Vocabulary

scattering of the blossoms and falling of the leaves; the impermanence of worldly things

casting a coquettish glance (at a man)

very mean (sneaky); extremely unsportsmanlike

every day and every night; day after day; daily

shallow and unwise; superficial and thoughtless

troubles brought on by what one has written; incident occasioned by a serious slip of the pen

certain victory; sure victory; invincibility

as necessary (needed); if necessary (needed)

frame by frame; every frame

campaign to prevent a public construction work by acquiring a minuscule tract of land

dual role (in a film, play, etc.); double role

(engaging in a round of) mutual criticism; repeated attacks on each other

elements deserving criticism; material used to criticize someone (something)

slander; calumny; defamation; libel; abuse

delicacies; epicurean dishes

indefatigability; indomitableness

perfect score; full marks; perfection; leaving nothing to be desired

very short-lived regime; very brief reign; (Napoleon's post-Elba) Hundred Days

all expenses

as fierce and nimble as any; daring and agile without equal

tragic love story; tale of tragic love

tending to anemia; being somewhat anemic

piggybacking marketing; method of making sales by jumping on a bandwagon (like that of a boom, popularity, disaster, etc.)

rich and poor, high and low; people of all ranks

cause for concern; reasons for uneasiness

wealth, rank, and arrogant splendor

getting frightened even by a slight noise; hearing the enemy in every leaf that rustles; being afraid of one's own shadow

(of the) genre painting style; (of the) style of painting that depicts people's customs and manners; (of the) type of painting that denotes the life of ordinary people

manners and customs; customs and habits

offense against public morals; morals offense; vice crime

climate and natural features (of a region)

adopting a married couple; married couple adopted into the family

elegant appreciation of nature through artistic pursuits such as poetry, painting and calligraphy

an impossibility

free and independent

adultery; infidelity

looking up and down, from heaven to earth (having nothing to be ashamed of); swearing by Heaven and Earth (having done nothing to be ashamed of)

one's dark days; the period during which one suffered misfortune and obscurity

complex and mysterious (bizarre); complicated and inscrutable

complex and subtle (delicate)