上山就是下海
“To go up the hill is to go to the sea.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
原来说
“Now I see.”
上山就是下海
“To go up the hill is to go to the sea.”
猫头鹰已就位
“Owl is ready.”
“Don't kid yourself, taking this route is just diving into the same dirty business.”
Originating during China's 1980s reform era to describe leaving state jobs for private commerce, '下海' conveys taking a deep financial or moral plunge.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
take the plunge / go into business
A historical idiom commonly meaning entering private business or risk-laden ventures, sometimes with illicit overtones.
head to the hills / take an alternate path
Colloquially paired here with '下海' to contrast or equate two different venture paths.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“The west is clearly upwind,”
“Someone from our township went into business.”
“it's time to gain experience.”
“at the cost of their lives.”
“stuck in the middle,”
“You're always climbing up and down.”