但这个药 就靠我这点脸面 在这儿撑着
“But for this medicine, we're relying on my dignity to hold out here.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
是 我是跟医院打了招呼
“Yes, I did talk to the hospital.”
但 这个 药 就靠我这点 脸面 在这 儿撑着
“But for this medicine, we're relying on my dignity to hold out here.”
“How long my dignity can last,”
“I put my neck and reputation on the line to buy us time, but I cannot keep doing this forever.”
Calling in personal favors involves spending one's social credit ('face'). The speaker explicitly warns that relying on personal face rather than institutional rules is inherently unsustainable.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
this bit of face or modest social standing
Self-deprecating phrasing used to refer to one's own social reputation or ability to pull strings.
holding out; propping up
Describes sustaining a difficult situation against the odds through endurance or limited resources.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“He used this medicine I have in my hand.”
“Who can take responsibility for that? But if she takes it and something happens,”
“because of that drug, then I have even more reason to cure him—”
“This is enough to save lives. Thank you.”
“We both know they won't help.”
“Feeling okay recently. Your medicine works.”