Flowers of Shanghai 1998
海上花
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”.
Vocabulary
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| 兄弟 兄弟 | brothers; younger brother; I, me (humble term used by men in public speech); brotherly; fraternal | |
| 王 王 | king or monarch; best or strongest of its type; grand; great | |
| 单 單 | bill; list; form; single; only; sole; odd number | |
| 不管 不管 | not to be concerned; regardless of; no matter | |
| 局 侷 | narrow | |
| 些 些 | classifier indicating a small amount or small number greater than 1: some, a few, several | |
| 定 定 | to set; to fix; to determine; to decide; to order | |
| 呀 呀 | (particle equivalent to 啊 after a vowel, expressing surprise or doubt) | |
| 担心 擔心 | anxious; worried; uneasy; to worry; to be anxious | |
| 步步高升 步步高陞 | to climb step by step; to rise steadily; on the up and up | Xiehouyu |
| 心里有数 心裡有數 | to know the score (idiom); to be well aware of the situation | Xiehouyu |
| 死要面子 死要面子 | to regard face as all-important; to consider loss of face unthinkable | Xiehouyu |
| 高升 高升 | to get a promotion | Xiehouyu |
| 亲 親 | parent; one's own (flesh and blood); relative; related; marriage; bride; close; intimate; in person; first-hand; in favor of; pro-; to kiss; (Internet slang) dear | Xiehouyu |
| 死人 死人 | dead person; (coll.) to die; (of a death) to happen | Colloquialism |
| 要是 要是 | (coll.) if | Colloquialism |
| 输 輸 | to lose; to be beaten; (bound form) to transport; (literary) to donate; to contribute; (coll.) to enter (a password) | Colloquialism |
| 管 筦 | to take care (of); to control; to manage; to be in charge of; to look after; to run; to care about; tube; pipe; woodwind; classifier for tube-shaped objects; particle similar to 把 in 管...叫 constructions; writing brush; (coll.) to; towards | Colloquialism |
| 明朝 明朝 | Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) | Proper Noun |
| 城隍 城隍 | Shing Wong (deity in Chinese mythology) | Proper Noun |
| 两相 兩相 | both sides | |
| 少爷 少爺 | son of the boss; young master of the house; your son (honorific) | |
| 朱 朱 | cinnabar, vermilion; surname | |
| 全家福 全家福 | photograph of the entire family; hodgepodge (cookery) | |
| 叔 叔 | uncle; father's younger brother; husband's younger brother; Taiwan pr. [shu2] | |
| 诸 諸 | various, all, these; surname | |
| 相好 相好 | to be intimate; close friend; paramour | |
| 在台 在臺 | in Taiwan (used attributively) | |
| 气死 氣死 | to infuriate; to be furious; to die from an excess of anger | |
| 阳 陽 | positive (electric.); sun; male principle (Taoism); Yang, opposite: | |
| 不争气 不爭氣 | to be disappointing; to fail to live up to expectations | |
| 水烟 水煙 | shredded tobacco for water pipes | |
| 赵 趙 | surname; ancient state | |
| 要死 要死 | extremely; awfully | |
| 整夜 整夜 | the whole night; all through the night | |
| 恩 㤙 | kindness, mercy, charity | |
| 打死 打死 | to kill; to beat to death | |
| 前世 前世 | previous generations; previous incarnation (Buddhism) | |
| 活不下去 活不下去 | impossible to make a living | |
| 一声 一聲 | first tone in Mandarin (high, level tone) | |
| 输给 輸給 | to lose to (sb); to be outdone by | |
| 双眼 雙眼 | the two eyes | |
| 饿死 餓死 | to starve to death; to be very hungry | |
| 紧要 緊要 | critical; crucial; vital | |
| 出奇 出奇 | extraordinary; exceptional; unusual | |
| 总有 總有 | inevitably there will be | |
| 随你 隨你 | as you wish | |
| 乱讲 亂講 | to talk nonsense; nonsense! | |
| 瞑目 瞑目 | to close one's eyes; (fig.) to be contented at the time of one's death (Dying without closing one's eyes would signify having unresolved grievances.) | |
| 裙 帬 | skirt, apron, petticoat |