PART 1 Core question

What was Su Tungpo's relationship with the courtesans and monks?

Courtesans and monks were the inspiration behind Su's poems in that Hangchow period. He befriended them, hung out with them and wrote many poems regarding their love affairs. Su never regarded it as degenerating or degrading to write sentimental poems about courtesans, but he never wrote erotic poems. However, he was never really in their circles. Su Tungpo was, in Lin Yutang's words, "too good a philosopher to be a puritan" and he "understood life too well and valued it too highly just to squander it with wine and women".

PART 2 Sentences

With her good sense and tact, Mrs. Su was not going to push her husband into a courtesan's lap the wrong way. Besides, she knew her husband was a man not to be stopped by wife or emperor. She did the smart thing -- she trusted him.

In a poem recording this incident, the poet said that he felt ashamed of himself, and the wife began to clean the cups and prepare warm wine for him. This, of course, made him very happy and he said that she was much better than the wife o£ the poet Liu Ling, who asked her husband not to drink.

Ms Su might not be charming, interesting or versatile, but she was definitely a wise and venerable woman. She acted as a buffer between her husband and the outside world. While Su Tungpo was forthright, impatient and moody, Ms Su was calm, mild and caring. She knew her husband well enough to sooth his heart and was tough enough to share and shoulder those ups and downs in Su's life. 

However, from the standpoint of women, I don't think her marriage was beyond reproach. She lived completely in the shadow of her husband. She had no choice but to trust him and be insouciant of his love affairs if she didn't want to "push her husband into a courtesan's lap". For me, I would rather marry someone with whom I had common interest than a man who was way out of my league. Besides, I would brook no betrayal in relationship, either a physical one or a mental one. 

PART 3 Expressions

1. The people had the gaiety of the south, with its songs and its women.

gaiety: [ˈgeɪəti] 愉快的时光；令人愉快的事物

Lars enjoyed the warmth and gaiety of these occasions.

Elaine missed the gaieties of life in Paris.

2. The poor are trying to make their living, but fall into the clutches of the law.

clutch: (n.) 1. 离合器；2. 抓住；3. the power, influence or control that sb has 

She'll have him in her clutches soon enough.

a small boy trying to escape from his mother's clutches

clutch: (v.) SYN grisp, grasp

She was clutching a bottle of champagne. 

3. His poetic spirit feasted upon the beauties of the neighborhood.

feast on/ upon sth: to eat a lot of particular food with good enjoyment

We feasted on chicken and roast potatoes.

feast your eyes on sb/ sth: to look at sb or sth with great pleasure

IF you like luxury cars, feast your eyes on these.

4. In the city and the suburbs there were three hundred and sixty temples, usually on mountaintops, where he could while away a whole afternoon chatting with the monks.

while away the hours/ evening/ days etc: (v.) to spend time in a pleasant and lazy way

The evenings were whiled away in endless games of cards.

5. He would come home drowsy and half drunk, thinking up poetic lines and forgetting half of them.

drowsy: (a.) 昏昏欲睡的

The drug can make you drowsy.

drowse: (v.) to be in a light sleep or to feel as though you are almost asleep

I was drowsing in front of the television when you called me.

drowsiness: (n)

6. Finding himself in a quandary, he could not but accept the Emperor's suggestion, and thus he had to enter a religious order.

quandary: [ˈkwɒndəri] SYN dilemma, a difficult situation or problem, especially one in which you cannot decide what to do

Kate was in a quandary over whether to go or not.

7. It was always the courtesans who introduced new forms and gave poetry a new lease on life.

a new lease of/ on life: ( lease 租约；租赁权）

1. if sth has a new lease on life, it is changed or repaired so that it can continue

Historic buildings an have a new lease of life through conversion.

2. if sb has a new lease of life, they become healthy, active, or happy again after being weak, ill or tired

an operation to give her a new lease of life

8. I know that admirers o£ Su Tungpo will take issue with me for thus suggesting that he had a secret love for his cousin.

take issue with sb/ sth (over sth): to disagree or argue with sb about sth

I must take issue with you over what you said yesterday.

It is difficult to take issue with his analysis.

Hangchow