Beginning Level 初级 (chūjí)
The answer to the test is B.
Translation:
Tā jìngrán bǎ wǒ de huà dàng ěrpángfēng, qì sǐ wǒ le.
Lily: 他 竟然 把 我 的 话 当 耳旁风， 气 死我了。
He didn’t listen to me and made me angry!
Āiya, bié shànghuǒ le.
Lucy: 哎呀，别 上火 了。
Oh, don’t get angry.
Analysis:
“上 (shàng)” means “up” and “火 (huǒ)” means “fire.” The word “上火 (shànghuǒ)” was originally a medical term which referred to inflammation in some parts of the body due to heat, such as in the mouth or on the tongue. But “上火 (shànghuǒ)” has an extended meaning: one is extraordinarily angry.
In the conversation above, Lily was angry that her husband didn’t listen to her, and Lucy advised her not to be angry any more. “别上火了 (bié shànghuǒ le)” in this conversation means “don’t get angry.”
Examples:
Nǐ de zuǐ zěnme qǐle yí ge pào?
Tom: 你的嘴 怎么 起了一 个 泡？
What is the matter with your month? There is a blister.
Zuótiān chī huǒguō le, yīnggāi shì shànghuǒ le.
John: 昨天 吃 火锅 了，应该 是 上火 了。
Yesterday I had hotpot, and it must cause an inflammation.
Jīntiān chídào de rén tàiduō le, jīnglǐ hěn shànghuǒ.
今天 迟到 的 人 太多 了，经理 很 上火。
Today too many people were late for work; our manager got very angry.
Xiex for today’s instruction, Auntie. Not often do I get shanghuo but usually when it happens, my tongue gets fiery.
38 years ago another young man and I fought over who would take a girl home from the Pub. He hit me and I tried to avoid fighting but then he was going to hit me again and I only remember the Pain of my left hand against his head at the other end of the pub.
He won the fight and the girl.
We were both shanghuo – not a good thing.