First Episode 61: 我是一棵小草

A part of the Grand First Episode Project -- See this thread for more info.

Emule - Sohu - 56.com

Title: 我是一棵小草

Genre: Drama

Episode length: 40 minutes

Number of episodes: 43

Link: Emule - 我是一棵小草 at Sohu - 我是一棵小草 at 56.com

岳峰 leaves home to go to college. While at college, a romantic relationship develops between him and 杜娟. She gets pregnant, and they plan to get married. However, 岳峰 must go back home and tie up some lose ends. Among other things, the sleazebag must break up with his other girlfriend 小草, who has been waiting at home for him for 4 years, working as a taxi driver to support him financially through his studies.

岳峰 gets back home, but finds himself suffering from dizzy spells of increasing intensity. As he is about to lay everything in the open with 小草, he suddenly faints, only to wake up in a hospital. The doctor has a difficult message for the family.

The drama unfolds from there.

Edited February 17, 2010 at 04:16 PM by renzhe

Vocabulary list for episode 1:

The timestamps are for the episodes at 56.com

Spoiler alert: The vocab list might clue you in to important events in the plot

Characters:

小草 Xiǎo Cǎo

岳峰 Yuè Fēng

梅梅 Méimei

0:00 - 小草 on the road:

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冒烟 - mào yān - emit/produce/give off smoke

举手之劳 - jǔshǒuzhīláo - it's nothing/no trouble at all/takes very little effort

1:25 - At the airport:

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脸色 - liǎnsè - complection/look

家伙 - jiāhuo - guy/bloke/man

缺心少肺 - quēxīnshǎofèi - brainless

胡乱 - húluàn - carelessly/at random

嫂子 - sǎozi - sister-in-law (older brother's wife)

背(某人) - bèi (mǒurén) - carry (someone) on your back/give (someone) a piggyback ride

不像话 - bù xiànghuà - unreasonable/shocking/outrageous

3:42 - Back home

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贵重 - guìzhòng - valuable

幸亏 - xìngkuī- luckily

顺利 - shùnlì - smoothly/without any problems

学业 - xuéyè - studies

课余 - kèyú - after school

收下 - shōuxia - accept/receive

过意不去 - guòyìbùqù - feel sorry

平时 - píngshí - normally/ordinarily/usually

大方 - dàfang - generous

考虑 - kǎolǜ - think over/consider

5:37 - Phone call

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消息 - xiāoxi - news/information

话梅 - huàméi - prune

抽屉 - chōuti - drawer

为难 - wéinán - embarassed/be in an awkward situation

6:50 - 小草 and 岳峰

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报答 - bàodá - repay

你又来了 - nǐ yòu lái le - "Oh boy, here we go again"

通知书 - tōngzhīshū - information letter

围 - wéi - all around

屋子 - wūzi - room

转呀转呀 - zhuǎnyazhuǎnya - whirl around

脏活累活 - zāng huó lèi huó - dirty work

重活 - zhòng huó - heavy work

打心眼里 - dǎ xīnyǎn lǐ - deep in your heart

婆婆妈妈 - pópomāmā - sissy, sentimental

8:57 - At the hospital

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晕倒 - yūndǎo - faint

导致 - dǎozhì - cause

晕厥 - yūnjué - faint

全面 - quánmiàn - comprehensive

检查 - jiǎnchá - examination/check

住院 - zhùyuàn - hospitalization

手续 - shǒuxù - procedure/formalities

单子 - dānzi - form

开单子 - kāi dānzi - write out/make a form

性子 - xìngzi - temper/disposition

急 - jí - anxious/in a hurry

费 - fèi - cost

10:19 - The phone is ringing...

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要不是... - yàobushì - if it were not for...

干脆 - gāncuì - clear-cut/straight forward/"just do it"

...得了 - ...déle - "... and be done with it"

偷偷摸摸 - tōutōumōmō - secretive/furtive

开不了口 - kāibuliǎokǒu- be unable to say anything

畜牲 - chùsheng - beast

追求 - zhuīqiú - seek/pursue

幸福 - xìngfū - happiness

方程式 - fāngchéngshì - equation/formula

谈方程式 - tán fāngchéngshì - "break it down mathematically"

自知之明 - zìzhīzhīmíng - to know oneself

欠(某人) - qiàn (mǒurén) - to owe (someone)

补偿 - bǔcháng - compensate/make up for a loss

拖 - tuō - hold on to

闹起来 - nào qǐlai - getting trouble/create an uproar

答应 - dāying - promise

13:52 - 小草 and 岳峰 again

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商量 - shāngliang - consult/talk over

毕业 - bìyè - graduate

偶尔 - ǒuěr - occasionally

大不了 - dàbuliǎo - alarming/serious

例假 - lìjià - menstruation/period

中暑 - zhòngshǔ - heatstroke

没心没肺 - méixīnméifèi - thoughtless/inattentive (same as 缺心少肺)

16:23 - Getting the test results

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出院 - chūyuàn - leave the hospital

护士 - hùshi - nurse

家属 - jiāshǔ - family members/dependents

淋 - lín - pour/drench

瘤 - liú - tumor

治不好 - zhìbuhǎo - cannot be cured

脑瘤 - nǎoliú - brain tumor

(把某事)弄混 - (bǎ mǒushì) nònghún - get (something) mixed up (dates, facts...)

