人民的名义

[StChris]

Episode 35

 

善罢甘休 shànbàgānxiū to leave the matter at that / to be prepared to let go / to be willing to take things lying down

号称 hàochēng to be known as / to be nicknamed / to be purportedly / to claim (often exaggeratedly or falsely)

借刀杀人 jièdāoshārén to lend sb a knife to kill sb / to get sb else to do one's dirty work / to attack using the strength of another (idiom)

巴不得 bābude (coll.) to be eager for / to long for / to look forward to

侧翼 cèyì flank (military)

利益输送 lìyìshūsòng to make use of one's position to gain profit for oneself or one's associates

幌子 huǎngzi shop sign / signboard / (fig.) pretense

仗义 zhàngyì to uphold justice / to be loyal (to one's friends) / to stick by

明修栈道，暗渡陈仓 míngxiūzhàndào, 'àndù Chéncāng lit. repair the plank road by day while secretly crossing the Wei River 渭河 at Chencang (idiom, refers to a stratagem used by Liu Bang 劉邦｜刘邦 in 206 BC against Xiang Yu 項羽｜项羽 of Chu) / fig. to feign one thing while doing another / to cheat under cover of a diversion

不可或缺 bùkěhuòquē necessary / must have

赐予 cìyǔ to grant / to bestow

中箭落马 zhòngjiànluòmǎ lit. to be struck by an arrow and fall from one's horse / to suffer a serious setback (idiom)

回避 huíbì to shun / to avoid (sb) / to skirt / to evade (an issue) / to step back / to withdraw / to recuse (a judge etc)

人在江湖，身不由己 rénzàijiānghú, shēnbùyóujǐ you can't always do as you like / one has to compromise in this world (idiom)

盗窃 dàoqiè to steal

锐气 ruìqì acute spirit / dash / drive

阔气 kuòqi lavish / generous / bounteous / prodigal

切记 qièjì remember at all costs

得饶人处且饶人 déráorénchùqiěráorén where it is possible to let people off, one should spare them (idiom); anyone can make mistakes, forgive them when possible

瞠目结舌 chēngmùjiéshé stupefied / flabbergasted

罪孽 zuìniè sin / crime / wrongdoing

猝不及防 cùbùjífáng to be caught off guard / without warning

监守自盗 jiānshǒuzìdào to embezzle

[StChris]

Episode 36

 

心灰意冷 xīnhuīyìlěng discouraged / downhearted

添砖加瓦 tiānzhuānjiāwǎ lit. contribute bricks and tiles for a building (idiom) / fig. to do one's bit to help

遥望 yáowàng to look into the distance

百思不得其解 bǎisībùdéqíjiě to remain puzzled after pondering over sth a hundred times (idiom) / to remain perplexed despite much thought

忠于 zhōngyú to be loyal to

养家糊口 yǎngjiāhúkǒu to support one's family (idiom); to have difficulty feeding a family

牟取 móuqǔ to gain profit (by underhand means) / to exploit / see also 謀取｜谋取

夭折 yāozhé to die young or prematurely / to come to a premature end / to be aborted prematurely

掐死 qiāsǐ to throttle / to choke to death

巢 cháo nest

兢兢业业 jīngjīngyèyè cautious and conscientious

惋惜 wǎnxī to regret / to feel that it is a great pity / to feel sorry for sb

唯物论 wéiwùlùn the philosophy of materialism, doctrine that physical matter is the whole of reality

别具一格 biéjùyīgé having a unique or distinctive style

人无完人 rénwúwánrén nobody is perfect / everyone has their defect

知遇之恩 zhīyùzhī'ēn lit. the kindness of recognizing sb's worth and employing him (idiom) / patronage / protection

无从 wúcóng not to have access / beyond one's authority or capability / sth one has no way of doing

无私无畏 wúsīwúwèi both selfless and fearless

触目惊心 chùmùjīngxīn lit. shocks the eye, astonishes the heart (idiom); shocking / horrible to see / a ghastly sight

