县主说话向来虚虚实实
“You never speak straight.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
萧兄不肯答应？
“You won't agree?”
县主 说话 向来 虚虚实实
“You never speak straight.”
恕我无法答应
“Forgive me. I can't promise.”
“You are deceptive and untrustworthy, so do not expect me to agree to your demands.”
When dealing with aristocracy in imperial settings, direct insults are dangerous; instead, speakers use descriptive four-character idioms to politely declare mistrust.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
a mixture of truth and falsehood; half-true and half-false
A formal idiom derived from military strategy often used to describe someone's elusive, deceptive, or ambiguous words and maneuvers.
always; all along; traditionally
Used before verbs or adjectives to describe an established habit or persistent pattern of behavior.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“I don't understand your question.”
“Your Ladyship. I almost forgot if you didn't mention it.”
“What are you implying? Just say it.”
“Your Ladyship, please don't misunderstand us.”
“Your Ladyship. Why would I hide anything?”
“Your Ladyship, we found this nearby.”