我们要是攒够了 去黑市买米的钱
“If we waited to save enough money to buy rice on the black market,”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
大冬天我上哪儿 给你采薇菜去 太爷 我跟你说
“Where can I find ferns for you in the middle of winter? Sir, let me tell you.”
我们 要是 攒够了 去 黑市买米 的 钱
“If we waited to save enough money to buy rice on the black market,”
“you'd be dead by now. I'd rather starve than eat Japanese rice.”
“We are too poor for the black market, and your stubborn refusal to eat available food is going to get you killed.”
The context alludes to the ancient Chinese story of Boyi and Shuqi, who chose to eat wild ferns ('weicai') and starve rather than eat the grain of an illegitimate ruler, symbolizing ultimate moral and patriotic integrity.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
saved up enough (money or items)
Combine 'zan' (to save/hoard) with 'gou' (enough) to talk about accumulating sufficient funds for a specific purchase.
black market
Used exactly like its English equivalent for illegal or underground trading.
Marks the completion of the hypothetical action of saving up enough money.
