First episode 11 - 奋斗

Indeed it is! The font was not clear, but I should have picked that up, I know the word...

讲究 jiǎng jiu * to pay particular attention to / exquisite / aesthetic

Renzhe, are you still watching this? I'm getting a bit bored with it.

I'm kind of slowly wading my way through it. I guess all the writeups have made it unenjoyable.

I'm finishing Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils (really recommended) these days, and then I'll get back to this with a bit more power.

Here's the vocabulary for the 10th episode:

撞墙 zhuàng qiáng * encounter an obstacle

庸俗 yōng sú * filthy / vulgar / debased

泼妇 pō fù * shrew / vixen

恶霸 è bà * evil tyrant

小白领 xiǎo bái lǐng * little white-collar worker

掐 qiā * to pick (flowers) / to pinch / to clutch

阔 kuò * rich / wide / broad

开发票 to write a receipt

客户 kè hù * client / customer

高升 gāo shēng * to get promoted

咨询 zī xún * consultative / advisory

法兰克福 Fǎ lán kè fú * Frankfurt (Germany)

各地 gè dì * in all parts of (a country) / various regions

流行 liú xíng * to spread / to rage (of contagious disease) / popular

理念 lǐ niàn * idea / concept / philosophy

细部 xì bù * detail

突破 tū pò * breakthrough

采光 cǎi guāng * lighting / day lighting

系统 xì tǒng * system

设施 shè shī * facilities / installation

容积 róng jī * volume / physical space taken up by an object

扎实 zhā shi * strong / solid / sturdy

行为 xíng wéi * action / conduct / behavior

忽略 hū lüè * to forget about / to neglect / to omit by mistake

细节 xì jié * details / particulars

冲突 chōng tū * conflict / to conflict / clash of opposing forces

出丑 chū chǒu * shameful / scandalous / to be humiliated

浮躁 fú zào * over-active / impetuous / impulsive

职责 zhí zé * duty, responsibility, or obligation

一视同仁 yī shì tóng rén * to treat everyone equally favourably (成语 saw); not to discriminate between people

手艺 shǒu yì * craft / workmanship / one's cooking

三生有幸 sān shēng yǒu xìng * to be most fortunate

轰动 hōng dòng * sensation / stir

侧翼 cé yì * flank, lateral

换岗 huàn gǎng * to relieve a sentry / to change the guard

爆炸 bào zhà * explosion / to explode / to blow up

项目 xiàng mù * item / project / sports event

经理 jīng lǐ * manager / director

企业 qǐ yè * company / firm / enterprise

填补 tián bǔ * to fill a gap / to fill in a blank (on a form) / to overcome a deficiency

威胁 wēi xié * to threaten / to menace

光芒四射 guāng máng sì shè * to emit rays of radiance

十拿九稳 shí ná jiǔ wěn * ninety percent sure / practically certain

八九不离十 bā jiǔ bù lí shí * pretty close / very near / about right

承包商 chéng bāo shāng * contractor / entrepreneur

腐败 fǔ bài * corruption / corrupt / rotten

贵族 guì zú * lord / nobility / nobleman

吵翻 chǎo fàn * to have a falling out?

空话大话 kōng huà dà huà * to make a long story short ??

徐峥

I don't know how long I'll keep doing these, but so far, I find the vocab important and useful. Lots of useful stuff that's not in the common vocabulary lists.

吵翻 chǎo fàn * to fight and break up (NB should be fān)

空话大话 kōng huà dà huà * empty words and boasts

徐峥 Name of a Chinese actor

Episode 11 vocabulary.

It's funny, it is the 11th show we've watched, and this is the eleventh episode. Haha.

