他们二人都得罪不起
“They can't afford to offend them.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
这么看来绣红楼的客人非富即贵
“Looks like the clients at Xiuhong House are either rich or noble.”
他们二人 都得 罪不起
“They can't afford to offend them.”
其他人大概也像卢正廉这般在朝为官
“Others, probably, are like Lu Zhenglian, officials in court,”
“Be careful; crossing either of them will get us killed.”
In traditional hierarchical Chinese society, crossing powerful court officials could bring catastrophe upon commoners, making caution a crucial survival strategy.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
cannot afford to offend / out of one's league to cross
A very common potential complement phrase used to acknowledge someone's vastly superior power or influence.