你太看得起这些禄蠹了
“You think too highly of those corrupt officials.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
“I was worried you might actually come to blows.”
你 太看得起 这些禄蠹了
“You think too highly of those corrupt officials.”
“They're all despicable at heart,”
“Stop worrying; those men are just greedy, spineless hacks who don't deserve your concern.”
Traditional intellectuals sharply distinguished between virtuous statesmen and '禄蠹' (grubs feasting on royal rations), viewing the latter as morally hollow opportunists.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
to think highly of / to have respect for
Commonly used in spoken Chinese to express respect or estimation; '太看得起' often implies an opponent does not deserve such credit.
moths eating state stipends / corrupt parasitic bureaucrats
A famous literary term originating from classic Chinese literature (notably 'Dream of the Red Chamber') used to denounce opportunistic, moral-less officials.
Functions as a marker of excess when paired with '太', confirming an excessive evaluation.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“coveting wealth and glory,”
“You're making it sound like charity.”
“Let the officials decide what to do.”
“He's way too scheming”
“Rob a corrupt official, get rich,”
“if a person is too greedy,”