Podcasts about Mandarin

“Is your grocery cart blocking the aisle, or are you the one laying on the horn the second the light turns green?” 

This week's conversation opens a gateway into the deeper roots of Reiki. Kenloch Cheung joins us again to share stories from Hong Kong, Australia, and Mount Kurama, along with his remarkable insights into the origins and meaning of the Usui DKM. This episode offers a rare blend of history, philosophy, and lived experience. In this inspiring conversation, Colleen and Robyn welcome back Reiki teacher and ICRT Licensed Reiki Master Teacher, Kenloch Cheung, joining us from Melbourne after his recent move from Hong Kong. Kenloch bridges Eastern and Western Reiki communities with fluency in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English, and his teaching reflects a blend of technique, spiritual understanding, and practical everyday Reiki. We explore what it has been like for Kenloch to relocate to Australia, where Reiki is widely recognized and integrated into daily wellness culture. He shares heartwarming stories about meeting Reiki-aware strangers on mountains in Switzerland, having conversations with immigration officers about Reiki, and settling into a new rhythm of life shaped by self-care, peace, and personal health. The highlight of this episode is Kenloch's detailed teaching on DKM, including: The historical and cultural origins of the symbol Insights from Mount Kurama's prayer to Sonten How the kanji themselves illuminate the DKM deeper meaning The relationship between the symbol, the sun, the moon, and the earth Connections with universal laws, duality, spiritual understanding, and enlightenment Colleen and Robyn share their own experiences with DKM as Reiki practitioners and teachers, including its role in healing belonging, unity, and the alignment of spiritual and human selves. Together, they weave modern Reiki practice with ancient context, bringing new understanding to DKM symbol and its relevance today. Kenloch also speaks about hosting William Rand in Hong Kong, teaching multilingual classes, and his plans for English-language courses in Australia. His joy for community, sharing Reiki, and living a grounded, healthy life shines throughout this conversation. Listen NowThis episode is available on all major podcast platforms and on our YouTube channel.  Connect with Kenloch Cheung: Website: https://kenlochhealingspace.boutir.com/ Email: hernetheancientforest@outlook.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenlochtheoaktree Enjoy the episode, Colleen & Robyn ✨Connect with Colleen and Robyn 
Classes: https://reikilifestyle.com/classes-page/
FREE Distance Reiki Share: https://reikilifestyle.com/community/ 
Podcast: https://reikilifestyle.com/podcast/  (available on all major platforms too)
Website: https://reikilifestyle.com/ Colleen Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReikiLifestyle
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reikilifestyleofficialempo **DISCLAIMER** This episode is not a substitute for seeking professional medical care but is offered for relaxation and stress reduction, which support the body's natural healing capabilities. Reiki is a complement to and never a replacement for professional medical care. Colleen and Robyn are not licensed professional health care providers and urge you to always seek out the appropriate physical and mental help professional health care providers may offer. Results vary by individual.

Join us for a deep-dive into Marvel's ORIGINAL Iron Man movie, the 2007 animated feature film “Invincible Iron Man”! The year before the MCU began, the year before Robert Downey Jr, Jon Favreau, and Kevin Feige brought Tony Stark to the big screen, Marvel partnered up with Lionsgate to create the first and original Iron Man movie - a feature length animated film on DVD. We'll take you behind-the-scenes on the Marvel / Lionsgate deal, the talent of the writers and animators involved, the different animation styles, and everything it took to make this movie. We'll also go behind-the-page on Iron Man in the 2000's, how a series of terrible creative decisions at Marvel were ruining the character, and what it took to make the character relevant again in time for the birth of the MCU! And then we'll deep-dive the movie itself, to explore what it got right, what it got VERY wrong, all the things it changed about Iron Man, and all the differences with the live-action movie that would come out the following year! Plus there's tons of history and trivia about Tony Stark's childhood, his different armours, the Mandarin, the Jade Dragon, Fin Fang Foom, and so much more! For awesome bonus episodes visit https://www.patreon.com/marvelversusmarvel marvelversusmarvel@gmail.com https://www.instagram.com/marvelversusmarvel https://twitter.com/marvelversus https://twitter.com/robhalden https://robhalden.com https://will-preston.co.uk

Join us for a deep-dive into Marvel's ORIGINAL Iron Man movie, the 2007 animated feature film “Invincible Iron Man”! The year before the MCU began, the year before Robert Downey Jr, Jon Favreau, and Kevin Feige brought Tony Stark to the big screen, Marvel partnered up with Lionsgate to create the first and original Iron Man movie - a feature length animated film on DVD. We'll take you behind-the-scenes on the Marvel / Lionsgate deal, the talent of the writers and animators involved, the different animation styles, and everything it took to make this movie. We'll also go behind-the-page on Iron Man in the 2000's, how a series of terrible creative decisions at Marvel were ruining the character, and what it took to make the character relevant again in time for the birth of the MCU! And then we'll deep-dive the movie itself, to explore what it got right, what it got VERY wrong, all the things it changed about Iron Man, and all the differences with the live-action movie that would come out the following year! Plus there's tons of history and trivia about Tony Stark's childhood, his different armours, the Mandarin, the Jade Dragon, Fin Fang Foom, and so much more! For awesome bonus episodes visit https://www.patreon.com/marvelversusmarvel marvelversusmarvel@gmail.com https://www.instagram.com/marvelversusmarvel https://twitter.com/marvelversus https://twitter.com/robhalden https://robhalden.com https://will-preston.co.uk

