinology programs steeped in history, and a lack of direct Chinese-to-Czech resources. But through her perseverance and multiple immersive experiences in China, Renata carved out her own path to fluency.From surviving the linguistic chaos of Sichuan dialects to interpreting for Czech officials on business trips in China, she offers candid reflections on what works for her, what didn't, and how learning Chinese changed her life. She also gives insight into her current work creating Chinese learning materials specifically for Czech speakers and what it's like teaching Czech to Chinese speakers in return.Links from the episode:Learn Chinese with Renata Mirkova | WebsiteMandarin Companion Graded Readers

Whither America? It's the question that the Swedish writer Johan Norberg examines in both a recent Washington Post op-ed as well as his new book, Peak Human. What we can learn from history's great civilizations, Norberg argues, is that they decline when they turn inward, away from both the outside world and innovation. “All Sparta, no Athens”, as he puts it. So what does that tell us not only about Trump's America but also Putin's Russia and Xi's China? And what should we make of Europe, which is neither Sparta nor Athens? And when compared with China, Russia and Europe, Norberg's vision of the American future seems relatively sunny. So maybe, with or without MAGA, the 21st century really will be the American century. * MAGA doesn't fit any traditional conservative or liberal framework. It's a radical ideology built around a strongman who has no patience for democratic process, rule of law, or compromise—precisely the institutions that classical liberalism and genuine conservatism have always sought to protect.* Declining empires are the most dangerous. Russia is “all Sparta, no Athens”—a society that builds barracks rather than innovation, extracts resources rather than creates wealth, and fears any neighboring democracy that might give its own people ideas. Putin may sense this is his last chance to rearrange the world order.* China's split personality may doom its long-term prospects. Deng Xiaoping borrowed from Athens—openness, experimentation, “crossing the river by feeling the stones.” Xi Jinping has reverted to Sparta—centralized control that can build electric vehicle factories fast but stifles the strange surprises that drive real innovation.* America's saving grace may be its constitutional limits. The courts are the only branch doing their job right now, striking down unconstitutional overreach one case at a time. Republicans know there's life after Trump—and after two centuries of championing the Constitution, they can't simply throw it aside.* Europe is Rome without the military power. The EU's great idea—an open continent that experiments with different solutions—is undermined by a Mandarin class in Brussels that insists on standardizing everything. That's why great European startups keep moving to California.Keen On America is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Moonlit Reflections: A Journey of Solitude and Friendship Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-24-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 秋天的风轻轻拂过上海植物园，空气中弥漫着桂花的香气。En: The autumn breeze gently passed through the Shanghai Botanical Garden, and the air was filled with the fragrance of osmanthus flowers.Zh: 小美和她的朋友们，陈和丽丽，一起过来度假。En: Xiaomei and her friends, Chen and Lili, came here to spend their vacation.Zh: 今天是中秋节，他们特别期待这个赏月的夜晚。En: Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and they were particularly looking forward to this night of moon gazing.Zh: 小美是个喜欢沉思的女孩，她总是被自然的美丽所吸引。En: Xiaomei is a girl who likes to ponder; she is always attracted by the beauty of nature.Zh: 陈却恰好相反，他充满了冒险精神，总是鼓励小美走出她的舒适区。En: Chen, on the other hand, is the opposite; he is full of adventurous spirit and always encourages Xiaomei to step out of her comfort zone.Zh: 丽丽是两人中最实际的，她总能在冒险和安稳之间找到平衡。En: Lili is the most pragmatic of the three; she can always find the balance between adventure and stability.Zh: 他们进入植物园，眼前是金黄的落叶与各色菊花。En: As they entered the botanical garden, they were greeted by golden fallen leaves and various chrysanthemums.Zh: 小美渴望一种宁静，远离城市的喧嚣，然而游客很多。En: Xiaomei longed for a sense of tranquility away from the hustle and bustle of the city, but there were many tourists.Zh: 陈叫着：“我们去前面看看，好多有趣的地方！”小美微微一笑，但心里却有些犹豫。En: Chen called out, "Let's go up ahead and see; there are many interesting places!" Xiaomei smiled slightly, but felt a bit hesitant inside.Zh: 走了一段路后，小美对朋友们说：“我想一个人走走，希望能体验一下这里的宁静。”陈理解地点点头，丽丽把地图递给她：“小心点，不要迷路。”En: After walking a while, Xiaomei said to her friends, "I want to walk alone, hoping to experience the tranquility here." Chen nodded understandingly, and Lili handed her a map, "Be careful, don't get lost."Zh: 小美沿着一条人迹罕至的小径走去。En: Xiaomei walked along a path less traveled.Zh: 四周的景色安静而美丽，秋叶在她脚下沙沙作响。En: The surrounding scenery was quiet and beautiful, and the autumn leaves rustled under her feet.Zh: 不久，她走到了一个隐蔽的花园。En: Soon, she reached a secluded garden.Zh: 这里，满园的菊花盛开着，在明月的映照下显得格外迷人。En: Here, the garden was full of blooming chrysanthemums, appearing particularly enchanting under the bright moonlight.Zh: 小美微微闭上眼睛，心中感受到一种久违的平和。En: Xiaomei slightly closed her eyes, feeling a long-lost sense of peace.Zh: 她知道，这就是她一直想要寻找的感觉。En: She knew this was the feeling she had been seeking.Zh: 夜幕渐渐降临，小美回到了朋友们的身边。En: As night slowly fell, Xiaomei returned to her friends.Zh: 三人在池塘边坐下，丽丽递过来几块月饼：“来，尝尝这个。”En: The three of them sat by the pond, and Lili handed over some mooncakes, "Here, try this."Zh: 他们一起分享月饼，小美说起自己在花园里的感受。En: They shared the mooncakes together, and Xiaomei spoke of her feelings in the garden.Zh: 陈笑着拍了拍她的肩：“有时候需要一个人在大自然中思考一下，你找到自己的答案了吗？”En: Chen smiled and patted her on the shoulder, "Sometimes one needs to think alone in nature; did you find your answer?"Zh: 小美微笑着点了点头：“是的，我感觉我与自己和这片美丽的世界重新连接上了。”En: Xiaomei smiled and nodded, "Yes, I feel I've reconnected with myself and this beautiful world."Zh: 这时候，满月升到了最高处，把他们的笑声投射在池水中。En: At this time, the full moon rose to its highest point, casting their laughter onto the pond's water.Zh: 经过这次旅程，小美明白了如何在独处和朋友的陪伴之间找到平衡。En: After this journey, Xiaomei understood how to find balance between solitude and the company of friends.Zh: 她对生活和友谊有了更深的感悟。En: She gained a deeper insight into life and friendship.Zh: 秋夜的风轻拂过，他们的心中都充满了温暖与宁静。En: The autumn night's breeze gently brushed past, and warmth and tranquility filled their hearts. Vocabulary Words:breeze: 风fragrance: 香气ponder: 沉思adventurous: 冒险pragmatic: 实际的tranquility: 宁静hesitant: 犹豫secluded: 隐蔽的blooms: 盛开enchanting: 迷人moonlight: 月光long-lost: 久违的solitude: 独处gazing: 凝视balcony: 阳台serene: 平和hustle: 喧嚣bustle: 忙碌companionship: 陪伴insight: 感悟rustle: 沙沙作响path: 小径scenery: 景色reflection: 倒影venture: 冒险to cast: 投射reconnect: 重新连接company: 伴gentle: 轻轻botanical: 植物的

