Flowers of Shanghai

Flowers of Shanghai 1998

海上花 hǎishàng huā

At the end of the 19th century, Shanghai is divided into several foreign concessions. In the British concession, a number of luxurious “flower houses” are reserved for the male elite of the city. Since Chinese dignitaries are not allowed to frequent brothels, these establishments are the only ones that these men can visit. They form a self-contained world, with its own rites, traditions and even its own language. The men don’t only visit the houses to frequent the courtesans but also to dine, smoke opium, play mahjong and relax. The women working there are known as the “flowers of Shanghai”.

HSK 1
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7
4.02 Intermediate

Vocabulary

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一塌糊涂 一塌糊塗 yī tā hú tu muddled and completely collapsing (idiom); in an awful condition; complete shambles; a total mess Idiom HSK 7
多心 多心 duō xīn oversensitive; suspicious Xiehouyu HSK 7
稀奇 稀奇 xī qí rare; strange Xiehouyu HSK 7
不定 不定 bù dìng indefinite; indeterminate; (botany) adventitious Xiehouyu HSK 7
冤枉 冤枉 yuān wang to accuse wrongly; to treat unjustly; injustice; wronged; not worthwhile Xiehouyu HSK 7
公道 公道 gōng dào justice; fairness; public highway Xiehouyu HSK 7
完蛋 完蛋 wán dàn (coll.) to be done for Xiehouyu HSK 7
衣裳 衣裳 yī shang (coll.) clothes Colloquialism HSK 7
娘 娘 niáng mother; young lady; (coll.) effeminate Colloquialism HSK 7
便饭 便飯 biàn fàn an ordinary meal; simple home cooking HSK 7
假使 假使 jiǎ shǐ if; in case; suppose; given ... HSK 7
蚊帐 蚊帳 wén zhàng mosquito net HSK 7
不服 不服 bù fú not to accept sth; to want to have sth overruled or changed; to refuse to obey or comply; to refuse to accept as final; to remain unconvinced by; not to give in to HSK 7
好客 好客 hào kè hospitality; to treat guests well; to enjoy having guests; hospitable; friendly HSK 7
巴结 巴結 bā jie to fawn on; to curry favor with; to make up to HSK 7
嫁妆 嫁妝 jià zhuang dowry HSK 7
赔钱 賠錢 péi qián to lose money; to pay for damages HSK 7
裁缝 裁縫 cái féng to make an item of clothing; to tailor HSK 7
威风 威風 wēi fēng might; awe-inspiring authority; impressive HSK 7
索性 索性 suǒ xìng you might as well (do it); simply; just HSK 7
本钱 本錢 běn qián capital; (fig.) asset; advantage; the means (to do sth) HSK 7
冤 冤 yuān injustice; grievance; wrong HSK 7
气色 氣色 qì sè complexion HSK 7
淌 淌 tǎng to drip; to trickle; to shed (tears) HSK 7
合计 合計 hé jì to add up the total; to figure what sth amounts to; to consider HSK 7
摆平 擺平 bǎi píng to be fair; to be impartial; to settle (a matter etc) HSK 7
糟蹋 糟蹋 zāo tà to waste; to defile; to abuse; to insult; to defile; to trample on; to wreck; also pr. [zāo ta] HSK 7
敷衍 敷衍 fū yǎn to elaborate (on a theme); to expound (the classics); perfunctory; to skimp; to botch; to do sth half-heartedly or just for show; barely enough to get by HSK 7
顶多 頂多 dǐng duō at most; at best HSK 7
无话可说 無話可說 wú huà kě shuō to have nothing to say (idiom) HSK 7
福气 福氣 fú qi good fortune; a blessing HSK 7
吃亏 吃虧 chī kuī to suffer losses; to come to grief; to lose out; to get the worst of it; to be at a disadvantage; unfortunately HSK 7
开销 開銷 kāi xiāo to pay (expenses); expenses; (old) to dismiss (an employee) HSK 7
当众 當眾 dāng zhòng in public; in front of everybody HSK 7
体面 體面 tǐ miàn dignity; prestige; face; honorable; creditable; (of sb's appearance) presentable; respectable HSK 7
绞 絞 jiǎo to twist (strands into a thread); to entangle; to wring; to hang (by the neck); to turn; to wind; classifier for skeins of yarn HSK 7
绰号 綽號 chuò hào nickname HSK 7
绣 繡 xiù to embroider; embroidery HSK 7
体谅 體諒 tǐ liàng to empathize; to allow (for sth); to show understanding; to appreciate HSK 7
收据 收據 shōu jù receipt HSK 7
菊花 菊花 jú huā chrysanthemum; (slang) anus HSK 7
赎 贖 shú to redeem; to ransom HSK 7
缸 缸 gāng jar; vat; classifier for loads of laundry HSK 7
姨 姨 yí mother's sister; aunt HSK 7
身价 身價 shēn jià social status; price of a slave; price of a person (a sportsman etc); worth; value (of stocks, valuables etc) HSK 7
点火 點火 diǎn huǒ to ignite; to light a fire; to agitate; to start an engine; ignition; fig. to stir up trouble HSK 7
上瘾 上癮 shàng yǐn to get into a habit; to become addicted HSK 7
埋怨 埋怨 mán yuàn to complain; to grumble (about); to reproach; to blame HSK 7
梳 梳 shū a comb; to comb HSK 7
不肯 不肯 bù kěn Refuse HSK 7