难处 nánchu trouble / difficulty / problem

迭出 diéchū emerge one after another

官不聊生 guānbùliáoshēng government officials have no way of making a living (a play on “the people have no way to make a living” 民不聊生 (idiom, from Record of the Grand Historian 史記｜史记) )

召回 zhàohuí to recall (a product, an ambassador etc)

[StChris]

Episode 37

 

成就 chéngjiù to create / to bring about

高谈阔论 gāotánkuòlùn to harangue / loud arrogant talk / to spout

挥斥方遒 huīchìfāngqiú full of vim

书斋 shūzhāi study (room)

海瑞 Hǎi Ruì Hai Rui (1514-1587), Ming politician, famous for honesty and integrity

万历 Wànlì reign name of Ming emperor (1573-1619)

启蒙 qǐméng to instruct the young / to initiate / to awake sb from ignorance / to free sb from prejudice or superstition / primer / enlightened / the Enlightenment / Western learning from the late Qing dynasty

万事大吉 wànshìdàjí everything is fine (idiom); all is well with the world

滋生 zīshēng to breed / to flourish / to cause / to provoke / to create

防微杜渐 fángwēidùjiàn to nip in the bud (idiom)

打油诗 dǎyóushī doggerel / ragged verse / humorous poem / limerick

专列 zhuānliè special train / abbr. for 專門列車｜专门列车

远门 yuǎnmén (to go to) distant parts / faraway / a distant relative

烟囱 yāncōng chimney

众目睽睽 zhòngmùkuíkuí thousands of staring eyes (idiom)

情同手足 qíngtóngshǒuzú as close as one's hands and feet (idiom); loving one another as brothers / deep friendship / closely attached to one another

通融 tōngróng flexible / to accommodate / to stretch or get around regulations / a short-term loan

来世 láishì next life

铤而走险 tǐng'érzǒuxiǎn to take a risk out of desperation (idiom)

封疆 fēngjiāng border region / regional general acting as governor (in Ming and Qing times)

[StChris]

Episode 38

 

直白 zhíbái frank / open / blunt

诉求 sùqiú to appeal / to demand (an answer) / requirement / demand / claim / appeal / (marketing) message

师母 shīmǔ term of respect for your teacher's wife

固执己见 gùzhíjǐjiàn to persist in one's views

堡垒 bǎolěi fort

土崩瓦解 tǔbēngwǎjiě to collapse / to fall apart

风暴 fēngbào storm / violent commotion / fig. crisis (e.g. revolution, uprising, financial crisis etc)

来头 láitóu cause / reason / interest / influence

门道 méndao the way to do sth / knack

直言不讳 zhíyánbùhuì to speak bluntly (idiom) / not to mince words

天方夜谭 tiānfāngyètán fantasy story, The Arabian Nights (classic story)

服从 fúcóng to obey (an order) / to comply / to defer

殉葬 xùnzàng to bury sth along with the dead / sacrificial grave goods

核实 héshí to verify / to check

春风得意 chūnfēngdéyì flushed with success / proud of one's success (in exams, promotion etc) / as pleased as punch

[StChris]

Episode 39

 

臆想 yìxiǎng fevered imagination, erroneous assumption

渎职 dúzhí wrongdoing / failure to do one's duty

引以为荣 yǐnyǐwéiróng to regard it as an honor (idiom)

审核 shěnhé to audit / to investigate thoroughly

铁面无私 tiěmiànwúsī strictly impartial and incorruptible (idiom)

悼词 dàocí memorial speech / eulogy

大是大非 dàshìdàfēi major matters of principle; cardinal questions of right and wrong 

踅摸 xuémo to look for / to seek (colloq.)

