传出去 轻 则贻笑大方
“and word gets out, at best we'll be a laughingstock,”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
我们自己 也都是有诰命在身 若互相送起礼来
“We ourselves also hold imperial titles. If we give each other gifts”
传出去 轻 则 贻笑大方
“and word gets out, at best we'll be a laughingstock,”
“and at worst, we'll give people an excuse to gossip.”
“We cannot afford to do this; everyone will mock us if they find out.”
In traditional high-status Chinese families, preserving public dignity and avoiding rumors were paramount to maintaining social and political status.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
to become a laughingstock to experts or the public
A formal four-character idiom used to describe acute embarrassment or making a fool of oneself in public.
at best; at the mildest; on the minor side
Used in formal speech or writing paired with 重则 (at worst) to introduce graded negative consequences.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“It won't sound good if word gets out.”
“A light tap might leave a loud echo.”
“Easy for you to say that.”
“or lightly.”
“N-N-Not so hard.”
“and spread this matter.”