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Discovering Life's Beauty: Li Juan's Transformation at West Lake Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-24-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 清晨的西湖，秋日的阳光洒在湖面上，金黄的树叶在微风中轻轻摇曳。En: In the early morning at West Lake, the autumn sunlight sprinkled on the lake's surface, and the golden leaves gently swayed in the breeze.Zh: 李娟站在湖边，呼吸着清新的空气。En: Li Juan stood by the lake, breathing in the fresh air.Zh: 她是个静谧的老师，外向的朋友宇辰总是说她应该多出来走走。En: She was a tranquil teacher, and her outgoing friend Yuchen always said she should get out more.Zh: 这次宇辰组织了西湖之旅，他说：“李娟，你一定会喜欢的。En: This time, Yuchen organized a trip to West Lake, saying, "Li Juan, you will definitely like it."Zh: ” 跟他们一起来的还有一个叫明浩的摄影师。En: Accompanying them was a photographer named Ming Hao.Zh: 明浩魅力十足，总能用镜头捕捉到最美的瞬间。En: Ming Hao was charming, always able to capture the most beautiful moments with his lens.Zh: 旅程第一天，李娟有些紧张。En: On the first day of the trip, Li Juan was somewhat nervous.Zh: 她喜欢大自然，但在人群中总显得拘谨。En: She loved nature but always appeared reserved in a crowd.Zh: 晚上，一场篝火派对，大家围坐在一起聊得热火朝天。En: In the evening, there was a bonfire party, and everyone sat together, chatting enthusiastically.Zh: 李娟坐在一边，看着明浩和宇辰调侃，心里有一些羡慕他们的轻松自在。En: Li Juan sat on the side, watching Ming Hao and Yuchen banter, feeling somewhat envious of their ease and comfort.Zh: 第二天早晨，宇辰邀请大家去湖边散步。En: The next morning, Yuchen invited everyone for a walk by the lake.Zh: 湖水如镜，古桥映在水中，景色宜人。En: The water was like a mirror, the ancient bridge reflected in it, making for a pleasant scene.Zh: 明浩拿着相机，注意到李娟站得远远的，他主动走上前，“李娟，要不要一起走走？En: Ming Hao, holding his camera, noticed that Li Juan stood far away and approached her, "Li Juan, would you like to take a walk together?"Zh: ”李娟犹豫了一下，最终点了点头。En: Li Juan hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded.Zh: 两人沿着岸边走着，明浩指着远处的山景，开始聊他对摄影的热爱。En: The two walked along the shore, and Ming Hao pointed to the distant mountain view, starting to talk about his passion for photography.Zh: 慢慢地，李娟放下心中的防备，诉说起她对大自然和教学的热情。En: Gradually, Li Juan let down her guard and began to speak about her passion for nature and teaching.Zh: 明浩安静地听着，分享他旅行的故事。En: Ming Hao listened quietly and shared his travel stories.Zh: 渐渐地，李娟感到一阵轻松，她从未如此坦然地和一个陌生人分享过心事。En: Slowly, Li Juan felt a sense of ease she had never experienced before, comfortably sharing her inner thoughts with someone she barely knew.Zh: 湖面在落日余晖中泛着金光，黄昏的景色更显迷人。En: The lake's surface shimmered with golden light in the sunset, making the twilight scene all the more enchanting.Zh: 那一晚，李娟和明浩坐在湖边，交换了联系方式。En: That evening, Li Juan and Ming Hao sat by the lake, exchanging contact information.Zh: “下次，我们再去别的地方走走，”明浩微笑着说。En: "Next time, let's explore somewhere else," Ming Hao said with a smile.Zh: 这句话让李娟心里涌起一阵温暖。En: Those words warmed Li Juan's heart.Zh: 最终，李娟第一次肯定地感受到自己的改变。En: For the first time, Li Juan felt a definite change in herself.Zh: 她不再只是观望者，而是主动去体验生活。En: She was no longer just an observer but someone actively experiencing life.Zh: 她很期待和明浩的下一次旅行，也期待自己每一步新的尝试。En: She eagerly anticipated her next trip with Ming Hao and every new attempt she would make.Zh: 西湖的秋，因这段关系的萌芽而显得格外动人。En: The autumn at West Lake appeared extraordinarily beautiful because of the budding relationship.Zh: 李娟走出了自己的小世界，迎接一个更多彩的生活。En: Li Juan stepped out of her small world to embrace a more colorful life. Vocabulary Words:autumn: 秋日sprinkled: 洒gently: 轻轻tranquil: 静谧outgoing: 外向nervous: 紧张reserved: 拘谨bonfire: 篝火party: 派对enthusiastically: 热火朝天banter: 调侃pleasant: 宜人hesitated: 犹豫shore: 岸边guard: 防备passion: 热爱ease: 轻松shimmered: 泛着金光twilight: 黄昏enchanting: 迷人exchange: 交换contact information: 联系方式warmth: 温暖definite: 肯定observer: 观望者anticipate: 期待budding: 萌芽embrace: 迎接colorful: 更多彩charming: 魅力十足

First a quick note which the marketing weasel ordered me to announce. This week I received an email from Apple which read: "We're thrilled to share some incredible news: History of South Africa podcast has been selected by our editors as one of Apple Podcasts' Best Shows of 2025! Congratulations on this fantastic achievement and for creating one of the most compelling shows of the year. We're so excited to spotlight your work.” So to all the listeners and my supporters, for all your wonderful comments and suggestions, may we continue to survive the present in order to understand the past. 250 is what is known in maths as a 5-smooth number - none of its prime factors are greater than five. Factor 250 that is 250 ÷ 2 = 125 and 125 = 5 × 5 × 5. So the Prime Factors are all less than five. Strange but true. Culturally 250 is fascinating too - in Mandarin slang, Chinese, the number 250 pronounced er bai wu is an insult meaning idiot or simpleton. Which is apt, because a certain American president number 47 who is referred to as er bai wu is going to preside over his country's 250th birthday celebrations in 2026. When we left off last episode, a British column of the 1/24 and 2/24, a host of irregular mounted men of the Natal Carbineers, the Natal Native Contingent and the Native Pioneers and their commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Glyn had entered Zululand by way of Rorke's Drift and approached the kwaSogetle home of amaQungebeni inkosi Sihayo. 4700 British troops and support personnel, 220 wagons, 2000 oxen, 82 carts, 67 mules. It took over an hour for the column to pass a point it was so large. And as you heard, Cetshwayo kaMpande had decided that because this column was the largest, it was going to get special amabutho treatment. Lord Chelmsford had arrived at Helpmekaar on the eve of the invasion, and had taken over as commander of the column, which was to increase tension amongst the officers. Chelmsford tended to micromanage, and Glyn was highly experienced. Later, when a catastrophe unfolded, controversy would rage about who in fact was in charge. Glyn was already resentful that his role had been usurped. If you recall last episode, I explained how he'd put together the regiment in England, paid for his colonelcy, then led the regiment through the end of the 9th Frontier War and here was Chelmsford and his retinue, taking over. Here we are, Shepstone leading the central column, or Number 3 Column as it was known, with Glyn glowering. Column 1 was on the right flank, down the coast, crossing the lower Thukela with 5000 men under Colonel Charles Pearson comprised of the Naval Brigade, 2/3rd 60th Rifles, the 99th Regiment, Natal Native Contingent and artillery. Column two was Durnfords although technically it was closely attached to Glyn's Column 3 - and both 2 and 3 were set to operate more closely than the Pearsons' first column which was to head to the lower Thukela, cross the mighty river opposite the Zulu kraal at Gingingdlovu, advance to Eshowe and push on to Ondini. However, Pearson had been told to advance cautiously, and consolidate his men in Eshowe before continuing. He would end up besieged in Eshowe he had moved so slowly. Thus the arrival at Sihayo's homestead kwaSogetle less than a day's march across Rorke's Drift. Sogetle was a natural flat-topped fortress which rose over 1000 feet from the valley floor, its approaches were strewn with boulders, it was steep and seemingly impregnable. The British faced a tough assignment. Had Cetshwayo kaMpande or chief Sihayo decided to rather defend this citadel, the battle would have no doubt been far more bloody. But the fortress was defended by only a small group of Sihayo's men including one of his youngest sons Mkhumbikazulu. Most warriors including Siyaho himself and all his other sons had marched off to oNdini 116 kilometers away to join the main Zulu army.

First a quick note which the marketing weasel ordered me to announce. This week I received an email from Apple which read: "We're thrilled to share some incredible news: History of South Africa podcast has been selected by our editors as one of Apple Podcasts' Best Shows of 2025! Congratulations on this fantastic achievement and for creating one of the most compelling shows of the year. We're so excited to spotlight your work.” So to all the listeners and my supporters, for all your wonderful comments and suggestions, may we continue to survive the present in order to understand the past. 250 is what is known in maths as a 5-smooth number - none of its prime factors are greater than five. Factor 250 that is 250 ÷ 2 = 125 and 125 = 5 × 5 × 5. So the Prime Factors are all less than five. Strange but true. Culturally 250 is fascinating too - in Mandarin slang, Chinese, the number 250 pronounced er bai wu is an insult meaning idiot or simpleton. Which is apt, because a certain American president number 47 who is referred to as er bai wu is going to preside over his country's 250th birthday celebrations in 2026. When we left off last episode, a British column of the 1/24 and 2/24, a host of irregular mounted men of the Natal Carbineers, the Natal Native Contingent and the Native Pioneers and their commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Glyn had entered Zululand by way of Rorke's Drift and approached the kwaSogetle home of amaQungebeni inkosi Sihayo. 4700 British troops and support personnel, 220 wagons, 2000 oxen, 82 carts, 67 mules. It took over an hour for the column to pass a point it was so large. And as you heard, Cetshwayo kaMpande had decided that because this column was the largest, it was going to get special amabutho treatment. Lord Chelmsford had arrived at Helpmekaar on the eve of the invasion, and had taken over as commander of the column, which was to increase tension amongst the officers. Chelmsford tended to micromanage, and Glyn was highly experienced. Later, when a catastrophe unfolded, controversy would rage about who in fact was in charge. Glyn was already resentful that his role had been usurped. If you recall last episode, I explained how he'd put together the regiment in England, paid for his colonelcy, then led the regiment through the end of the 9th Frontier War and here was Chelmsford and his retinue, taking over. Here we are, Shepstone leading the central column, or Number 3 Column as it was known, with Glyn glowering. Column 1 was on the right flank, down the coast, crossing the lower Thukela with 5000 men under Colonel Charles Pearson comprised of the Naval Brigade, 2/3rd 60th Rifles, the 99th Regiment, Natal Native Contingent and artillery. Column two was Durnfords although technically it was closely attached to Glyn's Column 3 - and both 2 and 3 were set to operate more closely than the Pearsons' first column which was to head to the lower Thukela, cross the mighty river opposite the Zulu kraal at Gingingdlovu, advance to Eshowe and push on to Ondini. However, Pearson had been told to advance cautiously, and consolidate his men in Eshowe before continuing. He would end up besieged in Eshowe he had moved so slowly. Thus the arrival at Sihayo's homestead kwaSogetle less than a day's march across Rorke's Drift. Sogetle was a natural flat-topped fortress which rose over 1000 feet from the valley floor, its approaches were strewn with boulders, it was steep and seemingly impregnable. The British faced a tough assignment. Had Cetshwayo kaMpande or chief Sihayo decided to rather defend this citadel, the battle would have no doubt been far more bloody. But the fortress was defended by only a small group of Sihayo's men including one of his youngest sons Mkhumbikazulu. Most warriors including Siyaho himself and all his other sons had marched off to oNdini 116 kilometers away to join the main Zulu army.

