经典英文绘本

By 多吉绘本屋

轻松英语启蒙，寓言、名著、传说，5分钟/集的英文绘本故事，听着听着就张开嘴了... more

Download on the App Store

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

FAQs about 经典英文绘本:

How many episodes does 经典英文绘本 have?

The podcast currently has 166 episodes available.

经典英文绘本 episodes:

March 05, 2026羊脂球｜Boule de Suif
原著作者｜居伊·德·莫泊桑

Have you ever met someone like this

You help them ten times

miss once

and you're the bad guy

You refuse them ten times

help once

and you're the good guy

Human hearts

can be so strange sometimes

Today's story

will show you the truest side of human nature

During the Franco-Prussian War

France was defeated

In a carriage

sat a group of fleeing nobles

merchants

and politicians

They dressed elegantly

spoke gracefully

and looked down on another woman in the carriage

Her skin was fair and smooth

like a piece of suet jade

so people called her Boule de Suif

She was a prostitute

Those respectable people

found her dirty

found her cheap

even breathing the same air made them sick

The carriage traveled through the snow for a long time

everyone grew hungry

Those who had just been putting on airs

now had green eyes from hunger

Then

Boule de Suif dragged a basket from under her seat

Roasted chicken

bread

cheese

wine

The aroma instantly filled the carriage

She looked at the hungry people

and gently said

"Have some"

No showing off

no revenge

just pure kindness

Can you imagine

The same people who despised her a second ago

were now wolfing down food the next

They ate with greasy mouths

then started praising her beauty

her kindness

calling her a good woman

Boule de Suif smiled

she thought true heart could exchange for true heart

But she was wrong

The carriage was trapped in a small town

The Prussian officer said

let that woman spend the night with me

or no one leaves

Boule de Suif shook her head

she might be a prostitute

but she sells her body not her country

Those respectable people

at first supported her

"Yes

we French must have backbone"

But one day passed

two days passed

the carriage still couldn't move

Their faces

began to change

The countess said

"For everyone

some sacrifice is necessary"

The merchant said

"We can't delay everyone's business

just for one person

can we"

Even the nun said

"God will forgive you"

Boule de Suif looked at these people

who had once smiled at her

and suddenly understood

Her kindness

in their eyes

was worth nothing

She was isolated and helpless

she broke down crying

she finally compromised

That night

she lost her dignity

And those people

they celebrated in the inn

cheering for their "victory"

The next day

the carriage continued its journey

Boule de Suif returned to the carriage

trembling all over

She thought

at least someone would look at her

But no one did

Those people

resumed their arrogance

as if she were something dirty

They ate breakfast

chatted

no one gave her a single piece of bread

Someone even said

"Isn't this what she does

stop pretending to be pitiful"

Boule de Suif finally cried

cried her heart out

But no one looked back

The carriage continued through the snow

leaving a trail of wheel marks

Like this story

rolling over human hearts

leaving deep scars

Maupassant didn't preach a single word

But he showed us one thing

Those who talk most about morality

often have the least

Those who claim to be noble

are often the basest

Kindness and nobility

never lie in fine clothes

but in the soul

But remember this

Your kindness

must have teeth

Don't be the one

who burns yourself

but can't warm a heart of stone

Let kindness grow teeth

Able to warm the world

and able to withstand the cold wind

前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动
...more
8min
March 03, 2026尼尔斯骑鹅旅行记｜The Wonderful Adventures of Nils
原著作者｜塞尔玛·拉格洛夫

