好歹那天打通了电话 也不知道
“We finally reached him by phone that day, but we don't know”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
哥也消失好几天了
“And Chun has been missing for days too.”
好歹 那天 打通了电话 也不知道
“We finally reached him by phone that day, but we don't know”
“if it was bad reception in the mines or what—”
“Don't panic just yet—we reached him once, though I'm still really worried about what's going on.”
Losing contact with a family member working in hazardous conditions (such as mining) triggers immediate collective family vigilance and anxiety.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
at least / in any case
Used to point out a minimal silver lining or positive fact amidst an otherwise worrisome scenario.
managed to get through on the phone
A standard resultative complement construction ('打通') denoting successful telecommunication connection.
Marks the completion and realization of a past successful action (getting through).
VOCABULARY & EXPRESSIONS
Parallel Spoken Cinema Scenes (语义近邻切片)
“goodness, she called me every day.”
“by sheer luck.”
“After all, he is the general manager of the Construction Engineering Group. He doesn't even treat us well.”
“At least we're friends, aren't we? What's wrong with having a meal together?”
“Why didn't you call me? My cellphone is out of work.”
“That's good to hear.”