卑职照顾娘娘不周 罪该万死
“I failed to take proper care of Her Highness. I deserve to die!”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
该死
“You deserve to die.”
卑职 照顾 娘娘不周 罪该万死
“I failed to take proper care of Her Highness. I deserve to die!”
不
“No.”
“Please show mercy and spare my life; I acknowledge complete fault.”
In imperial court etiquette, preemptively professing that one 'deserves ten thousand deaths' (罪该万死) is an absolute surrender of ego intended to satisfy the superior's wrath so they might spare the subordinate's life.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
failing to look after someone attentively / lack of adequate care
A polite, humble formula acknowledging deficiency in service, hosting, or attending to someone.
to deserve a thousand deaths / guilty of a capital offense
A hyperbolic idiom used in historical contexts by subordinates when admitting grave errors to royalty.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“How is Consort Shu? Manshu was murdered.”
“I've already sent the Imperial Guards to rescue Her Highness. -Your Majesty, you can't go! -She's in danger. I need to save her.”
“Her Highness supervises the brewing herself. She didn't even have time to eat.”
“Consort Xie, what are you doing? Please get up.”
“Consort Hui enjoys His Majesty's favor.”
“Her Highness usually has so many ideas. What now? She has no more ideas?”