Did you know

In the history of the Nobel Prize for Literature

only one fairy tale has ever won

It is The Wonderful Adventures of Nils

In Sweden

on this twenty-krona banknote

the front shows the author Selma Lagerlöf

and the back shows a little boy riding on a goose

So what kind of child is Nils

In today's words

he was a super brat

He was fourteen

blond and tall

quite handsome

but his character was terrible

He didn't like studying

he was lazy

and worst of all

he lacked empathy

Pulling the rooster's comb

hitting cows with wooden shoes

poking hornets' nests

In his world

he was the center

and other lives were his toys

Until one Sunday afternoon

everything changed

Nils discovered a little elf in his house

and his first instinct was

to play a prank

He caught the elf with a net

The elf got angry

and cast a spell

Bang

Nils passed out

When he woke up

he found himself shrunk

to the size of a thumb

This setup is brilliant

Before

he was a giant

a master

who could kick anyone he didn't like

Now he was tiny

The chickens and ducks and cats and dogs

he used to bully

could easily kill him

For the first time

he truly felt

what fear was

what it meant to be small

Just when Nils was in despair

the family's white goose Merton suddenly flew up

taking Nils into the sky

And so

one boy and one goose

joined a flock of wild geese

and began a journey across Sweden

The leader of the flock

a wise old goose named Akka

would not accept him

Why

Because he was human

In the animal world

humans had a terrible reputation

But that night

a fox named Smirre attacked the flock

and snatched a goose

The old Nils would have hidden far away

but this time

he rushed forward without thinking

grabbed the fox's tail

and saved the goose at the risk of his life

This was the first time Nils risked himself for someone else

When a person begins to give to others

their heart begins to mature

The geese accepted him

He helped squirrels find nuts

he helped small animals untie ropes

He was amazed to discover

that the joy of helping others

was far deeper and longer lasting

than the thrill of bullying

On this journey

he witnessed so many amazing things

One night at Kullaberg

he saw something he would never forget

It was the Dance of the Cranes

At that sacred moment

all the animals

even foxes and rabbits

who were usually enemies

put aside their grudges

and gathered on the hillside of Kullaberg

The cranes began to dance

They spread their wings

spinning and leaping gracefully

Moonlight fell on their white feathers

like a performance from another world

Nils hid behind a rock

deeply shaken by this primitive and sacred life force

He suddenly realized

humans are not masters of the world

but just one member of all living beings

Later

they came to Glimminge Castle

Inside lived a colony of ancient black rats

who guarded the civilization there

But a swarm of savage gray rats invaded

trying to wipe them out

This was a metaphor for the clash of civilizations

The geese wanted to help

but could do nothing

Once again

Nils stepped forward

He found a magic whistle in the castle

and like the legendary Pied Piper

he played a tune

and led thousands of gray rats out of the castle

far away

The black rats were saved

Another night

Nils saw something even more magical

On the beach

he watched a magnificent city rise slowly from the sea

It was the legendary underwater city of Vineta

punished by the gods for its pride and excess

and sunk beneath the waves

The city rose only once every hundred years

If just one living person would buy something

even for a penny

the city would be saved

Ghost merchants desperately showed Nils their treasures

their eyes filled with longing

a longing for rebirth

Nils wanted to buy

but he had no money

Then he remembered

he had picked up a rusty coin on the beach

He turned and ran back to find it

but by the time he returned with the coin

time was up

The city collapsed before his eyes

sinking back into the sea

leaving only silence

This story was cruel

and profound

It told Nils

and it tells us

opportunities are fleeting

and greed and corruption

can destroy the greatest civilizations

This sense of history's weight

settled on Nils's young heart

with a burden beyond his years

He learned

the world is not just play

there is regret

there is loss

What broke his heart the most

was the moment they flew over his home

He secretly went back to take a look

He saw the shabby cottage he used to despise

He saw his parents worried about losing their goose

and he saw how much they had aged

from missing him

Before

he thought his parents were ordinary and dull

Now through the window

he saw their love

and the hardships of life

True growth

often begins the moment you truly see your parents

He wanted to go home

He wanted to tell his parents

If you're unhappy

just spank me

But he was a little elf now

he couldn't go back

The climax of the story

came at the end of the journey

The elf told him

If he brought the white goose Merton home

and let his mother kill it

he could become human again

前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动
...more
14min
March 01, 2026荒原狼｜Steppenwolf
原著作者｜赫尔曼·黑塞