畏罪潜逃 wèizuìqiántáo to abscond (to escape punishment) / to slink off

尚方宝剑 shàngfāngbǎojiàn variant of 尚方劍｜尚方剑 / imperial sword (giving bearer arbitrary powers) / in fiction, Chinese version of 007's license to kill

分心 fēnxīn to distract, distracted

笑面虎 xiàomiànhǔ man with a big smile and evil intentions

非亲非故 fēiqīnfēigù lit. neither a relative nor a friend (idiom) / fig. unrelated to one another in any way

纯属 chúnshǔ to be purely / pure and simple / sheer / outright

反复无常 fǎnfùwúcháng unstable / erratic / changeable / fickle

[StChris]

Episode 40

 

放纵 fàngzòng to indulge / to pamper / to connive at / permissive / indulgent / self-indulgent / unrestrained / undisciplined / uncultured / boorish

挥泪 huīlèi to shed tears / to be all in tears

挥泪斩马谡 a story from 三国of how 诸葛亮 had an old friend 马谡 executed for disobeying orders and cause a big defeat for 蜀国

鸡犬不宁 jīquǎnbùníng lit. not even the chickens and dogs are left undisturbed (idiom) / fig. great commotion / pandemonium

腆 tiǎn brazen

大义灭亲 dàyìmièqīn to place righteousness before family (idiom); ready to punish one's own family if justice demands it

顾惜 gùxī to take loving care of / to value

聪明一世，糊涂一时 cōngmingyīshì, hútuyīshí even the wisest can have a momentary lapse in judgement (idiom) / every man has a fool in his sleeve

软蛋 ruǎndàn coward

草包 cǎobāo idiot / bungling oaf / straw bag

撇清 piěqīng to say a matter has no relationship with the individual referred to, to emphasise one is innocent or in the clear

赶尽杀绝 gǎnjìnshājué to kill to the last one (idiom) / to exterminate / to eradicate / ruthless

与人为善 yǔrénwéishàn to be of service to others / to help others / benevolent

端正 duānzhèng upright / regular / proper / correct

千头万绪 qiāntóuwànxù plethora of things to tackle / multitude of loose ends / very complicated / chaotic

不见棺材不落泪 bùjiànguāncaibùluòlèi lit. not to shed a tear until one sees the coffin (idiom) / fig. refuse to be convinced until one is faced with grim reality

与时俱进 yǔshíjùjìn abreast of modern developments / to keep up with the times / progressive / timely

道不同不相为谋 dàobùtóngbùxiāngwéimóu lit. persons who walk different paths cannot make plans together / to go separate ways (idiom)

曲折 qūzhé winding / (fig.) complicated

居心叵测 jūxīnpǒcè harboring unfathomable motives (idiom)

[StChris]

Episode 41

 

套牌车 tàopáichē car with fake plates

未雨绸缪 wèiyǔchóumóu lit. before it rains, bind around with silk (idiom, from Book of Songs 詩經｜诗经); fig. to plan ahead / to prepare for a rainy day

狗急跳墙 gǒujítiàoqiáng a cornered dog will jump over the wall (idiom) / to be driven to desperate action

威逼利诱 wēibīlìyòu to make threats and promises

素昧平生 sùmèipíngshēng to have never met sb before (idiom); entirely unacquainted / a complete stranger / not to know sb from Adam

忧患 yōuhuàn suffering / misery / hardship

如履薄冰 rúlǚbóbīng lit. as if walking on thin ice (idiom) / fig. to be extremely cautious / to be skating on thin ice

不动声色 bùdòngshēngsè not a word or movement (idiom); remaining calm and collected / not batting an eyelid

官僚 guānliáo bureaucrat / bureaucracy / bureaucratic

好大喜功 hàodàxǐgōng to rejoice in grandiose deeds / to strive to achieve extraordinary things / have a fondness for the grandiose

劳民伤财 láomínshāngcái waste of manpower and resources

挑拨离间 tiǎobōlíjiàn to sow dissension (idiom); to drive a wedge between

无能为力 wúnéngwéilì impotent (idiom) / powerless / helpless

决策 juécè strategic decision / decision-making / policy decision / to determine policy

由头 yóutou pretext / excuse / justification / reason

人尽其才 rénjìnqícái employ one's talent to the fullest / everyone gives of their best