No, it's not that funny..... Anyway, here are the words:

商品 shāng pǐn * good / commodity / merchandise

唾沫 tuò mò * spittle / saliva

西装 xī zhuāng * (Western-style) clothes

打包 dǎ bāo * (H.K. term) doggie bag / take-home bag from a restaurant

坚持 jiān chí * to continue upholding / to remain committed to / persistence

般配 bān pèi * to be well matched (in marriage)

平衡 píng héng * balance / equilibrium

满载而归 mǎn zài ér guī * to return from a rewarding journey

钻进 zuān jìn * to get into / to dig into (studies, job etc) / to squeeze into

代理 dài lǐ * acting (temporarily filling a position) / to act for / a surrogate

风险 fēng xiǎn * risk / venture / hazard

门脸儿房 a place with a shop window (e.g. for a cafe or something)

茶壶 chá hú * teapot

宁可 nìng kě * preferably / one would prefer to...(or not to...) / would rather

矫正 jiǎo zhèng * to correct / to rectify (e.g. a physical defect such as hearing or vision) / to cure

按摩 àn mó * massage

耽搁 dān ge * tarry / stopover / delay

液晶电视 LCD television set

冲动 chōng dòng * impetus / impulse / emotional impulse

惊叹 jīng tàn * to exclaim in admiration / a gasp of surprise

单纯 dān chún * simple / pure / alone

理直气壮 to be in the right an confident in the strength of one's arguments

酒疯 jiǔ fēng * drunken antics

立项 lì xiàng * to have a project authorised and registered

理顺 lǐ shùn * to sort things out

拆迁 chāi qiān * to tear away (land from its owners)

招标 zhāo biāo * to invite bids

销售 xiāo shòu * to sell / market / sales

过河拆桥 guò hé chāi qiáo * to dismantle the bridge as soon as one's crossed / to burn one's bridges

刀锋 dāo fēng * blade of a knife

包袱 bāo fu * cloth-wrapper / a bundle wrapped in cloth / load

冲刺 chōng cì * to sprint / to spurt / to dash

辞职 cí zhí * to resign

撕破 sī pò * tear

虚伪 xū wěi * false / hypocritical / artificial

奥迪A八 Audi A8

传言 chuán yán * rumor / hearsay

逛商场 shopping centre ??

抢走 go against the wind ??

自我膨胀 to be full of oneself? overblown ego?

I didn't quite understand the following:

Mi Lai to Lu Tao:

你更像一抢劫犯。智力型的

逛商场 shopping centre ?? - 逛 as in 逛街 - stroll, ramble. Think window-shopping.

抢走 go against the wind ?? - to steal by force

自我膨胀 to be full of oneself? overblown ego? - i think you're on the right lines. Puffed up, perhaps.

你更像一抢劫犯。智力型的 -you're more like a robber. A smart one. (not sure about context, but I'd assume he's being compared with someone who's like a mugger, whereas he is like a bank robber carrying out meticulously planned jobs. )

Here's episode 12.

There is lots of stuff going on here. Lu Tao's stepfather decides to help him, Xiaoyun still likes Huazi (the movie they watch is 绿茶 with 赵薇, it's a nice art movie), Xiang Nan is the most useless husband ever, and Xia Lin finds out that Mi Lai is back.

飞蝗 fēi huáng * flying locusts

讽刺 fěng cì * to satirize / to mock / irony

幽怨 yōu yuàn * bottled-up * bitterness

帕萨特 Volkswagen Passat

降价 jiàng jià * price reduction

兜风 dōu fēng * to catch the wind / to go for a spin in the fresh air

名额 míng é * fixed number of people / quota

台球 tái qiú * billiards

保姆 bǎo mǔ * nanny / housekeeper

看重 kàn zhòng * to regard as important / to care about

兴奋 xīng fèn * excited / excitement

行驶 xíng shǐ * to travel along a route (of vehicles etc)

对待 duì dài * to treat / treatment

慎重 shèn zhòng * cautious / careful / prudent

毁掉 huǐ diào * destroy

思考 sī kǎo * to reflect on / to ponder over

把握 bǎ wò * grasp / seize / hold

激情 jī qíng * passion / fervor / enthusiasm

代替 dài tì * instead / to replace / to substitute (X for Y, or a number in an algebraic expression)

