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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难过 難過 nán guò to feel sad; to feel unwell; (of life) to be difficult Xiehouyu HSK 2
开心 開心 kāi xīn to feel happy; to rejoice; to have a great time; to make fun of sb Xiehouyu HSK 2
老头子 老頭子 lǎo tóu zi (coll.) old man; (said of an aging husband) my old man Colloquialism ∼HSK 2
要脸 要臉 yào liǎn (coll.) to have a sense of shame Colloquialism ∼HSK 2
够 夠 gòu enough (sufficient); enough (too much); (coll.) (before adj.) really; (coll.) to reach by stretching out Colloquialism HSK 2
见过 見過 jiànguò seen HSK 2
老酒 老酒 lǎo jiǔ wine, esp. Shaoxing wine ∼HSK 2
身 身 shēn body; trunk, hull; rad. no. 158 ∼HSK 2
姘头 姘頭 pīn tou lover; mistress ∼HSK 2
头面 頭面 tóu miàn head ornament (in former times); (literary) head; face; looks ∼HSK 2
一句 一句 yī jù a line of verse; a sentence ∼HSK 2
办好 辦好 bàn hǎo to take care of (a matter); to get (a task) done; to handle (a project) expeditiously ∼HSK 2
过得去 過得去 guò dé qù lit. can pass through (an opening); fig. can get by (in life); tolerably well; not too bad; How are you getting by?; How's life? ∼HSK 2
发簪 髮簪 fà zān hairpin ∼HSK 2
一定要 一定要 yī dìng yào must ∼HSK 2
干掉 幹掉 gàn diào to get rid of ∼HSK 2
发急 發急 fā jí to fret; to get impatient; to become anxious ∼HSK 2
得很 得很 de hěn (after an adjective) very ∼HSK 2
讲不通 講不通 jiǎng bù tōng it does not make sense ∼HSK 2
应该的 應該的 yīng gāi de (polite response) you're welcome; just doing my duty; no problem ∼HSK 2
不只 不只 bù zhǐ not only; not merely ∼HSK 2
来得 來得 lái de to emerge (from a comparison); to come out as; to be competent or equal to ∼HSK 2
讲道 講道 jiǎng dào to preach; a sermon ∼HSK 2
讲明 講明 jiǎng míng to explain ∼HSK 2
到此 到此 dào cǐ hereto; hereunto ∼HSK 2
个把 個把 gè bǎ one or two; a couple of ∼HSK 2
长三 長三 cháng sān (old) high-class prostitute ∼HSK 2
参 參 cān take part in, intervene; ginseng ∼HSK 2
气话 氣話 qì huà angry words; sth said in the moment of anger ∼HSK 2
好生 好生 hǎo shēng (dialect) very; quite; properly; well; thoroughly ∼HSK 2
看着办 看著辦 kàn zhe bàn to do as one sees fit; to play it by ear (according to the circumstances) ∼HSK 2
天亮 天亮 tiān liàng to grow light (at daybreak) ∼HSK 2
小白脸 小白臉 xiǎo bái liǎn attractive young man (usually derog.); pretty boy; gigolo ∼HSK 2
房门 房門 fáng mén door of a room ∼HSK 2
陈 陳 Chén exhibit, display; plead; a surname ∼HSK 2
晦气 晦氣 huì qì bad luck; unlucky; calamitous; wretched ∼HSK 2
倒楣 倒楣 dǎo méi variant of ∼HSK 2
包在我身上 包在我身上 bāo zài wǒ shēn shang leave it to me (idiom); I'll take care of it ∼HSK 2
气不平 氣不平 qì bù píng angry at unfairness ∼HSK 2
来讲 來講 lái jiǎng as to; considering; for ∼HSK 2
眼热 眼熱 yǎn rè to covet; envious ∼HSK 2
馆子 館子 guǎn zi restaurant; theater (old) ∼HSK 2
茶馆 茶館 chá guǎn teahouse ∼HSK 2
睛 睛 jīng eyeball; pupil of eye ∼HSK 2
客气话 客氣話 kè qi huà words of politeness; politesse; decorous talking; talk with propriety ∼HSK 2
轻轻 輕輕 qīng qīng lightly; softly ∼HSK 2
停下来 停下來 tíng xià lái to stop ∼HSK 2
个头 個頭 gè tóu size; height ∼HSK 2
在下面 在下面 zài xià miàn underneath ∼HSK 2
下头 下頭 xià tóu (slang) (of a person or manner) off-putting; (slang) to feel put off ∼HSK 2