to have an audience; to meet; to face (an enemy); to confront; to serve (esp. as one's wife)
to act up (machine); to go out of tune (instrument); to not work right; to be knocked off stride; to lose one's bearings; to lose one's presence of mind
cruelty; hard-heartedness
difficult to ...; hard to ...
to stay indoors; to be confined indoors
errand; mission; messenger; bearer; familiar spirit
actually; really; truly; in practice; practically
civil administration; civil government; politics focused on the promotion of public welfare
another time; again; over again; formally; especially; intentionally
to get torn; to tear; to rip; to be broken off (of negotiations, etc.); to break down; to collapse
already; now; no longer; not any more
ordinary; run-of-the-mill; usual
stagnation; deposit; sediment; faltering; hesitation; pause
really (seem, appear, etc.); truly; evidently; in that way
to catch; to capture; to grasp (e.g. meaning); to perceive; to captivate; to move (one's heart)
target; object (of worship, study, etc.); subject (of taxation, etc.)
to envision how things will turn out (usu. unfortunate); to have foresight; to be able to see the future
to strike against; to collide with; to encounter; to meet; to clash
inevitable; necessary; certain; inevitability; necessity
chance to win; opportunity to win; chance of victory
to incline toward; to slant; to lurch; to go down (sun); to wane; to sink
feudal lord; (arch.) mansion; (arch.) palace
very improbable; vanishingly unlikely; only with a miracle
he; she; that person; (arch.) you
origin; source; base; basis; cause; ingredient; material
Yangtze River; Changjiang River
slowly (but steadily); gradually; bit-by-bit; slowly soaking in; slowly permeating; oozing out
to apply pressure (on); to bring pressure upon; to lean on
disintegration; self-destruction
to enlist as a supporter; to win over to one's side; to gain as one's ally
to approach; to draw near; to get close; to get acquainted with; to get closer to; to get to know
stimulus; impetus; incentive; encouragement; motivation; provocation
correspondence (to); equivalence; suitability; coordination; dealing with; coping with
weight (e.g. paperweight); pressing down; keeping control; exercising authority; having self-control; exercising self-discipline
goods; materials; commodities; resources; supplies
condition; term; requirement; qualification; prerequisite
to mind; to care about; to be an issue; to matter; to keep company; to care for; to interfere with
to wipe; to mop up; to get rid of (an impression, feeling, blemish, etc.); to dispel (e.g. shame); to erase
holding a castle (during a siege); holing up; confinement (to one's home); staying at home; staying indoors
with ... as a start; taking advantage of; inspired by