L

Lan2dan1 jiang4!

• Simplified characters: 阑殚酱！ / Traditional characters: 闌殫醬！
• Back-translation of Mandarin: Worn-out sauce!
• Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): LAN-dan JIANG!
• Translated from script English: Weak-ass sauce!
• Context: “Heart of Gold” [Cut], Mal, referring to his fancy drink

lan2dan1

tired and exhausted

1. lan2 [used only in compound words]: declining (in vigor), exhausted
2. dan1 [used only in compound words]: to exhaust, [Literary Chinese] = jin4 尽 (traditional: 盡 ): [vernacular Mandarin] to give all one has (to an activity)

jiang4

a thick sauce, a paste

Lao3peng2you5, ni3 kan4 qi5lai5 hen3 you3 jing1shen5.

• Simplified characters: 老朋友，你看起来很有精神。 / Traditional characters: 老朋友，你看起來很有精神。
• Back-translation of Mandarin: Old friend, you look full of vitality.
• Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Lao pung yo, nee can chi lai hun yo jing shen.
• Translated from script English: You're looking wonderful, old friend.
• Context: “Shindig,” Inara, to elderly man at ball

lao3peng2you5

an old friend

1. lao3: to be old
2. peng2you5: a friend
   1. peng2 [used only in compound words]: a friend
   2. you3 [used only in compound words]: a friend

ni3

you (singular)

kan4 qi5lai5

it looks as if, it seems

1. kan4: to look at, to see
2. qi3lai5: [verb/adjective complement for an action that began and continues]
   1. qi3: to begin
   2. lai2: to do

hen3 you3 jing1shen5

to be full of vitality

1. hen3: very much
2. you3: to have, there is
3. jing1shen5: vigor, vitality
   1. jing1 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: energy, spirit
   2. shen2 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: energy, vitality

Lao3tian1, bu4.

• Simplified/Traditional characters: 老天，不。
• Back-translation of Mandarin: Oh God, no.
• Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Lao-tyen, boo.
• Translated from script English: Oh, god, no.
• Context: “Safe,” Wash, upon seeing Book’s gunshot wound

lao3tian1

Heaven (personified), God; [colloquial] Oh God!

1. lao3: [prefix to show respect to someone]; [literally: to be old]
2. tian1: heaven, God

bu4

no

Lao3tian1ye2.

• Simplified characters: 老天爷。 / Traditional characters: 老天爺。
• Back-translation of Mandarin: Oh God.
• Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Lao TYEN yeh. [In unpublished version of script]
• Translated from script English: Jesus. [In unpublished version of script]
• Context: “Ariel” [Cut], Simon, upon learning River’s limbic system was stripped (changed to specifically her amygdala)

lao3tian1ye2

[colloquial] Oh God!, Good heavens!

1. lao3tian1: Heaven (personified), God; [colloquial] Oh God!
   1. lao3: [prefix to show respect to someone]; [literally: to be old]
   2. tian1: heaven, God
2. ye2 [used only in compound words]: a grandfather

le4se4

• Simplified/Traditional characters: 垃圾
• Back-translation of Mandarin: garbage
• 1. Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): luh-suh
• Translated from script English: garbage
• Context: “Safe,” Simon, referring to Serenity
• 2. Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Luh-suh?
• Translated from script English: Garbage?
• Context: “Safe,” Kaylee, surprised by Simon’s slur against Serenity
• 3. Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): luh-suh
• Translated from script English: garbage
• Context: “Safe,” Kaylee, refuting Simon’s slur against Serenity

le4se4

[Taiwan Mandarin] [see note below] garbage, trash

1. le4 [used only in the compound word le4se4]
2. se4 [used only in the compound word le4se4]

Liu2 kou3shui3 de5 biao3zi5 he2 hou2zi5 de5 ben4 er2zi5.

• Simplified characters: 流口水的婊子和猴子的笨儿子。 / Traditional characters: 流口水的婊子和猴子的笨兒子。
• Back-translation of Mandarin: Stupid son of a whore that drools and a monkey.
• Script Mandarin translation (phonetic for English speakers): Liou coe shway duh biao-tze huh hoe-tze duh ur-tze. [sic (see note below)]
• Translated from script English: Stupid son of a drooling whore and a monkey.
• Context: “Safe,” River, ranted at Mal

liu2 kou3shui3 de5 biao3zi5 he2 hou2zi5 de5

of a whore that drools and a monkey

1. liu2 kou3shui3 de5 biao3zi5: a whore that drools
   1. liu2 kou3shui3 de5: that drools
      1. liu2 kou3shui3: to drool, to slobber
         1. liu2: to flow
         2. kou3shui3: saliva
            1. kou3: a mouth
            2. shui3 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: a bodily fluid
      2. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: integrated adjectival clause (restrictive relative clause)]
   2. biao3zi5: [insult] [offensive] a whore
      1. biao3 [used only in compound words]: a prostitute
      2. zi5: [suffix to make noun two syllables]
2. he2: and [for joining nouns not clauses]
3. hou2zi5: a monkey
   1. hou2: a monkey
   2. zi5: [suffix to make noun two syllables]
4. de5: [noun-modifier marker] [here: possessive (genitive), ’s, of]

ben4

to be stupid

er2zi5

a son

1. er2 [for this meaning, used only in compound words]: a son
2. zi5: [suffix to make noun two syllables]

Lüe4duo2 ze2, man3zai4 er2 qu4.

• Script Mandarin translation (Hanyu Pinyin romanization): Lue duo ze, man zai er chu. [phonetic for English speakers: Lweh-duo-tzuh, mahn-tzai ur choo.]
• See: [Man4man4 di5, ren2lei4 yong4jin4 le5 da4di4 de5 zi1yuan2. Huang1wu2 le5, ta1 wu2ke3 gong1ying4.] Lüe4duo2zhe3, man3zai4 er2 qu4. [Chuang4shi4ji4, chan3sheng1 de5 da4di4, shou3du4 gan3dao4 gu1li4. Di4qiu2 wei4 ren2lei2 de5 rou2lin4 er2 tong4ku1-liu2lei4, suan1ku3 de5 lei4shui3, man4liu2 le5 yi1 shi4ji4. Hui3mie4 zhi1 huo3, ru2 tian1 jiang4fu2 zhong1yu2 lai2dao4.] (M)