I recommend you use Ctrl+F or the search function on whatever device you are on to find what you’re looking for. Terms are listed with Chinese first, the way I’m translating it as, followed by the meaning or what I think it is, and lastly, the chapter where I noted it down. This is partially for me to keep my terms consistent so there’ll be plenty of terms that don’t really need explaining included.
But, if I miss something you think I should add, leave a comment or email me. If you have suggestions or corrections from some of these tentative terms, than definitely email me at [email protected]!
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People:
钱小七 – “Qian Xiao Qi” Main female lead (9)
宋良卓 – “Song Liang Zhuo” Main male lead (9)
绿柳 – “Liu Lu” Xiao Qi’s servant (9)
紫绡 – “Zi Xiao” entered the palace, Liang Zhuo’s lost love? (9)
镇元子 – Master Zhen Yuan is, according to baidu, ‘the ancestor of the immortal’, he grows mandrake fruits (10)
与明轩兄 – “Brother Yu Ming Xuan” (12)
冯妈 – “Auntie Feng” (12)
陆师爷 – “Advisor Lu” (26)
牢王志 – “Lao Wang Zhi” (27)
钱万金 – “Qian Wang Jin” XQ’s ” XQ’s father, 钱老头 Old Man Qian, 錢老爺子 Old Master Qian(27)
孟云非 – “Meng Yun Fei” (29)
孟云非 – “Qian Pan Di” (29)
宋天 – “Song(surname) Tian(sky)” (45)
宋父宋青云 – “Father Song, Song Qingyun” (46)
秋桐 – “Qiu(Autumn) Tong(Tree name/Paulownia)” (49)
付德甲 – “Fu(pay) De(Virtue/goodness) Jia” murderer suspect (50)
皓王爺 – “Hao wang ye” (52)
賢侄 – “Xian(worthy/virtuous) Zhi(nephew)” Lin family, Eldest Young Master (52)
冬梅 – “Dong(winter) Mei(plum)” Servant girl (53)
劉老先生 – “Old Mister Liu(surname)” (55)
小紅 – “Xiao(little) Hong(red)” Common name for people of low birth cause of its simplicity. The maid that carried the tea to Xiaoqi in the tea splashing incident (57)
可香 – “Ke(can/very/certainly) Xiang(fragrant)” Maid that boiled the tea in the tea splashing incident (57)
小山子 – “Xiao(Little) Shan(mountain) Zi(son)” the fat old man’s servant (65)
李巡撫 – “Inspector General Li(plum)” (67)
周滄 – “Zhou(complete/circle) Cang(blue-green/azure)” Guy afraid of dogs? Chen Zigong’s servant (69)
宋瑜 – “Song(surname) Yu(excellence/luster of gems)” Xiaoqi’s second son (71)
宋瑜 – “Song(surname) Yi(abundant/graceful)” Xiaoq’s first son (71)
陸崇光 – “Lu Chong(high/lofty) Guang(light)” Lu Licheng and Lu Liu’s son (72)
劉慕水 – “Liu(surname) Mu(admire) Shui(water)” Liu Hengzhi and Ruoshui’s son (72)
劉思若 – “Liu(surname) Si(think/consider) Ruo(seems like)” Liu Hengzhi and Ruoshui’s daughter’s name (73)
紅葉 – “Hong(red) Ye(leaf)” Ruoshui’s maid (73)
翠柔 – “Cui(green jade) Rou(soft)” Zhao Mo’s maid (75)
趙沫 – “Zhao(to surpass) Mo(foam/suds)” Chen Zigong’s main consort (75)
和和 – “He(and/together with) He” Chen Zigong and Zhao Mo’s daughter? (75)
宋可心 – “Song(surname) Kexin(to one’s liking)” Song Liangzhuo and Xiaoqi’s daughter (76)
Titles/Ways to address someone:
大人 – “da ren” Sir/Madam. A suffix used for an official or a person in authority. (9)
姐姐 – “jie jie” Older sister, can be used to address people not blood related (9)
大老爷 – “da laoye” is pretty much great masters of the house. (10)
儿 – “er” means boy but can when added on to a name is a way of endearment and is gender neutral (11)
内子 – “wife” an old way to refer to wife (12)
王爷 – “wang ye” = Prince/Master, wang by itself meaning something along the lines of king (16)
保正 – “governor” actually the head of a ‘bao’. A ‘bao’ is made of 50 households/families. (20)
妇人 – “Mrs.” in comparison to 夫人 “Madam” they’re homophones and pronounced the same way, but ‘Mrs’ just refers to married woman while ‘Madam’ has more power. It also may be like different time periods and maybe ‘Madam’ is used in harems? I’m not sure. (21)
奶娘 – “nanny” wet nurse (22)
夫人 – “fu ren” madam, way of saying wife, but also refers to their status as mistress of the house. (24)
公子哥 – “gongzi ge”refers to a rich person who only eats, drinks, and play; a child that does not attend to one’s proper duties.(41)