少年宫 Shàonián Gōng Children's Palace, institution where children can take part in various extracurricular activities

对口 duìkǒu to be fit for the purposes of a job or task / (of food) to suit sb's taste

[StChris]

Episode 42

 

非同凡响 fēitóngfánxiǎng lit. not a common chord (idiom); outstanding / brilliant / out of the common run

圆滑 yuánhuá smooth and evasive / slick and sly

南宋 Nánsòng the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279)

莫须有 mòxūyǒu groundless / baseless

岳飞 Yuè Fēi Yue Fei (1103-1142), Song dynasty patriot and general

墙倒众人推 qiángdǎozhòngréntuī everyone likes to kick a man who's down, everyone takes advantage of a man who stumbles

印证 yìnzhèng to seal / to confirm / to corroborate / to verify

苏醒 sūxǐng to come to / to awaken / to regain consciousness

局限 júxiàn to limit / to confine / to restrict sth within set boundaries

蝇营狗苟 yíngyínggǒugǒu shamelessly seek personal gain

助威 zhùwēi to cheer for / to encourage / to boost the morale of

一臂之力 yībìzhīlì (lend) a helping hand

避嫌 bìxián to avoid arousing suspicion

[StChris]

Episode 43

 

奇缺 qíquē very short of (food, clean water etc) / extreme shortage /deficit

倚仗 yǐzhàng to lean on / to rely on

兑现 duìxiàn (of a check etc) to cash / to honor a commitment

实不相瞒 shíbùxiāngmán truth to tell / to be quite honest...

冤家宜解不宜结 yuānjiāyíjiěbùyíjié It is better to squash enmity rather than keeping it alive (proverb)

费解 fèijiě to be puzzled / hard to understand / unintelligible / incomprehensible

沦落 lúnluò to degenerate / impoverished / to fall (into poverty) / to be reduced (to begging), to wander

擅自 shànzì without permission / of one's own initiative

知情人 zhīqíngrén person in the know / insider / informed source

义愤 yìfèn righteous indignation / moral indignation

不辞辛苦 bùcíxīnkǔ to make nothing of hardships

曙光 shǔguāng dawn / fig. the dawn of a new era

出淤泥而不染 chūyūní'érbùrǎn lit. to grow out of the mud unsullied (idiom) / fig. to be principled and incorruptible

[StChris]

Episode 44

 

随从 suícóng to accompany / to follow / to attend / entourage / attendant

保镖 bǎobiāo bodyguard

真金不怕火炼 zhēnjīnbùpàhuǒliàn True gold fears no fire. (idiom)

心如刀割 xīnrúdāogē to feel as if having one's heart cut out (idiom) / to be torn with grief

一唱一和 yīchàngyīhè to echo one another (idiom)

记性 jìxing memory (ability to retain information)

商鞅 Shāng Yāng Shang Yang (c. 390-338 BC), legalist philosopher and important statesman of Qin state 秦國｜秦国 whose militaristic reforms in 356 and 350 BC played a key role in establishing Qin power

孤本 gūběn sole existing copy

霸王硬上弓 bàwángyìngshànggōng to force oneself upon sb (idiom) / to rape

小儿科 xiǎo'érkē pediatrics / pediatric (department) / sth of little importance / trifle / a child's play / (slang) childish / petty / stingy

张大千 Zhāng Dàqiān Chang Dai-chien or Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), one of the greatest Chinese artists of the 20th century

世风日下 shìfēngrìxià public morals are degenerating with each passing day (idiom)

心得 xīndé what one has learned (through experience, reading etc) / knowledge / insight / understanding / tips / CL: 項｜项, 個｜个

疑罪从无 yízuìcóngwú innocent until proven guilty

挥毫 huīháo to write or draw with a brush / to put pen to paper / to write

红袖添香 hóngxiùtiānxiāng a beautiful woman to accompany someone while reading

立体 lìtǐ three-dimensional / solid / stereoscopic

跑腿 pǎotuǐ to run errands

解惑 jiěhuò to dispel doubts / to clear up confusion

毋庸 wúyōng no need for

[StChris]