December wind sweeps through city streets

but cannot disperse the gloom in Harry Haller's heart

He is fifty years old

living alone in a small apartment

Bookshelves overflow with books

art reproductions hang on the walls

They are silent

just like him

Harry stands at the window

watching twilight slowly consume the sky

In his pocket

a razor

cold

He feels he is a steppenwolf

half human

half wolf

forever tearing each other apart

The human part of him

yearns for warmth

yearns for order

longs to live like those good citizens

The wolf part of him

laughs at everything

despises everything

thinks all people are utterly foolish

These two forces have battled in his blood for fifty years

no winner

only exhaustion

The winter night grows even colder

Harry walks out of his apartment

stops by the stone wall

A neon sign suddenly lights up

red words flicker in the darkness

Magic Theater

Open Only to Madmen

His heart skips a beat

He pushes the door

walks into the Black Eagle tavern

The tavern is filled with smoke

music drifts low

A girl sits in the corner

her eyes sharp as a wolf

Her name is Hermine

She looks at Harry

and smiles

I know what you have in your pocket

Harry freezes

Hermine stands up

walks up to him

There is a wolf living inside you

isn't there

I can teach you a game

But there is a condition

when the game ends

you must fall in love with me

then kill me

Harry does not know

whether this is nightmare

or the beginning of salvation

Hermine drags Harry into another world

She forces him to listen to jazz

forces him to learn to dance

forces him into dance halls and bars

You have lived too long

she says

time to taste the flavor of life

She pushes Maria into Harry's arms

Maria is a socialite

her body like warm water

making Harry's dried up life flow again

She also brings him to Pablo

Pablo is a jazz saxophonist

his music full of desire

full of laughter

and wildness Harry has never experienced

Under Hermine's forcing

Harry removes his mask for the first time

merging into the crowd at the masked ball

He feels as if he has become one with everyone

that joy makes him want to cry

After the ball ends

Pablo hands Harry a pill

You are ready

he says

entering means losing your mind

Harry swallows the pill

The world begins to spin

He walks into a long corridor

lined with mirrors on both sides

In the mirrors

there are hundreds of Harrys

Sometimes he is human

well dressed

face clean

Sometimes he is wolf

baring teeth

fur standing on end

They chase each other

tear each other apart

Harry runs

toward the door at the end of the corridor

On the door

Come

Happy Hunting

He pushes the door open

falls into a crazy world

People drive cars

carry guns

hunting each other without discrimination

Harry fights his former friend

then pushes him off the cliff

Blood blooms on the ground

He feels the pleasure of destruction

then deep emptiness

The second door

Character Structure Guidance

A chess player sits there

before a chessboard

You are not you

the player says

you are a collection of roles

He moves the pieces

Harry sees his different faces

scholar

wanderer

loner

dreamer

Learn to be the chess player

the player says

direct them

direct your life

The third door

The Miracle of the Wolf Trainer

The trainer leads a real wolf

Extreme humanity is hypocrisy

he says

Extreme wolf nature is destruction

Balance

is the only way

The final door

All Girls Are Yours

Harry sees Hermine and Pablo lying together

Rage burns from his feet to his head

He grabs an imaginary knife

stabs it into Hermine's heart

Hermine does not resist

She falls with a smile

You did it

Now

find your true self

Harry awakens from the illusion

finds himself in the corner of the tavern

Sunlight streams through the window

illuminating Hermine's empty seat

He walks out of the tavern

the winter wind is still cold

but something in his heart has changed

Harry finally understands

Human nature and wolf nature

do not need to destroy each other

They can coexist

in balance

The battlefield that tore him apart

finally falls silent

The steppenwolf learns to howl

but also learns to return home

前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动
...more
10min
February 28, 2026Love in the Time of Cholera｜霍乱时期的爱情
原著作者｜加西亚·马尔克斯

