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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宽限 寬限 kuān xiàn to extend (a deadline etc) ∼HSK 6
百分之百 百分之百 bǎi fēn zhī bǎi a hundred percent; out and out; absolutely ∼HSK 6
理儿 理兒 lǐ r reason ∼HSK 6
借债 借債 jiè zhài to borrow money ∼HSK 6
旧账 舊賬 jiù zhàng lit. old account; old debt; fig. old scores to settle; old quarrels; old grudge ∼HSK 6
掀开 掀開 xiān kāi to lift open; to tear open ∼HSK 6
妥妥的 妥妥的 tuǒ tuǒ de (neologism c. 2009) don't worry, it's all taken care of ∼HSK 6
防洪 防洪 fáng hóng flood control; flood prevention ∼HSK 6
动真格 動真格 dòng zhēn gé to get serious about sth; to pull no punches; to be determined to see sth through ∼HSK 6
抗灾 抗災 kàng zāi defense against natural disasters ∼HSK 6
马屁精 馬屁精 mǎ pì jīng sycophant; toady; bootlicker ∼HSK 6
窝囊 窩囊 wō nang to feel vexed; annoyed; good-for-nothing; stupid and cowardly ∼HSK 6
小不忍则乱大谋 小不忍則亂大謀 xiǎo bù rěn zé luàn dà móu (idiom) great plans can be ruined by just a touch of impatience ∼HSK 6
唱空城计 唱空城計 chàng kōng chéng jì lit. to sing "The Empty City Stratagem" (idiom); fig. to put up a bluff to conceal one's weakness; (jocular) (of a place etc) to be empty; (of one's stomach) to be rumbling ∼HSK 6
坐镇 坐鎮 zuò zhèn (of a commanding officer) to keep watch; to oversee ∼HSK 6
垫上 墊上 diàn shàng to pay for sb ∼HSK 6
论功行赏 論功行賞 lùn gōng xíng shǎng to reward according to merit (idiom); to give rewards based on one's contributions ∼HSK 6
奉承 奉承 fèng cheng to fawn on; to flatter; to ingratiate oneself; flattery ∼HSK 6
几经 幾經 jǐ jīng to go through numerous (setbacks, revisions etc) ∼HSK 6
担待 擔待 dān dài to pardon; please excuse (me); to take responsibility ∼HSK 6
嚷嚷 嚷嚷 rāng rang to argue noisily; to shout; to make widely known; to reproach ∼HSK 6
揭不开锅 揭不開鍋 jiē bù kāi guō to be unable to afford food ∼HSK 6
屁事 屁事 pì shì (vulgar) trifling matter; mere trifle; goddamn thing; goddamn business ∼HSK 6
闹腾 鬧騰 nào teng to disturb; to create confusion; to make a din ∼HSK 6
不仁 不仁 bù rén not benevolent; heartless; numb ∼HSK 6
训斥 訓斥 xùn chì to reprimand; to rebuke; to berate; stern criticism ∼HSK 6
闹别扭 鬧彆扭 nào biè niu to be difficult with sb; to provoke disagreement; at loggerheads; to fall out with ∼HSK 6
贼心 賊心 zéi xīn evil intentions ∼HSK 6
耗子 耗子 hào zi (dialect) mouse; rat ∼HSK 6
父债子还 父債子還 fù zhài zǐ huán the son repays the father's debts; debts pass down through the family (idiom) ∼HSK 6
说理 說理 shuō lǐ to reason; to argue logically ∼HSK 6
德才兼备 德才兼備 dé cái - jiān bèi (idiom) possessing both integrity and talent ∼HSK 6
犹未为晚 猶未為晚 yóu wèi wéi wǎn it is not too late (idiom) ∼HSK 6
顺道 順道 shùn dào on the way ∼HSK 6
圣旨 聖旨 shèng zhǐ imperial edict ∼HSK 6
势利 勢利 shì lì snobbish ∼HSK 6
特护 特護 tè hù special nursing; intensive care; abbr. for ∼HSK 6
凶杀 兇殺 xiōng shā to murder; assassination ∼HSK 6
吃回扣 吃回扣 chī huí kòu to receive a kickback; to draw a commission ∼HSK 6
创收 創收 chuàng shōu to generate revenue; to create extra income ∼HSK 6
砖头 磚頭 zhuān tou brick ∼HSK 6
计生 計生 jì shēng planned childbirth; birth control; family planning; abbr. for 計劃生育|计划生育 ∼HSK 6
撒气 撒氣 sā qì to leak (of air); to go flat (of a tire); to vent one's anger ∼HSK 6
塌下 塌下 tā xià to collapse ∼HSK 6
罗嗦 羅嗦 luō suo erroneous variant of ∼HSK 6
预产期 預產期 yù chǎn qī expected date of childbirth; estimated due date (EDD) ∼HSK 6
大牢 大牢 dà láo prison ∼HSK 6
鬼混 鬼混 guǐ hùn to hang around; to fool around; to live aimlessly ∼HSK 6
嫁人 嫁人 jià rén (of a woman) to get married; to take a husband ∼HSK 6
私奔 私奔 sī bēn to elope ∼HSK 6