Vocabulary

splitting the bill so that the others end up paying the whole amount; wheedling the others into paying the whole bill

everlasting; eternal; immortal; imperishable; undying

devoting one's body and soul to Buddhist teachings; unsparing devotion to Buddhism

perpetual youth and longevity

very insolent; extremely audacious; reprehensible

transmission of the secrets of an art, craft, trade or learning from father to son

corruption of public morals; an offense against public morality

taking delight in elegant pursuits; being absorbed in such elegant cultural pursuits as poetry, painting and calligraphy

complex and wide-ranging; labyrinthine

complex and multifarious

tumultuous public discussion; noisy public criticism

burning books on the Chinese classics and burying Confucian scholars alive (Qin dynasty thought suppression campaign)

making strenuous efforts; exerting oneself

Dutch treat; going Dutch

being at a complete loss as to what to do; being at one's wit's end; being at a loss for an answer

few words; single phrase

conservatives and reformists being neck and neck; balanced conservative and progressive strengths

being absorbed in self-indulgent pleasures; giving oneself up to debauchery and dissipation

being dissolute and unruly; ruining oneself by leading a fast life

bumper crops; year of a full rice harvest

having free time to spare in the midst of busyness; leisure in the intervals of one's work

violent and cruel; tyrannical and atrocious

sore loser who stubbornly refuses to admit being wrong

eternally unchanging

advancing in the face of death; having a narrow escape from the jaw of death

everything; all things; all affairs; all matters

one red flower standing out in a sea of green vegetation; one item of quality standing out among many; one woman among many men

fulfilment of a vow; one's earnest prayer being answered

saying whatever one feels; speaking at random; making careless remarks; rambling talk

having no special rank or title

abandoning artifice and just being oneself; doing nothing and taking things as they come

idle and incompetent; accomplishing nothing significant nor being capable of doing so; lacking the talent to do anything but idle away one's time

sound health

self-contradiction

restoring one's impaired reputation; regaining one's honor; redeeming oneself

restoring one's impaired reputation; regaining one's honor; redeeming oneself

dustless desk by a well-lit window; well-lit and clean study conducive to learning

great nuisance; extremely annoying; quite embarrassing

pretending to obey someone to his face but badmouthing him behind his back

undergoing a complete change in appearance; changing something out of all recognition; a rise in one's reputation