A book in Nobel Prize literature writes down every form of love

it is called Love in the Time of Cholera

A man can keep changing bed partners

while keeping his first love pure in his heart

Six hundred and twenty lovers

but waited for one person for fifty-three years

At seventy-six years old

he returned to his first love

to fulfill that long waiting

Is this love

or is this a disease

The story takes place in a small Caribbean town in the late nineteenth century

when cholera was still spreading

Florentino Ariza was a low-level clerk in the town

poor as a church mouse

but with a pair of melancholy eyes

Fermina Daza was the daughter of the wealthy merchant Lorenzo

young

proud

walking in the dusty world of mortal life

Their meeting was a trick of fate

Ariza went to Fermina's house to deliver a letter

and saw her reading by the windowsill

With just one glance

Ariza was hopelessly in love

Every day he sat on the garden bench pretending to read

just to steal a glimpse of Fermina

He started writing seventy-page love letters

pouring all the brilliance of his soul into them

In those days when carriages were slow and letters took time

waiting and writing were a sweet torment

Fermina was moved by this passionate sincerity

For two years

they never truly met face to face

letters became the bond of their souls

However Fermina's father discovered everything

Lorenzo threatened Ariza with a gun

and forcibly took Fermina away from her hometown

This was a long inland journey

meant to cut the thread of love

but it unexpectedly became Fermina's rite of passage

She rode in a mule-pulled cart across grasslands and mountains

no longer a flower in a greenhouse

becoming independent and mature

Ariza did not give up

he used his botanical knowledge to predict Fermina's route

No matter where she went

his letters always magically appeared there

Every letter crossing mountains and rivers touched Fermina deeply

At that time she believed this was love

If the story ended here

it would be a happy ending for the perfect couple

But Marquez wrote the cruelest truth about love

The journey ended

Fermina returned to the small town

That day on the street

Ariza finally saw his beloved he had thought of day and night

He excitedly stepped forward to greet her

but Fermina turned around

seeing not a white knight

but a pale

gloomy

thin face

At that moment she suddenly woke up

all these years

she had not loved this person in front of her

but the imaginary phantom she had created in her mind

She waved her hand

and said the words that killed his heart

No thank you

forget it

She returned all his letters

along with the wilted camellia flower

Camellias fall all at once

just like her decisive love

This moment of disillusionment completely ended their youthful love

Fermina met Dr Juvenal Urbino through a misdiagnosis

The doctor came from a noble family

handsome and elegant

an authoritative figure in the small town

Under family pressure

Fermina married the doctor

becoming an enviable noble lady

The marriage became mundane

the doctor could give her the best material security

but could not support her soul

As for Ariza

heartbroken

he lived like a wandering spirit

Watching his beloved marry someone else

he was desperate and tormented

During one voyage

a strange woman forced herself upon him

He discovered that physical pleasure

though it could not heal the pain

could at least temporarily numb the soul

So Ariza began an absurd double life

Keeping virginity for Fermina in his heart

vowing to love only her in this lifetime

But his body started chasing women wildly

widows

married women

young girls

he rejected none

He recorded exactly six hundred and twenty-two lovers

At the same time he realized

to win Fermina back

he must have more capital than the doctor

He started climbing the ladder of the secular world

starting from the bottom

eventually becoming chairman of a shipping company

accumulating great wealth

He did all this for one goal

to wait for the doctor to die

This wait

was exactly half a century

One day

the elderly doctor

trying to catch a runaway parrot

fell from a ladder

and died instantly

That night after the funeral

when the guests had left

an elderly man with white hair remained

it was Florentino Ariza

He walked with trembling steps

but assumed a nearly perfect posture

and spoke the words that had rested in his heart for fifty years

I still love you

Fermina was furious

To talk about love at the moment her husband just died

was an insult to the deceased

She drove him away

but she started reading the letters Ariza wrote

Those were no longer passionate empty words

but two old people's reflections on life

aging

and death

The words slowly melted her lonely

hardened heart in her later years

In the end

Fermina made a decision

she boarded the riverboat Ariza had purchased

beginning a journey across half the world

前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动
...more
13min
February 26, 2026堂吉诃德｜Don Quixote
原著作者｜塞万提斯