邪恶 xié è * sinister / vicious / wicked

永恒 yǒng héng * eternal / everlasting / fig. to pass into eternity (i.e. to die)

成熟 chéng shú * mature / ripe

时髦 shí máo * in vogue / fashionable

欣赏 xīn shǎng * to appreciate / to enjoy / to admire

鬼迷心窍 guǐ mí xīn qiào * lit. devil charms heart tunnel (成语 saw); infatuated / possessed by a devil

融和 róng hé * warm / agreeable

亲自出马 qīn zì chū mǎ * attend to the matter personally

区政府 qū zhèng fǔ * local government

恶意 è yì * malice / evil intention

以权谋私 yǐ quán móu sī * exploit one's position for personal gain

奥斯卡 Aò sī kǎ * Oscar, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences annual award

利落 lì luò * agile / nimble / all settled

简略 jiǎn lüè * simple / brief

奋起直追 fèn qǐ zhí zhuī * to catch up vigorously / to set off in hot pursuit

肺腑 fèi fǔ * lungs / bottom of one's heart

速冻 sù dòng * quick-freeze

安于现状 ān yú xiàn zhuàng * be content with the things the way they are

迪斯尼 Dí sī ní * (Walt) Disney / Disneyland

卡通 kǎ tōng * cartoon

麻木 má mù * numb

怅然若失 chàng rán ruò shī * to be miserably disappointed / in a despodent mood

迪厅 dí tīng * disco / night club / abbr. for 迪斯科廳|迪斯科厅

拆迁 chāi qiān * to tear away (land from its owners)

阶段 jiē duàn * stage / section / phase / period

黑名单 hēi míng dān * blacklist / list of proscribed people (books etc)

疑问 yí wèn * a question / sth not understood / to query

铁面无私 tiě miàn wú sī * iron mask and selfless (成语 saw); honest and incorruptible

挑刺 tiāo cì * to carp / nitpicking / petty criticism

减肥 jiǎn féi * to lose weight

试驾 test driver ??

钻王

养眼 to feast one's eyes ??

答理

I didn't understand the following sentence:

我一朋友说这个星期日有一个试驾会。 我想法弄俩名额吧。

There is a meeting of test drivers? Someting with quota?

Thanks for keeping this up, Renzhe. I'd let it drop for a while, but watched a few episodes this weekend and am back into it now.

Episodes 13 and 14 coming up:

风险 fēng xiǎn * risk / venture / hazard

竞争 jìng zhēng * to compete / competition

摁 èn * to press (with finger)

驾照 jià zhào * driver's license

昏睡 hūn shuì * sleep / drowse when unconscious / lethargic sleep

生人 shēng rén * stranger

蔫头耷脑 niān tóu dā nǎo * with one's head hanging / despondent / spiritless

拆迁 chāi qiān * to tear away (land from its owners)

政策 zhèng cè * policy

吐口 tǔ kǒu * tell the truth / say in approval / make a demand

幸灾乐祸 xìng zāi lè huò * to delight in other people's misfortune / Schadenfreude

兴奋 xīng fèn * excited / excitement

保安 bǎo ān * to ensure public security / public security

欲壑难填 yù hè nán tián * bottomless pit of desire (成语 saw); insatiable greed

家丑外扬 jiā chǒu wài yáng * family scandal out in the open

狼心狗肺 láng xīn gǒu fèi * cruel and unscrupulous / heartless and ungrateful

结石 jié shí * stone (like kidney stone)

出神入化 chū shén rù huà * to reach perfection (成语 saw); a superb artistic achievement

