经济学人：延禧攻略，这英语太棒了，译文也不差！
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Chaguan
Stressed-out Chinese love melodrama about courtly life
越是压力过大的中国人越喜欢看宫廷剧
1. Stressed-out [st'rest'aʊt] adj.因心理紧张而被压垮的
2. melodrama[ˈmɛləˌdrɑmə, -ˌdræmə] n.情节剧，音乐剧，传奇剧，
The action slips from comedy to melodrama and finally to tragedy.
剧情从喜剧逐渐发展为情节剧，最后又演变为悲剧。
3. courtly[ˈkɔ:rtli] adj.谦和而有威严的
Brian was courtly and reserved.
布赖恩温文尔雅，含蓄拘谨。
A BIT surprisingly, one of the best things about the “Story of Yanxi Palace”, a television drama about an 18th-century emperor that has broken Chinese viewing records this year, is watching concubines being rude to eunuchs. Even lesspredictably, the particular rudeness—combining scorn, resentment and a dash of fear—offers insights into how Chinese people cope with life in today’s ruthless and unequal society. An early scene shows the Qianlong emperor’s chief eunuch, a tubby,squeaky dimwit, bustling into a silk-draped waiting-room with an order for the harem. Return to your quarters, he announces, the emperor is working late. “What? His majesty is sleeping alone again?” grumbles Noble Consort Gao, a boo-hiss villain. “Let’s go,” she tells her fellow concubines, stalking past the eunuch without a glance. “What else is there to wait for?”
今年夏天，宫廷电视剧《延禧攻略》打破中国收视纪录，讲述的是18世纪一位皇帝的故事。令人惊讶的是，其中最精彩的一个部分竟然是看妃嫔对太监无礼的行为。在最开始有这样一个场景，乾隆皇帝的贴身太监，看起来就像是个矮胖笨重的傻瓜，他急匆匆地走进丝绸卷帘遮着的等候室，是为下达皇帝的命令。这位太监说：“回去吧，皇上会忙到很晚。”一向嚣张跋扈的高贵妃抱怨道：“什么？皇上又不能陪本宫了？”她和身边的宫女说：“我们回吧，还有什么可等的？”，便连看都没看太监一眼，就阔步离去。
1. Concubine [ˈkɑ:ŋkjubaɪn] n.妾，妃子
The emperor bestowed on her the title of imperial concubine of the highest rank. 皇帝册封她为贵妃。
2. Eunuch [ˈjunək] n.太监，宦
a political eunuch政治“阉人”
3. Predictably[prɪˈdɪktəblɪ] adv.可预见地，果不出所料地
The children were predictably fractious. 孩子们肯定会耍脾气。
4. scorn[skɔ:rn] n.轻蔑;鄙视;不屑一顾;笑柄vt.蔑视;轻视;看不起;不屑做Researchers greeted the proposal with scorn .
研究员们对这个建议嗤之以鼻。
5. Resentment [rɪˈzɛntmənt] n.愤恨，不满
But the problems of inflation and unemployment still cause a lot of resentment.
但是通货膨胀和失业问题仍然激起了很多人的怨恨。
6. Ruthless [ˈruθlɪs] adj.狠;残忍的;无情的，冷酷的
Whoever did him in removed a man who was brave as well as ruthless.
无论谁杀了他，都是除掉了一个既勇猛又残忍的人。
7. tubby [ˈtʌbi] adj.桶状的; 肥胖的
She was a short, tubby woman. 她是个又矮又胖的妇人。
8. squeaky [ˈskwiki] adj.吱吱响的，发轧声的
Maybe this guy isn't so squeaky clean after all. 也许这个人说到底品行并非那么完美。
9. dimwit [ˈdɪmˌwɪt] n.傻瓜
10. Draped[drep] adj. 垂褶袖；打褶形
11. harem [ˈhærəm] n.（伊斯兰教徒的）女眷;女眷居室，后宫
12. villain[ˈvɪlən] n.恶棍;（小说、戏剧等中的）反面人物;淘气鬼，
Frank drifted into running dodgy errands for a seedy local villain.