Today's Episode:Blind boxes are one of the hottest trends in China. What's the secret behind their charm? Let's talk about the excitement, the collecting culture, the social side, and why some people can't stop buying them. Fun or a waste of money?Membership Preview:In next MaoMi Chinese+ episode, we open another kind of “blind box” — words with 盲. What do they really mean? How do Chinese people use them? You'll get clear explanations, natural examples, and speaking practice to help you remember fast. Ready to discover what's inside?Support MaoMi & Get exclusive   to premium content!https://www.buzzsprout.com/1426696/subscribe ↗️Transcript and translations are available on https://maomichinese.comInterested in any topics? Leave me a message on: https://maomichinese.com or https://www.instagram.com/maomichinese/?hl=en*Please note that Spotify does not support the membership program.Text me what you think :)Support the show

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Reconnecting Roots: Thanksgiving in a Chinese Garden Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-23-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 每年的感恩节，小梅一家都会聚在一起。En: Every year for Thanksgiving, Xiaomei's family gathers together.Zh: 今年，他们选择在中式植物园举办家庭聚会。En: This year, they chose to hold their family gathering at a Chinese botanical garden.Zh: 植物园里秋色斑斓，金黄的银杏树叶在微风中轻轻摇曳，小溪流过精心布置的石头间，带着清新的气息。En: The garden painted a vibrant autumn scene, with golden ginkgo leaves gently swaying in the breeze and a small creek flowing through meticulously arranged stones, carrying a refreshing scent.Zh: 小梅是一个大学生，最近才开始对自己的家族根源产生兴趣。En: Xiaomei, a college student, had recently become interested in her family roots.Zh: 然而，她常常感到自己与家族文化脱节。En: However, she often felt disconnected from her family culture.Zh: 小时候，总觉得爷爷奶奶的话题离自己太远。En: As a child, she always thought the topics her grandparents talked about seemed too distant.Zh: 如今，她期望能够重新建立与他们的联系。En: Now, she hoped to re-establish a connection with them.Zh: 今天，小梅决定主动找爷爷奶奶说话。En: Today, Xiaomei decided to take the initiative to speak with her grandparents.Zh: 在聚会开始时，她心里有些踌躇，不知道该从哪里开始。En: At the start of the gathering, she felt a bit hesitant, not knowing where to begin.Zh: 小梅观察着周围的家人，看见他们脸上洋溢着喜悦，她意识到自己需要勇敢迈出第一步。En: Observing her family around her, with joy on their faces, she realized she needed to bravely take the first step.Zh: 当她走到爷爷奶奶身边，他们正在银杏树下谈笑风生。En: As she walked over to her grandparents, they were chatting and laughing under the ginkgo tree.Zh: 小梅鼓起勇气，轻声问：“爷爷奶奶，你们可以告诉我一些家里的故事吗？En: Xiaomei mustered the courage and softly asked, "Grandpa, Grandma, could you tell me some family stories?"Zh: ”起初，小梅有些紧张，但随着爷爷奶奶的叙述，她渐渐放松下来。En: Initially, Xiaomei felt a bit nervous, but as her grandparents began recounting stories, she gradually relaxed.Zh: 爷爷讲述着他们年轻时在村庄里的生活，奶奶则分享了老家的传统，像端午节包粽子和中秋节做月饼的细节。En: Her grandfather spoke of their younger days in the village, while her grandmother shared traditions from their hometown, like making zongzi for the Dragon Boat Festival and moon cakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival.Zh: 在这个温暖的对话中，小梅感受到一种前所未有的亲近感。En: In this warm conversation, Xiaomei felt an unprecedented sense of closeness.Zh: 秋叶下，他们的谈话充满了温情，小梅仿佛看到了一幅生动的家族画卷。En: Beneath the autumn leaves, their talks were filled with warmth, and Xiaomei seemed to see a vivid family tapestry unfold before her.Zh: 终于，聚会的重头戏——感恩节晚餐时间到了。En: Finally, the highlight of the gathering—the Thanksgiving dinner arrived.Zh: 小梅带来了用刚学会的家庭秘方做的菜肴，与家人们一起品尝。En: Xiaomei brought dishes she made using freshly learned family recipes to share with her relatives.Zh: 她亲手做了一道传统的清蒸鱼，寓意着团圆美满。En: She had personally prepared a traditional steamed fish dish, symbolizing reunion and happiness.Zh: 在这次聚会后，小梅变得更开放，更加爱护家族文化。En: After this gathering, Xiaomei became more open and more appreciative of her family culture.Zh: 她明白了与家人沟通的重要性，也看到了自己的文化身份蕴含的巨大力量。En: She understood the importance of communicating with family and recognized the immense power contained within her cultural identity.Zh: 小梅的变化让全家感到欣慰，而她自己也终于找到了那种归属感。En: Xiaomei's transformation brought comfort to the whole family, and she herself finally found a sense of belonging.Zh: 感恩节的晚宴在欢声笑语中结束，银杏树仍在秋风中轻舞，这个美好而温馨的日子将永远留在小梅的记忆中。En: The Thanksgiving feast concluded amidst laughter and joy, with the ginkgo trees still dancing in the autumn wind, cementing this beautiful and heartwarming day in Xiaomei's memory forever. Vocabulary Words:botanical: 植物园vibrant: 斑斓ginkgo: 银杏mustered: 鼓起courage: 勇气unprecedented: 前所未有sense of belonging: 归属感meticulously: 精心hesitant: 踌躇initiative: 主动tapestry: 画卷immersed: 沉浸re-establish: 重新建立identity: 身份engraved: 永远留transformation: 变化appreciative: 爱护detached: 脱节closeness: 亲近感recounting: 叙述reluctant: 不情愿fusion: 融合ancestry: 家族根源tradition: 传统village: 村庄relatives: 家人cherishing: 珍爱festivity: 节日laughter: 欢声笑语legacy: 遗产