Episode 45

 

操守 cāoshǒu personal integrity

不在话下 bùzàihuàxià to be nothing difficult / to be a cinch

雪 xuě to wipe away, off or out / to clean

靖康 Jìngkāng (1126-1127) last emperor of the Northern Song

俘 fú to take prisoner / prisoner of war

揣摩 chuǎimó to analyze / to try to figure out / to try to fathom

赵构 Zhào Gòu Zhao Gou, personal name of the tenth Song Emperor Gaozong 高宗

敲诈 qiāozhà to rip off / to extort (money) / extortion / blackmail

岂止 qǐzhǐ not only / far from / more than

愿闻其详 yuànwénqíxiáng I'd like to hear the details

鉴定 jiàndìng to appraise / to identify / to evaluate

感慨 gǎnkǎi to sigh with sorrow, regret etc / rueful / deeply moved

锥心之痛 zhuīxīnzhītòng like a drill through the heart

参照 cānzhào to consult a reference / to refer to (another document)

才华横溢 cáihuáhéngyì brimming over with talent (esp. literary) / brilliant

热情洋溢 rèqíngyángyì brimming with enthusiasm (idiom); full of warmth

昔日 xīrì formerly / in olden days

采取措施 cǎiqǔcuòshī to adopt measures / to take steps

英雄难过美人关 yīngxióngnánguòměirénguān even heroes have a weakness for the charms of a beautiful woman (idiom)

狗皮膏药 gǒupígāoyao dogskin plaster, used in TCM for treating contusions, rheumatism etc / quack medicine / sham goods

涉讼 shèsòng to be involved in a lawsuit

通融 tōngróng flexible / to accommodate / to stretch or get around regulations / a short-term loan

千载难逢 qiānzǎinánféng extremely rare (idiom) / once in a blue moon

奢求 shēqiú to make extravagant demands / an unreasonable request

天伦之乐 tiānlúnzhīlè family love and joy / domestic bliss

[StChris]

Episode 46

 

千古罪人 qiāngǔzuìrén sb condemned by history (idiom)

刚愎自用 gāngbìzìyòng obstinate and self-opinionated (idiom)

拽 zhuài to pull / to tug at (sth)

生死存亡 shēngsǐcúnwáng matter of life and death

提纯 tíchún to purify

浊 zhuó turbid / muddy / impure

襟怀坦白 jīnhuáitǎnbái open and candid (idiom); not hiding anything / ingenuous / open hearted / unselfish / magnanimous / broad-minded

点穴 diǎnxué to hit a pressure point (martial arts) / dim mak / see also 點脈｜点脉

神通 shéntōng remarkable ability / magical power

[StChris]

Episode 47

 

真相大白 zhēnxiàngdàbái the whole truth is revealed (idiom); everything becomes clear

拉大旗作虎皮 lādàqízuòhǔpí lit. to wave a banner as if it were a tiger skin (idiom) / fig. to borrow sb's prestige / to take the name of a great cause as a shield

敛财 liǎncái to accumulate wealth / to rake in money

巍然 wēirán majestic / towering / imposing (the two lines this appears in are taken from a poem by Chairman Mao)

勋章 xūnzhāng medal / decoration

编排 biānpái to arrange / to lay out

得力 délì able / capable / competent / efficient

高仿 gāofǎng imitation / quality fake

推脱 tuītuō to evade / to shirk

逼宫 bīgōng to force the king or emperor to abdicate

兵贵神速 bīngguìshénsù lit. speed is a crucial asset in war (idiom) / fig. swift and resolute (in doing sth)

不祥 bùxiáng ominous / inauspicious

变卦 biànguà to change one's mind / to go back on one's word

[StChris]

Episode 48

 

坚苦卓绝 jiānkǔzhuójué persisting despite trials and tribulations (idiom); conspicuous determination

挥霍 huīhuò to squander money / extravagant / prodigal / free and easy / agile

堕落 duòluò to degrade / to degenerate / to become depraved / corrupt / a fall from grace

