上次进宫已是20年前了
“The last time I entered the palace was 20 years ago.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
你看 我是做你的马夫 还是府上的侍从？
“Look. Am I going to be your horse keeper or your household servant?”
上次进宫 已是20年前了
“The last time I entered the palace was 20 years ago.”
告诉我
“What's your plan?”
“It has been so long, and returning now brings back deep dread and heavy memories.”
In imperial Chinese culture, the palace was seen as a treacherous whirlpool of political power; staying away for twenty years implies both exile and safety, making re-entry fraught with risk.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
enter the palace
Colloquial and common expression in period dramas for entering imperial grounds.
already is / has already been
A slightly literary connective used to emphasize that a large duration of time has passed.
Marks a change of state and underscores the realization of how much time has elapsed.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“there might be a witness to the palace coup from 17 years ago.”
“In all my years in the palace,”
“I just entered the palace, and I don't know the rules.”
“I only learned about it today as well.”
“You look familiar. Were you a palace maid?”
“At first, I worked in the Imperial Palace”