After meeting a potential roommate, Zhang Li feels something is off. She and Anna talk it over and come to the same conclusion：when it comes to choosing a roommate, it's better to have none than to have the wrong one.Want to join maayot.com for more real-life conversations?Use promotion code “Podcast” , get a 50% off today !—————————————————————————————————对话原文：安娜：喂？怎么样？昨天你和那个去你那里看房的人见了吗？聊得怎么样？张丽：见是见了。她人倒是挺礼貌的，就是….感觉有点奇怪。安娜：奇怪？怎么奇怪？张丽：说不上来。她特别安静，一整场我感觉我在自言自语。她就偶尔简单地回答一下我的问题。安娜：啊，那确实挺尴尬的。她也许是内向的性格？张丽：可能是。而且她说她平时喜欢一个人待着，看看书，听听音乐什么的。安娜：那你们性格住在一起可能不太合适啊。你那么活波开朗的一个人，如果你的室友是一个很“闷”的人，那你也得跟着“闷”。不是吗？张丽：嗯，这就是我的担心。毕竟我们要住在一起，抬头不见低头见。如果这个人太“冷淡”，会有点不舒服。她在的时候，我会有点不能做自己。安娜：嗯，合租最重要的是“合得来”。张丽：对啊。不然气氛太尴尬了。安娜：你再多等等吧，一定会有更合适的。毕竟是家里，住得舒服很重要。张丽：是啊。宁缺毋滥！—————————————————————————————————⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️We value your feedback. Please spare a couple of minutes and leave a comment for our podcast!!期待你给我们的播客留下宝贵的反馈!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: The Cursed Artifact: Secrets Uncovered in Ziran Museum Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-22-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在一个金色的秋天，阳光透过自然博物馆的大窗洒下来，温暖而柔和。En: In a golden autumn, sunlight streamed through the large windows of the Ziran Bowuguan, warm and gentle.Zh: 博物馆内布满了古老的文物，吸引着安静的访客。En: The museum was filled with ancient artifacts, attracting quiet visitors.Zh: 今天，是非常特别的一天。En: Today was a very special day.Zh: 明宇是这里年轻的策展人，他对历史充满热情。En: Mingyu was the young curator here, passionate about history.Zh: 这天，他非常兴奋，因为他发现了一件稀有的文物。En: He was very excited this day because he had discovered a rare artifact.Zh: 他相信，这件文物能让自己在博物馆界名声大噪。En: He believed this artifact could make him famous in the museum world.Zh: 这是一块古老的石板，上面刻有复杂的图案。En: It was an ancient stone slab carved with complex patterns.Zh: 据传，这块石板被诅咒过。En: Rumor had it that this slab was cursed.Zh: 丽芬是博物馆的历史学家，她比较安静，但总是努力揭开历史的真相。En: Lifen is the museum's historian, relatively quiet, but always striving to uncover the truth of history.Zh: 她听说了这块石板，觉得不太对劲。En: She heard about the stone slab and felt something was amiss.Zh: 有传言说，过去触碰石板的人都遇到了奇怪的事情。En: There were rumors that those who had touched the slab in the past encountered strange happenings.Zh: 丽芬担心，展示这块石板会给博物馆带来不幸。En: Lifen worried that displaying this slab might bring misfortune to the museum.Zh: 明宇想要在下周的感恩节展览上展示这块石板。En: Mingyu wanted to display the slab at the Thanksgiving exhibition next week.Zh: 他对丽芬说：“这是个千载难逢的机会！En: He told Lifen, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!Zh: 我们可以证明这些诅咒是不是真的存在。En: We can prove whether these curses really exist."Zh: ”丽芬摇摇头：“我知道你的激情，但我们必须小心。En: Lifen shook her head, "I know your passion, but we must be careful.Zh: 有太多不明的因素。En: There are too many unknown factors."Zh: ” 博物馆经理赫拉克勒斯给了丽芬压力，他想要这次展览成功。En: The museum manager, Heralces, pressured Lifen, wanting this exhibition to succeed.Zh: 这让丽芬非常为难，她从不轻信传说，但也不愿冒险。En: This put Lifen in a difficult position; she never easily believed in legends, but she also didn't want to take risks.Zh: 她的内心充满了矛盾，不知道该听从朋友明宇，还是保护石板的秘密。En: Her heart was full of contradictions, unsure whether to listen to her friend Mingyu or protect the slab's secret.Zh: 经过几天的思索，明宇决定无论如何都要展示石板。En: After a few days of contemplation, Mingyu decided to display the slab no matter what.Zh: 展览那天，博物馆里人满为患。En: On the day of the exhibition, the museum was crowded with people.Zh: 然而，当石板被揭幕的瞬间，怪事开始发生。En: However, the moment the slab was unveiled, strange things began to happen.Zh: 灯光闪烁不定，展柜莫名其妙地打开，访客惊慌失措。En: The lights flickered erratically, and display cases inexplicably opened, causing visitors to panic.Zh: 丽芬意识到，这是诅咒的力量。En: Lifen realized it was the power of the curse.Zh: 她跑回资料室，寻找解除诅咒的方法。En: She ran back to the archive, searching for a way to lift the curse.Zh: 她翻阅了一些古老的手稿，终于，她找到了一个老日记，记载解除诅咒的仪式。En: She pored over some ancient manuscripts and finally found an old diary detailing a curse-lifting ritual.Zh: 她赶忙回到展厅，随着仪式的进行，奇怪的现象慢慢停止了。En: She hurried back to the exhibition hall, and as the ritual was performed, the strange phenomena gradually ceased.Zh: 逐渐，博物馆恢复了平静。En: Slowly, the museum returned to calmness.Zh: 展览结束了，明宇意识到，他不仅要关注文物的价值，也要尊重和理解它背后的故事。En: The exhibition ended, and Mingyu realized that he should not only focus on the value of artifacts but also respect and understand the stories behind them.Zh: 他对丽芬说：“谢谢你，我以前太急功近利了。En: He said to Lifen, "Thank you, I was too eager for success before."Zh: ”丽芬微笑着点头，感觉自己更勇敢了，不仅要保护文物，还要把它们背后的真实完整地传递下去。En: Lifen smiled and nodded, feeling braver—not only to protect artifacts but also to faithfully convey the truths behind them.Zh: 秋日的阳光依旧透过窗口洒在大厅，显得格外温暖。En: The autumn sun continued to shine through the windows into the hall, appearing especially warm.Zh: 博物馆的故事没有结束，而是才刚刚开始。En: The museum's story was not ending but just beginning. Vocabulary Words:autumn: 秋天sunlight: 阳光streamed: 洒下来artifact: 文物curator: 策展人passionate: 充满热情rare: 稀有slab: 石板carved: 刻有cursed: 被诅咒historian: 历史学家reveal: 揭开rumors: 传言exhibition: 展览opportunity: 机会cautious: 小心unknown: 不明pressured: 压力contradictions: 矛盾contemplation: 思索unveiled: 揭幕phenomena: 现象manuscripts: 手稿ritual: 仪式calmness: 平静respect: 尊重eager: 急功近利brave: 勇敢convey: 传递gentle: 柔和

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: A Thanksgiving Tale: Gifts Wrapped in Family Heritage Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-22-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 秋天，空气中弥漫着感恩节的气息，自然历史博物馆也开始洋溢着节日的气氛。En: In autumn, the air is filled with the spirit of Thanksgiving, and the Ziran Lishi Bowuguan (Natural History Museum) has also begun to brim with a festive atmosphere.Zh: 博物馆大厅里人声鼎沸，游客的脚步声在大理石地板上回响，墙壁则被五颜六色的秋季装饰物点缀，一派丰收的景象。En: The museum hall is bustling with noise, the sound of visitors' footsteps echoing on the marble floors, and the walls are adorned with colorful autumn decorations, creating a scene of abundance.Zh: 蜂拥的游客让博物馆显得格外热闹。En: The throngs of visitors make the museum particularly lively.Zh: 李伟，一个好奇且心思细腻的学生，今天来博物馆为了完成一项作业，但心里也在寻找一份特别的礼物。En: Li Wei, a curious and meticulous student, came to the museum today to complete an assignment, but he is also on the lookout for a special gift.Zh: 他今年打算在感恩节给家里人送上一份意义非凡的礼物。En: This year, he plans to give his family a meaningful present for Thanksgiving.Zh: 他的朋友，美玲，也一同前来，她是李伟的同学和好友，热爱科学并且实用主义，为李伟提供帮忙。En: His friend, Mei Ling, has come along too; she is a classmate and friend of Li Wei, passionate about science and practical in nature, providing assistance to him.Zh: 两人随着人群走进博物馆，四周是高大的恐龙骨架和精美的古代文物，让人眼花缭乱。En: The two of them followed the crowd into the museum, surrounded by towering dinosaur skeletons and exquisite ancient artifacts, enough to dazzle anyone.Zh: 李伟一边用笔记本记录展品的信息，一边默默留心周围有趣的礼物商店。En: Li Wei was taking notes on the exhibits with a notebook, while also quietly paying attention to interesting gift shops around him.Zh: 在博物馆的一个角落，他们遇到了陈，一个博物馆的工作人员，他正在为游客们讲解展品。En: In a corner of the museum, they encountered Chen, a museum staff member who was explaining exhibits to visitors.Zh: 陈热情地向李伟和美玲打招呼，并开始介绍一处关于古代文物的展示。En: Chen warmly greeted Li Wei and Mei Ling and began to introduce a display about ancient artifacts.Zh: "这里有我们祖国丰富的历史和文化遗产，每一个展示品都诉说着一个故事。"陈说道。En: "Here we have the rich history and cultural heritage of our motherland, each exhibit tells a story," Chen said.Zh: 就在此时，李伟眼前一亮，在那些古老的展品中，他发现了一个关于他们家族历史的独特复制品。En: At that moment, Li Wei's eyes lit up when he discovered a unique replica related to his family's history among the ancient exhibits.Zh: 这件物品不大，但却有着深厚的文化意义，正合适作为送给家人的礼物。En: Though small, this item held deep cultural significance, making it a perfect gift for his family.Zh: 李伟兴奋地购买了这件复制品，心里充满满足感。En: Li Wei, excited, purchased the replica, feeling a surge of satisfaction.Zh: 他完成了博物馆的作业，也顺利找到了心动的礼物。En: He completed his museum assignment and also successfully found a heartwarming gift.Zh: 他意识到，礼物的真正意义在于它承载的心意和家庭的传承。En: He realized that the true significance of a gift lies in the sentiment it carries and the family legacy it represents.Zh: 在秋日明媚的阳光下，李伟和美玲带着一份特殊的满意感走出了博物馆。En: Under the bright autumn sunshine, Li Wei and Mei Ling left the museum with a special sense of satisfaction.Zh: 感恩节的礼物变得不仅仅是物质的交换，它更多是一种情感的纽带。En: The Thanksgiving gift became more than just an exchange of material goods; it evolved into an emotional bond.Zh: 李伟得到了一次成长，不仅仅是对文化的理解，更是对家人的珍惜。En: Li Wei experienced personal growth, gaining not only a deeper understanding of culture but also a greater appreciation for his family.Zh: 礼物传达的不只是感恩，还有他们之间深厚的联结。En: The gift conveyed not only gratitude but also the profound connection between them. Vocabulary Words:autumn: 秋天filled: 弥漫着spirit: 气息festive: 节日bustling: 人声鼎沸echoing: 回响adorned: 点缀abundance: 丰收throngs: 蜂拥lively: 热闹curious: 好奇meticulous: 心思细腻assignment: 作业meaningful: 意义非凡passionate: 热爱practical: 实用主义towering: 高大的exquisite: 精美dazzle: 眼花缭乱encountered: 遇到heritage: 文化遗产replica: 复制品significance: 意义satisfaction: 满足感sentiment: 心意bond: 纽带personal growth: 成长appreciation: 珍惜gratitude: 感恩connection: 联结