发霉 fāméi to become moldy

土鳖 tǔbiē ground beetle / (dialect) country bumpkin

患得患失 huàndéhuànshī to worry about personal gains and losses

[StChris]

Episode 49

 

恕 shù to forgive

胡作非为 húzuòfēiwéi to run amok (idiom); to commit outrages

雄辩 xióngbiàn eloquent / oratory / rhetoric

镇定自如 zhèndìngzìrú calm / unperturbed / cool

招数 zhāoshù move (in chess, on stage, in martial arts) / gambit / trick / scheme / movement / same as 著數｜着数

出师不利 chūshībùlì lose the first battle

福兮祸所依，祸兮福所伏   good and bad fortune are mutually intertwined. Good fortune can quickly turn to bad fortune and vice cersa.

[StChris]

Episode 50

 

稍安勿躁 shāo'ānwùzào keep calm, don't get excited / don't be impatient

韩信 Hán Xìn Han Xin (-196 BC), famous general of first Han emperor Liu Bang 劉邦｜刘邦

孤傲 gū'ào proud and aloof

孤胆英雄 gūdǎnyīngxióng solitary hero / maverick

[StChris]

Episode 51

 

二愣子 èrlèngzi stupid person / dolt / rash (slang)

青史 qīngshǐ annal / historical record / CL: 筆｜笔

仁至义尽 rénzhìyìjìn extreme benevolence, utmost duty (idiom); meticulous virtue and attention to duty

惺惺相惜 xīngxīngxiāngxī people of talent appreciate one another (idiom) / to sympathize with one another

胆识 dǎnshí courage and insight

秉公 bǐnggōng justly / impartially

杆秤 gǎnchèng a steelyard (a type of balance)

自甘堕落 zìgānduòluò to abandon oneself (idiom) / to let oneself go

若要人不知，除非己莫为 ruòyàorénbùzhī, chúfēijǐmòwéi If you don't want anyone to know, don't do it (idiom). fig. If you do something bad, people will inevitably hear about it

缜密 zhěnmì meticulous / careful / deliberate / delicate / fine (texture)

激昂 jī'áng impassioned / worked up

有恃无恐 yǒushìwúkǒng secure in the knowledge that one has backing

奸污 jiānwū to rape / to violate

浑浊 húnzhuó muddy / turbid

柴米油盐 cháimǐyóuyán lit. firewood, rice, oil and salt / fig. life's daily necessities

卸妆 xièzhuāng to remove makeup / (old) to take off formal dress and ornaments

诸子百家 zhūzǐbǎijiā the Hundred Schools of Thought, the various schools of thought and their exponents during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods (770-220 BC)

墨家 Mòjiā Mohist School of the Warring States Period (475-220 BC), founded by the philosopher 墨子

信托基金 xìntuōjījīn trust fund

知无不言，言无不尽 zhīwúbùyán, yánwúbùjìn not hiding anything he knows, not stopping before he has said it through (idiom) / frank / outspoken

[StChris]

Episode 52

 

色厉内荏 sèlìnèirěn lit. show strength while weak inside (idiom); appearing fierce while cowardly at heart / a sheep in wolf's clothing

腐蚀 fǔshí corrosion / to corrode (degrade chemically) / to rot / corruption

殊途同归 shūtútóngguī different routes to the same destination (idiom); fig. different means of achieve the same end

珍重 zhēnzhòng precious / extremely valuable / (honorific) Please take good care of yourself!

生前 shēngqián (of a deceased) during one's life / while living

遗嘱 yízhǔ testament / will

泡汤 pàotāng to dawdle / to go slow deliberately / to fizzle out / to have all one's hopes dashed    

楚王好细腰，宫中多饿死 a story about a king called 楚王 who liked slender people, which led many of is courtiers and ministers to go on extreme diets, even to the point of becoming so weak as to become worthless. This story was brought up by 习近平 at a party meeting in 2016 to warn members to ensure that their personal actions and preferences don't have a detrimental effect on society.