弗兰克开始为当地一个下流的恶人跑腿做坏事。
“Yanxi Palace” is a gorgeouslycostumed fantasy, filled with poisonings, betrayals and young women competing for the Forbidden City’s great prize: being bedded by the emperor. “Join the army, you might as well become a general,” as one ambitious recruit to the harem chirps. The show is driven by female characters, including a kind but sickly empress, murderous concubines and—at the heart of the 70-episode epic—Wei Yingluo, a quick-witted, justice-seeking maid, who rises to become Qianlong’s beloved consort. The formula is wildly popular, drawing 700m live-streaming views on the drama’s best single day, in August.
《延禧攻略》是一部华丽的古装片，剧中下毒情节不断，人与人互相背叛。这些年轻貌美的女子都在争抢紫禁城中的头等大奖，那就是得到皇帝的宠幸/翻牌。正如一个雄心勃勃的后宫新兵所说：“不当将军的士兵不是一个好兵。” 女主角是这部戏的重头，有善良但体弱多病的皇后，有心狠手辣的妃嫔，还有这70集剧情中的核心人物——魏璎珞，她从最初机智灵敏、追求正义的婢女最终成为乾隆心爱的皇后。这一剧情套路广受欢迎，该剧在8月份的最佳单日创下了7亿次直播量。
1. gorgeously [ˈɡɔrdʒəslɪ] adv.华美地，辉煌地
gorgeous mountain scenery...秀丽的山间景色
2. costumed [ˈkɑ:stu:md] v.服装;（戏剧或电影的）戏装( costume的过去分词 )
He is costumed in a Mickey Mouse suit.
他穿著米老鼠的服装。
3. poisoning [ˈpɔɪzənɪŋ] n.中毒，毒害，投毒v.毒死( poison的现在分词 );污染;
The police suspected poisoning.
警方怀疑有人下毒。
5. bedded ['bedɪd] adj.层状的
The machine is bedded in cement.
这台机器安装在水泥座上。
6. sickly[ˈsɪkli] adj.令人作呕的;有病的;苍白的v.使现病容;使苍白
He had been a sickly child.
他曾是个体弱多病的孩子。
7. murderous [ˈmɜ:rdərəs] adj.凶残的;蓄意谋杀的;杀人的，
This murderous lunatic could kill them both without a second thought.
这个杀人狂会毫不犹豫地把他俩都杀了。
8. quick-witted [ˈkwɪkˌwɪtɪd] adj.富有机智的，机敏的;
She was quick-witted and had an extraordinarily agile mind.
她机智聪慧，思维极为敏捷。
9. consort[ˈkɑ:nsɔ:rt] n.配偶;伙伴;僚舰;合作vi.结交;陪伴;符合
the prince consort (= the queen's husband) 亲王（女王的丈夫）
10. formula [ˈfɔ:rmjələ] n.公式，准则;客套话;方案;
Clever exploitation of the latest technology would be a sure formula for success
对最新技术的灵活利用必将带来成功。
11. justice-seeking adj追求正义的
12. live-streaming实时直播
Yet that night-time scene in the harem reflects some bleak realities of court life. The eunuch is ridiculous, and obsequious to high-ranking concubines. But he is also terrifying. For the concubines live only to please his master, the emperor, an absolute ruler in whose name the guilty and innocent alike are shown being jailed, executed or exiled without hope of appeal. The Forbidden City is a crimson-walled tyranny, filled with spies. Noble Consort Gao’s drawling insolence in the face of rejection is, in the end, bravado. She is privileged, cosseted and ready to hurt those below her in thepecking order. But in this system she has no individual rights. And she does not challenge its rules.
然而，后宫里的夜景反映了宫廷生活中一些凄凉的现实。太监是荒谬的，只对地位高的妃嫔阿谀谄媚，但其他人也畏惧他。妃子活着只是为了取悦他的主人——皇帝。皇帝是绝对的统治者，皇上圣旨一宣，里面提到的人，有罪的抑或是无辜的，都会被判入狱、处决或流放，没有任何恕罪的希望。高贵妃被拒绝后表现出的慢条斯理的傲慢，最终只是故作勇敢、虚张声势罢了。她享有特权，备受宠爱，随时准备伤害那些比她地位低的妃嫔。但是在专制暴政的体系中，她没有个人权利，她也无法挑战这个体系的规则。
1. bleak [blik] adj.暗淡的，昏暗的;没有指望的;
The future looks bleak for the fishing industry.