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Climb Towards Harmony: A Transformative Journey at Mount Tai Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-12-08-08-38-19-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 黎华和健被公司派去泰山。En: Li Hua and Jian were assigned by their company to go to Mount Tai.Zh: 他们需要在这次活动中加深了解，并为来年的项目筹划策略。En: They needed to deepen their understanding during this event and plan strategies for next year's project.Zh: 泰山的秋末，薄雾笼罩，落叶铺满小径，幽静而壮丽。En: Late autumn at Mount Tai was shrouded in mist, with fallen leaves covering the paths, tranquil and magnificent.Zh: 黎华专注于工作，总想着如何能让上司满意。En: Li Hua focused on her work, always thinking about how to satisfy her boss.Zh: 这次，她希望能在活动中提出一个让人惊艳的新项目方案。En: This time, she hoped to propose an impressive new project plan during the event.Zh: 然而，工作的压力让她的生活有些黯淡，她对个人幸福心存恐惧。En: However, the pressure of work cast a shadow over her life, and she harbored fears about personal happiness.Zh: 健则一向随和，乐于工作，但家庭的责任常让他感到拉扯。En: Jian, on the other hand, was always easygoing and enjoyed his work, but family responsibilities often made him feel torn.Zh: 冬至节快要到了，他希望能提早回家，和家人一起准备节日的传统活动。En: With the Winter Solstice approaching, he hoped to return home early to prepare for the holiday's traditional activities with his family.Zh: 两人的性格和工作方法不同，合作时摩擦不断。En: The two had different personalities and working methods, leading to constant friction in their cooperation.Zh: 黎华常常不满健的漫不经心，而健又对黎华的紧张感到压抑。En: Li Hua often felt dissatisfied with Jian's carelessness, while Jian felt oppressed by Li Hua's tension.Zh: 泰山顶是他们此行的目标。En: The peak of Mount Tai was their goal for this trip.Zh: 在登山途中，健终于向黎华坦白了自己的家庭责任。En: During the climb, Jian finally confessed to Li Hua about his family responsibilities.Zh: 他希望理解，能在工作和家庭间找到平衡。En: He hoped for understanding and to find a balance between work and family.Zh: 黎华听完，沉思片刻，她反思自己工作的紧张态度，也许是时候放松些了。En: Li Hua listened, pondered for a moment, and reflected on her anxious work attitude, perhaps realizing it was time to relax a bit.Zh: 途中，他们谈论如何结合彼此的优势，提议新的项目方案。En: Along the way, they discussed how to combine their strengths and proposed new project ideas.Zh: 黎华发现，健的方法虽然随意，但常有意想不到的好处。En: Li Hua discovered that although Jian's methods were casual, they often had unexpected benefits.Zh: 她决定尝试放宽心，接纳健的所有意见。En: She decided to try to ease up and accept all of Jian's suggestions.Zh: 他们的旅程在黎明时分达到顶峰。En: Their journey reached its peak at dawn.Zh: 泰山顶上，朝霞染红天地，景色壮丽，En: At the top of Mount Tai, the morning glow painted the sky red and the scenery was magnificent.Zh: 他们静静地看着，看见一片广阔的未来。En: They stood quietly, seeing a vast future before them.Zh: 刹那间的豁然开朗，他们找到了共同的愿景。En: In that moment of sudden clarity, they found a shared vision.Zh: 下山后，他们将最终方案呈上。En: After descending the mountain, they presented the final plan.Zh: 经理对他们的合作感到满意，不仅认同方案中的创意，也看到了两人之间的互补与和谐。En: The manager was pleased with their collaboration, not only approving of the creativity in the plan but also seeing the complementary and harmonious relationship between the two.Zh: 黎华学会了在生活和工作中留些余地，让自己更加均衡。En: Li Hua learned to leave some space in life and work, achieving a more balanced self.Zh: 健也更加自信，敢于说出自己的需要，明白了事业家庭可以和谐共存。En: Jian became more confident, able to voice his needs, understanding that career and family can coexist harmoniously.Zh: 泰山之行，不只是一次公司活动，更是他们心灵的攀登和成长之旅。En: The trip to Mount Tai was not just a company event but a journey of spiritual ascent and growth.Zh: 在感悟中，他们开始理解，事业与生活本就是一体，和谐而共生。En: Through their insights, they began to understand that career and life are inherently one, harmonious and symbiotic. Vocabulary Words:assigned: 派去deepened: 加深shrouded: 笼罩tranquil: 幽静magnificent: 壮丽satisfy: 满意impressive: 惊艳pressure: 压力harbor: 心存easygoing: 随和responsibilities: 责任torn: 拉扯approaching: 快要到了traditional: 传统friction: 摩擦dissatisfied: 不满carelessness: 漫不经心oppressed: 压抑confessed: 坦白pondered: 沉思reflected: 反思casual: 随意unexpected: 意想不到ease up: 放宽心dawn: 黎明clarity: 豁然开朗shared: 共同complementary: 互补harmonious: 和谐balanced: 均衡