Don Quixote

Four hundred years have passed

Why do we still talk about Don Quixote

If you only see the jokes in him

You might have missed

The most touching idealism

In literary history

The story begins with a fifty year old squire

His name was Alonso Quixano

He lived in a remote village

In La Mancha

This man owned some land

But he was dirt poor

You call him a noble

He could not afford a decent meal

You call him a peasant

Yet he carried himself like aristocracy

His only hobby was reading

Only one kind of books

Chivalry romances

Those tales of knights errant

Those legends of lone heroes

Saving the world

He read himself

Into the world of books

Finally one day

He made a decision

He would become a knight errant

Just like in the books

To uphold justice

To slay demons

To save the people

He dug out his ancestral armor

Rusty and broken

Missing pieces here and there

He made a helmet from cardboard

It looked ridiculous

But the moment he put it on

His eyes changed

He still needed a warhorse

He had an old horse

Skin and bones

Gray and white fur

Limping as it walked

He gave this horse a grand name

Rocinante

It means

From now on

It will run ahead of all horses

In his eyes

This old horse was no longer

A beast of burden

But a comrade

About to embark on a great journey

It possessed a noble soul

From this moment on

Rocinante carried

A madman's dream

A knight also needed a lady

He thought of a village girl next door

A sturdy and simple peasant woman

He named her Dulcinea

In his imagination

She was a peerless beauty

The embodiment of purity and nobility

Everything he would fight for

Finally

He gave himself a title

Don Quixote of La Mancha

A squire died

A knight was born

On a sunny morning

Don Quixote mounted Rocinante

And began his first expedition

He arrived at a country inn

In his eyes

This was a majestic castle

The two women at the door

Were noble princesses

The innkeeper looked at this fully armed oddball

Just wanted to get rid of him quickly

Don Quixote knelt before the innkeeper

Requesting the dubbing ceremony

The innkeeper had no choice

But to play along

Holding a ledger as a Bible

He mockingly knighted him

Don Quixote bowed his head devoutly

Accepting this absurd coronation

He was officially a knight now

It was time

To perform acts of chivalry

On the road

He saw a farmer whipping a shepherd boy

Don Quixote was furious

He charged forward with his lance

The farmer was terrified by this madman

Begging for mercy

Promising not to abuse the child anymore

Don Quixote left satisfied

He thought he had done a great deed

But the moment he left

The farmer tied the boy back to the tree

And beat him even harder

This is the tragedy of Don Quixote

He wanted to be a savior

But lacked the power to save anyone

Anger without strength

Is just useless noise

The strong need not rage to command respect

The weak can scream their throats raw

But it is still just a farce

Later

He forced some merchants to admit

That Dulcinea was the most beautiful woman in the world

The merchants laughed loudly

Mocking this madman

Rocinante suddenly stumbled

Don Quixote fell to the ground

The heavy armor left him immobilized

The merchants picked up his lance

And beat him severely

He lay in the dust

Like a turtle on its back

Finally carried home by neighbors

His family was heartbroken

They burned all his chivalry books

Telling him they were stolen by a magician

Don Quixote lay in bed recovering

But his heart

Had already flown to distant adventures

This time

He decided to bring a squire

He found his neighbor Sancho

An honest farmer

Don Quixote said to him

Come with me

When I conquer the world

I will make you governor of an island

Sancho thought about it

Governor

That is a good deal

So he mounted his little gray donkey

And followed Don Quixote

Thus was born

The most classic master and servant duo

In literary history

They began their second expedition

This time

Famous scenes followed one after another

The most classic

Was undoubtedly the battle with the windmills

Don Quixote saw the windmills in the field

Thirty giant windmills

Turning in the wind

In his eyes

They were giants waving long arms

The embodiment of evil

Sancho shouted

Master

Those are windmills

Don Quixote turned a deaf ear

He said

Sancho

If you are afraid

Stay away

This is a war of justice

He raised his lance

Charging at the windmill

The lance struck the windmill blade

And broke

He was thrown off

Horse and all

Rolling on the ground

In utter disgrace

But he got up

Dusted himself off

And said

This is the trickery of a magician

He turned the giants into windmills

To steal my victory

You see

This is the logic of a madman

He never loses

Because all his failures

Can find explanations

In his own world

Cervantes wrote this book

Originally to satirize chivalry novels

But he never expected

That this madman he created

Would become the greatest idealist

In literary history

How did Don Quixote die

On his deathbed

He suddenly became clear headed

He said

I am not a knight

I am Alonso Quixano

A poor squire

Then

He died

前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动
...more
12min
February 24, 2026包法利夫人｜Madame Bovary
原著作者｜居斯塔夫·福楼拜

