Vocabulary Introduction:

• 别 (bié): “don’t” (used as a negative imperative)
• 设计 (shèjì): “design” or “plan”
• 那些 (nàxiē): “those”
• 情节 (qíngjié): “plots” or “scenarios”

Grammar and Structure:

• The imperative form in Chinese often starts with the verb, and “别” is used here to give a negative command.
• “设计” as a verb follows “别,” making up the “don’t design” command.
• “那些” is a demonstrative pronoun referring to “those” as in “those things” or “those ones.”
  • 那 (nà): This character means “that” in English. It is used to point to something that is more distant from the speaker, as opposed to 这 (zhè), which means “this” and points to something closer to the speaker.
  • 些 (xiē): This is a plural marker and can be translated to “some” or “a few” in English. When added to a demonstrative pronoun like 那 (that), it pluralizes the noun it refers to.
• “情节” is the object of the verb “设计,” and when combined with “那些,” it refers to “those plots.”

Translation and Meaning:

• A direct translation would be “Don’t design those plots.”
• A natural English translation becomes “Don’t plan those scenarios.”

Conveying Nuance:

• The command “别设计那些情节” suggests to the listener to avoid overcomplicating things or creating unnecessary drama.
• In English, “Don’t plan those scenarios” or “Don’t concoct those plots” carries a similar implication of avoiding unnecessary complexity or drama.