聊中西文化，也聊很多东西！第八十期，不好意思让大家久等了，其实11月已经录好了，一直没有时间剪辑。一起来读一下评论吧！ 欢迎给我们来信： ttmiChinese@gmail.comHave online class with Candice, please email candicex2018@gmail.comYouTube: Candice X Chinese MandarinInstagram: CandiceXMandarin2022免费学习资料 Free study materials please visit Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/candicexPDF full script for episode 80: coming soonFull subtitles with Pinyin for episode 80: coming soon

Today's Episode:Why do so many Chinese viewers love Zootopia 2 but dislike its Chinese dubbing? In this episode, we explore why celebrity voice acting often feels “not right”, why people say they “get pulled out of the story”, and what audiences really want. Let's dive in!Membership Preview:In next MaoMi Chinese+ episode, we look at some fun and surprising Chinese translations of famous films, and explore the culture, humour, and history behind them. If you've ever wondered why titles change so much in China, this one's for you!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: Snowy Escapes: A Family's Joy Beyond the Workload Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-12-07-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 漫天飞雪的时候，刘伟驾驶着他的SUV，驶向深山中的一个小木屋。En: When snow was flying in all directions, Liu Wei drove his SUV toward a small cabin deep in the mountains.Zh: 他和妻子张美，还有儿子陈浩，一起度过一个渴望已久的假期。En: He, his wife Zhang Mei, and their son Chen Hao were yearning for a long-awaited vacation together.Zh: 长时间的工作让这个家庭一如既往地分离，但这个圣诞节，他们终于开始了一次难能可贵的平静时光。En: Long working hours had constantly kept the family apart, but this Christmas, they finally started a precious period of tranquility.Zh: 小木屋位于一片白雪覆盖的森林中，周围是高耸的松树，营造了一种宁静而温暖的氛围。En: The cabin was located in a snow-covered forest, surrounded by towering pine trees, creating a serene and warm atmosphere.Zh: 室内，壁炉里木柴轻轻燃烧，释放出香甜的松木香气。En: Inside, in the fireplace, logs gently burned, releasing a sweet pine scent.Zh: 刘伟一边看着跳动的火焰，一边内心挣扎。En: As Liu Wei watched the dancing flames, his mind was in turmoil.Zh: 他知道电话那头有未完成的工作，但张美和陈浩的笑声已然唤起了他内心深处对家人的渴望。En: He was aware of unfinished work waiting on the other end of the phone, but the laughter of Zhang Mei and Chen Hao awakened a deep longing for his family within him.Zh: "爸，我们去外面堆雪人吧！En: "Dad, let's go outside and build a snowman!"Zh: " 陈浩兴奋地拉着刘伟的手，满心期待。En: Chen Hao eagerly pulled Liu Wei's hand, full of anticipation.Zh: 刘伟迟疑了一下，看了看枕边一闪一闪的手机。En: Liu Wei hesitated for a moment, glancing at his blinking phone on the pillow.Zh: 紧接着，他做出了一个重大决定——他关掉手机，微笑着对张美和陈浩说：“好，我们一起去。En: Then, he made a significant decision—he turned off the phone and smiled at Zhang Mei and Chen Hao, saying, "Yes, let's go together."Zh: ”一家人小心翼翼地走出小木屋，扑向银装素裹的雪地。En: The family carefully stepped out of the cabin and plunged into the snow-clad landscape.Zh: 寒风中，他们齐心协力地滚着一个大雪球，又堆起了一个可爱的雪人。En: In the cold wind, they worked together to roll a large snowball and build an adorable snowman.Zh: 刘伟惊讶地发现，简单的家庭时光带来的欢乐轻而易举地超过了工作带来的满足感。En: Liu Wei was surprised to find that the simple joys of family time easily surpassed the satisfaction brought by work.Zh: 雪地里的笑声持续回响，像一曲悠扬的冬日恋歌，洗净了他心头的疲惫。En: The laughter echoed in the snow, like a melodious winter love song, washing away the fatigue in his heart.Zh: 傍晚时分，他们回到小木屋，围坐在壁炉旁。En: By evening, they returned to the cabin and sat around the fireplace.Zh: 火光映红了每个人的脸庞，温暖洋溢。En: The firelight flushed each of their faces with warmth.Zh: 在这个宁静的时刻，刘伟深刻地意识到，陪伴在家人身边，是最珍贵的礼物。En: In this quiet moment, Liu Wei profoundly realized that being with family was the most precious gift.Zh: 他决定，以后要更多地抽出时间，与心爱的人共度这样的美好时光。En: He decided to make more time in the future to spend such wonderful moments with his loved ones.Zh: 就这样，刘伟不再是那个忙于工作的人，而是一个懂得珍惜家庭时光的好父亲。En: Thus, Liu Wei was no longer just someone overly consumed with work but a father who understood the value of cherishing family time.Zh: 窗外，雪花静静飘落，仿佛在为这个温馨夜晚谱写一曲祝福的歌。En: Outside the window, snowflakes fell quietly, seemingly composing a song of blessings for this warm evening. Vocabulary Words:directions: 方向cabin: 小木屋yearning: 渴望tranquility: 平静serene: 宁静turmoil: 挣扎anticipation: 期待hesitated: 迟疑plunged: 扑向landscape: 雪地adorable: 可爱的surpassed: 超过melodious: 悠扬profoundly: 深刻地cherishing: 珍惜snowflakes: 雪花composing: 谱写blessings: 祝福towering: 高耸的surrounded: 围绕firelight: 火光flush: 映红fatigue: 疲惫echoed: 回响gentle: 轻轻logs: 木柴sweet: 香甜uncommon: 难能可贵awaited: 期待已久的consumed: 忙于