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Fearless Heights: Ming's Kite Adventure at the Great Wall Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-21-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 秋天的长城，美丽如画。树叶变得五彩缤纷，微风轻拂着游人的脸颊。En: The Great Wall in autumn is picturesque, with tree leaves turning into a kaleidoscope of colors, and a gentle breeze brushing against the tourists' cheeks.Zh: 明、珍和莲站在一个观景台上，准备放风筝。En: Ming, Zhen, and Lian stood on a viewing platform, getting ready to fly a kite.Zh: 明充满激情地想拍下风筝在长城上空飞舞的照片。En: Ming was passionately eager to capture photos of the kite soaring above the Great Wall.Zh: 他相信这组照片会赢得本地摄影比赛。En: He believed that this set of photos would win the local photography contest.Zh: 然而，明有一个问题——他怕高。En: However, Ming had one problem—he was afraid of heights.Zh: 明看着悬崖边缘，心里有些犹豫。En: Ming gazed at the edge of the cliff, feeling a little hesitant.Zh: 风筝在他手里，轻轻舞动。En: The kite fluttered lightly in his hand.Zh: 珍稳重地拍了拍明的肩膀：“别担心，我们有备用计划。”En: Zhen reassuringly patted Ming's shoulder, saying, "Don't worry, we have a backup plan."Zh: 而莲兴奋地笑道：“明，别怕！我们在这里陪着你。”En: Lian excitedly laughed and said, "Ming, don't be afraid! We're here with you."Zh: 于是，他们开始了尝试。En: So, they began their attempt.Zh: 明小心翼翼地靠近边缘，他的心跳加速。En: Ming cautiously approached the edge, his heart racing.Zh: 风有时会停，时而又突然变大。En: The wind would sometimes die down and then suddenly pick up.Zh: 珍提议：“我们可以等风更稳定些，再放高风筝。”En: Zhen suggested, "We can wait until the wind is more stable before flying the kite higher."Zh: 他们决定三人一起合作，把风筝放得更高。En: They decided to work together to lift the kite higher.Zh: 莲在一旁鼓励着：“你能做到的，明！”En: Lian encouraged from the side, "You can do it, Ming!"Zh: 终于，风开始稳定。En: Finally, the wind stabilized.Zh: 风筝升得更高，在蓝天中划出一条美丽的弧线。En: The kite rose higher, tracing a beautiful arc in the blue sky.Zh: 明的手上冒出了汗。En: Sweat appeared on Ming's hands.Zh: 这时，一阵强风突然袭来，差点把风筝带走。En: Just then, a strong gust of wind suddenly hit, almost taking the kite away.Zh: 明知道这是他拍下完美照片的机会，但如果他放弃，这个完美的瞬间可能会消失。En: Ming knew this was his chance to capture the perfect photo, but if he let go, this perfect moment might vanish.Zh: 他必须做一个决定。En: He had to make a decision.Zh: “我不能放手！”明一脸坚定。En: "I can't let go!" Ming said with determination.Zh: 珍和莲紧紧抓着他的手臂，给他勇气与支持。En: Zhen and Lian held his arms tightly, giving him courage and support.Zh: 最终，他们齐心协力，把风筝顺利地拉回来。En: Finally, they worked together to successfully reel the kite back in.Zh: 明按下快门，捕捉到了风筝在长城上翱翔的动人瞬间。En: Ming pressed the shutter, capturing the moving moment of the kite soaring above the Great Wall.Zh: 回家的路上，明看着相机里的照片，满脸欣慰。En: On the way home, Ming looked at the photos in his camera, full of satisfaction.Zh: 他明白到，面对恐惧时，有朋友的支持是多么重要。En: He understood how important the support of friends is when facing fears.Zh: 同时，他也为自己克服了恐惧而感到骄傲。En: At the same time, he felt proud of himself for overcoming his fear.Zh: 长城的秋色依旧迷人，但明心中的那道墙却悄然消失了。En: The autumn scenery of the Great Wall remained enchanting, but the wall in Ming's heart had quietly disappeared. Vocabulary Words:picturesque: 美丽如画kaleidoscope: 五彩缤纷breeze: 微风cliff: 悬崖fluttered: 舞动reassuringly: 稳重地hesitant: 犹豫gust: 一阵强风vanish: 消失determination: 坚定support: 支持enchanted: 迷人overcoming: 克服passionately: 充满激情captured: 拍下belief: 相信stable: 稳定encouraged: 鼓励arc: 弧线shutter: 快门sweat: 汗courage: 勇气moment: 瞬间satisfaction: 欣慰racing: 加速capture: 捕捉attempt: 尝试successfully: 顺利地enchanting: 使人入迷quietly: 悄然

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Dancing in the Rain: Li Ming's Journey to Connection Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-21-08-38-19-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 初秋的上海植物园，阳光透过金黄的叶子，洒在小径上。En: In early autumn at the Shanghai Botanical Garden, sunlight streams through the golden leaves, casting a glow on the paths.Zh: 空气清新，菊花争相开放，传递着一种宁静的美好气息。En: The air is fresh, and chrysanthemums bloom in a contest of beauty, transmitting a serene and wonderful atmosphere.Zh: 李明，一个兢兢业业的办公室员工，站在园中的小湖旁。En: Li Ming, a diligent office worker, stands by a small lake in the garden.Zh: 她被赋予一个重要任务：组织一场团队建设活动。En: She has been assigned an important task: organizing a team-building event.Zh: 平日里，李明比较内向，喜欢安静地处理工作。En: Usually, Li Ming is quite introverted and prefers to quietly handle her work.Zh: 但内心深处，她渴望与同事们有更深的联系。En: But deep down, she longs for a deeper connection with her colleagues.Zh: 她计划将活动安排在户外，享受大自然的美丽。En: She plans to arrange the event outdoors to enjoy the beauty of nature.Zh: 然而，天气预报说有可能下雨，这让她焦虑不已。En: However, the weather forecast predicts possible rain, which makes her anxious.Zh: 她不禁想：是要设计一个备选的室内活动方案，还是冒险在户外进行呢？En: She can't help but wonder: should she design an alternative indoor activity plan, or take the risk and proceed outdoors?Zh: 李明走在林荫小道上，思考着这次活动的每一个细节。En: Walking along the tree-lined path, Li Ming contemplates every detail of the event.Zh: 她的同事魏和陈都很支持她，希望能通过这次活动拉近彼此的距离。En: Her colleagues, Wei and Chen, support her and hope the activity can bring them closer together.Zh: “或许，这正是我打开心扉的好机会。”李明默默地对自己说。En: "Perhaps this is the perfect opportunity to open up," Li Ming silently tells herself.Zh: 活动当天，团队在园中集合，他们在明媚的阳光下开始互动游戏。En: On the day of the event, the team gathers in the garden and begins their interactive games under the bright sunshine.Zh: 李明逐渐放下心中的紧张，尝试与同事们分享自己的想法与感受。En: Li Ming gradually lets go of her inner tension and tries to share her thoughts and feelings with her colleagues.Zh: 她发现，大家真诚地回应着她。En: She discovers that everyone responds to her sincerely.Zh: 然而，正如天气预报所说，天空逐渐阴沉，雨云开始积聚。En: However, just as the weather forecast predicted, the sky gradually turns cloudy, and rain clouds begin to gather.Zh: 看到这情形，李明迅速做出了决定——继续在户外进行活动。En: Seeing this, Li Ming quickly makes a decision—to continue the activities outdoors.Zh: 她对同事们说：“雨将是我们的伙伴，让我们一起在雨中寻找乐趣吧！”En: She tells her colleagues, "The rain will be our partner, let's find joy in it together!"Zh: 雨水开始轻轻飘落，大家在雨中嬉戏，追逐着，笑声洒满整个园区。En: As the rain starts to fall gently, everyone frolics and chases each other in the rain, laughter filling the entire park.Zh: 湿透的衣服无法阻挡他们的热情，反而让这一天变得更为难忘。En: Their soaked clothes do not dampen their enthusiasm; instead, it makes the day even more memorable.Zh: 活动结束后，尽管衣服湿漉漉的，但李明感受到前所未有的轻松与快乐。En: After the event ends, despite their wet clothes, Li Ming feels an unprecedented sense of relief and happiness.Zh: 她与同事们携手离开植物园，心中充满了温暖和连接的喜悦。En: She and her colleagues leave the botanical garden hand in hand, their hearts filled with warmth and the joy of connection.Zh: 在回家的路上，李明终于明白，有时打开心扉，就像在雨中跳跃一样简单快乐。En: On the way home, Li Ming finally understands that sometimes opening up can be as simple and joyful as dancing in the rain.Zh: 她自信地微笑着，因为她不仅成功组织了活动，还迈出了重要的一步，与同事们建立了真正的友谊。En: She smiles confidently because she not only successfully organized the event but also took an important step in building genuine friendships with her colleagues. Vocabulary Words:autumn: 秋streams: 透过chrysanthemums: 菊花serene: 宁静diligent: 兢兢业业introverted: 内向forecast: 预报anxious: 焦虑alternative: 备选contemplates: 思考opportunity: 机会interactive: 互动tension: 紧张sincerely: 真诚cloudy: 阴沉frolics: 嬉戏memorable: 难忘unprecedented: 前所未有genuine: 真正gratefully: 感激gleams: 发光path: 小道precaution: 预防措施consideration: 考虑establish: 建立gather: 积聚relief: 轻松connections: 联系contingency: 应急anticipation: 预想