丫头 – “yatou” term usually used to call servant girls, usually derogatory even though it’s sometimes an endearment (45)
親家 – “in-law” a relative by marriage (52)
親家公 – “Sire-in-Law”in-laws family’s father (52)
親家母 – “Madame-in-Law” in-laws family’s mother(57)
老夫 – Pretty much ‘this old man’. It’s used by men past the age of seventy to refer to themselves. (57)
嫂夫人 – “Madam Sister-in-Law” (59)
笨媳婦兒 – “Dumb wifey” (59)
茶博士 – “tea doctor” (60)
娘娘 – “niang niang” = suffix which should only be applied to the empress or imperial concubines, is required to show respect (66)
貴嬪 – “noble imperial concubine” italicized rank/title of concubine (67)
太傅 – ”Grand Master” An office position in ancient China. He is a minister assisting the emperor and is also the teacher of the future emperor. During times of war or when the emperor is too young, they may also manage the country in the emperor’s place The position was destroyed around the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC), but later dynasties implemented it from time to time. (69)
管賬 – “accountant” (73)
Places:
府 – “fu” refers to a residence and the clan that resides there (9)
摩崖寺 – “Mo Ya temple” (10)
书房 – “study” (12)
汝州 – “Ruzhou” Where SLZ is from. (14)
通许 – “Tongxu” where SLZ and QXQ are now (14)
凹头村 – “Concave village” (19)
飘香楼 – “Floating Fragrance House” (20)
水榭 – “Water Pavilion” (23)
阅书阁 – “Perusal Pavilion” (23)
朱砂镇 – “Cinnabar Town” (23)
神龟山 – “Holy Turtle Hill” (28)
丰泽楼 – “Charming Luster House” (36)
温泉晓霁 – “Dawnbreak Hot Springs” (43)
春日桃园 – “Spring Peach Garden” (43)
膳厅 – “dining hall” (46)
西园 – “West Garden” (47)
霓裳坊 – “Rainbow Raiment Boutique” Clothing store(48)
情人泉 – “Lover’s Spring” (49)
雲裳坊 – “Fairy Gown Boutique” (58)
望嵩樓 – “Song View Pavilion” (61)
嵩山 – “Mt. Song” (62)
汝水 – “Ru Tributary” left tributary of the Huai River (62)
豐澤樓 – “Abundant Pool House” (73)
Items:
醒木 – “wooden block” it’s actually a specialized tool in singing and speaking art performances (10)
长袍 – “chang pao” type of robe (10)
令牌 – “Command tablet” Command tablets are usually given out by wealthy families, schools, and the imperial family, basically large organizations with power. Having the command tablet implied that you are a representative of that organization and has the right to wield their influence. (27)
青蒿 – “mugwort” Artemisia carvifolia (32)
青蒿 – “mugwort” Artemisia carvifolia (32)
十七帖 – “Seventeen Inscriptions” Calligraphy scroll Song Qingyun wants(46)
戒尺 – “ferule” (50)
鷓鴣天 – “Partridges in the Sky” Poem about osmanthus flower?(53)
窩窩頭 – “Chinese cornbread” (54)
火折子 – “flint match” (62)
紅肚兜 – “dudou” stomach covers, actual English wiki on it (63)
芳景如故 – “Timeless Fragrant Scene” hairpins (73)
Sayings:
哀其不幸，怒其不争 – “Sorrow at misfortune, anger and regret at backing down” When a person meets with misfortune she feels sorrow, if they don’t stand up and resist, they feel anger from the frustration and regret at backing down. (4)
冰肌玉骨 – “frost fleshed jade bones” This is a chinese expression, used to praise woman’s skin as being bright and clean as jade, figure noble and refined. (10)
淡扫蛾眉 – “simply swept beauty” refers to a simple and elegant makeup style(36)
紅袖添香 – “Push back red sleeves to replenish the light” refers to having a beautiful woman accompany you by your side as you study/read boring literature. In ancient times, every educated person was expected to be able to compose poetry, and often social gathering would involve such contests to display talent. (37)
人見人愛，花見花敗 – “people that see will love, flowers that see will scatter” (45)
抱着破罐子破摔 – ”carrying a broken pot and just dropping it” refers to the fact that a pot has already lost it’s value once it gets damaged so there’s no point keeping it and cherishing it. Just letting it fall and become more damaged is fine. Suggests someone that made a mistake and doesn’t bother to correct it, letting it just go it’s own way. (46)
