居然莫名走水
“mysteriously caught fire,”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
宫禁重地
“The heavily guarded restricted area”
居然 莫名走水
“mysteriously caught fire,”
这圈禁中的二皇子竟能
“and somehow the confined Prince Che”
“This fire cannot possibly be an accident; someone orchestrated this.”
In ancient China, especially within timber-built palaces, mentioning 'fire' directly was considered an ill omen; people invoked the water element via the term '走水' to suppress the blaze.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
unexpectedly; to one's surprise
Used before a predicate to express astonishment at an occurrence that goes against common logic.
inexplicable; for no apparent reason
Short for '莫名其妙', often functioning as an adverbial to highlight that an event lacks clear justification.
to catch fire (traditional euphemism)
A traditional historical taboo avoidance/euphemism for fire ('起火'), frequently heard in Chinese historical and palace dramas.
