你上哪儿去打听啊 人家都是京中贵妇
“Where are you going to ask? They are all noble ladies in the capital.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
都有什么喜好
“and preferences.”
你上哪儿去 打听 啊 人家 都是京中贵妇
“Where are you going to ask? They are all noble ladies in the capital.”
若是让人知道了
“If people find out,”
“Know your place; ordinary people like us cannot go prying into the private lives of noble women.”
In imperial Chinese society, inner-quarter aristocratic ladies were strictly protected from outside scrutiny; attempting to pry into their affairs invited severe social and legal peril.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
where on earth to go
Often used rhetorically to question the feasibility or realism of finding something or going somewhere.
to ask around; to inquire about
Standard colloquial verb for actively seeking out personal gossip, private news, or background info.
noblewoman; high-society lady
Refers to elite aristocratic women of high rank, wealth, or imperial court affiliation.
Softens the rhetorical question into an incredulous plea for common sense.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“Where can we find one now?”
“Where are you going? To find Uncle. Where will you look?”
“Where can we find her in such a big city? I'll take a look over there.”
“Where are you going? Just stay there. Don't move.”
“Then I'll ask around for you”
“Where are you going? You've had way too much to drink. I'm going to play games.”