鱼和熊掌不可兼得 – “then fish and the bear’s paw, you can’t have both at the same time”Mencius metaphorically compares life to a fish and righteousness to the bear paw and chooses the bear paw, showing the belief that righteousness is more important than life just like a bear paw is more precious than a fish. (48)
天人交战 – “internal struggle” Heaven’s law(natural order of things) and selfish desire are conflicting internally (49)
十指連心 – Ten fingers link with heart is a saying refers to the idea that all the little parts of the body have an inseparable relationship with the heart. Figuratively it refers to how relatives share the same interests as yourself. (57)
妄為人父 – “unfit to be a person’s father” (58)
一個頂倆 – “A single can hold up two” (62)
桃花債 – “peach flower debt” When you played with too many girls and they get revenge. For example, when you’re getting married, another girl might show up and demand you marry her (63)
官大一級壓死人 – “An official of one rank higher would pressure one to death” refers to the fact that your superior who’s only of slightly higher rank than you pays more closely to your actions because it directly affects them. Someone whose rank is much higher than yours would not take the time to monitor you closely (68)
雞皮鶴髮 – “chicken skin and crane feathered” wrinkled skin and white hair (70)
水至清则无鱼, 人至察则无徒 – “Water of utmost purity have no fish, people with highest standards lack disciples” don’t hold too severe of demands towards people, otherwise you won’t have friends (70)
觀棋不語真君子，起手無回大丈夫 – “True noblemen speak not while watching chess, Men of character do not return after lifting their hand.”
Those watching chess should watch silently and not try to influence the people playing chess. If the people watching keep conversing, they would disrupt the player’s thinking. Once your hand leaves the chess piece, you can’t regret. This is one of the most fundamental parts of chess. It’s also warning people that you must think things through when doing things. (71)
见者有份, 听者有份 – “See-er’s have a share, hearer’s have a share”
Hearer’s have a share. If you see it/ hear it, then you have a share. Usually used for getting a benefit from something. For example, you invite someone to eat and say ‘I’ll treat you to lunch this afternoon’. The person next to you could say ‘hearer’s have a share ah’ meaning that you also have to treat him. (72)
人比人，氣死人 – “Comparing oneself to another, drop dead from anger” (73)
颠鸾倒凤 – “the luan above topples the phoenix” The luan is a mythical bird related to a phoenix, couldn’t find any mentions of it elsewhere and is mostly just used in this particular saying that refers to sexual intercourse and sometimes, more explicitly, the 69 position… (73)
妖精打架 – “evil spirits fighting” In a certain book I think, ‘A Dream of Red Mansions’, a dumb Miss picked up an embroidered handkerchief. On the handkerchief was the image of two people making love. Since she was too young to understand and a bit dumb, she thought it was two evil spirits fighting. That’s how the saying was born. (73)
三生三世 – “three births, three lifetimes”There actually isn’t this saying. The actual saying is ‘one birth, one lifetime’ means to be together forever. In regards to ‘three lifetimes’, Buddhism says that humans have three lifetimes: the past incarnation, this life, and the next life. Three births come from the common saying ‘the blessing of three lifetimes’. In all the saying basically means to be together forever. (74)
陈谷子烂芝麻 – “stale grain, overcooked sesame” old fashioned insignificant or unrelated to the main thing (74)
有花堪折直須折，莫待無花空折枝 – “When flowers can break, then you must break. Do not wait to break an empty flowerless branch.” The elaborated meaning is that you should pick flowers while they’re in bloom rather than waiting for them to wither. The implied meaning is that things don’t last forever, you should take advantage and seize the time you have now. (74)
Poems:
洛浦疑回雪，巫山似旦雲。
傾城今始見，傾國昔曾聞。
美艷隨羞合，丹唇逐笑分。
風捲葡萄帶，日照石榴裙。
“The river banks of Luo doubts in reply to snow*, the Wushan was like dawn clouds.