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Whispers of Strength: A Winter Night at Anjing Teahouse Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-12-07-08-38-19-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 傍晚，北风呼啸，冬夜的寒意笼罩着整个城镇。En: In the evening, the north wind howled, and the chill of the winter night enveloped the entire town.Zh: 空气中弥漫着安静茶屋的清香。En: The air was filled with the tranquil aroma of the Anjing teahouse.Zh: 木制墙壁在柔和的灯笼光下泛出微光，茶杯的轻轻碰撞声为这个地方增添了一份宁静。En: The wooden walls glowed softly under the gentle lantern light, and the light clinking of teacups added a sense of tranquility to the place.Zh: 礼云是安静茶屋的主人。En: Liyun is the owner of the Anjing teahouse.Zh: 每天，她微笑着迎接客人，但在内心深处，她正努力平复一个秘密：她最近被诊断出心脏病。En: Every day, she greets her guests with a smile, but deep inside, she is struggling to calm a secret: she was recently diagnosed with a heart condition.Zh: 她不想让这份忧虑打破茶屋的平和，也不想让朋友担心。En: She doesn't want this worry to disrupt the peace of the teahouse or to make her friends concerned.Zh: 于是，她选择隐藏。En: So she chooses to hide it.Zh: 珍是礼云多年的好友。En: Zhen has been Liyun's friend for many years.Zh: 多年的友谊让她直觉出礼云有什么事情没有说出口，但她不知道究竟是什么。En: Their years of friendship give her the intuition that Liyun is holding something back, but she doesn't know exactly what it is.Zh: 她总是细心观察，试图找出礼云异常的原因。En: She is always observant, trying to find out the reason for Liyun's unusual behavior.Zh: 另一边，明是茶屋的常客，En: On the other hand, Ming is a regular customer at the teahouse.Zh: 他喜欢这里的宁静氛围，也享受观察礼云和珍之间的互动。En: He enjoys the tranquil atmosphere here and also enjoys observing the interaction between Liyun and Zhen.Zh: 他未曾知道他们之间的暗流，只是静静地品茶，用心感受。En: He is unaware of the undercurrents between them, simply sipping his tea quietly, feeling with his heart.Zh: 一天晚上，珍终于忍不住了。En: One evening, Zhen could no longer hold back.Zh: 她看着礼云，问道：“礼云，你最近好吗？你看起来有些疲惫。”En: She looked at Liyun and asked, "Liyun, how have you been lately? You seem a bit tired."Zh: 礼云专注地为她斟了一杯新泡的茉莉茶，手微微颤抖。En: Liyun attentively poured her a cup of freshly brewed jasmine tea, her hand slightly trembling.Zh: 礼云沉默了一会儿。En: Liyun was silent for a while.Zh: 冬日的风从窗外轻轻吹过，她感觉到内心的挣扎。En: The winter wind blew gently from outside the window, and she felt her inner struggle.Zh: 她懂得珍的关心是真实的，也懂得自己该如何选择。En: She understood that Zhen's concern was genuine, and she knew how she should choose.Zh: “珍，”她开始说道，声音平静但混杂着一丝颤抖，“我有件事情想告诉你。”En: "Zhen," she began to say, her voice calm but tinged with a slight tremor, "I have something I want to tell you."Zh: 她将自己的手覆在珍的手上，缓缓吐露出心中的秘密。En: She placed her hand over Zhen's and slowly revealed the secret in her heart.Zh: 在这片温暖而宁静的氛围中，珍静静地听完，轻轻拥抱了她，温柔地说道：“我们会一起面对。”En: In this warm and serene atmosphere, Zhen listened quietly, gently hugged her, and softly said, "We will face it together."Zh: 礼云的眼泪在眼眶里打转，但心里有了一丝温暖的力量。En: Tears welled up in Liyun's eyes, but she felt a warm strength inside.Zh: 在旁的明，默默地观察着。En: Ming, observing from the side, silently admired the power of friendship.Zh: 他心中暗暗赞叹友谊的力量，无须多言，便能给予那么多的支持与温暖。En: Without many words, it can provide so much support and warmth.Zh: 从那天起，礼云不再独自承受痛苦。En: From that day on, Liyun no longer bore the pain alone.Zh: 她发现，分享并不让她脆弱，反而使她的生活更加充实，友谊更加深厚。En: She discovered that sharing did not make her vulnerable; instead, it made her life richer and her friendships deeper.Zh: 冬夜的茶屋依旧宁静，却充满了新的生机与勇气。En: The teahouse on the winter night remained tranquil, yet it was filled with new vitality and courage. Vocabulary Words:howled: 呼啸chill: 寒意enveloped: 笼罩tranquil: 宁静aroma: 清香teahouse: 茶屋glowed: 泛出clinking: 碰撞owner: 主人diagnosed: 诊断intuition: 直觉observant: 细心undercurrents: 暗流sipping: 品attentively: 专注地trembling: 颤抖serene: 宁静tinged: 混杂revealed: 吐露warmth: 温暖admired: 赞叹vulnerable: 脆弱rich: 充实vitality: 生机courage: 勇气envelope: 笼罩introspection: 内心conversed: 交谈overcame: 克服murmured: 呢喃

