不知大公子几时回京啊
“Young Master Yan, when will you return to the capital?”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
谈不上什么经营
“nothing that could be called "solid ties."”
不知 大公子 几时回京 啊
“Young Master Yan, when will you return to the capital?”
在下进京述职之时
“When I go there to give my work report,”
“Tell me your schedule so I know how long we have to deal with you here.”
Addressing the eldest son of an elite household as '大公子' signifies deference to family status and pedigree in traditional hierarchy.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
I wonder; may I know
A polite, elegant way to introduce a question in formal or traditional registers, equivalent to 'I wonder if...'
when; what time
A slightly literary or regional variant of '什么时候', commonly heard in period dramas or formal spoken Chinese.
Softens the interrogative tone to ensure the formal inquiry sounds warm and respectful rather than interrogative.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“Why hasn't the Eldest Young Master arrived yet?”
“has the Eldest Young Master sent word?”
“and his attendant disappeared the day after we left.”
“Eldest Young Master, don't let your temper get the best of you.”
“Eldest Young Master, you'd better set off immediately”
“Young Master Yan says we need to pack our belongings quickly”