Collapse of the state can be seen at present*, collapse of the nation was once heard*.
Charming eyes with bashfulness lower, red lips with smiles part.
Wind sweeps and lifts said belt*, sun shines on pomegranate dress.”
1 Describes the girl to be like the Nymph of the Luo River and have skin that triumphs over the purity of snow, and likens her to the Goddess of Wushan, to be even more spirited and beautiful than the dawn clouds
2 Hearing one laugh from her is enough to ruin and overturn the state, another laugh could collapse the nation. Poem questions how to obtain such fortune in order to be able to personally experience this oneself*
3 Embarrassed from seeing someone coming, her eyes are filled with wandering ripples as she lowers her gaze. Lightly parting her vermilion lips, her dimpled smile dazzles.
4 A light breeze gently sweeps and the jade belt lightly dance in the wind. The brilliant sunlight bathes the slim and graceful figure in the red dress. (4)
清風搖翠環，涼露滴蒼玉。美人胡不紉，幽香藹空谷。 – “Cool breeze sway emerald green rings, cold dewdrops deep green as jade. Beautiful lady, why not thread? Delicate fragrance fill valley and sky.” The orchid’s jade green leaves lightly sway like jade pendant rings in the cool breeze with ice-cold dewdrops condensed on the pale turquoise petals. Such a beautiful flower, how could there be a beautiful woman that doesn’t want to thread its beauty to herself? A beautiful woman’s moral character is just like the delicate fragrance of orchids, diffusing through the air and filling the atmosphere. (54)
暗淡輕黃體性柔，情疏跡遠只香留。何須淺碧深紅色，自是花中第一流。梅定妒，菊應羞。畫欄開處冠中秋。騷人可煞無情思，何事當年不見收。”Dark light soft yellow its disposition gentle, feeling traces flow freely far with fragrance its sole reminisce. What need for shallow jade or deep crimson rogue, as naturally it is the best of flowers. Plums will certainly envy, chrysanthemums shall feel shamed. Painted banister blooms crowned of autumn. Question sorrowful person’s lack of feelings, why that year was this not collected. ”
1 I made a mistake, ‘Partridges Sky’(鷓鴣天) is apparently a poem format? I still don’t quite understand it completely but it has something to do with the stressed and unstressed syllables and number of total words. It’s said that the name came from a famous verse by Tang Zhengyu in that format, the verse being ‘Spring Outing to Fowl Deer Passing, Home is at Partridge Sky’.(春遊雞鹿塞，家在鷓鴣天) Fowl Deer Passing is apparently an actual location in ancient China.
2 (暗淡輕黃體性柔)The rest of the stuff is the actual title (I think?) and the first line of the poem as well. ‘Dark Light Soft Yellow’ described the colors of osmanthus flowers which are dark yellow, light yellow and soft yellow. ‘Disposition Gentle’ points to its delicate constitution and sweet-tempered nature.
3 (何須淺碧深紅色，自是花中第一流) ‘What need for shallow jade or deep crimson rogue, as naturally it is the best of flowers‘ Osmanthus flowers don’t need to use light green or red shades to show off it’s beauty as it is from the start the ultimate ideal flower.
