Learning Chinese through Stories

Chinese Shepard learned his lesson of fixing his mistake immediately after he lost two sheep. 亡羊补牢 从前，有个人养了一圈羊。一天早上他准备出去放羊，发现少了一只。原来羊圈破了个窟窿。夜间狼从窟窿里钻进来，把羊叼走了。 邻居劝告他说："赶快把羊圈修一修，堵上那个窟窿吧！" 他说："羊已经丢了，还修羊圈干什么呢？"没有接受邻居的劝告。 第二天早上，他准备出去放羊，到羊圈里一看，发现又少了一只羊。原来狼又从...

（边）塞 (biān) sài，noun, frontier fortress 翁 wēng，noun, old man 失（去）shī (qù)，verb, to lose 焉 yān，adv, how? 福 fú, noun, blessing 穷 qióng，adj, poor 独子 dúzǐ，noun, the only son 匹 pǐ，measureword for horse and cloth 心爱 xīn'ài，adj, beloved 逃 táo，verb, to escape 马厩 mǎjiù，noun, stables 附近 fùjìn, noun, nearby places 山麓 shānlù, noun phrase, the foot of a mountain 邻人 lín rén，...

A blessing may be disguised as a loss and a loss may be disguised as a blessing. This is one thing that we can never figure out in life. 有一个穷老人，他只有一个独子和一匹马。有一天，他心爱的马逃出马厩，在附近的山麓走失了。邻人听到这件事，都非常同情他，「你的马走丢了，真是不幸啊！」大家都纷纷安慰他。他却说：「你怎么知道这是不幸？」 果然，几天之后，他的马自己回来，同时还带回十二只漂亮的野马。镇上的...

倾斜，qīngxié, adj, tilted 踩，cǎi, verb, to step 积水，jī shuǐ, noun phrase, ponding 门口，ménkǒu, noun, doorway；entrance 招手，zhāoshǒu, verb, to wave 迅速，xùnsù, adv, quickly 钻，zuān, verb, to worm one's way in... 倾盆大雨, qīngpén dàyǔ, chengyu, pouring rain 歪, wāi, adj, askew; crooked. Verb, to tilt 笑眯眯，xiàomīmī, adj/adv, smiling 明明，míngmíng, adv, obviously 笑而不语，xiào ér bù yǔ,...

2015-05-26 12:44 作者：张彦红来源：三联生活周刊 2015年第21期 姥姥对我，其实是特别重要的一个人。因为和二妹只相差一岁半，所以在很小的时候，我就和姥姥姥爷舅舅一家人生活在一起，直到6岁上学才回到父母身边，但每逢周末假期，也都是要到姥姥家去过的。对于幼年的我，姥姥差不多就是妈妈的位置和角色。 姥姥对我们这些孩子很好，甚至可以说是娇惯。印象很深的，比如我们和别的孩子起了冲突，或者表弟跟别的孩子打了架，姥姥...

姥姥对我，其实是特别重要的一个人。因为和二妹只相差一岁半，所以在很小的时候，我就和姥姥姥爷舅舅一家人生活在一起，直到6岁上学才回到父母身边，但每逢周末假期，也都是要到姥姥家去过的。对于幼年的我，姥姥差不多就是妈妈的位置和角色。 姥姥对我们这些孩子很好，甚至可以说是娇惯。印象很深的，比如我们和别的孩子起了冲突，或者表弟跟别的孩子打了架，姥姥都会帮我们出头，就是俗称的"护犊子"，因为在她眼里，自家的孩子总...

旅游时，我给母亲挑了一串珍珠项链。母亲生日那天，她高兴地戴上了这串项链。我们先逛街，然后去一家酒店的餐厅吃饭。 吃饭的时候，服务员不小心把饮料洒在了母亲的衣领上。母亲就去了一趟洗手间，去了好久都没回来。我赶紧去找她。在洗手间门口，我看见母亲在跟一个穿短袖上衣的女孩儿说话，见我来了，女孩儿向母亲弯了弯腰，匆匆地走了。我觉得有点儿奇怪，但母亲什么也没说。 回到家里,我才知道事情的经过。 母亲在洗手间擦洗衣...

On the day when I was celebrating my mom's birthday with her at a restaurant, my mom's pear necklace almost got stole in the restroom. I was shocked by the fact that my mom did not only not report the thief of her pearl necklace the security, but she thanked the thief. And here is why... 旅游时，我给母亲挑了一串珍珠项链。母亲生日那天，她高兴地戴上了这串项链。我们先逛街，然后去一家酒店的餐厅吃饭。...

哪吒 Né zhā Name, a hero fictional figure in Chinese mythology 闹 nào verb, to start a chaos 龙王 lóngwáng noun, dragon king 父子 fùzǐ noun phrase, father and son 称霸一方 chēngbàyìfāng Chengyu, to play the tyrant in a locality 兴风作浪 xīngfēngzuòlàng Chengyu, raise winds and waves; make trouble 害 hài verb, to do harm to; to cause the trouble of... 决心 juéxīn verb，to be determined to do...; no...

Nezha is a famous fictional figure in Chinese mythology stories. As a kid hero, he rewards the right and punishes the wrong. In this chapter, the story tells Nezha fighting with the evil power in the East Sea to help the local people earn back lives with peace and tranquility. 东海龙王父子称霸一方，经常兴风作浪，害得人们不敢下海捕鱼。哪吒决心治一治他们，为老百姓出一口气。 　　一天，小哪吒带上他的...

