妾身怎么敢劳烦九娘子
“How would I dare trouble you, Miss Qin? Just have Physician Qian prepare my medicine.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
八姨娘这么说 可是要找我问诊
“Are you saying you'd like to consult me?”
妾身 怎么敢劳烦 九娘子
“How would I dare trouble you, Miss Qin? Just have Physician Qian prepare my medicine.”
就让钱大夫给我抓点药就好了
“Just have Physician Qian prepare my medicine.”
“You are far above me in status, so I dare not bother you with my trivial health issues.”
Traditional Chinese etiquette requires lower-ranking household members to downplay their own importance and refuse imposing on legitimate daughters or higher-status masters.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
I (humble self-reference used by women, especially concubines, in imperial China)
Encountered frequently in period dramas to reflect a woman's subordinate or polite self-positioning.
how could I dare; how would I presume
A classic rhetorical pattern used to demonstrate extreme deference and decline a favor modestly.
trouble (someone); burden (someone)
A polite formula used when asking for help or declining to impose on someone else.