She married twice

had affairs with two men

and died from arsenic

You must think she's a shameless woman

But Flaubert says no

this is a story about romance

Emma was born into a wealthy farming family in rural France

Her father was a farmer

but he dreamed of making his daughter a noble

He sent Emma to a convent

At the convent

Emma read countless romance novels

Her head was full of handsome viscounts

passionate knights

noble ladies crying under the moonlight

She dreamed of living in an ancient manor

waiting for her white knight

But reality gave her a heavy blow

She married Charles Bovary

a country doctor

Charles was ordinary

simple

and had no charm

The wedding Emma expected was a mysterious torchlight procession at night

Reality

was a long banquet with only country relatives

full of crude jokes

Marriage was even more of a shock

She wanted to talk about poetry

about the sea

about passionate storms

Charles could only talk about patients' corns

and planting potatoes

In fact

their names hinted at the ending long ago

Emma

the name sounds romantic

But Bovary

in French

has roots connected to cow

A soul chasing romance

trapped in a reality as slow and heavy as a cow

One ball changed everything

The marquis invited them to his estate

That night of glittering splendor

Emma finally touched the world she had read about in books

She saw massive crystal chandeliers

smelled perfume mixed with desire on noble ladies

Even a real viscount asked her to dance

For a moment

she felt she was finally alive

But every ball must end

They rode in a broken carriage back to their leaky old home

Emma's heart shattered

Like someone who has seen the light

can never endure darkness again

She bought a map of Paris

and wandered over it every day

She kept the cigar box she picked up at the ball

treating it like a holy object

Charles saw Emma getting thinner and paler

thought the place had bad feng shui

So they moved to a larger town called Yonville

He thought it was the start of a new life

What he didn't know

this town would become the birthplace of his cuckoldom

In Yonville

Emma met her first man

Leon

A young intern

who understood music and loved literature

They talked about mountains and lakes

about melancholy poetry

It was a spiritual romance

Although nothing physical happened

this flirtation made Emma drunk

But Leon was young

He left for Paris to pursue his career

The romance ended

The second man was Rodolphe

An experienced womanizer with an estate and wealth

He saw through Emma at one glance

a beautiful woman hungry for love

who despised her husband

A few clichéd sweet words were enough to charm her

I finally have a lover

Madame Bovary felt victorious

She wanted to kick her husband aside

and run away with her lover

But Rodolphe was just playing from the start

On the day they planned to elope

Emma packed her luggage

her heart in her throat

What awaited her

was a basket of apricots

Under the apricots

a letter saying goodbye

The letter even had drops of water on it

pretending to be tears

Emma was heartbroken

and fell seriously ill

After recovering

she met Leon again at the opera in Rouen

Leon was no longer the shy young man

He had seen the world in Paris

and become a womanizer

They rekindled their old romance

This time

Emma abandoned all modesty

She hired a carriage

drove wildly through the streets of Rouen

The most exciting scene in the book

a carriage tryst

A white hand reached out from the carriage window

throwing away shredded letters

She made excuses to go to the city for piano lessons

but actually to meet her lover

She wanted the best rooms

the most expensive dresses

the finest champagne

She thought only this matched her love

The merchant Lheureux had been watching the vain Emma for a long time

He always appeared at the right moment

with fine fabric or expensive scarves

Madam

you are so beautiful

these are made for you

No money

no problem

just take them

sign here

Loans

debts

bills

robbing Peter to pay Paul

She thought she was in control

But she had already sold her body

and her soul

Finally

the death sentence came

The court demanded she pay eight thousand francs by dawn

Eight thousand francs

equivalent to millions today

This was what Charles couldn't save in years of hard work

Emma begged everywhere

She went to Leon first

The man who enjoyed her countless times

hemmed and hawed

said he had no way

Then she went to Rodolphe

the wealthy ex-lover

She even lowered her dignity

hinting she could trade her body for money

Rodolphe shrugged

I don't have money either

At that moment

Emma finally woke up

She thought she was the heroine of a novel

But in these men's eyes

she was just a trouble

So-called romantic love

cheaper than grass

She slipped into the pharmacist's storage room

grabbed some arsenic

swallowed it big mouthfuls

And died

The poor husband who loved her

found the love letters in the drawer

He learned the truth

In the end

he also died

He died at Emma's grave

Their daughter was sent to an orphanage

This is the story of a farm girl who dreamed a noble dream

In the dream

she rode a white horse

When she woke up

she was stuck in a broken house

In the end

she gave up even her life

前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动
...more
12min
February 22, 2026颜真卿传｜Yan Zhenqing
｜历史人物传记

In the year 709 a baby boy was born in Chang'an city

His father gave him the name Zhenqing hoping he would become an upright gentleman

No one knew that this child would become a calligraphic master revered for a thousand years

Even fewer knew he would become the most steadfast loyalist of the Tang Dynasty

At the age of three his father suddenly passed away

A widowed mother and her orphan son left without means of support

Mother Yin took on the heavy burden of raising her son alone

In the daytime she washed clothes and cooked for others to earn a living

At night she sat by the oil lamp teaching her son to read and write

Young Zhenqing was exceptionally diligent despite his tender age

He read the same books over and over again wrote page after page of characters

The neighbors often said this child would surely amount to something

At fourteen Yan Zhenqing was already writing excellent calligraphy

He heard that the renowned minister Zhang Xu was the greatest calligrapher in the land so he traveled far to seek his teaching

Zhang Xu looked at his characters in silence for a long time

Then he said something that Zhenqing would never forget

Calligraphy reflects the man a steady heart creates steady brushstrokes

Yan Zhenqing knelt before his teacher and bowed three times

From then on he practiced calligraphy in the day and studied the classics at night

Through summer heat and winter cold he never stopped

At twenty-two Yan Zhenqing passed the imperial examination

When the news arrived his mother wept with joy

She had waited for this day

The court appointed him as Liquan Sheriff and later promoted him to Censor

He traveled to Hehan and exposed injustices

On his first day in office heavy rain suddenly fell upon the land

The people said it was because Master Yan had arrived and the injustices were finally righted even Heaven was moved

This became known as the Censor's Rain

Later he was transferred to be the prefect of Pingyuan present-day Dezhou in Shandong

Shortly after taking office Yan Zhenqing discovered a terrifying secret

The military governor An Lushan in Fanyang was secretly building up his forces

On the surface An Lushan seemed simple but in reality he was extremely ambitious

The entire court was fooled by his act

Only Yan Zhenqing saw through his disguise

He began making secret preparations

Repairing the city walls deepening the moat recruiting strong men

In the daytime he would drink and make merry with guests as usual

At night he secretly trained soldiers and stored grain

When An Lushan heard that Yan Zhenqing was just a weak scholar he laughed aloud

He thought there was nothing to worry about

In the year 755 An Lushan finally rose in rebellion

A hundred and fifty thousand troops marched southward

The Tang armies were defeated again and again

Seventeen commanderies in Hebei fell completely

Families fled with their belongings everywhere was chaos

The entire north was shrouded in war and fire

Only Pingyuan city still flew its flag

Yan Zhenqing stood on the city tower gazing at the distant smoke of battle

He knew very well he only had slightly over ten thousand militiamen

While the rebels had a hundred and fifty thousand

The odds of victory were virtually nonexistent

But he could not retreat

Behind him lay the lives of hundreds of thousands of common people

He gathered all the soldiers and citizens in the city and spoke with passionate conviction

