他们一伙人都被人收买了
“All of them had been bought off.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
那是个局
“to be a trap.”
他们 一伙人 都 被人收买 了
“All of them had been bought off.”
“They started messing with me at the dinner table,”
Direct spoken expression in this communicative setting.
Being 'bought off' (收买) forms a recurring dramatic motif in Chinese crime thrillers, underlining moral decay and systemic traps.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
a gang; a whole bunch of people
Often carries a pejorative connotation to describe a group acting together in bad faith.
to be bribed or bought off by someone
Passive construction using '被' combined with '收买' to indicate corrupt compromise.
Marks completion and emphasizes the realized state of corruption.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“If we can identify them, round them all up.”
“the few who were taken away still haven't returned.”
“is the most meticulous of the group.”
“Take them all away.”
“you'll be telling His Majesty that these people are ganging up.”
“had already been bankrolled by someone of high position and power.”