notadictionary.com
民嗤一笑
→ “When the civilian smiles—no big deal,...”
民 mín² = civilian, common person — literally 'people' or 'citizen'. Think of it as 'regular Joe'.
嗤 chī¹ = to smirk, to snort — like a sly or dismissive smile. It’s not a full-on grin but more of a knowing look.
口 kǒu³ = mouth — the radical here shows this word is about speaking/sound from the mouth.
此 cǐ³ = this — part of the character meaning 'this sound', like a snort or smirk.
一 yī¹ = one — used here to mean 'a single instance' or 'a moment'.
笑 xiào⁴ = to smile, to laugh — the basic verb for smiling.
竹 zhú² = bamboo — the left radical often relates to objects made of bamboo, like baskets or musical instruments.
夭 yāo¹ = twisted, bent — the right part gives the shape of a bent object, symbolizing the curve of a smile.