An Lushan is a traitor how can citizens of Tang submit to him

Those willing to defend the city with me follow me

The moment his voice fell the crowd below knelt in unison

We are willing to fight to the death with you

Yan Zhenqing's eyes grew moist

He made a decision

He brought his entire family of forty-six people to the battlefield

Wives children nephews servants

He told his family this battle is not for titles or fame

It is for a clear conscience

The battle began

The rebels attacked fiercely arrows fell like rain

Yan Zhenqing personally stood on the most dangerous northern wall

A stray arrow struck his arm

Blood soaked through his sleeve

He bandaged the wound and continued directing the defense

The soldiers were inspired by his courage fighting more and more fiercely

In the daytime Yan Zhenqing had soldiers beat drums and gongs on the tower bluffing and creating a show of force

At night he sent men to dig tunnels and set traps

The rebels were completely confused

They could not understand how a scholar could be so difficult to defeat

The war continued for months

前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动
...more
18min
February 21, 2026飘｜Gone with the Wind
原著作者｜玛格丽特·米切尔

In the spring of 1861 at Tara plantation in Georgia the American South camellias were in full bloom

Seventeen year old Scarlett stood on the porch with her gray green eyes as cunning as a cat

Her waist measured only seventeen inches she was the slimmest girl in the county

Her father Ocrsley was an upstart who had won the plantation through gambling

Her mother Ellen was of French noble descent every movement elegant

Scarlett believed she should be the center of every ball every man in the world should fall at her feet

Then came the day of the Twelve Oaks barbecue

Scarlett dressed carefully she was going to confess her love to Ashley

Ashley had golden hair and blue eyes the most gentle and graceful gentleman in the county

He accepted Scarlett's embrace in the hallway but when he spoke he said I will marry Melanie

Scarlett could not believe her ears

She dragged Ashley into the study demanding why he did not love her

Ashley said I am attracted by your vitality but I love Melanie

Scarlett grabbed a vase in anger and threw it at the wall

At that moment a laugh came from behind the sofa

Rhett Butler stepped out of the shadows a rogue expelled from West Point

He had witnessed the entire confession thinking this girl was fascinating

At least she was not hypocritical

Before the party ended cannons thundered war between North and South had begun

Men were wild with excitement to join the army only Rhett sneered the South will lose

Two months later Scarlett married Charles Melanie's brother

Newlyweds Charles went to war and died

Seventeen year old Scarlett became a widow

She moved to Atlanta to live with Melanie

At a charity ball for the army Scarlett met Rhett again

Rhett bid one hundred and fifty dollars to dance with her

According to custom a widow could not dance

Scarlett hesitated a second then reached out her hand to Rhett

She twirled in the dance floor her skirts flying up

In that moment she declared war on the entire old world

The flames drew closer Atlanta was surrounded by Union troops

Melanie was about to give birth all doctors were taken to care for the wounded

Scarlett was terrified she wanted to return to Tara to find her mother

But she could not abandon Melanie

The girl who once complained that a handkerchief was too heavy mustered courage to deliver Melanie's baby

A baby's cry pierced the night sky

Scarlett got a broken carriage from Rhett and fled through the burning city

Halfway Rhett decided to join the army

He left Scarlett alone on the road

Scarlett braved the artillery fire to rush back to Tara what awaited her was hell on earth

Her mother had just died of typhoid

Her father had gone insane from grief

Her two sisters were sick in bed

Only three old servants remained all the slaves had run away

The once wealthy plantation had been looted clean not a grain of food left

Scarlett looked at the ruins Irish blood ran through her veins

She took off her velvet dress put on coarse homespun

At nineteen she became the sole pillar of the family

She picked cotton grew vegetables milked cows

A Yankee deserter broke into the house to steal

Scarlett grabbed a gun shot him dead

She calmly looted the body for money

That delicate Southern belle was dead

What survived was a tough woman who would do anything to survive

The war ended the South lost

The old social order collapsed the rich became poor

Tara faced massive taxes unable to pay the plantation would be auctioned

Scarlett went to find Rhett in prison but Rhett was also locked up

On the road she met Frank her sister's fiancé

Frank had just opened a store he had some money

Scarlett without hesitation launched her plan B

She lied that her sister had lost interest then used her charm to steal Frank away

