一副人不人鬼不鬼的模样
“like that.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
我大哥也不会落成
“he wouldn't have ended up”
一副 人不人鬼不鬼 的模样
“like that.”
“Look at what you people did to him—he was destroyed and dehumanized!”
Describing someone as 'neither human nor ghost' highlights the absolute worst tragedy in Chinese thought, where personhood and social dignity have been completely destroyed.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
neither human nor ghost (in a wretched, unrecognizable state)
A vivid idiomatic expression used to describe severe physical, mental, or moral degradation.
appearance; look; manner
Commonly used in spoken Chinese to refer to the visual state or demeanor of a person.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“while I look like a wretched ghost?”
“all messed up and miserable!”
“Why turn them into something like this?”
“(Not only was he unafraid) (of my ghastly appearance,)”
“it's been a living hell for me.”
“People along the way saw me dressed like a ghost.”