可他嘴上 一个字都没有说过
“he hasn't said a single word about it.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
此事虽说是 得到了玄翁的默许
“Although this matter was tacitly approved by Xuanweng,”
可他嘴上 一个字都没有说过
“he hasn't said a single word about it.”
“As soon as the disaster relief grain left the capital, he claimed to be ill.”
“He made sure he has total plausible deniability while leaving us exposed.”
In Chinese bureaucratic culture, senior figures often signal tacit consent without formal words, ensuring they take the credit if an endeavor succeeds while completely disowning liability if it fails.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
not a single word
An emphatic structure used with verbs like '说' or '提' to stress absolute silence or absence of communication.
to take sick leave; to excuse oneself pleading illness
A traditional term common in political contexts where an official avoids involvement by claiming ill health.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“But he's not right in the head. His heart is pure.”
“(But he's more calculating than anyone.)”
“There's no way we could explain ourselves.”
“I don't know who you take after.”
“But he won't hear of any fuss and I dare not press the matter.”
“I didn't mention you at all. Well, I did say one thing.”