我便想不择手段地拿到手里
“so I wanted to get it by any means.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
你们家有好的合墨的方子
“Your family has a great recipe for ink blending,”
我便想 不择手段 地拿到 手里
“so I wanted to get it by any means.”
话已至此 李祯姑娘
“At this point in time, Miss Li Zhen,”
Direct spoken expression in this communicative setting.
In traditional Chinese artisanal trades like ink-making, proprietary formulas (方子) were sacred family legacies; stealing or monopolizing them was a prime motive for clan warfare.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
by hook or by crook; unscrupulously
A critical 4-character idiom (chengyu) denoting the willingness to use any method, fair or foul, to achieve an end.
to seize; to get into one's grasp
A common colloquial expression denoting taking control or possession of an asset or secret.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“Trying to buy me off with money?”
“For snatching my captives away right under my nose,”
“went to such trouble to lure me out.”
“he was more eager to get promoted by any means.”
“You'll do anything to get ahead.”
“After all, some people in business will do anything to achieve their goals.”