平衡 píng héng * balance / equilibrium

排场 pái chang * ostentation / a show of extravagance / grand style

急病 jí bìng * (to contract an) accute disease

降低 jiàng dī * to reduce / to lower / to bring down

售价 shòu jià * to sell for / selling price

内疚 nèi jiù * a guilty conscience / to feel a twinge of guilt

自在 zì zai * free / unrestrained / comfortable

内装修 nèi zhuāng xiū * interior design / interior decoration

抱怨 bào yuàn * to complain / to grumble

恩怨 ēn yuàn * (feeling of) resentment / (longstanding) grudge

新疆 Xīn jiāng * Xinjiang / Uighur autonomous region

蜜月 mì yuè * honeymoon

哈密瓜 hā mì guā * Hami melon (a variety of muskmelon) / honeydew

莫名其妙 mò míng qí miào * unfathomable mystery (成语 saw); subtle and ineffable / unable to make head or tail of it / boring (e.g. movie)

折腾 zhē teng * to toss from side to side (e.g. sleeplessly) / to repeat sth over and over again / to torment sb

稀罕 xī han * rare / scarce / uncommon

过桥米线 guò qiáo mǐ xiàn * cross-bridge rice noodles

印刷 yìn shuā * print

查抄 chá chāo * take inventory of and confiscate a criminal's possessions

盘算 pán suàn * to plot / to scheme / to calculate

煤气 méi qì * coal gas / gas

漏 lòu * funnel / to leak / to let out

乳腺癌 rǔ xiàn ái * breast cancer

神秘 shén mì * mysterious / mystery

鞠躬 jū gōng * to bow

发廊 fà láng * hair dresser's shop

立马 lì mǎ * at once / immediately / promptly

篝火 gōu huǒ * bonfire

舍利 shè lì * ashes after cremation / Buddhist relics (Sanskirt: sarira)

转悠 zhuàn you * to turn / to stroll / to sway

I wasn't sure about these:

光围墙

比别 to compete with / compare with someone (??)

火苗 huǒ miáo * to flame / flame (they were talking about QQ)

Actually, I think that 火苗 refers to online flirting, the context was something like 婚外火苗, so it's that kind of flame I guess. Xiangnan was being jealous of her QQ chatting.

Episode 15:

霸道 bà dào * the Way of the Hegemon, abbr. of 霸王之道 / despotic rule / rule by might

着落 zhuó luò * whereabouts (i.e. where sth has got to) / reliable source / (the matter) falls to sb's responsibility

溜达 liū da * to stroll / to go for a walk

保险卡 insurance card

立马 lì mǎ * at once / immediately / promptly

干预 gān yù * to meddle / to intervene / intervention

振作 zhèn zuò * encouraged / to summon up (courage) / to encourage

遇见 yù jiàn * meet

意料 yì liào * to anticipate / to expect / to reckon ahead

原则 yuán zé * principle / doctrine

理顺 lǐ shùn * sort things out

刻板 kè bǎn * stiff / inflexible / mechanical

沉闷 chén mèn * oppressive (of weather) / heavy / depressed

压抑 yā yì * repression / to constrain or repress emotions

礼炮 lǐ pào * a gun salute (e.g. 21-gun salute) / salvo

暴发户 bào fā hù * newly rich / parvenu / upstart

信誉 xìn yù * prestige / distinction / reputation

效率 xiào lǜ * efficiency

名额 míng é * fixed number of people / quota

战略 zhàn lüè * strategy

筵席 yán xí * banquet

巡航定速 cruise control

拉风 is this 拉风箱 ？

So, who is still around?

Things kind of break down for Lu Tao in this episode, as his awesome new project is sold off without his knowledge, and Xia Lin refuses to return from Xinjiang. Raw deal for Huazi who was looking forward to Lu Tao hooking him up with a job, now that Lu Tao decides to quit.

So, who is still around?

Things kind of break down for Lu Tao in this episode, as his awesome new project is sold off without his knowledge, and Xia Lin refuses to return from Xinjiang.