卧 wò verb, to lie down 薪 xīn noun, fire woods 尝 cháng verb, to taste 胆 dǎn noun, gallbladder 长江 chángjiāng noun, the Yangtze River 下游 xiàyóu noun phrase, downstream 征服 zhēngfú verb, to conquer 对方 duìfāng noun, the other side 强大 qiángdà adj, powerful; strong 会稽 kuàijī noun, a place in Zhejiang provice (near Shaoxing city of today) 战 zhàn noun, warfare 败仗 bàizhàng noun phrase, a b...

The King of Yue did not give up after losing to Wu in the war of Kuaiji. Instead, he restarted his life with his wife as the slaves for the King in Wu and at the same time accumulated their strengths. A sacrifice he paid for more than 20 years was finally paid off when Yue eventually defeated Wu. 两千多年前，在长江下游有两个国家，一个是吴国，一个是越国。他们都想征服对方，使自己的国家强大起来。 　...

郑 Zhèng noun, name of a country in Chunqiu era 履 lǚ noun, ancient Chinese word for "shoe(s)" 先 xiān adverb, firstly 量 liáng verb, to measure 尺码 chǐmǎ noun, size (for shoes and tailoring of clothes) 忘记 wàngjì verb, to forget 急急忙忙 jíjímángmáng adverb/adjective, in a hurry 集市 jí shì noun, fair; marketplace 挑 tiāo verb, to pick up; to choose 中 zhòng verb, to finish choosing 发觉 fājué...

This ancient dude who lived during Chunqiu era(BC 770-476) chose to run back home to fetch the number of his feet size in order to purchase a new pair of shoes for himself, rather than to try shoes on with his own feet. This is an extreme example, but this guy also represents people who are stubborn and inflexible. 郑国有个人想买一双新鞋。他先比着自己的脚量了个尺码，就急急忙忙到集市上去了。 　　他...

About the origin of the world, there are different versions of stories under different religions and cultural backgrounds all around the world. This story is one of the most well-known Chinese legendary stories that describes ancient Chinese people's imagination about the formation of the world. 很久很久以前，天和地还没有分开，宇宙混（hùn）沌（dùn）一片。有个叫盘古的巨人，在这混沌之中，一直睡了十...

在我外甥女钱多多看来，年方9岁的她，遭遇了人生第一场特大危机——妈妈生弟弟了，她濒临失宠。今非昔比，之前她爸爸朋友圈还在发："特意请假，保障多多首次期末考试！"今年就成了："大家努力二胎吧，都会美梦成真的！" 其实一开始多多心态平和，笃定地告诉我："妈妈说不会重男轻女。"虽然在她眼里，这话意味着"妈妈会魔法，能让弟弟和我一样体重"，甚至她还窃喜不已：父母忙着照顾弟弟的头几天，也是她处于监管真空的时段——可以晚上...

Crisis is approaching to a lot of Chinese kids who are the "only child" in their families, when Chinese government announced that it was going to relax the one-child-only policy. To those kids, having siblings means less attention from parents and possible unfair treatment. 3rd grader Qianduoduo' experience of handling the pressure of having a newborn brother is shared by her aunt in this article....

Mom was mad when she found her 8-year-old youngest daughter spent all of her Christmas money on cheap lollipops. She saved money for her five children and she would not tolerate a waste like this. When she was having a serious conversation with her daughter, she learned about the sweetest thing ever... 圣诞节快要到了，该选购圣诞礼物了。孩子们热烈地讨论这个问题，互相试探对方的心意，希望送出最诚挚的...

Maliang was a poor boy who loved drawing. He had been practicing drawing a lot but could never afford a painting brush. Maliang's life was changed when at one night, a fairy gave Maliang a magical painting brush. Maliang started to help the poor and punish the evils with his magical brush... 从前，有个孩子叫马良。他很喜欢画画，可是家里穷，连一枝笔也没有。一天，他放牛回来，路过学馆，看见里面有个画...

One problem that a lot of Chinese parents have about family education is they do education talk too much. They try to make use of every teachable moment with the best intention of making their kids the most successful ones; however, all kids are against this education approach from the bottom of their hearts. The writer of this article got his writing inspiration from sharing a table with a Chines...

关于外公 2016-11-04 14:50 作者：糊糊大人来源：三联生活周刊 外公从不关心人，从不理会自己之外的世界。他活在那个女孩美丽的笑容里，于是整个世界也笑了。 我曾经对人说，我喜欢老人。这是真的。人有了年纪，就有了智慧，能看透一般人无法了解的状态。老了会变得谦逊，得失也能看到另一个角度了。他们不是退化跟不上时代了，其实是进化了。我们常自作聪明。 自我记事起，外公的精神就有点问题。 对于外公的第一个印象就是，他坐...

From the writer's perspective, her grandpa who had a mental disorder was crazy, callous and lived a mysterious but happy life. 关于外公 2016-11-04 14:50 作者：糊糊大人 来源：三联生活周刊 外公从不关心人，从不理会自己之外的世界。他活在那个女孩美丽的笑容里，于是整个世界也笑了。 我曾经对人说，我喜欢老人。这是真的。人有了年纪，就有了智慧，能看透一般人无法了解的状态。老了会变得谦逊，得失也能看到另一个角...