The Mirror and the Lichee

The Mirror and the Lichee 1967

新陈三五娘 xīn chén sānwǔ niáng

Movie queen Ivy Ling Po is ideally cast as a male scholar in this historical Huangmei Opera romance. It’s a tragic love story between the scholar and a local beauty (played by Fang Ying). He polishes mirrors as a pretext to get closer to his love, who signals her approval by tossing him a bunch of lichees. From that point on the course of true love proves operatically rocky, complete with murder and suicide.

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5.07 Advanced

Vocabulary

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喜讯 喜訊 xǐ xùn good news; glad tidings ∼HSK 6
元宵 元宵 yuán xiāo Lantern Festival; night of the 15th of the first lunar month; see also; sticky rice dumplings ∼HSK 6
灯谜 燈謎 dēng mí riddles written on lanterns (e.g. for the Lantern Festival at the end of Chinese New Year) ∼HSK 6
下聘 下聘 xià pìn to send the betrothal gifts; (fig.) to conclude a marriage ∼HSK 6
作主 作主 zuò zhǔ to decide; to have the final say ∼HSK 6
佳人 佳人 jiā rén beautiful woman ∼HSK 6
岂敢 豈敢 qǐ gǎn how could one dare?; I don't deserve such praise ∼HSK 6
失礼 失禮 shī lǐ discourteous ∼HSK 6
侄女 姪女 zhí nǚ brother's daughter; niece ∼HSK 6
赖婚 賴婚 lài hūn to go back on a marriage contract; to repudiate an engagement ∼HSK 6
姻缘 姻緣 yīn yuán a marriage predestined by fate ∼HSK 6
煮饭 煮飯 zhǔ fàn to cook ∼HSK 6
子曰 子曰 zǐ yuē Confucius says: ∼HSK 6
粪土 糞土 fèn tǔ dirty soil; dung and dirt; (fig.) worthless thing ∼HSK 6
红娘 紅娘 hóng niáng matchmaker ∼HSK 6
比翼 比翼 bǐ yì (flying) wing to wing ∼HSK 6
连理 連理 lián lǐ two trees that grow together as one; fig. conjugal union ∼HSK 6
鸾凤 鸞鳳 luán fèng luan and phoenix; husband and wife; virtuous person; sovereign; belle ∼HSK 6
许配 許配 xǔ pèi to betroth a girl (in arranged marriages) ∼HSK 6
黄道吉日 黃道吉日 huáng dào jí rì an auspicious day (idiom); a lucky day chosen by the almanac for important undertakings ∼HSK 6
有情 有情 yǒu qíng to be in love; sentient beings (Buddhism) ∼HSK 6
仙丹 仙丹 xiān dān elixir of immortality ∼HSK 6
冤屈 冤屈 yuān qū to treat unjustly; an injustice ∼HSK 6
不尽 不盡 bù jìn not completely; endlessly ∼HSK 6
厚赐 厚賜 hòu cì to reward generously; generous gift ∼HSK 6
皇恩 皇恩 huáng ēn imperial kindness; benevolence from the emperor ∼HSK 6
浩荡 浩蕩 hào dàng vast and mighty (of river or ocean); broad and powerful ∼HSK 6
三妻四妾 三妻四妾 sān qī sì qiè three wives and four concubines (idiom); a household full of women; polygamy ∼HSK 6
良家 良家 liáng jiā respectable family; decent family ∼HSK 6
好惹 好惹 hǎo rě accommodating; easy to push around ∼HSK 6
贵客 貴客 guì kè honored guest ∼HSK 6
留情 留情 liú qíng to relent (to spare sb's feelings); to show mercy or forgiveness; to forbear; lenient ∼HSK 6
娘的 孃的 niáng de same as ∼HSK 6
未婚 未婚 wèi hūn unmarried ∼HSK 6
尽地主之谊 盡地主之誼 jìn dì zhǔ zhī yì to act as host; to do the honors ∼HSK 6
倚仗 倚仗 yǐ zhàng to lean on; to rely on ∼HSK 6
适才 適才 shì cái just now (literary) ∼HSK 6
仗义 仗義 zhàng yì to uphold justice; to be loyal (to one's friends); to stick by ∼HSK 6
鲜花插在牛粪上 鮮花插在牛糞上 xiān huā chā zài niú fèn shàng lit. a bunch of flowers poked into a pile of manure; fig. a terrible shame (as when a lovely woman marries an odious man) ∼HSK 6
尊驾 尊駕 zūn jià lit. your honored carriage; your highness; honored Sir (also sarcastic); you ∼HSK 6
三媒六证 三媒六證 sān méi liù zhèng three matchmakers and six witnesses (idiom); all the proper formalities of a traditional marriage ∼HSK 6
沾湿 沾濕 zhān shī to moisten; to dampen; to be steeped in; to be imbued with ∼HSK 6
衣履 衣履 yī lǚ clothes and shoes ∼HSK 6
闺阁 閨閣 guī gé lady's chamber ∼HSK 6
攀亲 攀親 pān qīn to seek to profit by family ties ∼HSK 6
人情冷暖 人情冷暖 rén qíng lěng nuǎn the warmth and coldness of human feelings (idiom); fickleness of human relationships ∼HSK 6
别理 別理 bié lǐ don't get involved; ignore it!; don't have anything to do with (him, her etc); don't speak to ∼HSK 6
端详 端詳 duān xiáng full details; full particulars ∼HSK 6
岂非 豈非 qǐ fēi wouldn't it be... ? ∼HSK 6
祸事 禍事 huò shì disaster; doom ∼HSK 6