Still here. Lu Tao is just a bit much. He's just shouted his uni mates a $10,000 rmb meal and charged it to Daddy's company. Now he throws a tantrum because Daddy actually wanted to make some decisions about the hundreds of millions he had invested rather than just giving everything to Lu Tao. Not only that, Daddy actually has the nerve to want to make future investments based on what he thinks is good value (property in second tier cities). Funnily enough he's a little reluctant to blow hundreds of millions just so Lu Tao can indulge his grandiose dreams of remaking the face of his hometown.

As for Xia Lin's reaction, could anything be less surprising?

I think Lu Tao's frustration is that his dad never even told him what he was going to do, let alone consulted him on the issue. He gave him the impression that he was in charge, that it was his project, then one day he comes to work, and his project was sold and he's essentially demoted and getting sent to some small town. This is after he gets his stepfather to trample on his principles thinking that he is helping him. I can kind of understand it.

I can also understand that Xia Lin is less than happy. But instead of kicking him in the nuggets and picking up her stuff, she leaves him alone with Mi Lai and resorts to quips from Xinjiang. Kind of weird.

Yes, I'm being a bit harsh on Lu Tao, his dad handled it badly and it would have been very frustrating. Good point about the stepfather's principles. But really, anytime anybody invests hundreds of millions, they are going to want final say about what happens to the investment. Quite likely, his dad had to make up his mind very quickly about the sale. Lu Tao is just so unbelievably privileged, it is annoying to see him throw such a tantrum about a problem that no one else would be lucky enough to have. The only reason he got to take anywhere near the amount of responsibility he did was because his dad was the boss. Spare a thought for the poor guy who worked for the father for so long only to get tossed aside for a 22 year old with an attitude problem.

I can also understand that Xia Lin is less than happy. But instead of kicking him in the nuggets and picking up her stuff, she leaves him alone with Mi Lai and resorts to quips from Xinjiang. Kind of weird.

I guess Xia Lin is delaying making a final decision. She had decided that she was going to marry him tomorrow after all, so it is quite an emotional adjustment to change her mind and dump him. I haven't seen episode 16 yet, it will be interesting to see what happens when she gets back from Xinjiang.

I really liked that moment in the earlier episode when Lu Tao skips the birthday dinner to be with Mi Lai and Xia Lin rings him up. Lu Tao is making excuses and Mi Lai points out that this is all he has to look forward to in the future where Xia Lin has gotten old and unattractive - taking endless calls from her when he is with another woman and trying to persuade her he is at work. Mi Lai definitely has her moments.

I also find it interesting the way the father wants Lu Tao to dump Xia Lin; because he dumped the love of his life, he wants Lu Tao to do the same.

I'm going to give myself a pat on the back for finishing this series. I doubt it would have held my interest if it had been in English, but it is great practice. Parts of it really annoyed me - Lulu's wedding probably most of all.

Renzhe - how are you going with this?

I sort of let myself drift away, but I've been meaning to finish this soon. I've done lots of reading and very little watching recently, I'll change that as soon as I finish reading 射雕英雄传.

Congrats on finishing!

Yeah, Lulu's wedding was really annoying.

One part I did like was in the last episode (second last episode perhaps?) when Lu Tao has long talks with each of his fathers. Both of those talks contain some great dialogue.

Well done on the series finishing, Rob. There's a 奋斗2, you know . . .

Pat on the back from me too! I was thinking about giving this one a shot, so would you recommend this one over other Chinese series? You don't seem particularly enthralled by it, and I guess the learning aspect holds true for most series.

To be honest, it's probably the best modern soap opera we've watched.

There are higher-quality shows (mostly historical and literature-based stuff), but this is quite watchable and modern. And it beats everything else in terms of the learning aspect, because almost all the vocabulary is modern and highly relevant (and not some sanskrit passages and Laozi quotes).

If you watch the first few episodes, you'll know whether it's worth investing the time or not.