Lust,Caution The film's story

[Eri]

You can read "Plot Summary" of the film here.
(More details seem to be added to the original short story.)

Please do not read if you don't want to know the story in advance.

http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=15214

[Eri]

Lust, Caution: The Story, the Screenplay, and the Making of the Film (Hardcover)

http://www.amazon.com/Lust-Caution-Story-Screenplay-Making/dp/0375425241/ref=sr_1_2/105-9555587-4342841?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184422932&sr=1-2

This book was delivered today.
This contained the original story, the film's script and comments by staffs involved.
So interesting I read all at once.
The original story is simple and minimum and the script was to make this story more visual. Very well done.

According to the preface by Ang Lee, it should be more interesting, if you understand Chinese because some of the words used had the same sounds and tones but 2 different meanings and both can be used. A kind of twist of words which is difficult to understand for non-Chinese speakers. (It must be very hard to explain this with subtitiles.)

Anyway, I am not a Chinese speaker but still the story of the film is very interesting, specially Love and Hate feelings between Mr.Yee and Miss Wong (Mrs. Mak). Also you can find out very special world Shanghai was at the time.

[Eri]

Could anyone let me know how to write "tiger's ghost" in Chinese ?
I cannot speak Chinese myself but I can read and understand the meaning.

I would like to know this because Ang Lee wrote "Chinese phrase [wei fu zuo chung] was often used to refer to the Chinese who collaborated with Japanese occupiers during the war", also "Interestingly, the word for tiger's ghost sounds exactly like the word for a prostitute" and "Yee refers himself with this word. He is both their whore and their [Chung]. But it also means he knows he is already a dead man."

But the translation of this part (in the Japanese tavern) in English is only;

Ms Wong: I know why you brought me here.

Yee: Why?

Ms Wong: You want me to be your whore.

Yee: Whore ? (laughs) It is I who was brought here ....So you see, I know better than you how to be a whore.

I think this word "tiger's ghost" is more complicated than this English translation, and I would like to know this phrase in Chinese.

This explained Mr. Yee became a traitor for getting the power and financial support from Japanese, and he knew that he should continue to be "tiger's ghost" till the end. (And Ms.Wong might have some sympathy for Mr.Yee when she heard this word.)

[Eri]

I asked a Chinese friend of mine about "tiger's ghost" or "fu chung".

It means someone who make others sacrificed to get your own benefit.

This is from old Chinese saying that the person who was killed by a tiger is willing to help this tiger to get more people to be killed (as a ghost) to get himself another life (of reincarnation).

So this scene shows Mr. Yee's irretrievable sorrowful state that he has no choice but have to work as a collaborator to Japanese, even though he knows he is just used by them and Japanese are losing this war soon.

As Ang Lee mentioned, this word's pronunciation is the same as another word means a prostitute which is the word she said at first.

[light]

Hi, Eri

I think the "tiger's ghost" is phrase "为虎作伥".

It's difficult to translate it into English...

[Eri]

Hello light

Thanks for writing the word.

What I heard from a Chinese friend was the same as yours and about meaning;

"¬°ªê§@­Î" (wei fu zuo chung) means someone who makes other people sacrificed for getting benefit for himself.

This is from old Chinese saying that the person who was killed by a tiger is willing to help this tiger to get more people to be killed (as a ghost) to get himself another life (of reincarnation).

Also, call this kind of person "ªê­Î". (fu chung)

Is my understanding right ?

[nancix**]

Hello,Eri:
为虎作伥_百度百科
http://baike.baidu.com/view/45856.htm

【解 释】 旧时迷信，认为被老虎咬死的人，他的鬼魂又帮助老虎伤人，称为伥鬼。比喻帮助恶人作恶，干坏事。 Old times blindly believed in that, thought bites to death by the tiger the person, his ghost helps the tiger to offend somebody, is called 伥鬼. The analogy helps the evil person to do evil, does the misdemeanor
【出 处】 孙中山《革命原起》：“有保皇党发生，为虎作伥，其反对革命，反对共和。” Has the Populist Party to occur, helps an evildoer do evil, it opposes to revolutionize, opposition republican.

【用 法】 偏正式；作谓语、定语；含贬义
【示 例】 邹韬奋《我们的灯塔》：“但同时不要忘却～的封建残余的势力。”
【近义词】 为虎添翼、助纣为虐
【反义词】 为民除害

【传 说】相传虎啮人死，死者不敢他适，辄隶事虎。名为伥鬼。伥为虎前导，途遇暗机伏陷，则迁道往。人遇虎，衣带自解，皆伥所为。虎见人 伥而后食之。 Hands down the tiger to gnaw the person to die, dead does not dare him to be suitable, always Magistrate matter tiger. Named 伥鬼. 伥 is the tiger leader, 途遇 is dark machine bends down falls, then moves toward. The person meets the tiger, the clothes belt from the solution, all 伥 behavior. After the tiger sees the person 伥 but food it.

【典 故】从前，在某一个地方的一个山洞里，住着一只凶猛无比的老虎。有一天，它因为没有食物充饥，觉得非常难过。于是，它走出山洞，到附近的山野里去猎取食物。正在这时候，老虎看到山腰的不远处有一个人正蹒珊地走来，便猛扑过去，把那个人咬死，把他的肉吃光。但是老虎还不满足，它抓住那个人的鬼魂不放，非让它再找一个人供它享用不可，不然，它就不让那人的鬼魂获得自由。那个被老虎捉住的鬼魂居然同意了。于是，他就给老虎当向导，找呀找的，终于遇到第二个人了。 这时，那个鬼魂为了自己早日得到解脱，竟然帮助老虎行凶。他先过去迷惑新遇到的人，然后把那人的带子解开，衣服脱掉，好让老虎吃起来更方便。这个帮助老虎吃人的鬼魂，便叫做伥鬼。后人根据这一传说，把帮助坏人做伤天害理的事情，称“为虎作伥”。 出处《正字通·听雨记谈》

Japanese said too, "Unless you enter the tiger's den, you cannot steal her cubs.(Nought venture, nought have [win].)" Is this word related to"为虎作伥"?
_________________
From Hongkong with Love

[Eri]

Thanks nancix,

(I have to write in English here, even though we are both Japanese. )

I think the meaning is more or less the same.
And I think this word is still used for a government employee should have been working for public but charged with bribery.

I think Japanese saying
"Unless you enter the tiger's den, you cannot steal her cubs." is a little different. This means "If you want to do something, you have to be brave",
and nothing to do with sacrificing other people for a selfish reason.

Anyway for our Tiger,
How about "¬°ªê§@¥¿¡¨ (wei fu zho zheng) ?