During a move, Anna realizes just how much stuff she's accumulated over the years. She admits it's hard to part with things while Gao Yue introduces her to “断舍离”/'the art of letting go of unnecessary items.—————————————————————————————————安娜：哎，我怎么会有这么多东西啊！这次搬家真是让我认识到了。高月：哈哈，这个抽屉里有什么，我看看。哇，这么多纪念品？安娜：是啊。都是大学时候的纪念品。虽然毕业都好多年了。但是我到现在去哪儿都还带着。高月：嗯。我能理解。有纪念意义的东西确实很难“断舍离”。安娜：“断舍离”？高月：对啊。就是“戒掉不需要的东西，扔去多余的，离开对物品的执念”。安娜：啊。原来这就是“断舍离”。那我还不能很好地“断舍离”。我有很多东西都舍不得扔。虽然也不知道自己什么时候能再用到，但是就是每次都觉得“以后可能会用到”。高月：那就是“断舍离”最大的敌人。不过，像纪念品这种东西，确实是有价值的。但是像那些旧衣服啊，旧鞋子啊，超过两个月我没用过的我就会处理掉了。安娜：嗯，家里少一点东西确实轻松不少。这次我是体会到了。—————————————————————————————————If you're enjoying this story, there's so much more waiting for you inside maayot:✅ Daily bite-sized stories that suit your level ✅ native audio ✅ One tap Pinyin, explain in context for words and sentences ✅ Writing and speaking exercises with natives' feedback ✅ Track your learning streak — never lose your momentum!Not using these features yet? Open our app or visit maayot.com and explore everything your Mandarin journey needs.Want to join maayot.com for more real-life conversations? Use promotion code “Podcast” , get a 50% off today !⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️If this episode made you smile, laugh, or learn something new. Please Take just 30 seconds to leave us a rating and short review. It helps other Mandarin learners discover us !