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Moonlit Tea Tales: Finding Serenity and Tradition in Zhulin Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-20-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在一个宁静的秋天黄昏，微风轻轻吹拂着竹林。En: On a tranquil autumn evening, a gentle breeze brushed through the zhulin, the bamboo grove.Zh: 竹子在风中沙沙作响，仿佛在低语。En: The bamboo leaves rustled in the wind as if whispering.Zh: 月光洒下柔和的光辉，照亮了地上的每一片落叶。En: Moonlight cast its soft glow, illuminating every fallen leaf on the ground.Zh: 今天，竹林里正举行一场特别的茶道仪式。En: Today, a special tea ceremony was being held in the bamboo grove.Zh: 这次仪式正值中秋节，陈在竹林深处布置了茶桌，为几位爱茶之人准备了一次传统的茶会。En: This ceremony coincided with the Mid-Autumn Festival, and Chen had set up a tea table deep in the grove to prepare a traditional tea party for a few tea lovers.Zh: 在城市忙碌的日常生活中，李华一直在寻找心灵的平静。En: Amidst the bustle of city life, Li Hua had been seeking peace of mind.Zh: 她早就听说竹林茶会的悠然之美，便决定趁着假期参加这次活动。En: She had long heard about the tranquil beauty of the bamboo grove tea gathering and decided to take advantage of the holiday to attend.Zh: 李华心中满怀期待，盼望能在竹林中寻到一丝宁静。En: Li Hua, filled with anticipation, hoped to find a touch of serenity in the bamboo grove.Zh: 李华轻轻穿过竹林，眼前是一个小茶桌，上面摆放着精美的茶具和香气四溢的月饼。En: Li Hua gently traversed the bamboo grove and saw a small tea table adorned with exquisite tea sets and fragrant mooncakes.Zh: 陈正在一旁忙碌，摆放茶具，同时轻声欢迎每一位到来的客人。En: Chen was busy nearby arranging the tea sets while softly welcoming each arriving guest.Zh: 他是这次茶会的主持者，是一位热爱传统文化的学者。En: He was the host of this tea party, a scholar who loved traditional culture.Zh: 李华坐下，温暖的茶香萦绕鼻际。En: Li Hua sat down, enveloped by the warm aroma of tea.Zh: 陈一边为大家斟茶，一边分享茶道的悠长历史和每一步的意义。En: Chen poured tea for everyone while sharing the long history of the tea ceremony and the significance of each step.Zh: 李华被他的故事所吸引，她感受到了一种深深的共鸣。En: Li Hua was captivated by his stories and felt a deep resonance.Zh: 两人间自然地展开了对话。En: A natural conversation unfolded between them.Zh: 李华提到自己的困惑，她一直努力在都市奔波，却难以找到心灵的满足感。En: Li Hua mentioned her confusion, how she had been striving in the bustling city, yet found it hard to attain satisfaction for her soul.Zh: 陈也说起自己的矛盾，传统与现代之间，他总是难以取舍。En: Chen also spoke of his dilemmas, always torn between tradition and modernity.Zh: 随着夜幕降临，茶会也进入了高潮。En: As night fell, the tea gathering reached its climax.Zh: 大家一同享用月饼，举目望向挂在天边的圆月。En: Everyone enjoyed mooncakes together, gazing at the full moon hanging in the sky.Zh: 这个中秋之夜，月亮似乎格外明亮，照映着每个人的思绪。En: On this Mid-Autumn night, the moon seemed exceptionally bright, reflecting each person's thoughts.Zh: 就在这一刻，李华和陈都意识到彼此的渴望。En: At that moment, Li Hua and Chen both realized each other's longing.Zh: 他们都向往更加真实简单的生活，珍视那些质朴而珍贵的时光。En: They both yearned for a more genuine and simple life, cherishing those simple yet precious moments.Zh: 茶会结束后，李华和陈相视一笑。En: After the tea gathering ended, Li Hua and Chen exchanged smiles.Zh: 他们约定，今后要更好地融合过去的传统和当下的变化，过一种更有意义的生活。En: They promised to better integrate the traditions of the past with the changes of the present, aiming for a more meaningful life.Zh: 离开竹林时，李华内心充满了勇气。En: As they left the bamboo grove, Li Hua was filled with courage.Zh: 她决定回去后，好好整理自己的生活，更多地关注内心真正想要的。En: She decided to reorganize her life upon returning, focusing more on what her heart truly desired.Zh: 陈也愿意向现代开放，让自己的传统更具活力。En: Chen was also willing to embrace modernity, hoping to infuse more vitality into his traditions.Zh: 秋风继续在竹林中低语，月光照耀下的每一株竹子，见证着一个新的开始。En: The autumn wind continued to whisper through the bamboo grove, and the moonlit bamboo stood witness to a new beginning.Zh: 两个人踏上回家的路，心中满是对未来的期许。En: The two set off on their way home, their hearts full of expectations for the future.Zh: 竹林寂静，然而每一颗心都充满了希望与决心。En: The bamboo grove was silent, yet each heart was filled with hope and determination. Vocabulary Words:tranquil: 宁静whispering: 低语coincided: 正值seek: 寻找peace of mind: 心灵的平静anticipation: 期待serenity: 宁静traverse: 穿过adorned: 摆放exquisite: 精美fragrant: 香气四溢aroma: 茶香captivated: 吸引resonance: 共鸣unfolded: 展开satisfaction: 满足感climax: 高潮gazing: 望向exceptionally: 格外reflecting: 照映longing: 渴望genuine: 真实cherishing: 珍视integrate: 融合courage: 勇气reorganize: 整理embrace: 开放vitality: 活力witness: 见证expectations: 期许

