可端王自恃功高
“But the Prince of Duan defied His Majesty”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
召他在上元夜亥时入宫觐见
“His Majesty still summoned him at the Hai hour that night.”
可端王 自恃功高
“But the Prince of Duan defied His Majesty”
竟违抗圣令 拒不入宫
“and refused to enter the palace out of arrogance.”
Direct spoken expression in this communicative setting.
In imperial Chinese political discourse, resting on one's laurels (自恃功高) was seen as a prime symptom of disloyalty that justified harsh imperial punishment.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
to become overly conceited and reliant on one's past achievements
A classical four-character idiom frequently used in formal or historical registers to describe dangerous hubris before a downfall.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“And if Prince Duan had won, it wouldn't have ended so abruptly, leaving this mess behind.”
“Only Prince Duan can do it. That's what I thought.”
“This Prince Duan is not a fool.”
“would turn out to be the renowned Prince Duan.”
“Are you any different?”
“Prince Duan will have to fight”