“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.
Stressed-out Chinese love melodrama about courtly life
越是壓力過大的華人越喜歡看宮廷劇
1. Stressed-out [st"rest"aʊt] adj.因心理緊張而被壓垮的
2. melodrama[ˈmɛləˌdrɑmə, -ˌdræmə] n.情節劇，音樂劇，傳奇劇，
The action slips from comedy to melodrama and finally to tragedy.
劇情從喜劇逐漸發展為情節劇，最後又演變為悲劇。
3. courtly[ˈkɔ:rtli] adj.謙和而有威嚴的
Brian was courtly and reserved.
布賴恩溫文爾雅，含蓄拘謹。
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?”
The emperor bestowed on her the title of imperial concubine of the highest rank. 皇帝冊封她為貴妃。
2. Eunuch [ˈjunək] n.太監，宦
a political eunuch政治“閹人”
3. Predictably[prɪˈdɪktəblɪ] adv.可預見地，果不出所料地
The children were predictably fractious. 孩子們肯定會耍脾氣。
4. scorn[skɔ:rn] n.輕蔑;鄙視;不屑一顧;笑柄vt.蔑視;輕視;看不起;不屑做Researchers greeted the proposal with scorn .
研究員們對這個建議嗤之以鼻。
5. Resentment [rɪˈzɛntmənt] n.憤恨，不滿
But the problems of inflation and unemployment still cause a lot of resentment.
但是通貨膨脹和失業問題仍然激起了很多人的怨恨。
6. Ruthless [ˈruθlɪs] adj.狠;殘忍的;無情的，冷酷的
Whoever did him in removed a man who was brave as well as ruthless.
無論誰殺了他，都是除掉了一個既勇猛又殘忍的人。
7. tubby [ˈtʌbi] adj.桶狀的; 肥胖的
She was a short, tubby woman. 她是個又矮又胖的婦人。
8. squeaky [ˈskwiki] adj.吱吱響的，發軋聲的
Maybe this guy isn"t so squeaky clean after all. 也許這個人說到底品行並非那麼完美。
9. dimwit [ˈdɪmˌwɪt] n.傻瓜
10. Draped[drep] adj. 垂褶袖；打褶形
11. harem [ˈhærəm] n.（伊斯蘭教徒的）女眷;女眷居室，後宮
12. villain[ˈvɪlən] n.惡棍;（小說、戲劇等中的）反面人物;淘氣鬼，
Frank drifted into running dodgy errands for a seedy local villain.
弗蘭克開始為當地一個下流的惡人跑腿做壞事。
“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.
This murderous lunatic could kill them both without a second thought.
這個殺人狂會毫不猶豫地把他倆都殺了。
8. quick-witted [ˈkwɪkˌwɪtɪd] adj.富有機智的，機敏的;
She was quick-witted and had an extraordinarily agile mind.
她機智聰慧，思維極為敏捷。
9. consort[ˈkɑ:nsɔ:rt] n.配偶;夥伴;僚艦;合作vi.結交;陪伴;符合
the prince consort (= the queen"s husband) 親王（女王的丈夫）
10. formula [ˈfɔ:rmjələ] n.公式，準則;客套話;方案;
Clever exploitation of the latest technology would be a sure formula for success
對最新技術的靈活利用必將帶來成功。
11. justice-seeking adj追求正義的
12. live-streaming實時直播
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.
Barrow was positively obsequious to me until he learnt that I too was the son of a labouring man.巴羅竭力討好我，直到得知我也是工人家庭出身。
4. jail [dʒel] n.監獄;拘留所vt.監禁;拘留
Three prisoners escaped from a jail.
三名囚犯越獄了。
5. execute [ˈɛksɪˌkjut] vt.執行;完成;履行;處死，處決
He was executed for treason.
他因叛國罪被處死。
6. tyranny[ˈtɪrəni] n.暴虐;專橫;暴行
I"m the sole victim of Mother"s tyranny.
