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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大姐 大姐 dà jiě big sister; elder sister; older sister (also polite term of address for a girl or woman slightly older than the speaker) HSK 4
光临 光臨 guāng lín (formal) to honor with one's presence; to attend HSK 4
毛巾 毛巾 máo jīn towel HSK 4
豆腐 豆腐 dòu fu tofu; bean curd HSK 4
了不起 了不起 liǎo bu qǐ amazing; terrific; extraordinary HSK 4
抽烟 抽煙 chōu yān to smoke (a cigarette, tobacco) HSK 4
玉 玉 yù jade HSK 4
老实 老實 lǎo shi honest; sincere; well-behaved; naive; gullible HSK 4
做梦 做夢 zuò mèng to dream; to have a dream; fig. illusion; fantasy; pipe dream HSK 4
江 江 jiāng river HSK 4
嘴巴 嘴巴 zuǐ ba mouth; slap in the face HSK 4
不在乎 不在乎 bù zài hu not to care HSK 4
有限 有限 yǒu xiàn limited; finite HSK 4
无所谓 無所謂 wú suǒ wèi to be indifferent; not to matter; cannot be said to be HSK 4
从此 從此 cóng cǐ from now on; since then; henceforth HSK 4
拍照 拍照 pāi zhào to take a picture HSK 4
反而 反而 fǎn ér on the contrary; instead HSK 4
帽子 帽子 mào zi hat; cap; (fig.) label; bad name HSK 4
叔叔 叔叔 shū shu father's younger brother; uncle; Taiwan pr. [shú shu] HSK 4
宽 寬 kuān wide; broad; loose; relaxed; lenient HSK 4
夫妻 夫妻 fū qī husband and wife; married couple HSK 4
总之 總之 zǒng zhī in a word; in short; in brief HSK 4
聚 聚 jù to congregate; to assemble; to mass; to gather together; to amass; to polymerize HSK 4
姐妹 姐妹 jiě mèi sisters; siblings; sister (school, city etc) HSK 4
划 划 huá to row; to paddle; profitable; worth (the effort); it pays (to do sth) HSK 4
遇 遇 yù to meet; to encounter; to treat; to receive; opportunity; chance HSK 4
肚子 肚子 dù zi belly; abdomen; stomach HSK 4
新鲜 新鮮 xīn xiān fresh (experience, food etc); freshness; novel; uncommon HSK 4
万一 萬一 wàn yī just in case; if by any chance; contingency HSK 4
箱 箱 xiāng box; trunk; chest HSK 4
挑 挑 tiāo to carry on a shoulder pole; to choose; to pick; to nitpick HSK 4
户 戶 hù a household; door; family HSK 4
闹 鬧 nào noisy; cacophonous; to make noise; to disturb; to vent (feelings); to fall ill; to have an attack (of sickness); to go in (for some activity); to joke HSK 4
烦 煩 fán to feel vexed; to bother; to trouble; superfluous and confusing; edgy HSK 4
结 結 jiē (of a plant) to produce (fruit or seeds); Taiwan pr. [jié] HSK 4
贴 貼 tiē to stick; to paste; to post (e.g. on a blog); to keep close to; to fit snugly; to subsidize; allowance (e.g. money for food or housing); sticker; classifier for sticking plaster: strip HSK 4
擦 擦 cā to rub; to scratch; to towel; to wipe with a towel; to apply (lipstick, lotion etc); to touch; to brush (past); to shred (vegetables etc) HSK 4
宝 寶 bǎo jewel; gem; treasure; precious HSK 4
摆 擺 bǎi to arrange; to exhibit; to move to and fro; a pendulum HSK 4
人家 人家 rén jiā household; dwelling; family; sb else's house; household business; house of woman's husband-to-be HSK 4
替 替 tì to substitute for; to take the place of; to replace; for; on behalf of; to stand in for HSK 4
官 官 guān government official; governmental; official; public; organ of the body HSK 4
顶 頂 dǐng apex; crown of the head; top; roof; most; to carry on the head; to push to the top; to go against; to replace; to substitute; to be subjected to (an aerial bombing, hailstorm etc); (slang) to "bump" a forum thread to raise its profile; classifier for headwear, hats, veils etc HSK 4
圈 圈 quān circle; ring; loop; classifier for loops, orbits, laps of race etc; to surround; to circle HSK 4
落 落 là to leave out; to be missing; to leave behind or forget to bring; to lag or fall behind HSK 4
否则 否則 fǒu zé otherwise; if not; or (else) HSK 4
的确 的確 dí què really; indeed HSK 4
盘 盤 pán plate; dish; tray; board; hard drive (computing); to build; to coil; to check; to examine; to transfer (property); to make over; classifier for food: dish, helping; to coil; classifier for coils of wire; classifier for games of chess HSK 4
怪 怪 guài bewildering; odd; strange; uncanny; devil; monster; to wonder at; to blame; quite; rather HSK 4
遇到 遇到 yù dào to meet; to run into; to come across HSK 4