Return of the Phoenix 1963
凤还巢
Return Of The Phoenix is yet another masterpiece from prolific director Li Han-hsiang. An imperial minister Cheng Pu (Ching Miao) is faced with a quandary. He's getting old and his daughters are still not married. Elder daughter Shueh-yeh (Elizabeth Chuang) is so ugly no one wants her. Younger daughter Shueh-wu (Li Hsiang-chun) is beautiful but Mrs Cheng refuses to let her marry before her elder sister. The drama unfolds when Cheng decides to marry Shueh-wu off.
Vocabulary
Filter the words you want to study before watching.
| 嫁女 嫁女 | to marry off a daughter | |
| 故友 故友 | old friend; deceased friend | |
| 奉旨 奉旨 | by imperial decree | |
| 风流潇洒 風流瀟灑 | elegant and dashing (idiom); romantically charming and free-spirited | |
| 天赐 天賜 | bestowed by heaven | |
| 烟筒 煙筒 | chimney; stovepipe; smokestack | |
| 绵绵 綿綿 | continuous; uninterrupted | |
| 水缸 水缸 | water jar | |
| 叽叽咕咕 嘰嘰咕咕 | (onom.) to mutter; to mumble; to whisper | |
| 豆腐渣 豆腐渣 | okara (i.e. soy pulp, a by-product of making soymilk or tofu) | |
| 何方 何方 | from where | |
| 白眼狼 白眼狼 | thankless wretch; an ingrate | |
| 便当 便當 | convenient; handy; easy; bento (a meal in a partitioned box); lunchbox | |
| 春宵一刻 春宵一刻 | a moment of a spring night (idiom, from Su Shi); a precious romantic moment, esp. a wedding night ('worth a thousand pieces of gold') | |
| 梧桐 梧桐 | wutong (Firmiana platanifolia); Chinese parasol tree | |
| 威震 威震 | to inspire awe | |
| 临头 臨頭 | to befall; to be imminent | |
| 小姨 小姨 | mother's youngest sister; wife's younger sister; sister-in-law | |
| 不端 不端 | improper; dishonorable | |
| 羊入虎口 羊入虎口 | lit. a lamb in a tiger's den (idiom); fig. to tread dangerous ground | |
| 清白 清白 | pure; innocent | |
| 枉然 枉然 | in vain; to no avail | |
| 好心好意 好心好意 | with good and kindly intentions; well-meaning (idiom) | |
| 主仆 主僕 | master and servant | |
| 仓惶 倉惶 | variant of | |
| 兼程 兼程 | to travel at double speed; to make all haste | |
| 定夺 定奪 | to make a decision; to determine | |
| 奸贼 奸賊 | a traitor; a treacherous bandit | |
| 伏法 伏法 | to be executed | |
| 黄道吉日 黃道吉日 | an auspicious day (idiom); a lucky day chosen by the almanac for important undertakings | |
| 吉日良辰 吉日良辰 | an auspicious day and a fine hour (idiom); a lucky day | |
| 有劳 有勞 | thank you for the trouble | |
| 闺阁 閨閣 | lady's chamber | |
| 事到如今 事到如今 | as matters stand; things having reached this stage | |
| 顾全 顧全 | to give careful consideration to; to display thoughtfulness towards | |
| 托词 託詞 | to make an excuse; pretext; excuse | |
| 红烛 紅燭 | red candle (used during birthdays and other celebrations) | |
| 险些 險些 | narrowly; almost; nearly | |
| 熬煎 熬煎 | suffering; torture | |
| 受尽 受盡 | to suffer enough from; to suffer all kinds of; to have one's fill of | |
| 推三推四 推三推四 | to make all sorts of excuses; to keep putting things off (idiom) | |
| 下贱 下賤 | humble; lowly; depraved; contemptible | |
| 明理 明理 | sensible; reasonable; an obvious reason, truth or fact; to understand the reason or reasoning | |
| 有何面目 有何面目 | with what face (can one face others)? (idiom); how can one show one's face for shame? | |
| 青丝 青絲 | fine black hair; dried plum (sliced, as cake ingredient) | |
| 跪倒 跪倒 | to kneel down; to sink to one's knees; to grovel | |
| 娘子 娘子 | (dialect) form of address for one's wife; polite form of address for a woman | |
| 冤家 冤家 | enemy; foe; (in opera) sweetheart or destined love | |
| 惹人 惹人 | to provoke (esp. annoyance, disgust etc); to offend; to attract (attention) | |
| 并蒂莲 並蒂蓮 | lit. twin lotus flowers on one stalk; fig. a devoted married couple |