3 ‘flow freely far’ refers to the fact that osmanthus trees often grows in the deep mountains, so they’re not seen but rather their fragrance is smelled.
4 ‘Painted banister’ comes from a song by Tang Lihe which says ‘off the painted banister of osmanthus trees hangs autumn’s fragrance’ , pointing to osmanthus flowers as the number one flower of the autumn. ‘Crowned’ means number one.
5 Sorrowful person points to Qu Yuan, the author of the poem “Sorrow at Parting”
6 Last sentence of the poem criticizes Qu Yuan for not having enough appreciation of beauty as Sorrow at Parting records a lot of flowers but osmanthus flowers was left out. (54) (55)
《诉衷情·花前月下暂相逢》
他一定是在她哭的時候偷偷和那個壞青梅花前月下暫相逢，苦恨阻從容。何況酒醒夢斷，花謝月朦朧。
《Lament of Inner Emotions Fleeting Meeting Beneath the Moon Before Flowers》
fleeting meeting with that bad green plum beneath the moon before the flowers while she was crying and bitterly lamenting the obstructions in their paths. What’s more, in sobering the dream breaks, the flowers wither in the hazy moon.
The complete paraphrase of the poem is that two lovers meet beneath in moon with flowers around at night, but much too soon the meeting had to end so they felt hatred towards those that hinder their love. After sobering up, the beautiful dream ends, the flowers wither, and the moonlight also seems to lose a bit of its splendor. Flowers bloom without withering, the moon will also rise again, and our feelings would also be the same forever. At this moment, how I wish I was the leaves of the willow tree, that way I could always accompany the spring wind. (56)
Other terms:
哦 – ‘oh’ The character for ‘oh’() actually has 4 pronunciations, one of them actually more like ‘errr’. But o2 indicates doubt or surprise. O4 indicates that one has just learned sth and another o that has no emphasized lift or down is added to end of sentences to give a more friendly and informal tone. It’s also added to the end of sentences when you’re enlightening the other person on something they didn’t know. (2)
燒雞 – “roasted chicken” (8)
鹵雞爪 – “braised chicken feet” (8)
嗯 – ‘en’ is sound of affirmation, agreement, etc (9)
酉时 – “you shi” is an ancient measurement of time. It’s about 5-7pm (10)
评书 – “pingshu” is a folk art where a single performer narrates stories from history or fiction (11)
不带打人的 – “Don’t hit me” basically (12)
绿柳歉意的冲桌边的几位行了礼 – “Lu Liu apologetically courtesied” (17)
石料场 – “Stone processing mill” (23)
嘛 – Mah is a modal particle that’s used to indicate when something is obvious, or for emphasis. (37)
歡樹 – “joyous tree” deciduous tree (43)
哎哟 – “Aiyo” Interjection of pain or surprise(45)
贤惠儿媳养成计划表 – “Plan Outline to Cultivate a Virtuous Daughter-in-Law” (49)
平針 – “running stitch” (54)
八字 – Eight Characters (of birthtime, more info here https://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/astrology/four-pillar.htm) (56)
無厘頭 – “mo lei tau” (italicize) genre of humor emerging from Hong Kong late in the 20th century (60)
宋良卓與錢小七感情破裂，是假不錯；
商談和離，未果不真！
附：要趕緊來通許找我細談哦，我在咱家院子裡等你！
“Song Liang Zhuo and Qian Xiao Qi’s emotional relationship has broken, is false, that’s right;
Discussing divorce, will fail, not necessarily!
PS: Hurry and come to find me in Tongxu so we can talk in detail about it, ok? I’ll be waiting for you in our family’s courtyard!”
(31) (65)
上刑 – “Proceed with discipline!” (68)
大同 – ”Great Community” Neo-Confucian ideology’s perfect society. Believes that everything should be collectively owned in society and the elderly, the robust, the young and the disabled should all have their own places in the society. (68)
氏 – “clan name” surname = main, clan name = subdivision branch. Can be used interchangeably (70)
桃花一簇開無主，可愛深紅愛淺紅？ – “At the very start peach flowers blossom without a master, but should one love the deep red or the light red? (72)
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