please sit down; please have a seat
living room (Western style); sitting room
kitchen; financial situation
multi-use; combined use; combination; serving two purposes
tea (usu. green); tea break (at work); tea ceremony
chief; main; principal; major
production output; number of goods manufactured
charcoal; charred remains
oil; petroleum; kerosene; paraffin
to supplant; to supersede; to replace; to take the place of
years gone by; earlier years; former years; the past
energy; vigour; vigor; liveliness; spirit; life
to go to ruin; to go under; to fall; to be destroyed; to die out; to become extinct
generation; lifetime; age
a blink of time; (lit.) the time it takes to say "Ah!"
literally; to the letter; literal
marriage of convenience; marriage for political reasons
to scheme; to plan; to play a trick; to invent; to conspire; to frame up
to make good one's escape; to get away; to outrun; to hold on (and win); to win narrowly
final selection (e.g. of applicants); final screening; shortlisting
congratulations; felicitations; best wishes; longevity; long life
one's heart; one's feelings; one's inner thoughts; one's mind
stinginess; miserliness; shabby; cheap; petty; narrow-minded
to go smoothly; to turn out well; to do the trick; to have peaceful relations
decline; degeneration; decay; waning; ebbing
absorption; giving undivided attention; devoting oneself (to)
coarse, low-grade tea; tea (often used when offering someone a cup)
to worry about (someone's welfare or comfort); to feel anxious about; to have apprehensions of
present (brought by a visitor); gift
please; kindly; I beg of you; by all means; without fail
pardon; forgiveness; forbearance
to be opposite; to face each other
it does not mean that ...; I don't mean that ...; it is not the case that...