却还是禁不起曲意奉承
“But he still can't resist flattery.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
“Xie Yanfang is famous throughout the state.”
却还是禁不起 曲意奉承
“But he still can't resist flattery.”
喜欢温顺听话
“Since he likes obedient people,”
“Despite his brilliant reputation, he is just as vain and easily manipulated by flattery as anyone else.”
In imperial and aristocratic hierarchies, deference and pleasing demeanor often trump objective competence, making vanity a critical weakness exploited by political schemers.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
to go out of one's way to flatter and pander to someone
A derogatory idiom used in formal or written contexts to criticize sycophantic behavior aimed at pleasing a superior.
unable to withstand, resist, or endure
Commonly used in both spoken and written Chinese to indicate vulnerability to temptation or pressure.
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“I still refuse to believe it.”
“Yet she compromised all her life”
“grew up learning to endure and yield.”
“still lowered himself to curry favor with them.”
“they inevitably flaunt their seniority”
“Don't compromise yourself.”