那些破照片犯得着我特地跑一趟
“Those old photos aren't worth a special trip.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
“Otherwise, why would I come to you? Didn't you say you came to give me the photos?”
那些破照片 犯得着 我 特地 跑一趟
“Those old photos aren't worth a special trip.”
行
“Fine.”
“Obviously I did not come all this way just for some stupid photos; I came to see you.”
In Chinese interpersonal and romantic contexts, speakers often downplay their efforts or use minor errands as an excuse to visit someone, expecting the listener to read between the lines rather than stating their affection directly.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
to be worth the trouble; to warrant doing something
Almost always used in rhetorical questions or negative statements to say something is not worth the effort.
to make a special trip just for one purpose
Used in daily spoken Chinese to emphasize the effort of traveling somewhere specifically for a task or person.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“I asked the photographer for that photo.”
“He actually still kept this photo!”
“Then, can you explain what's going on with this photo?”
“Then, can you explain what's going on with this photo?”
“Is there a photo? Let me check.”
“I'm sure I'll get the picture for you.”