渔业前景暗淡。
2. ridiculous [rɪˈdɪkjələs] adj.可笑的，荒谬的;荒唐的
It is ridiculous to suggest we are having a romance
暗示我们正在谈恋爱的说法真是太荒谬了。
3. obsequious[ɑbˈsikwiəs, əb-] adj.谄媚的;奉承拍马的，卑躬屈膝的
Barrow was positively obsequious to me until he learnt that I too was the son of a labouring man.巴罗竭力讨好我，直到得知我也是工人家庭出身。
4. jail [dʒel] n.监狱;拘留所vt.监禁;拘留
Three prisoners escaped from a jail.
三名囚犯越狱了。
5. execute [ˈɛksɪˌkjut] vt.执行;完成;履行;处死，处决
He was executed for treason.
他因叛国罪被处死。
6. tyranny[ˈtɪrəni] n.暴虐;专横;暴行
I'm the sole victim of Mother's tyranny.
我是唯一受母亲严加管制的人。
7. insolence [ˈɪnsələns] n.傲慢;无礼;傲慢的态度;厚颜
I've had enough of your insolence, and I'm having no more.我受够了你的侮辱，不能再容忍了
8. bravado [brəˈvɑ:doʊ] n.虚张声势;冒险;故作勇
an act of sheer bravado纯属逞能的举动
9. cosset [ˈkɑ:sɪt] vt.宠爱，娇养，纵容
Our kind of travel is definitely not suitable for people who expect to be cosseted.
我们的这种旅行绝对不适合那些想要受到百般呵护的人。
10. pecking[ˈpɛkɪŋ] n.啄序，任何团体中的长幼强弱次序
He knew his place in the pecking order .他知道自己排老几。
The students are on to something. Watching bored, paranoid concubines waiting for the emperor’s summons, the penny drops: this is a workplace drama, and these employees are failing a performance review. Young maids in a palace dormitory, torn between small acts of kindness and infighting, could be teenage workers at an electronics plant. Even bejewelled dowagers sound like scolding parents from 2018, with one calling a daughter “gutless” for failing to ask Qianlong for a promotion.
这些学生明白了一些道理。看着那些无聊、偏执的妃嫔们等着皇上的召见，学生们便会恍然大悟：这是一部职场剧，这些员工的绩效考核都不及格。在宫殿的“宿舍”里，年轻的婢女们在小小的善举和内讧之间左右为难，她们就像是一家电子厂里十几岁的工人。连佩戴珠宝的夫人听起来也像生活在2018年斥责女儿的母亲一般，有一位母亲说自己的女儿“没胆量”，因为她没有接近乾隆寻求上位机会。
1. paranoid [ˈpærəˌnɔɪd] adj.属于偏执狂的;患妄想狂的;n.偏执狂患者;妄想症患者
I'm not going to get paranoid about it.我不会对此多心的。
2. penny [ˈpɛni] n.便士;（美国、加拿大的）一分钱;少量的钱
the penny drops终于达到目的了
3. bejewelled [bɪˈdʒuːəld] adj.饰以珠宝的v.饰以珠宝( bejewel的过去式和过去分词 )
bejewelled women珠光宝气的女子
4. dowager [ˈdaʊədʒɚ] n.继承亡夫爵位（或遗产的）遗孀，贵妇
Nobody was allowed to eat in the Empress Dowager's presence.
在皇帝遗孀面前任何人不得进餐。
5. gutless [ˈɡʌtlɪs] adj.<非正>怯懦的，没胆量的
By attacking me, by attacking my wife, he has proved himself to be a gutless coward.
他攻击我，攻击我的妻子，这正证明他自己是个没出息的胆小鬼。
Early shows were dominated by male characters and mostly watched by men. Today’s TV drama audience is 70-80% female and mainly from smaller cities, says Lei Ming of ABD Entertainment, an audience-analysis firm. Viewers typically watch on smartphones, he adds. Their favourite part about the show is talking it over afterwards with friends.The leading man in “Yanxi Palace”, Qianlong, is something of a cipher: a stern autocrat who finds his harem a chore. Chinese pundits have debated whether the show is a feminist tale about strong women, or a retrograde saga about women who survive by obeying and pleasing bossy men. It is both. It is a reflection of the country today, a chauvinist place full of strong women.
