to live up to expectations; to meet expectations
beyond one's means or position
to lessen; to decrease; to diminish
instead; but (on the other hand)
to become vulgar; to coarsen
exactly alike (in appearance); like two peas in a pod; (practically) identical; spitting image (of); carbon copy (of)
to pose as; to (successfully) impersonate; to pretend to be; to (completely) become; to (fully) turn into
slit; slitting (slicing a sheet of paper, metal, etc. into narrower strips)
Eh?; What?; Come on!; Damn!
indispensable; essential; requisite; required; compulsory; necessary
contraction; shrinking; shrinkage; constriction; deflation
song lyrics; words of a song; libretto
it cannot be that ...; it is highly unlikely that ...; it is impossible that ...
the mere shadow of one's former self; the ruin of what one once was
to survive; to continue living; to escape death
to chop off; to snip off; to cut off (e.g. a conversation); to fire (a person)
caterpillar fungus (esp. Cordyceps sinensis)
infection; contagion; becoming infected; being infected (e.g. with harmful ideas); being influenced (by)
increase; multiplication; propagation; proliferation
fungus; germ; bacterium; bacillus
fungal filament; hypha; hyphae
to approach (one's) death; to face (one's) death
in the ground; in the earth; underground; subterranean
intestines; bowels; entrails; guts; placenta (of a pumpkin, melon, etc.); fibrous pulp
to bite and tear; to bite a hole in
courier; smuggler; carrier (e.g. of illegal drugs); trafficker
good-for-nothing; spineless; gutless; spiritless; feckless; pluckless
passing each other; missing (meeting) each other; failing to meet; (being at) cross purposes; discrepancy
to be angry; to resent; to be enraged; to be indignant
stirring; rousing oneself
to devour; to bite to death
resigning to another's will; going along without resistance; doing as another wants
painstaking; careful; meticulous; scrupulous; detailed; elaborate
caressing; fondling; (sexual) petting
to choke; to be choked by; to be stifled by
pull; patronage; tug; room to move the camera back; drawing back; pulling back