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Jiuzhaigou's Autumn Tale: Friendship Tested in Nature's Embrace Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-20-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 九寨沟的秋天，美得让人窒息。En: Jiuzhaigou in autumn is breathtakingly beautiful.Zh: 红枫、黄叶和橙色的树林像一幅画一样铺展开来，湖水清澈见底，映照着明亮的天光。En: The red maples, yellow leaves, and orange woodlands spread out like a painting.Zh: 红枫、黄叶和橙色的树林像一幅画一样铺展开来，湖水清澈见底，映照着明亮的天光。En: The lake water is crystal clear, reflecting the bright sky.Zh: 山谷间，一对好友正在徒步旅行。En: In the valley, a pair of friends is on a hiking trip.Zh: 丽美是个热爱冒险的人，En: Li Mei is a person who loves adventure.Zh: 每到假期，她都要去登山。En: Every holiday, she goes mountain climbing.Zh: 中秋节，是她与自然重聚的时刻。En: Mid-Autumn Festival is her time to reunite with nature.Zh: 然而，这次她有一个隐藏的秘密——她的健康状况不太好，但她不想让家人担心。En: However, this time, she has a hidden secret—her health is not very good, but she doesn't want to worry her family.Zh: 金海是丽美的朋友，也是一位医护人员。En: Jin Hai is Li Mei's friend and also a healthcare worker.Zh: 他细心而谨慎，总是留意丽美的一举一动。En: He is attentive and cautious, always observing Li Mei's every move.Zh: “丽美，小心脚下的石头。”金海提醒道。En: "Li Mei, be careful of the stones underfoot," Jin Hai reminded.Zh: 他们在一条较陡峭的小径上行走，两边是燃烧着秋色的树木。En: They were walking on a steeper path, with trees blazing with autumn colors on both sides.Zh: “别担心，我没事。”丽美用力挤出一个微笑。En: "Don't worry, I'm fine." Li Mei forced a smile.Zh: 随着他们深入山谷，丽美的呼吸变得急促，脸色苍白。En: As they ventured deeper into the valley, Li Mei's breathing became rapid, and her face turned pale.Zh: 金海注意到了。En: Jin Hai noticed.Zh: 他放慢了步伐，走到丽美身边，轻声说道：“丽美，要不要休息一下？”En: He slowed his pace, moved to Li Mei's side, and softly said, "Li Mei, do you want to take a break?"Zh: “我没问题。”丽美固执地摇头，她渴望在这次旅程中享受大自然的美丽。En: "I'm okay." Li Mei stubbornly shook her head, eager to enjoy the beauty of nature on this trip.Zh: 但上帝有时候会开玩笑。En: But sometimes, fate plays tricks.Zh: 在他们准备攀上一座小山丘的时候，丽美突然摇晃了一下，然后失去了平衡，倒在了地上。En: As they prepared to climb a small hill, Li Mei suddenly wobbled, lost her balance, and fell to the ground.Zh: 金海立刻冲了过来，“丽美！”他扶起她，看到了她满脸痛苦。En: Jin Hai immediately rushed over, "Li Mei!" He helped her up and saw the pain on her face.Zh: 丽美终于承认：“金海，我...可能需要你的帮助。”En: Li Mei finally admitted, "Jin Hai, I... may need your help."Zh: 金海点头，用坚定的声音说：“不用担心，有我在呢。”En: Jin Hai nodded, saying with determination, "Don't worry, I'm here."Zh: 他快速检查了丽美的状况，判断她需要立即医疗帮助。En: He quickly checked Li Mei's condition and determined she needed immediate medical attention.Zh: 在金海的帮助下，他们找到了一条小道，迅速前往最近的急救站。En: With Jin Hai's help, they found a small path and quickly headed to the nearest first aid station.Zh: 丽美被安置在一个舒适的床上，接受了必要的治疗。En: Li Mei was settled on a comfortable bed and received the necessary treatment.Zh: “对不起，我该早点告诉你的。”丽美轻声对金海说。En: "I'm sorry, I should have told you earlier," Li Mei said softly to Jin Hai.Zh: 金海微笑着握住她的手：“没事的，下次我们一起面对，好吗？”En: Jin Hai smiled, holding her hand, "It's okay, next time we'll face it together, alright?"Zh: 丽美点头笑了，感觉内心变得轻松了很多。En: Li Mei nodded and smiled, feeling much lighter in her heart.Zh: 她明白了，有时候接受朋友的帮助也是一种坚强。En: She understood that sometimes accepting a friend's help is also a form of strength.Zh: 经过这次旅程，丽美学会了不再把一切都自己承担，而是依赖朋友的关心。En: After this journey, Li Mei learned not to shoulder everything herself, but to rely on a friend's care.Zh: 金海也更加理解丽美的独立，他意识到需要尊重她的自主，但在紧急时刻，尽一切努力去帮助她。En: Jin Hai also understood Li Mei's independence better, realizing the need to respect her autonomy, but to do everything possible to help her in emergencies.Zh: 九寨沟的树叶在微风中沙沙作响，仿佛在见证这个温暖的时刻。En: The leaves of Jiuzhaigou rustled in the breeze, as if witnessing this warm moment.Zh: 中秋节的月亮升上夜空，洒下一片宁静的银辉，包裹着这片美丽的大地。En: The Mid-Autumn Festival moon rose into the night sky, casting a tranquil silver glow, enveloping this beautiful land. Vocabulary Words:breathtakingly: 窒息地adventure: 冒险crystal: 清澈reunite: 重聚hidden: 隐藏的attentive: 细心cautious: 谨慎observing: 留意venture: 深入pale: 苍白stubbornly: 固执地wobbled: 摇晃determination: 坚定condition: 状况settled: 安置admitted: 承认tranquil: 宁静的enveloping: 包裹glow: 光辉rustled: 沙沙作响autonomy: 自主emergencies: 紧急时刻breathing: 呼吸rapid: 急促independence: 独立fate: 命运mid-autumn: 中秋节balance: 平衡treatment: 治疗observing: 观察

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Harmonizing Lanterns: Forging Unity at Hangzhou's Festival Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-19-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在杭州的一个深秋下午，明宇、丽华和健走进了一家古色古香的茶馆。En: On a late autumn afternoon in Hangzhou, Mingyu, Lihua, and Jian stepped into a quaint tea house.Zh: 走在石板街道上，他们感受到了空气中弥漫的茶香和栗子香。En: As they walked on the cobblestone street, they could smell the aroma of tea and chestnuts in the air.Zh: 茶馆的窗户上凝着蒸汽，温暖的光线透过悬挂的红色灯笼照亮了整个房间。En: Steam lingered on the tea house's windows, and the warm light filtering through the hanging red lanterns illuminated the entire room.Zh: 他们坐在一个低矮的漆桌旁，准备讨论即将到来的灯笼节计划。En: They sat by a low lacquered table, ready to discuss their upcoming plans for the Lantern Festival.Zh: 明宇是个心思细腻的艺术家，他一直想做一场关于西湖的灯笼展示。En: Mingyu is a meticulous artist who has always wanted to create a lantern display about West Lake.Zh: 他渴望让观众通过灯笼感受到西湖的美丽与宁静。En: He longs for the audience to feel the beauty and tranquility of West Lake through the lanterns.Zh: 丽华则是个充满活力的组织者，总想把节日变得更加难忘。En: Lihua, on the other hand, is a vibrant organizer who always wants to make celebrations more memorable.Zh: 她的计划非常宏大，希望把整个湖岸都装饰上灯笼。En: Her grand plan is to decorate the entire lakeshore with lanterns.Zh: 健却比较现实，他觉得丽华的计划过于夸张，不太可能实现。En: But Jian is more realistic, feeling that Lihua's plan is too extravagant and unlikely to be feasible.Zh: 三人在茶馆中讨论着节日的计划。En: The three discussed the festival plans in the tea house.Zh: 明宇轻声说：“我希望灯笼能展现出西湖的宁静之美。”En: Mingyu softly said, “I hope the lanterns can showcase the peaceful beauty of West Lake.”Zh: 丽华兴奋地回应：“但我们可以多加一些创意，让它更吸引人。”En: Lihua excitedly responded, “But we can add more creativity to make it more appealing.”Zh: 健则皱眉说：“我们需要考虑实际情况，不然计划可能无法实施。”En: Jian frowned and said, “We need to consider practicality, otherwise the plan might not be implemented.”Zh: 在讨论的过程中，气氛略显紧张。En: During the discussion, the atmosphere was somewhat tense.Zh: 为了打破僵局，明宇决定妥协。En: To break the stalemate, Mingyu decided to compromise.Zh: 他说：“也许我们可以把丽华的创意融入我的设计中，同时确保现实的可行性。”En: He said, “Maybe we can incorporate Lihua's creativity into my design while ensuring realistic feasibility.”Zh: 随后，他从包里拿出一张卷轴，慢慢展开，上面是他设计的灯笼展示图。En: Then he pulled out a scroll from his bag and slowly unfurled it, revealing his lantern display design.Zh: 图中不仅有明宇对西湖的独到见解，还融入了丽华生动的创意。En: The design not only featured Mingyu's unique vision of West Lake, but also incorporated Lihua's vivid creativity.Zh: 看到这一设计，丽华瞪大了眼睛，兴奋地说：“太美了！这样会给观众带来意想不到的惊喜。”En: Seeing this design, Lihua widened her eyes in excitement and said, “It's beautiful! This will bring an unexpected surprise to the audience.”Zh: 健也仔细地看着图纸，终于点了点头，说：“这样确实有趣，而且我看到了明宇的艺术和丽华的妙思，这很不错。”En: Jian also carefully examined the drawing and finally nodded, saying, “It's indeed interesting, and I see the blend of Mingyu's artistry and Lihua's ingenious ideas. It's really nice.”Zh: 最后，三人达成了一致。En: In the end, the three of them reached an agreement.Zh: 他们决定一同努力，把这场展示在灯笼节上呈现给大家。En: They decided to work together to present this display at the Lantern Festival.Zh: 明宇从这次合作中学会了团队合作的重要性，丽华意识到了创意与计划并重的价值，而健也开始对艺术眼界产生了新的尊重。En: Mingyu learned the importance of teamwork from this collaboration, Lihua realized the value of balancing creativity with planning, and Jian began to develop a new respect for artistic perspectives.Zh: 在茶馆的暖光中，三人的笑声回荡，与秋日的气息融为一体。En: In the warm light of the tea house, their laughter resonated, blending with the atmosphere of autumn.Zh: 他们的新计划将会为杭州的灯笼节增添别样的光彩与魅力。En: Their new plan would add a unique charm and brilliance to Hangzhou's Lantern Festival. Vocabulary Words:quaint: 古色古香cobblestone: 石板aroma: 香味linger: 停留meticulous: 心思细腻tranquility: 宁静extravagant: 夸张的feasible: 可行的showcase: 展示appealing: 吸引人practicality: 实际情况stalemate: 僵局compromise: 妥协incorporate: 融入unfurl: 展开ingenious: 妙思collaboration: 合作resonate: 回荡charm: 光彩brilliance: 魅力lakeshore: 湖岸vivid: 生动的feasibility: 可行性scroll: 卷轴unique: 独特的audience: 观众artistry: 艺术性balanced: 并重respect: 尊重perspectives: 眼界