我是唯一受母親嚴加管制的人。
7. insolence [ˈɪnsələns] n.傲慢;無禮;傲慢的態度;厚顏
I"ve had enough of your insolence, and I"m having no more.我受夠了你的侮辱，不能再容忍了
8. bravado [brəˈvɑ:doʊ] n.虛張聲勢;冒險;故作勇
an act of sheer bravado純屬逞能的舉動
9. cosset [ˈkɑ:sɪt] vt.寵愛，嬌養，縱容
Our kind of travel is definitely not suitable for people who expect to be cosseted.
我們的這種旅行絕對不適合那些想要受到百般呵護的人。
10. pecking[ˈpɛkɪŋ] n.啄序，任何團體中的長幼強弱次序
He knew his place in the pecking order .他知道自己排老幾。
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.
Nobody was allowed to eat in the Empress Dowager"s presence.
在皇帝遺孀面前任何人不得進餐。
5. gutless [ˈɡʌtlɪs] adj.<非正>怯懦的，沒膽量的
By attacking me, by attacking my wife, he has proved himself to be a gutless coward.
他攻擊我，攻擊我的妻子，這正證明他自己是個沒出息的膽小鬼。
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.
The male chauvinist attitude of some people in the company could get you down.
公司裡一些人的大男子主義作風會讓人不快。
Just trying to make a living
只是想活著
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.
Haig tended not to seek guidance from subordinates
黑格不願向下屬請教。
3. wickedness [ ˈwɪkɪdnɪs] n.邪惡，惡事，惡毒
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
你喜愛公義，恨惡罪惡；
4. hail [hel] n.冰雹;一陣vi.下冰雹;
a sharp short-lived storm with heavy hail.
一陣短暫的大雹暴
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.
《經濟學人》中國專欄 Chaguan 中有表達“翻牌”，在電視劇《延禧攻略》作者寫道：
“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》是一部華麗的古裝片，劇中下毒情節不斷，人與人互相背叛。這些年輕貌美的女子都在爭搶紫禁城中的頭等大獎，那就是得到皇帝的寵幸/翻牌。正如一個雄心勃勃的後宮新兵所說：“不當將軍計程車兵不是一個好兵。” 女主角是這部戲的重頭，有善良但體弱多病的皇后，有心狠手辣的妃嬪，還有這70集劇情中的核心人物——魏瓔珞，她從最初機智靈敏、追求正義的婢女最終成為乾隆心愛的皇后。這一劇情套路廣受歡迎，該劇在8月份的最佳單日創下了7億次直播量。
這段在“高齋外刊雙語精讀”有分享過上面的經濟學人雙語精讀翻譯講解筆記很全面細緻的包括以上的學習內容。下面給大家分享下原文整篇的文章：《經濟學人：延禧攻略，這英語太棒了，譯文也不差！》
《經濟學人》現在出了個“茶館”專欄，主要講中國的一些社會熱點現象。今天這篇就取自經濟學人10月11日更新的文章。我們做了翻譯，分享給大家，翻譯人員是西外MTI研二學生和高齋翻譯學堂Joy老師，時間有限，如果有不足的地方請多包涵。
Chaguan
Stressed-out Chinese love melodrama about courtly life
越是壓力過大的華人越喜歡看宮廷劇
1. Stressed-out [st"rest"aʊt] adj.因心理緊張而被壓垮的
2. melodrama[ˈmɛləˌdrɑmə, -ˌdræmə] n.情節劇，音樂劇，傳奇劇，
The action slips from comedy to melodrama and finally to tragedy.
劇情從喜劇逐漸發展為情節劇，最後又演變為悲劇。
3. courtly[ˈkɔ:rtli] adj.謙和而有威嚴的
Brian was courtly and reserved.
