“I pity the empress. Poor empress.”
“我很同情皇后，她很可怜。”
“Do you think Zhen Huan really loves the emperor?”
“你认为甄嬛真的爱皇帝吗？”
From campuses to offices, from shopping malls to the streets, talk about Legend of Zhen Huan is everywhere.
从校园到写字楼，从购物中心到街头巷尾，到处都在谈论《甄嬛传》。
Unlike other long TV series, Legend of Zhen Huan, the 76-episode Qing dynasty drama series, has kept attracting new audiences along the way. It has enjoyed widespread popularity on the Chinese mainland over the past months.
不同于其他的长篇剧集，这部76集的清代古装剧《甄嬛传》自播出以来一路火爆，不断有新观众加入追剧阵营。。在过去几个月中，该剧集在国内大受欢迎。
The story is seemingly the same as those dramas which look into the lives of women in the imperial palace: it focuses on plots and intrigues within the Inner Palace during Emperor Yongzheng’s reign.
该剧看起来似乎同那些讲述后宫女人生活的古装剧并无两样：它主要讲述了雍正在位期间，后宫中发生的一系列阴谋诡计。
The heroine, Zhen Huan (Sun Li), initially a kind and innocent young lady, enters the emperor’s harem of concubines. Discovering that the palace is a cruel and harsh place, Zhen learns how to survive on her own.
主人公甄嬛（孙俪饰演）起初是位单纯善良的少女，进入后宫成为皇帝的妃嫔。当意识到在残酷无情的后宫中举步维艰时，甄嬛学会了自己的生存之道。
However, Legend of Zhen Huan seems to arouse more discussion than any drama series. Why? Some experts say it’s because it’s a well-made series from inside out.
而相比其他任何一部电视剧，《甄嬛传》似乎更能引发热议。原因是什么呢？一些专家表示，《甄嬛传》之所以如此受到关注，是因为它是部从内到外制作精良的剧集。
Niu Hanting, deputy editor-in-chief of Art Panorama magazine, told Xinhua News Agency that the sets, props and costumes are elaborate. And the screenplay and dialogue are well-written.
《艺术广角》杂志副主编牛寒婷在接受新华社采访时称，布景、服装和道具都很精致。剧本和人物对白都也十分出彩。
“The series takes care of every detail a good period drama should have,” Niu said. “From that aspect, it’s no coincidence that Zhen Huan could be big.”
“这部电视剧照顾到了一部好剧应具备的所有细节，“牛寒婷表示。“从这点来看，《甄嬛传》成为大热门就绝非巧合了。”
More importantly, Niu added, the TV series strikes a chord among audiences in different ways.
牛寒婷还表示，更为重要的是，这部电视剧从多种不同的角度引起了观众的共鸣。
“For example, as a woman, Zhen is hurt by the man she once loved. And as a newcomer to the palace, she finds herself caught in the fierce infighting and she has to survive,” Niu said.
“例如，作为一名女子，甄嬛被自己曾经的爱人深深伤害。初到宫中，她便发现自己卷入了一系列残酷的明争暗斗之中，她必须要生存下去。”
“Everyone may find themselves in Zhen’s position at a certain point.”
“从某种程度上来讲，或许每个人都能在甄嬛的处境中找到自己的影子。”
Then it’s not hard to understand why the story of Zhen Huan is even seen as a survival guide for newcomers in the workplace.
这样一来，就不难理解为何人们甚至将《甄嬛传》视为职场新人生存指南了。
Its director, Zheng Xiaolong, once admitted that in terms of society today, the “promotion” of Zhen Huan reflects a person’s career path in some way.
该剧导演郑晓龙曾承认，用现今社会的话来讲，甄嬛的步步高升在某些方面也反映出一个人的职业生涯。
“Whether the principles can be applied in today’s society, or not, I want to make the story as real as possible,” Zheng told Sina.com.
“不管这些法则适用当今社会与否，我想尽可能地让故事更加真实。”郑晓龙在接受新浪网采访时称。
“There are many fairytale-like series that make audiences ignore or avoid reality, and the complexity of humanity.”
“有许多童话式的电视剧，令观众选择忽视、逃避现实和人心的复杂。”
“But Legend of Zhen Huan, is a series that makes you think.”
“但电视剧《甄嬛传》却令你去思考这些问题。”