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Mystery in the Mist: Guilin's Hidden Treasure Unveiled Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-11-19-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在桂林的一个宁静村庄，秋天的清晨，阳光透过山间薄雾，洒在村里的石板路上。En: In a tranquil village in Guilin, on an autumn morning, sunlight streamed through the mountain mist, spilling over the cobblestone paths of the village.Zh: 村子四周是雄伟的喀斯特山脉，仿佛大自然的守护者。En: The village was surrounded by the majestic karst mountains, standing as if they were nature's guardians.Zh: 蒋毅站在村口，手里捧着一本泛黄的老书。En: Jiang Yi stood at the village entrance, holding a yellowed old book.Zh: 他对村里的古老传说着迷，尤其是关于村庙里那件价值连城的古文物的故事。En: He was fascinated by the village's ancient legends, especially the story about the priceless artifact in the village temple.Zh: 中秋节将至，村子充满了欢庆的气氛，但村子里也弥漫着一丝紧张感。En: As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, the village was filled with a celebratory atmosphere, but there was also a hint of tension.Zh: 因为那件文物，最近不见了。En: The artifact had recently disappeared.Zh: 他的好友美琳走过来，手里拿着一盏纸灯笼。En: His friend Mei Lin walked over, carrying a paper lantern.Zh: 美琳是个重视传统的人，总能在蒋毅异想天开时给予冷静的建议。En: Mei Lin was someone who valued tradition and was always able to provide calm advice when Jiang Yi had whimsical ideas.Zh: “蒋毅，你别再看那些传说了，村里的长老们可不喜欢我们调查。”美琳提醒道。En: “Jiang Yi, stop reading those legends; the village elders don't like us investigating,” Mei Lin reminded him.Zh: 然而，蒋毅不想放弃，En: However, Jiang Yi did not want to give up.Zh: 他对美琳说：“也许传说里有真的秘密呢。我们去找找线索吧。”En: He told Mei Lin, “Maybe there is a real secret in the legends. Let's go look for clues.”Zh: 村子里来了个陌生人，名叫魏辰。En: A stranger named Wei Chen had come to the village.Zh: 他带着丰富的古文物知识，然而对他过去的故事，没人了解太多。En: He brought with him a wealth of knowledge about ancient artifacts, but no one knew much about his past.Zh: 村民们有些怀疑他。En: The villagers were a bit suspicious of him.Zh: “魏辰来了之后，文物就不见了。”村民们耳语道。En: “After Wei Chen arrived, the artifact disappeared,” the villagers whispered.Zh: 蒋毅和美琳决定秘密调查。En: Jiang Yi and Mei Lin decided to investigate secretly.Zh: 他们注意到魏辰很少与人交谈，却似乎对村庙异常关注。En: They noticed that Wei Chen seldom talked to people, yet seemed unusually interested in the village temple.Zh: 中秋节的晚上，村子举行了一场大型庆祝会。En: On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the village held a large celebration.Zh: 月饼飘香，灯笼高挂，村中小孩嬉戏，增添了欢乐的气氛。En: The aroma of mooncakes filled the air, lanterns hung high, and the children playing added to the joyous atmosphere.Zh: 就在此时，蒋毅无意中在一个月饼里发现了一张古老的地图。En: It was at this time that Jiang Yi accidentally discovered an old map inside a mooncake.Zh: 地图上标记着一个隐蔽的房间。En: The map marked a hidden room.Zh: 蒋毅和美琳按照地图的指示，悄悄进入了村庙的地下室。En: Following its directions, Jiang Yi and Mei Lin quietly entered the temple's basement.Zh: 他们点亮了带来的灯笼，隐约看见一个秘室的入口。En: They lit the lantern they brought and faintly saw the entrance to a secret room.Zh: 推开石门，丢失的文物静静地摆在石台上。En: Pushing open the stone door, the missing artifact sat quietly on a stone platform.Zh: 蒋毅和美琳心中无比震惊，却同时松了一口气。En: Jiang Yi and Mei Lin were stunned, yet they breathed a sigh of relief.Zh: 村子里的长老们惊讶地看着被完好无损的文物。En: The village elders were astonished to see the artifact intact.Zh: 然而，他们更惊讶的是魏辰的无辜。En: However, they were even more surprised by Wei Chen's innocence.Zh: 在他的帮助下，文物背后的古老传说得以完整解开，揭示了村子的历史，也是靖江通往更美好未来的桥梁。En: With his help, the ancient legend behind the artifact was fully unraveled, revealing the village's history and serving as a bridge to a brighter future for Jingjiang.Zh: “看吧，传说有时也是真实的。”蒋毅轻声对美琳说。En: “See, sometimes legends are true,” Jiang Yi softly said to Mei Lin.Zh: 他明白了信任与友谊的可贵，村民们也用敬佩的眼光看着他。En: He understood the value of trust and friendship, and the villagers looked at him with admiration.Zh: 桂林的秋风轻轻吹过，带来了新的开始。En: The autumn wind of Guilin gently blew, bringing a new beginning. Vocabulary Words:tranquil: 宁静cobblestone: 石板majestic: 雄伟guardian: 守护者fascinated: 着迷artifact: 文物celebratory: 欢庆tension: 紧张whimsical: 异想天开investigating: 调查secretly: 秘密地suspicious: 怀疑aroma: 飘香joyous: 欢乐accidentally: 无意中basement: 地下室faintly: 隐约entrance: 入口astonished: 惊讶intact: 完好无损innocence: 无辜unraveled: 解开legend: 传说admiration: 敬佩whispered: 耳语hidden: 隐蔽platform: 石台tradition: 传统mooncake: 月饼sigh of relief: 松了一口气

Episode 157 – Dallas Growers ClubThis week, JP sits down with Joe from Dallas Growers Club — and no, it ain't Texas… he reps Dallas, Oregon, and he's carving out his lane one fire cut at a time.Joe's path is anything but typical. He grew up between the Bay Area and Taipei, Taiwan, giving him a global perspective most growers never get. He speaks fluent Mandarin and learned early business game watching his pops run a women's shoe company — lessons in hustle, people, and discipline that still shape him today.After playing college football, life took a turn that led him straight into the world of cultivation. Through a girlfriend, he met the grower who became his first real mentor, the person who opened the door to everything Joe's doing now. From there, he hit the road:California → New York → Oregon, soaking up game, building skills, and learning what real cultivation takes in different parts of the country.Joe's holding it down in Oregon, always hunting for the next new hitter and staying active at every cannabis event he can pull up to. He moves with love for the plant, shares game with the people, and keeps the fire in rotation. Keep an eye out for him — because when Joe shows up, he's got a jar of something funky that you're definitely gonna want to try.⸻

Well today we welcome me to talk all things China on the people in food and farming series of the R2Kast

When we think of China today, we think of a technological superpower. From Huawei and 5G to TikTok and viral social media, China is stride for stride with the United States in the world of computing. However, China's technological renaissance almost didn't happen. And for one very basic reason: the Chinese language, with its 70,000 plus characters, couldn't fit on a keyboard.Today, we tell the story of Professor Wang Yongmin, a hard-headed computer programmer who solved this puzzle and laid the foundation for the China we know today.Special thanks to Martin Howard. You can view his renowned collection of typewriters at: antiquetypewriters.com. EPISODE CREDITS: Reported by - Simon AdlerProduced by - Simon Adler Sign up for our newsletter!! It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Signup (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org.Leadership support for Radiolab's science programming is provided by the Simons Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.