布賴恩溫文爾雅，含蓄拘謹。
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，宮廷電視劇《延禧攻略》打破中國收視紀錄，講述的是18世紀一位皇帝的故事。令人驚訝的是，其中最精彩的一個部分竟然是看妃嬪對太監無禮的行為。在最開始有這樣一個場景，乾隆皇帝的貼身太監，看起來就像是個矮胖笨重的傻瓜，他急匆匆地走進絲綢捲簾遮著的等候室，是為下達皇帝的命令。這位太監說：“回去吧，皇上會忙到很晚。”一向囂張跋扈的高貴妃抱怨道：“什麼？皇上又不能陪本宮了？”她和身邊的宮女說：“我們回吧，還有什麼可等的？”，便連看都沒看太監一眼，就闊步離去。
1. Concubine [ˈkɑ:ŋkjubaɪn] n.妾，妃子
The emperor bestowed on her the title of imperial concubine of the highest rank. 皇帝冊封她為貴妃。
2. Eunuch [ˈjunək] n.太監，宦
a political eunuch政治“閹人”
3. Predictably[prɪˈdɪktəblɪ] adv.可預見地，果不出所料地
The children were predictably fractious. 孩子們肯定會耍脾氣。
4. scorn[skɔ:rn] n.輕蔑;鄙視;不屑一顧;笑柄vt.蔑視;輕視;看不起;不屑做Researchers greeted the proposal with scorn .
研究員們對這個建議嗤之以鼻。
5. Resentment [rɪˈzɛntmənt] n.憤恨，不滿
But the problems of inflation and unemployment still cause a lot of resentment.
但是通貨膨脹和失業問題仍然激起了很多人的怨恨。
6. Ruthless [ˈruθlɪs] adj.狠;殘忍的;無情的，冷酷的
Whoever did him in removed a man who was brave as well as ruthless.
無論誰殺了他，都是除掉了一個既勇猛又殘忍的人。
7. tubby [ˈtʌbi] adj.桶狀的; 肥胖的
She was a short, tubby woman. 她是個又矮又胖的婦人。
8. squeaky [ˈskwiki] adj.吱吱響的，發軋聲的
Maybe this guy isn"t so squeaky clean after all. 也許這個人說到底品行並非那麼完美。
9. dimwit [ˈdɪmˌwɪt] n.傻瓜
10. Draped[drep] adj. 垂褶袖；打褶形
11. harem [ˈhærəm] n.（伊斯蘭教徒的）女眷;女眷居室，後宮
12. villain[ˈvɪlən] n.惡棍;（小說、戲劇等中的）反面人物;淘氣鬼，
Frank drifted into running dodgy errands for a seedy local villain.
弗蘭克開始為當地一個下流的惡人跑腿做壞事。
“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》是一部華麗的古裝片，劇中下毒情節不斷，人與人互相背叛。這些年輕貌美的女子都在爭搶紫禁城中的頭等大獎，那就是得到皇帝的寵幸/翻牌。正如一個雄心勃勃的後宮新兵所說：“不當將軍計程車兵不是一個好兵。” 女主角是這部戲的重頭，有善良但體弱多病的皇后，有心狠手辣的妃嬪，還有這70集劇情中的核心人物——魏瓔珞，她從最初機智靈敏、追求正義的婢女最終成為乾隆心愛的皇后。這一劇情套路廣受歡迎，該劇在8月份的最佳單日創下了7億次直播量。
1. gorgeously [ˈɡɔrdʒəslɪ] adv.華美地，輝煌地
gorgeous mountain scenery...秀麗的山間景色
2. costumed [ˈkɑ:stu:md] v.服裝;（戲劇或電影的）戲裝( costume的過去分詞 )
He is costumed in a Mickey Mouse suit.
他穿著米老鼠的服裝。
3. poisoning [ˈpɔɪzənɪŋ] n.中毒，毒害，投毒v.毒死( poison的現在分詞 );汙染;
The police suspected poisoning.
警方懷疑有人下毒。
5. bedded ["bedɪd] adj.層狀的
The machine is bedded in cement.
這臺機器安裝在水泥座上。
6. sickly[ˈsɪkli] adj.令人作嘔的;有病的;蒼白的v.使現病容;使蒼白
He had been a sickly child.
他曾是個體弱多病的孩子。
7. murderous [ˈmɜ:rdərəs] adj.兇殘的;蓄意謀殺的;殺人的，
This murderous lunatic could kill them both without a second thought.