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Snowfall and Solstice: Reviving Traditions on the Great Wall Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-12-06-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 白雪轻轻覆盖在古老的长城上，整个北方的景色显得空旷而美丽。En: The snow gently covered the ancient Great Wall, making the entire northern landscape appear vast and beautiful.Zh: 严冬的寒风带着历史的肃穆，冷冽地环绕在人们的耳边。En: The cold wind of the severe winter carried the solemnity of history, chillingly blowing around people's ears.Zh: 冬至即将到来，长城的维护队正在为即将到来的游客们做准备。En: With the Winter Solstice approaching, the maintenance team of the Great Wall was preparing for the incoming visitors.Zh: 主任明华站在高处，深吸了一口新鲜的冷空气。En: The director, Minghua, stood at a high point and took a deep breath of the fresh, cold air.Zh: 他的目光扫过这片熟悉而又亲切的土地，心中涌起一丝对童年的怀念。En: His gaze swept over this familiar and dear land, as a wave of nostalgia for his childhood surged in his heart.Zh: 他出生成长在附近的村庄，那时每到冬至，村子里就会热闹非凡，大家围坐在一块儿吃汤圆，讲古老的故事。En: He was born and raised in a nearby village, where every Winter Solstice, the village would be bustling with activity.Zh: 大家围坐在一块儿吃汤圆，讲古老的故事。En: Everyone would sit together, eating tangyuan and sharing ancient stories.Zh: 这些记忆一直伴随着他，也成为了他心中珍贵的传统。En: These memories had always accompanied him, becoming a cherished tradition in his heart.Zh: 然而，此刻的工作并不轻松。En: However, the current work was not easy.Zh: 年轻的工人梁干劲十足，他希望在队伍中展示自己。En: The young worker, Liang, was full of energy, eager to prove himself within the team.Zh: 梅是旅游局的代表，虽然心系景区的宣传，但她内心始终对自己的工作充满疑惑。En: Mei, representing the tourism bureau, though focused on promoting the scenic area, harbored doubts about her work.Zh: 梅希望通过冬至期间吸引更多游客来参观长城，因此为团队制定了紧凑的工作计划。En: Mei hoped to attract more tourists to visit the Great Wall during the Winter Solstice period and therefore formulated a tight work schedule for the team.Zh: 天气变幻无常，冷风夹杂着冰雪，让工程推进困难重重。En: The weather was unpredictable; cold winds mixed with snow made progress difficult.Zh: 梅不断施压，希望能按时完成，为迎接游客做好准备。En: Mei continued to pressure the team to finish on time to prepare for the visitors.Zh: 但是，明华意识到安全才是最重要的。En: However, Minghua realized that safety was of utmost importance.Zh: 他必须做出选择，是将队伍推向极限完成任务，还是暂时停工以保证每个人的安全？En: He had to decide whether to push the team to their limits to complete the task or halt work temporarily to ensure everyone's safety.Zh: 忽然，天空中飘起了更大的雪花。En: Suddenly, larger snowflakes began to fall from the sky.Zh: 明华决定让大家休息。En: Minghua decided to let everyone take a rest.Zh: 他对梅解释道：“我们不能让时间表凌驾于安全之上。让我们利用这个机会，感受冬至的意义吧。”En: He explained to Mei, "We cannot let the schedule override our safety. Let's use this opportunity to appreciate the meaning of the Winter Solstice."Zh: 于是，整个队伍围坐在长城上，倾听着明华讲述关于冬至的传统故事。En: So, the entire team gathered on the Great Wall, listening to Minghua recount traditional stories about the Winter Solstice.Zh: 梅也安静地坐下，感受到一种前所未有的宁静。En: Mei also quietly sat down, experiencing an unprecedented sense of peace.Zh: 通过这些故事，她开始理解传统的重要性，而不仅仅是像以往那样视作宣传手段。En: Through these stories, she began to understand the importance of tradition, rather than merely viewing it as a promotional tool as before.Zh: 随着天空渐渐放晴，一种团结的气氛在队伍中蔓延开来。En: As the sky gradually cleared, a sense of unity spread among the team.Zh: 每个人都感受到了彼此之间的温暖与共同努力所带来的成就感。En: Everyone felt the warmth between each other and the sense of accomplishment brought by their joint efforts.Zh: 明华看着这一切，心中充满了对过往和未来的感激。En: Minghua looked at everything, filled with gratitude for the past and the future.Zh: 梅也意识到，尊重文化遗产有时比迎合商业需求更为重要。En: Mei also realized that respecting cultural heritage is sometimes more important than catering to commercial demands.Zh: 长城仍在那里，坚固而古老，仿佛也是在见证着这些深刻的改变。En: The Great Wall remained there, strong and ancient, seemingly witnessing these profound changes. Vocabulary Words:gently: 轻轻ancient: 古老solitude: 空旷landscape: 景色severe: 严solemnity: 肃穆chillingly: 冷冽地maintenance: 维护nostalgia: 怀念cherished: 珍贵tradition: 传统eager: 渴望harbor: 充满schedule: 计划unpredictable: 变幻无常pressure: 施压progress: 推进fathom: 理解decide: 决定override: 凌驾于unprecedented: 前所未有appreciate: 感受unity: 团结accomplishment: 成就感gratitude: 感激commercial: 商业demand: 需求profound: 深刻heritage: 遗产witness: 见证