早期的电视剧以男性角色为主，观众也大部分都是男性。ABD爱梦娱乐（一家观众分析公司）的雷明表示，如今看电视剧的观众中有70%-80%是女性，而且主要来自较小的城市。他补充说，观众通常都是在手机上观看。他们最喜欢在观看完后和朋友一起讨论。《延禧攻略》中的男主角乾隆是一个严厉的独裁者，觉得管理后宫是一件苦差事，在这部剧里他有点像是个无足轻重的人。中国的权威人士一直在争论这部电视剧是一部讲述女强人的女权主义故事，还是女性通过顺从和取悦专横男性而上位的逆行传奇。其实两者都是。这部剧反映了当今的中国，一个到处都是女强人的“沙文主义”国家。
1. cipher [ˈsaɪfɚ] n.密码;零;不重要的人;
All important plans were sent to the police in cipher.
所有重要计划均以密码送往警方。
2. autocrat[ˈɔtəˌkræt] n.独裁统治者;独断专行的人
Murphy's powerfully spoken Oedipus is an autocrat of iconic grandeur
墨菲激情演绎的俄狄浦斯王是位圣像般威严的独裁者。
3. pundit [ˈpʌndɪt] n.评论员;有学问的人
a well known political pundit.著名的政治专家
4. retrograde [ˈrɛtrəˌɡred] adj.向后的;退化的;恶化的;vi.逆行;倒退;退步
The closure of the factory is a retrograde step .
工厂的关闭是一大退步。
5. chauvinist [ˈʃoʊvɪnɪst] n.沙文主义;沙文主义者;本国至上主义
The male chauvinist attitude of some people in the company could get you down.
公司里一些人的大男子主义作风会让人不快。
Just trying to make a living
只是想活着
In a fast-rising China, life is hard and filled with obstacles and anxiety, says Wang Xiaohui, chief content officer at iQiyi, the Netflix-like entertainment company behind “Yanxi Palace”. Mr Wang describes today’s main melody. The masses like stories in which subordinates are loyal, kindness is rewarded and wickedness punished, and in which young people who work hard can succeed. Mr Wang hails the women in his drama for an “independent spirit” that resonates with viewers. Outsiders may note that such spirits do not always seek to reform or change a society. Getting ahead can be enough.
独播《延禧攻略》的爱奇艺公司的首席内容官王晓辉表示，在快速崛起的中国，生活很艰难，到处充满障碍和焦虑。王先生介绍了当今的主旋律。群众喜欢这样的故事：下属忠诚，善良受到嘉奖，邪恶受到惩罚，努力工作的年轻人可以成功。王先生称赞剧中的女性具有“独立精神”，这一点能让观众产生共鸣。局外人可能会注意到，这种精神并不总是寻求改革或改变一个社会，他们只是想取得成功。
1. melody [ˈmɛlədi] n.歌曲;旋律，曲调;
Her voice was full of melody.
她的声音非常悦耳。
2. subordinate [səˈbɔ:rdɪnət] adj.下级的;次要的;附属的n.部属;下级
Haig tended not to seek guidance from subordinates
黑格不愿向下属请教。
3. wickedness [ ˈwɪkɪdnɪs] n.邪恶，恶事，恶毒
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
你喜爱公义，恨恶罪恶；
4. hail [hel] n.冰雹;一阵vi.下冰雹;
a sharp short-lived storm with heavy hail.
一阵短暂的大雹暴
A recurring theme of “Yanxi Palace” is that the Forbidden City is a place of harsh rules, but that rules keep chaos at bay. With 15bn cumulative downloads, this will not be the last of its kind.
《延禧攻略》中反复出现的一个主题是，紫禁城是一个规则苛刻的地方，但规则阻止了混乱。既然已经有了150亿次的累计下载量，这部剧绝不会是最后一部宫廷剧。
1. cumulative [ˈkju:mjəleɪtɪv] adj.累积的;渐增的;追加的;
The benefits from eating fish are cumulative.
吃鱼的好处要长期才能显现。
