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Chinese philosopher stories · 诸子百家

The Hundred Schools in miniature: Mencius on fifty paces versus a hundred, Zhuangzi’s butterfly dream, Han Feizi’s three-men-make-a-tiger, lessons from the Book of Rites - the parables and dialogues Chinese thought is built on. 91 graded readers (L5–L6), 2 free to read in full here and the rest in the app with Pro - each with an aligned English translation and dual-accent zh-CN/zh-TW audio.

🔒 89 more philosopher stories in the app Pro
曾子杀彘 · 曾子殺彘
Zengzi Kills the Pig
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 90 chars 🔒 Pro
朝三暮四
Three at Dawn, Four at Dusk
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 69 chars 🔒 Pro
呆若木鸡 · 呆若木雞
Wooden as a Chicken
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 95 chars 🔒 Pro
邯郸学步(庄子) · 邯鄲學步(莊子)
Learning the Handan Walk (Zhuangzi)
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 55 chars 🔒 Pro
濠梁之辩 · 濠梁之辯
The Debate on the Bridge
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 104 chars 🔒 Pro
涸泽之蛇 · 涸澤之蛇
The Snakes Moving House
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 104 chars 🔒 Pro
涸辙之鲋 · 涸轍之鮒
The Fish in the Wheel-Rut
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 91 chars 🔒 Pro
鲲鹏 · 鯤鵬
The Kun and the Peng
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 97 chars 🔒 Pro
老子·知人者智
Knowing Others
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 66 chars 🔒 Pro
老子·知人者智(实践) · 老子·知人者智(實踐)
What Laozi Meant by Strength
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 63 chars 🔒 Pro
礼记·教学相长(用) · 禮記·教學相長(用)
Teaching Makes You Learn
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 72 chars 🔒 Pro
礼记·嗟来之食 · 禮記·嗟來之食
The Food Spoken Rudely
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 122 chars 🔒 Pro
礼记·苛政猛于虎 · 禮記·苛政猛於虎
Harsher Than Tigers
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 90 chars 🔒 Pro
列子·高山流水
High Mountain, Flowing Water
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 103 chars 🔒 Pro
列子·歧路亡羊
The Sheep on the Forked Road
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 100 chars 🔒 Pro
列子·余音绕梁 · 列子·餘音繞樑
The Song That Stayed Three Days
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 82 chars 🔒 Pro
鲁侯养鸟 · 魯侯養鳥
The Duke Feeds a Seabird
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 102 chars 🔒 Pro
论语·曾皙之志 · 論語·曾皙之志
Zengxi's Dream
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 128 chars 🔒 Pro
孟子·天将降大任 · 孟子·天將降大任
Heaven's Great Task
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 77 chars 🔒 Pro
孟子·王顾左右 · 孟子·王顧左右
The King Looks Right and Left
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 102 chars 🔒 Pro
孟子·五十步笑百步
Fifty Paces Laughing at a Hundred
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 74 chars 🔒 Pro
孟子·揠苗助长(解) · 孟子·揠苗助長(解)
Pulling the Seedlings (sense)
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 51 chars 🔒 Pro
孟子·缘木求鱼 · 孟子·緣木求魚
Climbing a Tree for Fish
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 110 chars 🔒 Pro
三人成虎(韩非) · 三人成虎(韓非)
Three Men Make a Tiger
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 112 chars 🔒 Pro
岁寒知松柏 · 歲寒知松柏
Winter Proves the Pine
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 45 chars 🔒 Pro
子罕不受玉
The Official Who Refused Jade
L5 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 84 chars 🔒 Pro
大葫芦 · 大葫蘆
The Giant Gourd
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 126 chars 🔒 Pro
饭疏食饮水 · 飯疏食飲水
Coarse Rice and Water
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 58 chars 🔒 Pro
佝偻丈人承蜩 · 佝僂丈人承蜩
The Hunchback Catching Cicadas
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 132 chars 🔒 Pro
和氏璧
The Jade of Bian He
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 117 chars 🔒 Pro
讳疾忌医 · 諱疾忌醫
Refusing the Doctor
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 107 chars 🔒 Pro
浑沌之死 · 渾沌之死
The Death of Chaos
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 100 chars 🔒 Pro
己所不欲
What You Wouldn't Want
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 61 chars 🔒 Pro
井底之蛙(庄子) · 井底之蛙(莊子)
The Frog and the Turtle
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 101 chars 🔒 Pro
君子和而不同
Harmony Without Sameness
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 61 chars 🔒 Pro
滥竽充数 · 濫竽充數
Filling the Ranks
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 73 chars 🔒 Pro
老马识途(韩非) · 老馬識途(韓非)
The Old Horse Knows the Way
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 67 chars 🔒 Pro
老子·大巧若拙
Great Skill Looks Clumsy
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 69 chars 🔒 Pro
老子·道可道
The Way That Can Be Named
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 62 chars 🔒 Pro
老子·祸兮福兮 · 老子·禍兮福兮
Fortune in Misfortune
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 41 chars 🔒 Pro
老子·千里之行
A Thousand-Li Journey
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 54 chars 🔒 Pro
老子·上善若水
Highest Good Is Water
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 74 chars 🔒 Pro