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Winning Waves: Trust and Creativity by the Sea Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-12-06-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在南方的海滨城市，一所高中坐落于海岸边，学校的教室窗户可以看到蔚蓝的海洋。En: In a southern coastal city, a high school is located by the shore, where the classroom windows provide a view of the azure sea.Zh: 冬天的寒风轻轻拂过，校园里却洋溢着学生们对即将到来的寒假的憧憬。En: The winter wind gently breezes through, yet the campus is filled with the students' anticipation of the upcoming winter break.Zh: 今天是文学课的期末小组项目展示日。En: Today is the final group project presentation day for literature class.Zh: 每个小组都在增加最后的润饰，教室里充满了紧张而兴奋的气氛。En: Each group is adding the final touches, making the classroom atmosphere tense yet exciting.Zh: 李梅是这个项目的负责人，她性格认真，希望每次展示都能获得好成绩。En: Li Mei is the leader of this project; she is a serious person who hopes every presentation can earn good grades.Zh: 蒋国是她的组员，比较随性，喜欢创新。En: Jiang Guo is her team member, more laid-back and fond of innovation.Zh: "李梅，别担心，我们的项目很棒！”蒋国笑着说。En: "Li Mei, don't worry, our project is great!" Jiang Guo said with a smile.Zh: 他相信自己的创造力能为项目增色不少。En: He believes that his creativity can greatly enhance the project.Zh: 但是，李梅不放心。En: However, Li Mei wasn't at ease.Zh: 她觉得蒋国的创意太随意，可能会影响成绩。En: She felt that Jiang Guo's ideas were too casual and might affect their grade.Zh: 她说：“蒋国，这次项目很重要，我们必须小心，不然会扣分。”En: She said, "Jiang Guo, this project is important. We have to be careful, or we might lose points."Zh: 随着时间的推进，李梅决定跟随蒋国的建议，给他一些创作自由。En: As time went on, Li Mei decided to go along with Jiang Guo's suggestion and gave him some creative freedom.Zh: 她虽然内心依然紧张，但她告诉自己这是一个学习的机会。En: Although she still felt nervous inside, she told herself that this was a learning opportunity.Zh: 演示开始了，李梅和蒋国站在讲台前，几组同学和老师在下面等待着。En: The presentation began, with Li Mei and Jiang Guo standing at the podium while their classmates and teacher waited below.Zh: 李梅尽力流畅地讲述着项目内容，突然蒋国适时地插入了一个即兴的故事，这让所有人眼前一亮。En: Li Mei did her best to smoothly present the project content, and suddenly Jiang Guo spontaneously inserted an impromptu story, capturing everyone's attention.Zh: 教室里安静了一瞬间，然后爆发出掌声。En: The classroom fell silent for a moment and then erupted in applause.Zh: 老师也露出赞许的微笑，最终给予了他们高分。En: The teacher also showed a approving smile and ultimately awarded them high marks.Zh: 结束后，李梅感叹：“谢谢你，蒋国。你的创意真的很棒。”En: Afterward, Li Mei sighed, "Thank you, Jiang Guo. Your creativity is truly amazing."Zh: 蒋国拍拍李梅的肩膀说：“团队合作，信任很重要。”En: Jiang Guo patted Li Mei's shoulder and said, "Teamwork and trust are very important."Zh: 从这一刻起，李梅意识到信任和创造力的重要性，成功不单是分数的体现，也需要合作与创新。En: From that moment on, Li Mei realized the significance of trust and creativity; success is not solely based on grades but also requires collaboration and innovation.Zh: 随着海浪声的低语，她觉得心情格外轻松。En: With the whispering sound of the waves, she felt particularly at ease. Vocabulary Words:coastal: 海滨azure: 蔚蓝anticipation: 憧憬presentation: 展示tense: 紧张serious: 认真laid-back: 随性innovation: 创新spontaneously: 适时地impromptu: 即兴applause: 掌声trust: 信任creativity: 创造力collaboration: 合作whispering: 低语ease: 轻松located: 坐落于shore: 海岸边gently: 轻轻breezes: 拂过upcoming: 即将到来的final touches: 最后的润饰freedom: 自由opportunity: 机会smoothly: 流畅地capturing: 眼前一亮silent: 安静erupted: 爆发significance: 重要性solely: 单