這個殺人狂會毫不猶豫地把他倆都殺了。
8. quick-witted [ˈkwɪkˌwɪtɪd] adj.富有機智的，機敏的;
She was quick-witted and had an extraordinarily agile mind.
她機智聰慧，思維極為敏捷。
9. consort[ˈkɑ:nsɔ:rt] n.配偶;夥伴;僚艦;合作vi.結交;陪伴;符合
the prince consort (= the queen"s husband) 親王（女王的丈夫）
10. formula [ˈfɔ:rmjələ] n.公式，準則;客套話;方案;
Clever exploitation of the latest technology would be a sure formula for success
對最新技術的靈活利用必將帶來成功。
11. justice-seeking adj追求正義的
12. live-streaming實時直播
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，後宮裡的夜景反映了宮廷生活中一些淒涼的現實。太監是荒謬的，只對地位高的妃嬪阿諛諂媚，但其他人也畏懼他。妃子活著只是為了取悅他的主人——皇帝。皇帝是絕對的統治者，皇上聖旨一宣，裡面提到的人，有罪的抑或是無辜的，都會被判入獄、處決或流放，沒有任何恕罪的希望。高貴妃被拒絕後表現出的慢條斯理的傲慢，最終只是故作勇敢、虛張聲勢罷了。她享有特權，備受寵愛，隨時準備傷害那些比她地位低的妃嬪。但是在專制暴政的體系中，她沒有個人權利，她也無法挑戰這個體系的規則。
1. bleak [blik] adj.暗淡的，昏暗的;沒有指望的;
The future looks bleak for the fishing industry.
漁業前景暗淡。
2. ridiculous [rɪˈdɪkjələs] adj.可笑的，荒謬的;荒唐的
It is ridiculous to suggest we are having a romance
暗示我們正在談戀愛的說法真是太荒謬了。
3. obsequious[ɑbˈsikwiəs, əb-] adj.諂媚的;奉承拍馬的，卑躬屈膝的
Barrow was positively obsequious to me until he learnt that I too was the son of a labouring man.巴羅竭力討好我，直到得知我也是工人家庭出身。
4. jail [dʒel] n.監獄;拘留所vt.監禁;拘留
Three prisoners escaped from a jail.
三名囚犯越獄了。
5. execute [ˈɛksɪˌkjut] vt.執行;完成;履行;處死，處決
He was executed for treason.
他因叛國罪被處死。
6. tyranny[ˈtɪrəni] n.暴虐;專橫;暴行
I"m the sole victim of Mother"s tyranny.
我是唯一受母親嚴加管制的人。
7. insolence [ˈɪnsələns] n.傲慢;無禮;傲慢的態度;厚顏
I"ve had enough of your insolence, and I"m having no more.我受夠了你的侮辱，不能再容忍了
8. bravado [brəˈvɑ:doʊ] n.虛張聲勢;冒險;故作勇
an act of sheer bravado純屬逞能的舉動
9. cosset [ˈkɑ:sɪt] vt.寵愛，嬌養，縱容
Our kind of travel is definitely not suitable for people who expect to be cosseted.
我們的這種旅行絕對不適合那些想要受到百般呵護的人。
10. pecking[ˈpɛkɪŋ] n.啄序，任何團體中的長幼強弱次序
He knew his place in the pecking order .他知道自己排老幾。
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.
這些學生明白了一些道理。看著那些無聊、偏執的妃嬪們等著皇上的召見，學生們便會恍然大悟：這是一部職場劇，這些員工的績效考核都不及格。在宮殿的“宿舍”裡，年輕的婢女們在小小的善舉和內訌之間左右為難，她們就像是一家電子廠裡十幾歲的工人。連佩戴珠寶的夫人聽起來也像生活在2018年斥責女兒的母親一般，有一位母親說自己的女兒“沒膽量”，因為她沒有接近乾隆尋求上位機會。
1. paranoid [ˈpærəˌnɔɪd] adj.屬於偏執狂的;患妄想狂的;n.偏執狂患者;妄想症患者
I"m not going to get paranoid about it.我不會對此多心的。
2. penny [ˈpɛni] n.便士;（美國、加拿大的）一分錢;少量的錢
the penny drops終於達到目的了
3. bejewelled [bɪˈdʒuːəld] adj.飾以珠寶的v.飾以珠寶( bejewel的過去式和過去分詞 )
bejewelled women珠光寶氣的女子
4. dowager [ˈdaʊədʒɚ] n.繼承亡夫爵位（或遺產的）遺孀，貴婦
Nobody was allowed to eat in the Empress Dowager"s presence.
