Red Cliff

Red Cliff 2008

赤壁（上） chìbì （ shǎng ）

In 208 A.D., in the final days of the Han Dynasty, shrewd Prime Minster Cao convinced the fickle Emperor Han the only way to unite all of China was to declare war on the kingdoms of Xu in the west and East Wu in the south. Thus began a military campaign of unprecedented scale. Left with no other hope for survival, the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu formed an unlikely alliance.

HSK 1
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5.5 Advanced Director John Woo 🍅 89%

Cast

Tony Leung Chiu-wai Tony Leung Chiu-wai Zhou Yu Takeshi Kaneshiro Takeshi Kaneshiro Zhu Ge Liang Zhang Fengyi Zhang Fengyi Cao Cao Chang Chen Chang Chen Sun Quan Vicky Zhao Vicky Zhao Sun Shang Xiang Hu Jun Hu Jun Zhao Yun Shido Nakamura Shido Nakamura Gan Xing Lin Chi-ling Lin Chi-ling Xiao Qiao You Yongzhi You Yongzhi Liu Bei Hou Yong Hou Yong Lu Su

Vocabulary

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自视清高 自視清高 zì shì qīng gāo to think highly of oneself (idiom); giving oneself airs; arrogant and self-important ∼HSK 6
誓死 誓死 shì sǐ to pledge one's life ∼HSK 6
赋税 賦稅 fù shuì taxation ∼HSK 6
桂枝 桂枝 guì zhī cinnamon (Ramulus Cinnamomi) ∼HSK 6
晕船 暈船 yùn chuán to become seasick ∼HSK 6
遵命 遵命 zūn mìng obey the order ∼HSK 6
泥坑 泥坑 ní kēng mud pit; mire; morass ∼HSK 6
逆风 逆風 nì fēng to go against the wind; contrary wind; a headwind ∼HSK 6
攻破 攻破 gōng pò to make a breakthrough; to break through; to breach (military) ∼HSK 6
反贼 反賊 fǎn zéi (imperial China) rebel; traitor; (post-1949) enemy of the state; counter-revolutionary; (slang) dissident (used self-referentially, esp. in pro-democracy circles) ∼HSK 6
征讨 征討 zhēng tǎo to go on a punitive expedition ∼HSK 6
北征 北征 běi zhēng punitive expedition to the north ∼HSK 6
蒙难 蒙難 méng nàn to meet with disaster; killed; in the clutches of the enemy; to fall foul of; in danger ∼HSK 6
相救 相救 xiāng jiù rescue ∼HSK 6
偏安 偏安 piān ān content to hold a small part of the territory; fig. forced to relinquish the middle ground; forced to move away ∼HSK 6
独揽大权 獨攬大權 dú lǎn dà quán 独: alone, single, solitary, only · 揽: grasp, take hold of; monopolize · 大: big, great, vast, large, high · 权: power, right, authority ∼HSK 6
信誓旦旦 信誓旦旦 xìn shì dàn dàn to make a solemn vow ∼HSK 6
楔形 楔形 xiē xíng cuneiform (letters); wedge-shape ∼HSK 6
撤走 撤走 chè zǒu to retire; to remove; to withdraw; to evacuate ∼HSK 6
夫君 夫君 fū jūn my husband ∼HSK 6
负隅顽抗 負隅頑抗 fù yú - wán kàng (idiom) to put up fierce resistance despite being surrounded; to stubbornly refuse to admit defeat ∼HSK 6
胸中 胸中 xiōng zhōng one's mind ∼HSK 6
制衡 制衡 zhì héng to check and balance (power); checks and balances ∼HSK 6
遏止 遏止 è zhǐ to hold back; to check (i.e. to stop sb's advance); to resist; esp. with negative, irresistible, unstoppable etc ∼HSK 6
浩荡 浩蕩 hào dàng vast and mighty (of river or ocean); broad and powerful ∼HSK 6
艨艟 艨艟 méng chōng ancient leatherclad warship ∼HSK 6
文笔 文筆 wén bǐ writings; writing style ∼HSK 6
地形图 地形圖 dì xíng tú topographic map ∼HSK 6
溃败 潰敗 kuì bài to be utterly defeated; to be routed ∼HSK 6
抗命 抗命 kàng mìng against orders; to disobey; to refuse to accept orders ∼HSK 6
有勇有谋 有勇有謀 yǒu yǒng yǒu móu 有: have, own, possess; exist · 勇: brave, courageous, fierce · 有: have, own, possess; exist · 谋: plan, scheme; strategem ∼HSK 6
黎民 黎民 lí mín the common people; the great unwashed ∼HSK 6
莫如 莫如 mò rú it would be better ∼HSK 6
惶惶 惶惶 huáng huáng alarmed; anxious ∼HSK 6
成仁 成仁 chéng rén to die for a good cause ∼HSK 6
专横跋扈 專橫跋扈 zhuān hèng bá hù 专: monopolize, take sole possession · 横: across · 跋: go by foot; epilogue, colophon · 扈: escort, retinue; insolent ∼HSK 6
称帝 稱帝 chēng dì to declare oneself emperor; to win the best actor award ∼HSK 6
堂堂 堂堂 táng táng grand; magnificent; stately; majestic appearance ∼HSK 6
仰慕 仰慕 yǎng mù to admire ∼HSK 6
身家性命 身家性命 shēn jiā xìng mìng 身: body; trunk, hull; rad. no. 158 · 家: house, home, residence; family · 性: nature, character, sex · 命: life; destiny, fate, luck; an order, instruction ∼HSK 6
精兵 精兵 jīng bīng elite troops ∼HSK 6
自寻死路 自尋死路 zì xún sǐ lù to follow the path to one's own doom (idiom); to bring about one's own destruction ∼HSK 6
有道理 有道理 yǒu dào li to make sense; reasonable ∼HSK 6
名不正言不顺 名不正言不順 míng bu zhèng yán bu shùn (of a title, degree etc) illegitimately conferred ∼HSK 6
宝剑 寶劍 bǎo jiàn (double-edged) sword (esp. a valuable or famous one) ∼HSK 6
仙境 仙境 xiān jìng fairyland; wonderland; paradise ∼HSK 6
兄长 兄長 xiōng zhǎng elder brother ∼HSK 6
失敬 失敬 shī jìng I have been remiss (apology) ∼HSK 6
江洋大盗 江洋大盜 jiāng yáng - dà dào (idiom) infamous pirate; (by extension) notorious bandit or robber ∼HSK 6
老伯 老伯 lǎo bó uncle (polite form of address for older male) ∼HSK 6