本该在阎王殿里的人 却藏在京城一角
“He should have died years ago. Yet he hid in the capital, selling incense for eight years.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
之前听闻 在流放途中他就死了 可谁能想到
“It was previously heard that he died midway. He should have died years ago.”
本该 在 阎王殿 里的人 却藏在京城一角
“He should have died years ago. Yet he hid in the capital, selling incense for eight years.”
当了八年的香烛贩子
“Yet he hid in the capital, selling incense for eight years.”
“It is unbelievable that a dead man has been hiding right under our noses all this time.”
In Chinese folklore, King Yan (Yama) judges souls in the underworld; saying someone belongs in his court is a dramatic way of saying they ought to be dead.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
should have been; was supposed to
Used to express an unfulfilled expectation or a deviation from what was supposed to happen.
the Palace of King Yan / the underworld / realm of the dead
A vivid cultural metaphor referring to death or being among the dead.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“If Death has marked my name,”
“were stolen to begin with.”
“that even the Grim Reaper wouldn't take me?”
“Not even the Grim Reaper would take you.”
“Even the King of Hell has to let him check the Book of Life and Death.”
“won't that make the capital a living hell?”