输液 - shūyè - receive an intravenous infusion (I.V.)

生病 - shēngbìng - fall ill

敏感 - mǐngǎn - sensitive

忍 - rěn - endure/tolerate

放学 - fàngxué - finish classes

流氓 - liúmáng - bully

搂 - lǒu - hug/embrace

疤 - bā - scar

男子汉 - nánzǐhàn - a real man

手术 - shǒushù - surgery

顶多 - dǐngduō - at most

23:20 - 岳峰 gets to know

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效率 - xiàolǜ - efficiency

值班室 - zhíbānshì - security post

扇 - shàn - m.w. for 窗户 window

推荐 - tuījiàn - recommend

嫉妒 - jídù - be jealous of/envy

羡慕 - xiànmù - envy/admire

天分 - tiānfèn - natural gift/talent

天生 - tiānshēng - inborn/innate

计划 - jìhuà - plan

做到 - zuòdào - accomplish/achieve

经理 - jīnglǐ - manager

高薪 - gāoxīn - high salary

聘 - pìn - engage/invite

辞职 - cízhí - resign

开发 - kāifā - develop

软件 - ruǎnjiàn - software

永远 - yǒngyuǎn - always/ever

实现 - shíxiàn - realize/bring about/achieve

扛过去 - káng guòqù - stand/bear/tolerate/get through

化验单 - huàyàndān - laboratory test report

撕碎 - sīsuì - tear to shreds

愣 - lèng - be stupefied

收拾 - shōushi - tidy/clear up

开刀 - kāidāo - perform/have an operation

药物 - yàowù - medicines

抑制 - yìzhì - restrain/control/inhibit

生长 - shēngzhǎng - growth

兵来将挡水来土淹 - bīng lái jiāng dǎng shuǐ lái tǔ yān - "there is always a counter-measure"

凡事 - fánshì - everything

犯病 - fànbìng - have a relapse

老天爷 - lǎotiānyé - god, heavens

惩罚 - chéngfá - punish

拖累(某人) - tuōlěi (mǒurén) - be a burden (on someone)

凶 - xiōng - angry, difficult

拖不垮 - tuō bu kuǎ - cannot break (someone)

凭什么 - 凭什么 - píng shénme - for what reason/why- for what reason/why

打掉孩子 - dǎdiào háizi - get an abortion ("knock the baby out")

绝情 - juéqíng - heartless/cruel

劝 - quàn - persuade

结束 - jiéshù - end/conclude/close

乖乖 - guāiguāi - obedient/well-behaved

设想 - shèxiǎng - imagine

娶(某人) - qǔ (mǒurén) - marry (someone)

Edited September 6, 2009 at 08:59 PM by daofeishi

After having finished watching the whole series (43 episodes in total), I have to say this has been a very respectable drama. Except for the fact that is sometimes seems like the director learned his profession off of tv-tropes, the story line never gets stuck in cliches and there is a strong psychological component to the series that really got me hooked after 6-7 episodes.

I'd recommend the series because of

- an interesting plot (who cares if it isn't plausible ) and complex characters

- easy-to-understand language (intermediate-ish)

- bits and pieces of specialized medical vocab that will seep in through osmosis (and might save your life some day)

- exposure to differences in speech between social groups

- good actors, generally speaking (perhaps with the exception of 刘水's mother, whose emotional spectrum seems to be controlled by a single nasty-nice switch)

- great names like 小草，岳峰，刘水, ...

- the most goo-free and implausible birth scene in all of TV history

I've compiled a vocab list for the whole show. I'll post it if anyone's interested.

Edit: The series is also available on YouTube now

Edited January 14, 2010 at 11:40 PM by daofeishi

daofeishi - Congrats on finishing the show and great work on the posts above.

Gave the first episode a watch and it seems like it could be a quality enough show. Although I was a little amazed at how cliche 岳峰's ailment was. 小草 is a very likable character. I am curious whether she remains so darn good natured through the rest of the series. I'll keep this one in mind if I get in the mood for some good drama/soap opera.

(Here's the emule link I used if you want to add it your first post)

Sorry for not noticing sooner, but:

I've compiled a vocab list for the whole show. I'll post it if anyone's interested.

Yes, definitely!