在皇帝遺孀面前任何人不得進餐。
5. gutless [ˈɡʌtlɪs] adj.<非正>怯懦的，沒膽量的
By attacking me, by attacking my wife, he has proved himself to be a gutless coward.
他攻擊我，攻擊我的妻子，這正證明他自己是個沒出息的膽小鬼。
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.
早期的電視劇以男性角色為主，觀眾也大部分都是男性。ABD愛夢娛樂（一家觀眾分析公司）的雷明表示，如今看電視劇的觀眾中有70%-80%是女性，而且主要來自較小的城市。他補充說，觀眾通常都是在手機上觀看。他們最喜歡在觀看完後和朋友一起討論。《延禧攻略》中的男主角乾隆是一個嚴厲的獨裁者，覺得管理後宮是一件苦差事，在這部劇裡他有點像是個無足輕重的人。中國的權威人士一直在爭論這部電視劇是一部講述女強人的女權主義故事，還是女性透過順從和取悅專橫男性而上位的逆行傳奇。其實兩者都是。這部劇反映了當今的中國，一個到處都是女強人的“沙文主義”國家。
1. cipher [ˈsaɪfɚ] n.密碼;零;不重要的人;
All important plans were sent to the police in cipher.
所有重要計劃均以密碼送往警方。
2. autocrat[ˈɔtəˌkræt] n.獨裁統治者;獨斷專行的人
Murphy"s powerfully spoken Oedipus is an autocrat of iconic grandeur
墨菲激情演繹的俄狄浦斯王是位聖像般威嚴的獨裁者。
a well known political pundit.著名的政治專家
4. retrograde [ˈrɛtrəˌɡred] adj.向後的;退化的;惡化的;vi.逆行;倒退;退步
The closure of the factory is a retrograde step .
工廠的關閉是一大退步。
5. chauvinist [ˈʃoʊvɪnɪst] n.沙文主義;沙文主義者;本國至上主義
The male chauvinist attitude of some people in the company could get you down.
公司裡一些人的大男子主義作風會讓人不快。
Just trying to make a living
只是想活著
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.獨播《延禧攻略》的愛奇藝公司的首席內容官王曉輝表示，在快速崛起的中國，生活很艱難，到處充滿障礙和焦慮。王先生介紹了當今的主旋律。群眾喜歡這樣的故事：下屬忠誠，善良受到嘉獎，邪惡受到懲罰，努力工作的年輕人可以成功。王先生稱讚劇中的女性具有“獨立精神”，這一點能讓觀眾產生共鳴。局外人可能會注意到，這種精神並不總是尋求改革或改變一個社會，他們只是想取得成功。
1. melody [ˈmɛlədi] n.歌曲;旋律，曲調;
Her voice was full of melody.
她的聲音非常悅耳。
2. subordinate [səˈbɔ:rdɪnət] adj.下級的;次要的;附屬的n.部屬;下級
Haig tended not to seek guidance from subordinates
黑格不願向下屬請教。
3. wickedness [ ˈwɪkɪdnɪs] n.邪惡，惡事，惡毒
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
你喜愛公義，恨惡罪惡；
4. hail [hel] n.冰雹;一陣vi.下冰雹;
a sharp short-lived storm with heavy hail.
一陣短暫的大雹暴
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》中反覆出現的一個主題是，紫禁城是一個規則苛刻的地方，但規則阻止了混亂。既然已經有了150億次的累計下載量，這部劇絕不會是最後一部宮廷劇。
1. cumulative [ˈkju:mjəleɪtɪv] adj.累積的;漸增的;追加的;
The benefits from eating fish are cumulative.
吃魚的好處要長期才能顯現。