The Emperor's Shadow 1996
秦颂
Epic drama about China's first emperor (221 BC) who struggles to make his childhood best friend, now China's greatest composer, succumb to his will and compose a grand anthem to his exploits.
Vocabulary
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| 千秋万岁 千秋萬歲 | a thousand autumns and ten thousand years (idiom); fig. eternity; (also a euphemism for the death of an emperor) | Idiom |
| 浴血奋战 浴血奮戰 | to fight a bloody battle; to fight desperately (idiom) | Idiom |
| 沃野千里 沃野千里 | a vast expanse of fertile land (idiom); rich fields stretching for a thousand li | Idiom |
| 一统天下 一統天下 | to unite the whole country under one rule (idiom); to bring all under heaven into one domain | Idiom |
| 日理万机 日理萬機 | to attend to countless affairs of state each day (idiom); to be extremely busy with myriad responsibilities (of a ruler or leader) | Idiom |
| 杀鸡取蛋 殺雞取蛋 | lit. to kill the chicken to get the eggs (idiom); fig. to destroy the source of one's gain for short-term profit; killing the goose that lays the golden eggs | Idiom |
| 博览群书 博覽群書 | to read widely; well-read; erudite (idiom) | Idiom |
| 肤如凝脂 膚如凝脂 | lit. skin like congealed lard (idiom); fig. smooth, fair and delicate skin | Idiom |
| 深入骨髓 深入骨髓 | to penetrate to the bone marrow (idiom); deeply ingrained; (of hatred or feeling) profound and intense | Idiom |
| 举世无双 舉世無雙 | unrivaled (idiom); world number one; unique; unequaled | Idiom |
| 小人 小人 | person of low social status (old); I, me (used to refer humbly to oneself); nasty person; vile character | Xiehouyu |
| 家伙 傢伙 | household dish, implement or furniture; domestic animal; (coll.) guy; chap; weapon | Colloquialism |
| 喜酒 喜酒 | wedding feast; liquor drunk at a wedding feast | |
| 踏上 踏上 | to set foot on; to step on or into | |
| 一筹莫展 一籌莫展 | to be unable to find a solution; to be at wits' end | |
| 伸张 伸張 | to uphold (e.g. justice or virtue); to promote | |
| 侍候 侍候 | to serve; to wait upon | |
| 斧子 斧子 | axe; hatchet | |
| 正气 正氣 | healthy atmosphere; moral spirit; unyielding integrity; probity; (TCM) vital energy (resistance to diseases) | |
| 山川 山川 | mountains and rivers; landscape | |
| 无不 無不 | none lacking; none missing; everything is there; everyone without exception | |
| 看热闹 看熱鬧 | to enjoy watching a bustling scene; to go where the crowds are | |
| 万万 萬萬 | absolutely; wholly | |
| 逾期 逾期 | to be overdue; to fail to meet a deadline; to be behind in doing sth | |
| 悦耳 悅耳 | sweet-sounding; beautiful (of sound) | |
| 一概 一概 | all; without any exceptions; categorically | |
| 出任 出任 | to take up a post; to start in a new job | |
| 猖狂 猖狂 | savage; furious | |
| 遮挡 遮擋 | to shelter; to shelter from | |
| 何苦 何苦 | why bother?; is it worth the trouble? | |
| 顺应 順應 | to comply; to conform to; in tune with; adapting to; to adjust to | |
| 受惊 受驚 | startled | |
| 助威 助威 | to cheer for; to encourage; to boost the morale of | |
| 恩赐 恩賜 | favor; to give charity to sb out of pity | |
| 单薄 單薄 | weak; frail; thin; flimsy | |
| 根基 根基 | foundation | |
| 包庇 包庇 | to shield; to harbor; to cover up | |
| 劝告 勸告 | to advise; to urge; to exhort; exhortation; advice | |
| 冲撞 衝撞 | to collide; jerking motion; to impinge; to offend; to provoke | |
| 资历 資歷 | qualifications; experience; seniority | |
| 彻夜 徹夜 | the whole night | |
| 祸害 禍害 | disaster; harm; scourge; bad person; to damage; to harm; to wreck | |
| 修长 修長 | slender; lanky; tall and thin | |
| 胸怀 胸懷 | one's bosom (the seat of emotions); breast; broad-minded and open; to think about; to cherish | |
| 历来 歷來 | always; throughout (a period of time); (of) all-time | |
| 坚韧 堅韌 | tough and durable; tenacious | |
| 执意 執意 | to be determined to; to insist on | |
| 端正 端正 | upright; regular; proper; correct | |
| 祭祀 祭祀 | to offer sacrifices to the gods or ancestors | |
| 血脉 血脈 | blood vessels |