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: Tech Treasure Hunt: Navigating Smartphone Choices With Wisdom Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-12-05-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在高科技城的一个冬日，天气寒冷，电子商城里却热闹非凡。En: On a winter day in the high-tech city, the weather was cold, but the electronic mall was bustling with excitement.Zh: 里面人头攒动，到处是色彩斑斓的显示屏，满是热心的科技迷和正在尝试最新小玩意的购物者。En: Inside, it was crowded with people, everywhere were colorful displays, filled with enthusiastic tech fans and shoppers trying out the latest gadgets.Zh: 刘伟是一个实用却有点儿优柔寡断的科技爱好者，今天他和他的朋友张华一起来到这里。En: Liu Wei was a practical yet somewhat indecisive technology enthusiast, and today he came here with his friend Zhang Hua.Zh: 张华对当前的科技趋势了如指掌，是刘伟在电子产品方面的好帮手。En: Zhang Hua was well-versed in current tech trends and was a helpful advisor for Liu Wei when it came to electronic products.Zh: 刘伟希望给自己买一款新智能手机，但面对琳琅满目的选择，他感到无从下手。En: Liu Wei hoped to buy a new smartphone for himself, but faced with a dazzling array of choices, he felt overwhelmed.Zh: 他既想要最好的性能，又希望能够物超所值。En: He wanted the best performance but also hoped for the best value for money.Zh: “刘伟，这两款手机其实差不多，”张华指着展示台上的两部手机说，“不过，我觉得这款更好，评价高、拍照效果好，还在打折呢。”En: "Liu Wei, these two phones are pretty much the same," Zhang Hua said, pointing to two phones on the display stand, "But, I think this one is better, it has great reviews, good photo quality, and it's on sale."Zh: “可是……”刘伟看着两部手机，心里仍然没底。En: "But..." Liu Wei looked at the two phones, still unsure.Zh: 两人接着在商城里转悠了一圈，张华耐心地解释各种套餐和功能。En: The two of them continued to wander around the mall, with Zhang Hua patiently explaining the different packages and features.Zh: 刘伟却依旧犹豫不决。En: Still, Liu Wei was indecisive.Zh: 他在想，是不是应该更仔细地研究一下再做决定。En: He wondered if he should research more thoroughly before making a decision.Zh: 走到结账台时，刘伟开始动摇。En: As they approached the checkout counter, Liu Wei began to waver.Zh: 他不禁担心自己会后悔。En: He couldn't help but worry he might regret his choice.Zh: 如果选择错误的手机，几乎要用整年才可能换新的。En: If he picked the wrong phone, it might be a year before he could get a new one.Zh: “刘伟，有时候听朋友的建议并不是坏事，”张华安慰他说，“你不能让自己陷在选择中，一直犹豫就不会前进。”En: "Liu Wei, sometimes listening to a friend's advice isn't a bad thing," Zhang Hua comforted him, "You can't just stay stuck in choice. If you keep hesitating, you won't move forward."Zh: 在张华的鼓励下，刘伟深吸了一口气，终于下定决心选了张华的推荐。En: Encouraged by Zhang Hua, Liu Wei took a deep breath and finally made up his mind to choose Zhang Hua's recommendation.Zh: 他意识到，有时候，依靠朋友的判断也是种智慧。En: He realized that sometimes relying on a friend's judgment is also a kind of wisdom.Zh: 最后，他们欢快地离开了电子商城。En: Finally, they left the electronic mall happily.Zh: 刘伟握着新手机，心情轻松了许多。En: Liu Wei held his new phone, feeling much more relaxed.Zh: 从此以后，他学会了在做决定时适度依赖朋友的意见，变得更加开放和信任。En: From then on, he learned to moderately rely on friends' opinions when making decisions, becoming more open and trusting.Zh: 商场外寒风呼啸，但刘伟的心变得温暖而宁静。En: Outside the mall, the cold wind howled, but Liu Wei's heart became warm and peaceful. Vocabulary Words:high-tech: 高科技bustling: 热闹非凡enthusiastic: 热心gadgets: 小玩意indecisive: 优柔寡断well-versed: 了如指掌trends: 趋势array: 琳琅满目overwhelmed: 无从下手performance: 性能value for money: 物超所值reviews: 评价photo quality: 拍照效果on sale: 打折wander: 转悠features: 功能thoroughly: 仔细waver: 动摇regret: 后悔checkout counter: 结账台encouraged: 鼓励hesitating: 犹豫judgment: 判断moderately: 适度rely: 依赖opinions: 意见trusting: 信任howled: 呼啸peaceful: 宁静displays: 显示屏

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

On this episode of “613 Books” Podcast, Producer-Host Heather Dean's guest is Mitchell A. Silk, author of “A Seat at the Table: An Inside Account of Trump's Global Economic Revolution.” Mr. Silk served as assistant secretary for International Markets at the US Department of the Treasury and was the first Hassidic Jew to ever serve in a presidentially nominated and Senate-confirmed role. From his earliest beginnings as a dishwasher in a Chinese restaurant to his work in international law and finance, Mitchell A. Silk's story illustrates how perseverance and divine providence led him to become the first Hassidic Jew ever confirmed by the Senate for a position in the US Federal government and a consequential leader in Trump's Treasury. Mr. Silk is fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese, and he actively engages in pro bono work within the Jewish community. This is PART ONE of a two-episode interview. Next episode will be a deeper dive into Mitchell Silk's foray into: the upper echelons of the US Department of the Treasury; formality and protocol with the Chinese delegation; and formulating the historic Abraham Accords! SUBSCRIBE to “613 Books” Podcast and discover new books every week! = = = Show notes: Featured author interview: Mitchell Silk, author of “A Seat at the Table: An Inside Account of Trump's Economic Revolution” To Purchase “A Seat at the Table” on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Seat-Table-Account-Economic-Revolution/dp/B0F318DTSH To Purchase “A Seat at the Table” through the publisher, Simon & Schuster: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/A-Seat-at-the-Table/Mitchell-A-Silk/9798895652268 Show Announcer for 613 Books Podcast: Michael Doniger Michael's contact info, voice-over samples, and demo: https://michaeldoniger.net/ SUBSCRIBE to “613 Books” Podcast and discover new books every week!

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

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

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: 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

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

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: 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

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

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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: 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

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

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.

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.