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”.

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4.02 Intermediate

Vocabulary

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讨好 討好 tǎo hǎo to get the desired outcome; to win favor by fawning on sb; to curry favor with; a fruitful outcome to reward one's labor HSK 7
幸亏 幸虧 xìng kuī fortunately; luckily HSK 7
懂事 懂事 dǒng shì to grow beyond the naivete of childhood; to be aware of what is going on in the world; (esp. of a child) sensible; thoughtful; intelligent HSK 7
庙 廟 miào temple; ancestral shrine; temple fair; great imperial hall; imperial HSK 7
要紧 要緊 yào jǐn important; urgent HSK 7
了结 了結 liǎo jié to settle; to finish; to conclude; to wind up HSK 7
亲生 親生 qīn shēng one's own (child) (i.e. one's child by birth); biological (parents); birth (parents) HSK 7
好说 好說 hǎo shuō easy to deal with; not a problem; (polite answer) you flatter me HSK 7
议 議 yì to comment on; to discuss; to suggest HSK 7
裁 裁 cái to cut out (as a dress); to cut; to trim; to reduce; to diminish; to cut back (e.g. on staff); decision; judgment HSK 7
契约 契約 qì yuē agreement; contract HSK 7
不容 不容 bù róng must not; cannot; to not allow; cannot tolerate HSK 7
计较 計較 jì jiào to bother about; to haggle; to bicker; to argue; plan; stratagem HSK 7
得罪 得罪 dé zui to offend sb; to make a faux pas; a faux pas; see also 罪 HSK 7
正经 正經 zhèng jīng decent; honorable; proper; serious; according to standards HSK 7
起初 起初 qǐ chū originally; at first; at the outset HSK 7
坠 墜 zhuì to fall; to drop; to weigh down HSK 7
钞票 鈔票 chāo piào paper money; a bill (e.g. 100 yuan) HSK 7
时髦 時髦 shí máo in vogue; fashionable HSK 7
苍白 蒼白 cāng bái pale; wan HSK 7
良 良 liáng good; very; very much HSK 7
余 餘 yú extra; surplus; remaining; remainder after division; (following numerical value) or more; in excess of (some number); residue (math.); after; I; me HSK 7
塌 塌 tā to collapse; to droop; to settle down HSK 7
野蛮 野蠻 yě mán barbarous; uncivilized HSK 7
人身 人身 rén shēn person; personal; human body HSK 7
蜡烛 蠟燭 là zhú candle HSK 7
怪不得 怪不得 guài bu de no wonder!; so that's why! HSK 7
柜台 櫃檯 guì tái sales counter; front desk; bar; (of markets, medicines etc) OTC (over-the-counter) HSK 7
舔 舔 tiǎn to lick; to lap HSK 7
碰上 碰上 pèng shàng to run into; to come upon; to meet HSK 7
瘾 癮 yǐn addiction; craving HSK 7
出身 出身 chū shēn to be born of; to come from; family background; class origin HSK 7
有机 有機 yǒu jī organic HSK 7
瞒 瞞 mán to conceal from; to keep (sb) in the dark HSK 7
兜 兜 dōu pocket; bag; to wrap up or hold in a bag; to move in a circle; to canvas or solicit; to take responsibility for; to disclose in detail; combat armor (old) HSK 7
一早 一早 yī zǎo early in the morning; at dawn HSK 7
轰 轟 hōng explosion; bang; boom; rumble; to attack; to shoo away; to expel HSK 7
花样 花樣 huā yàng pattern; way of doing sth; trick; ruse; fancy-style (as in 花样滑冰 figure skating) HSK 7
良心 良心 liáng xīn conscience HSK 7
嫩 嫩 nèn young and tender; (of food) tender; lightly cooked; (of color) light; (of a person) inexperienced; unskilled HSK 7
糊涂 糊塗 hú tu muddled; silly; confused HSK 7
性命 性命 xìng mìng life HSK 7
筒 筒 tǒng tube; cylinder; to encase in sth cylindrical (such as hands in sleeves etc) HSK 7
出局 出局 chū jú (of a batter) to be put out (in baseball); to be dismissed (in cricket); (of a player or team) to be eliminated from a competition; (fig.) to be weeded out; to get the chop (in a competitive environment) HSK 7
口气 口氣 kǒu qì tone of voice; the way one speaks; manner of expression; tone HSK 7
喉咙 喉嚨 hóu lóng the throat HSK 7
念头 念頭 niàn tou thought; idea; intention HSK 7
凑 湊 còu to gather together, pool or collect; to happen by chance; to move close to; to exploit an opportunity HSK 7
心思 心思 xīn si mind; thoughts; inclination; mood HSK 7
拜托 拜託 bài tuō to request sb to do sth; please! HSK 7