罪有应得 zuìyǒuyīngdé guilty and deserves to be punished (idiom); entirely appropriate chastisement / the punishment fits the crime

[StChris]

Well, that's the final episode finished. When I first started this I was under the false impression it was going to be a 20 episode series, not 52! In my experience, these super-long TV dramas tend to jump the shark around episode 30, but in this case I'm glad to report that the quality remained fairly consistent throughout (although that's not to say that it wouldn't have benefited from being just 40 episodes long, with some of the fluff cut out). While there were a couple of moments where it looked like the whole main corruption/conspiracy plotline looked like it was in danger of being sidelined (for example, by the mother of one of the anti-corruption officers desperately trying to get her 剩女 daughter married off), things quickly returned to the main story.

 

One of my biggest concerns before watching was the fact that the show was at least partially funded by the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and so might be a little too full of in-your-face government propaganda. Thankfully, the makers were pretty restrained on this point. Although the bad guys do predictably get their comeuppance in the end, they are all portrayed with a great degree of sympathy. It isn't just a case of a few evil people doing harm, but of imperfect people trying to make their way within an imperfect system. While I can't say how accurate a portrayal of Chinese political life it is, the petty rivalries and backstabbing on show do seem very plausible. It's not all about corruption either. One of my favourite characters (albeit a minor one) is a small fry official who, having been passed over for promotion one too many times, has basically stopped giving a shit about his career or the party and spends his working days getting away with doing as little as possible so that he can get home ASAP to indulge his astronomy hobby.

 

I don't usually make it through to the end of these kind of long TV series, let alone do a vocab mine of them, so it definitely comes highly recommended from me. At least watch the first two episodes. I think their fast pacing and interesting dialogue make them among the best in the series, so it's safe to say that if you don't like them, then the rest of the series won't be for you. However, if they do grab your interest, then you should enjoy the rest.

[StChris]

Language Analysis

 

i don't normally do this, but since a had some free time, I thought it might be interesting to do some analysis of the vocab I learnt from watching the series. From my rough count (i.e. in my head), I came across a total of 1,455 pieces of new vocab in the whole series (although this may be a little lower in reality due to a few duplicate entries). That averages out to around 28 per episode. The episode with highest number of amount of new vocab was (unsurprisingly) episode 1 at 86, with the lowest being episode 50 with just 4 (I was really hoping to make it through a whole episode without encountering any new vocab, but I guess that milestone in my Chinese learning journey will have to wait for another day). I'm pretty generous with regards to what I include in the lists, so it wouldn't be accurate to say that all the vocab is completely new to me.Sometimes I'll include a word or phrase which I already know, but that I feel I don't use often enough in active speaking or writing, as a way to remind myself to use it.

 

I've attached a little bar chart showing the per episode vocab count (yeah, I've had far to much time on my hands today). It shows a large front-loading of vocab in the first couple of episodes, with a steady decline as the series gets closer to the end (albeit with a few spikes here and there). Nothing too surprising perhaps, but it still gives me a sense of progress nonetheless. 1,455 new words/phrases sounds a lot, and much of it was political, official and business related vocab, which I was pretty weak at before. I certainly would feel a lot more comfortable sitting in on a meeting of the politburo or being interrogated by anti-corruption police now than before I watched the series, which may or may not prove useful in real life... ;-)

 

Of course, merely having encountered 1,455 new pieces of new vocab doesn't necessarily mean that they are all now stuck in my brain and ready to use. I'll continue to do some Anki-style vocab retention practice and will watch through the whole thing again a few weeks from now. I'll should be in China by then, so I plan to write a few essays on the happenings and characters in the show to really solidify the new things I've learnt and have them marked by my tutor. I think I've tended to rush from one new book/TV series to the next in the past without properly digesting what I have just learnt (after all, it sounds more impressive to yourself to have read three books rather than just one), so I want to slow down a bit. That's the plan anyway. I'd welcome any advice on this matter.

vocab_chart.bmp