She traded marriage for money paid the taxes saved Tara

After marrying Frank Scarlett started doing business

She found the lumber business profitable

She hired convict labor to cut costs did business with Yankees

She drove her carriage through dangerous slums alone

All of Atlanta high society despised her

A woman doing business in that era was scandalous

But Scarlett knew clearly the old world was dead

To survive she must adapt to this new world

And Ashley the man she loved had become completely useless after the war

Except for reading poetry and reminiscing he could do nothing

Scarlett often wondered what had she loved all her life

Then tragedy struck

Scarlett was attacked while driving through a black neighborhood alone

Frank joined a cleanup gang to avenge her and was killed

Scarlett became a widow for the third time

Then Rhett finally appeared

He had made a fortune from the war he proposed to Scarlett

He said we are the same kind of people cold greedy and ruthless

Only I see your true self and still love you

Scarlett accepted his proposal

Their marriage was luxurious and sweet

Rhett bought Scarlett a big house and the most expensive jewelry

Their daughter Bonnie was born

Rhett began doing charity to help Bonnie enter high society

He started pleasing the old aristocrats he had once despised

But in Scarlett's heart Ashley always lived

前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动
...more
13min
February 19, 2026Tian Ji's Horse Racing｜田忌赛马
出自｜史记·孙子吴起列传

During the Warring States period there was a general in the state of Qi named Tian Ji

He had a hobby horse racing

Every time he raced he bet a fortune

But every time he lost everything

His opponent was King Wei of Qi

The ruler of the state

Tian Ji's horses were divided into three classes upper middle and lower

King Wei's horses were also divided into three classes upper middle and lower

But in the same class Tian Ji's horses were always a little slower

In the first race Tian Ji sent his upper-class horse against the king's upper-class horse

He lost

In the second race middle-class against middle-class

He lost again

In the third race lower-class against lower-class

He still lost

Three to zero Tian Ji lost everything

He walked out of the arena with his head down

Behind him came the king's triumphant laughter

Tian Ji had a good friend named Sun Bin

A famous military strategist

He had watched the entire race

He walked up to Tian Ji and said

General in the next race do you dare to bet a fortune again

Tian Ji smiled bitterly and said

I'm about to go bankrupt from losing

Sun Bin smiled slightly

I have a plan that guarantees your victory

Tian Ji was half convinced

But he still bet his entire fortune

On the day of the race the crowd filled the arena

Everyone thought Tian Ji was sure to lose this time

The first round began

Tian Ji sent out his lower-class horse

King Wei smiled with disdain and sent out his upper-class horse

The result was no surprise Tian Ji lost

The crowd laughed at him

Wasn't this just asking for death

But on Sun Bin's face there was not a trace of panic

In the second round Tian Ji sent out his upper-class horse

King Wei sent out his middle-class horse

Tian Ji's upper-class horse shot forward like an arrow

He won

The crowd began to stir

The third round the deciding round

Tian Ji sent out his middle-class horse

King Wei sent out his lower-class horse

Tian Ji's horse crossed the finish line first again

Two to one Tian Ji won

The whole arena was in an uproar

King Wei stared with wide eyes

He couldn't believe he had lost

Tian Ji excitedly grasped Sun Bin's hand

Asking him how he came up with this plan

Sun Bin said calmly

Your horses though a little slower in each class

But your upper-class horse is faster than his middle-class horse

Your middle-class horse is faster than his lower-class horse

As long as you change the order

Lose one race and you can win two

King Wei listened and was filled with admiration

He was not angry at all

Instead he appointed Sun Bin as the military advisor of Qi

This story tells us

Sometimes losing is not because you lack strength

But because your method is wrong

Know yourself and your opponent play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses

Only then can you remain undefeated in competition

前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动
...more
7min
February 18, 2026Mending the Fold After Losing Sheep｜亡羊补牢
原著出处｜战国策·楚策

Have you ever regretted something

Thinking if you had made a different choice would the result be different

Once there was a shepherd

He raised a flock of white and plump sheep

Every day he drove the flock to the hillside to graze

In the evening he drove them back to the sheepfold

One morning he found a hole in the sheepfold

A neighbor saw it and said

Fix the hole quickly Otherwise the wolf will get in and take the sheep

The shepherd looked at the hole

He thought the hole was so small how could a wolf get in

So he waved his hand and said

The sheep are all fine Why fix the hole It's a waste of time

The next morning the shepherd came to the sheepfold

He found one sheep missing

There were wolf footprints on the ground

The hole had been torn wider

The neighbor sighed and said

I told you to fix it yesterday You didn't listen Now you regret it don't you

The shepherd hung his head

He felt sad and regretful

He thought is it still useful to fix it now The sheep is already gone

But then he thought if I don't fix it the remaining sheep will be taken by the wolf too

So he picked up wood and rope

He firmly patched the hole in the sheepfold

He even strengthened the whole sheepfold

From then on his sheep were never lost again

Later people used mending the fold after losing sheep to mean fixing a problem in time is not too late

The sheep is already gone

But if you fix it in time the remaining sheep can still be saved

Life is the same way

Making mistakes is not terrible

What's terrible is knowing you're wrong but not correcting it

前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动
...more
4min

FAQs about 经典英文绘本:

How many episodes does 经典英文绘本 have?

The podcast currently has 166 episodes available.