台阶是我给你铺好的
“I paved those steps for you.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
你记着
“Remember this:”
台阶 是我 给你 铺好 的
“I paved those steps for you.”
你也走了一半
“And you've already walked halfway up.”
“I gave you an easy way out to save your pride, so do not act like I was unreasonable.”
In Chinese interpersonal conflict, 'laying out steps' (铺台阶) means creating a graceful pretext for the other party to back down without losing face.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
a way out; face-saving exit
A common cultural metaphor referring to an opportunity or excuse given to someone so they can back down without embarrassment.
paved; prepared smoothly
Often paired with 'steps' (台阶) to describe proactively facilitating a smooth, painless resolution.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“She's also showing respect.”
“Just give them a way out.”
“You can treat me as a stepping stone to your success.”
“Everything was clearly set up for him.”
“Fill every floor to the brim.”
“I'm building a ladder for you.”