老子·图难于易 · 老子·圖難於易
Start with the Easy
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 64 chars 🔒 Pro
老子·无为 · 老子·無爲
Do Nothing
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 51 chars 🔒 Pro
礼记·教学相长 · 禮記·教學相長
Teaching and Learning
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 111 chars 🔒 Pro
列子·纪昌学射 · 列子·紀昌學射
Ji Chang Learns Archery
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 126 chars 🔒 Pro
列子·响遏行云 · 列子·響遏行雲
The Song That Stopped the Clouds
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 89 chars 🔒 Pro
列子·愚公移山(志)
Why Yu Gong Moved Mountains
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 74 chars 🔒 Pro
轮扁斫轮 · 輪扁斫輪
The Wheelwright and the Duke
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 129 chars 🔒 Pro
论语·发愤忘食 · 論語·發憤忘食
Forgetting to Eat
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 77 chars 🔒 Pro
论语·知之者不如好之者 · 論語·知之者不如好之者
Joy Is the Best Teacher
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 67 chars 🔒 Pro
论语·子在齐闻韶 · 論語·子在齊聞韶
Three Months Without Meat
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 67 chars 🔒 Pro
买椟还珠 · 買櫝還珠
The Box and the Pearl
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 80 chars 🔒 Pro
孟子·得道多助
With the Way, Much Help
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 69 chars 🔒 Pro
孟子·尽信书 · 孟子·盡信書
Believing Books
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 48 chars 🔒 Pro
孟子·民贵君轻 · 孟子·民貴君輕
People First, Ruler Last
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 58 chars 🔒 Pro
孟子·齐人有一妻一妾 · 孟子·齊人有一妻一妾
The Man of Qi's Wives
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 124 chars 🔒 Pro
孟子·生于忧患 · 孟子·生於憂患
Born in Trouble, Dead in Ease
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 61 chars 🔒 Pro
孟子·鱼和熊掌 · 孟子·魚和熊掌
Fish and Bear's Paws
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 81 chars 🔒 Pro
庖丁解牛
The Cook Dissects an Ox
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 115 chars 🔒 Pro
人而无信 · 人而無信
A Man Without Trust
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 53 chars 🔒 Pro
三人行
Walking with Two Others
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 58 chars 🔒 Pro
诗经·采薇(节选) · 詩經·采薇(節選)
Gathering Ferns (excerpt)
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 63 chars 🔒 Pro
诗经·伐檀(节选) · 詩經·伐檀(節選)
Felling Sandalwood (excerpt)
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 77 chars 🔒 Pro
诗经·关雎 · 詩經·關雎
The Ospreys
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 68 chars 🔒 Pro
诗经·鹤鸣 · 詩經·鶴鳴
The Crane Cries
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 67 chars 🔒 Pro
诗经·蒹葭 · 詩經·蒹葭
The Reeds
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 65 chars 🔒 Pro
诗经·静女 · 詩經·靜女
The Lovely Girl
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 88 chars 🔒 Pro
诗经·硕鼠 · 詩經·碩鼠
The Big Rat
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 59 chars 🔒 Pro
诗经·桃夭 · 詩經·桃夭
The Young Peach Tree
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 69 chars 🔒 Pro
诗经·子衿 · 詩經·子衿
Blue Collar
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 70 chars 🔒 Pro
逝者如斯夫
The River Flows On
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 38 chars 🔒 Pro
守株待兔(韩非) · 守株待兔(韓非)
The Farmer and the Stump (full)
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 81 chars 🔒 Pro
螳臂当车 · 螳臂當車
The Mantis and the Cart
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 90 chars 🔒 Pro
望洋兴叹 · 望洋興嘆
Gazing at the Ocean in Awe
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 87 chars 🔒 Pro
温故而知新 · 溫故而知新
Reviewing the Old, Learning the New
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 58 chars 🔒 Pro
吾日三省吾身
Three Daily Reflections
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 63 chars 🔒 Pro
学而时习之 · 學而時習之
Learning and Practising
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 69 chars 🔒 Pro
荀子·不积跬步 · 荀子·不積跬步
Half-Steps
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 101 chars 🔒 Pro
荀子·劝学(青出于蓝) · 荀子·勸學(青出於藍)
Blue from Indigo
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 103 chars 🔒 Pro
荀子·蟹六跪
The Crab's Six Legs
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 59 chars 🔒 Pro
曳尾涂中 · 曳尾塗中
Dragging Its Tail in the Mud
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 114 chars 🔒 Pro
欲速则不达 · 欲速則不達
Haste Makes Waste
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 65 chars 🔒 Pro
远水不救近火 · 遠水不救近火
Distant Water, Near Fire
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 85 chars 🔒 Pro
郑人买履 · 鄭人買履
The Shoe Size
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 88 chars 🔒 Pro
郑袖不妒 · 鄭袖不妒
The Perfumed Trap
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 99 chars 🔒 Pro
知之为知之 · 知之爲知之
What You Know, You Know
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 46 chars 🔒 Pro
知之者不如好之者
Loving It
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 45 chars 🔒 Pro
梓庆削木 · 梓慶削木
The Bell-Stand Carver
L6 philosopher stories · 诸子百家 · 121 chars 🔒 Pro

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