Back to Back, Face to Face

Back to Back, Face to Face 1994

背靠背，脸对脸 bèikàobèi， liǎn duì liǎn

Wang Shuangli is Deputy Director of the local Cultural Centre, and hopes to be appointed Director. However Old Ma is brought in from the country and installed as Director. This starts a long train of events with Wang's cronies using the bureaucracy to try to oust the new director.

HSK 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
4.5 Intermediate

Vocabulary

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咬文嚼字 咬文嚼字 yǎo wén jiáo zì to bite words and chew characters (idiom); punctilious about minutiae of wording Idiom ∼HSK 6
另谋高就 另謀高就 lìng móu gāo jiù to get a better job somewhere else (idiom); to seek alternative employment Idiom ∼HSK 6
后生可畏 後生可畏 hòu shēng kě wèi the young will be redoubtable in the years to come (idiom); the younger generations will surpass us in time Idiom ∼HSK 6
仗势欺人 仗勢欺人 zhàng shì qī rén to take advantage of one's position to bully people (idiom); to kick people around Idiom ∼HSK 6
添油加醋 添油加醋 tiān yóu - jiā cù lit. to add oil and vinegar (idiom); fig. to embellish; to exaggerate (a story, a narration etc) Idiom ∼HSK 6
乌七八糟 烏七八糟 wū qī bā zāo everything in disorder (idiom); in a hideous mess; obscene; dirty; filthy Idiom ∼HSK 6
活蹦乱跳 活蹦亂跳 huó bèng luàn tiào to leap and frisk about (idiom); lively; healthy and active Idiom ∼HSK 6
两袖清风 兩袖清風 liǎng xiù qīng fēng lit. both sleeves flowing in the breeze (idiom); having clean hands; uncorrupted; unsoiled by corrupt practices Idiom ∼HSK 6
断子绝孙 斷子絕孫 duàn zǐ jué sūn to die without progeny; (offensive) may you die childless; may you be the last of your family line Xiehouyu ∼HSK 6
明知故问 明知故問 míng zhī - gù wèn (idiom) to ask a question, already knowing the answer Xiehouyu ∼HSK 6
顺水人情 順水人情 shùn shuǐ rén qíng to do sb a favor at little cost Xiehouyu ∼HSK 6
高招 高招 gāo zhāo wise move; masterstroke; bright ideas Xiehouyu ∼HSK 6
平白无故 平白無故 píng bái - wú gù (idiom) for no reason whatever; inexplicably Xiehouyu ∼HSK 6
难缠 難纏 nán chán (usu. of people) difficult; demanding; troublesome; unreasonable; hard to deal with Xiehouyu ∼HSK 6
拖拖拉拉 拖拖拉拉 tuō tuō lā lā to procrastinate Xiehouyu ∼HSK 6
捣鬼 搗鬼 dǎo guǐ to play tricks; to cause mischief Xiehouyu ∼HSK 6
耍贫嘴 耍貧嘴 shuǎ pín zuǐ (coll.) to wag one's tongue; to indulge in idle gossip and silly jokes; to chatter endlessly; to speak glibly Xiehouyu ∼HSK 6
势利眼 勢利眼 shì li yǎn snobbish; a snob Xiehouyu ∼HSK 6
忍痛割爱 忍痛割愛 rěn tòng gē ài to resign oneself to part with what one treasures Xiehouyu ∼HSK 6
多多益善 多多益善 duō duō yì shàn the more the better Xiehouyu ∼HSK 6
旱涝保收 旱澇保收 hàn lào bǎo shōu to provide a stable crop, regardless of drought or flood; to bring a stable income Xiehouyu ∼HSK 6
不成 不成 bù chéng won't do; unable to; (at the end of a rhetorical question) can that be? Xiehouyu HSK 6
一模一样 一模一樣 yī mú yī yàng exactly the same (idiom); carbon copy; also pr. [yī mó yī yàng] Xiehouyu HSK 6
悬 懸 xuán to hang or suspend; to worry; public announcement; unresolved; baseless; without foundation Xiehouyu HSK 6
擦屁股 擦屁股 cā pì gu to wipe one’s ass; (fig.) (coll.) to clean up sb else's mess Colloquialism ∼HSK 6
猫腻 貓膩 māo nì (coll.) something fishy; shenanigans Colloquialism ∼HSK 6
就算 就算 jiù suàn (coll.) even if Colloquialism HSK 6
嘛 嘛 má used in 吽; (Tw) (coll.) what? Colloquialism HSK 6
摊儿 攤兒 tān r erhua variant of 摊; vendor's stand HSK 6
却是 卻是 què shì nevertheless; actually; the fact is ... HSK 6
抗洪 抗洪 kàng hóng to fight a flood ∼HSK 6
腾出 騰出 téng chū to make (some time or space) available (for sb) ∼HSK 6
民意测验 民意測驗 mín yì cè yàn opinion poll ∼HSK 6
临时工 臨時工 lín shí gōng temporary worker; temp; temporary work ∼HSK 6
哑巴 啞巴 yǎ ba a mute; mute; silent ∼HSK 6
大伯 大伯 dà bó husband's older brother; father's older brother (esp. his oldest brother) ∼HSK 6
精神文明 精神文明 jīng shén wén míng spiritual culture ∼HSK 6
不清 不清 bù qīng unclear ∼HSK 6
单据 單據 dān jù receipts; invoices; transaction records ∼HSK 6
摆摊 擺攤 bǎi tān to set up a vendor's stall in the street ∼HSK 6
铁杆 鐵桿 tiě gān iron (golf club) ∼HSK 6
顺延 順延 shùn yán to be postponed accordingly (e.g. due to weather or other stated factors) ∼HSK 6
副经理 副經理 fù jīng lǐ deputy director; assistant manager ∼HSK 6
报账 報賬 bào zhàng to report expenses; to submit accounts ∼HSK 6
开除党籍 開除黨籍 kāi chú dǎng jí to expel from the Party ∼HSK 6
露脸 露臉 lòu liǎn to show one's face; to make one's good name; to become successful and well known; to shine ∼HSK 6
经手 經手 jīng shǒu (lit.) to pass through one's hands; (fig.) to handle; to deal with ∼HSK 6
原价 原價 yuán jià original price ∼HSK 6
不舒服 不舒服 bù shū fu unwell; feeling ill; to feel uncomfortable; uneasy ∼HSK 6
哈罗 哈羅 hā luó hello (loanword) ∼HSK 6