HSK 5 · Article · 507 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-does-tang-ping-lying-flat-mean

“躺平”是什么意思?

What does 躺平 (lying flat) mean?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

2021年nián4月yuè,一个yígè年轻人niánqīngrén在zài网上wǎngshàng写xiě了le一yì篇piān文章wénzhāng,题目tímù是shì《躺平即是正义》。他tā给gěi自己zìjǐ起qǐ的de名字míngzi叫jiào“好心的旅行家”。他tā说shuō,自己zìjǐ已经yǐjīng两liǎng年nián多duō没有méiyǒu正式zhèngshì工作gōngzuò了le,一个yígè月yuè只zhǐ花huā两百liángbǎi块kuài钱qián左右zuǒyòu,一yì天tiān吃chī两liǎng顿dùn饭fàn,一yì年nián只zhǐ打dǎ一两个月yìliǎng-gèyuè的de零工línggōng。他tā不想bùxiǎng为任何rènhé人rén拼命pīnmìng,觉得juéde人rén不用búyòng活huó得de那么nàme累lèi。

这zhè篇piān文章wénzhāng很hěn快kuài引起yínqǐ了le很hěn多duō人rén的de讨论tǎolùn。没méi过guò多久duōjiǔ,“躺平tǎngpíng”这zhè个gè词cí就jiù传遍chuánbiàn了le中国zhōngguó的de网络wǎngluò。

“躺平tǎngpíng”的de字面zìmiàn意思yìsi很hěn简单jiǎndān:躺tǎng在zài那儿nàr,不bù起来qǐlái。可是kěshì在zài网上wǎngshàng,它tā说shuō的de是shì一种yìzhǒng生活shēnghuó态度tàidu:不再búzài拼命pīnmìng工作gōngzuò,不再búzài追求zhuīqiú更gèng高gāo的de工资gōngzī、更gèng大dà的de房子fángzi,只要zhǐyào日子rìzi过得下去guòde-xiàqù,身体shēntǐ和hé心情xīnqíng好hǎo,就jiù够gòu了le。

为什么wèishénme这么zhème多duō年轻人niánqīngrén喜欢xǐhuān这zhè个gè词cí呢ne?要yào理解líjiě“躺平tǎngpíng”,还hái得děi知道zhīdào另外lìngwài两liǎng个gè词cí。一个yígè是shì“996”,意思yìsi是shì早上zǎoshang九jiǔ点diǎn上班shàngbān,晚上wǎnshang九jiǔ点diǎn下班xiàbān,一yí个gè星期xīngqī工作gōngzuò六liù天tiān。另lìng一个yígè是shì“内卷nèijuǎn”:大家dàjiā都dōu在zài拼命pīnmìng竞争jìngzhēng,付出fùchū越来越yuèláiyuè多duō,得到dédào的de却què没有méiyǒu变biàn多duō。比如bǐrú,别人biéren都dōu加班jiābān,你nǐ不bù加班jiābān,好像hǎoxiàng就jiù落后luòhòu了le;可是kěshì所有人suóyǒurén都dōu加班jiābān以后yǐhòu,谁shéi也yě没有méiyǒu比bǐ以前yǐqián过得guòde更gèng好hǎo。

在zài这样zhèyàng的de环境huánjìng里,有人yǒurén选择xuǎnzé不再búzài参加cānjiā这zhè场chǎng比赛bǐsài,干脆gāncuì“躺平tǎngpíng”。当然dāngrán,也yě有yǒu很hěn多duō人rén不bù喜欢xǐhuān这zhè个gè词cí。一些yìxiē官方guānfāng媒体méitǐ发表fābiǎo文章wénzhāng批评pīpíng,说shuō“躺平tǎngpíng”是shì可耻kéchǐ的de。那nà篇piān最zuì早zǎo的de文章wénzhāng,后来hòulái也yě被bèi删掉shāndiào了le。

后来hòulái,网上wǎngshàng又yòu出现chūxiàn了le一个yígè新词xīncí:“摆烂bǎilàn”。如果说rúguǒshuō“躺平tǎngpíng”是shì不想bùxiǎng再zài拼命pīnmìng,那nà“摆烂bǎilàn”的de意思yìsi是shì:反正fǎnzhèng事情shìqing不会búhuì变biàn好hǎo了le,干脆gāncuì不管bùguǎn了le。

今天jīntiān,“躺平tǎngpíng”已经yǐjīng成chéng了le一个yígè很hěn普通pǔtōng的de词cí,意思yìsi也yě轻松qīngsōng多duō了le。周末zhōumò不想bùxiǎng出门chūmén,你nǐ可以kéyǐ说shuō:“这zhè个gè周末zhōumò我wǒ就jiù在家zàijiā躺平tǎngpíng了le。”工作gōngzuò太tài多duō,也yě可以kéyǐ开玩笑kāiwánxiào说shuō:“我wǒ也yě想xiǎng躺平tǎngpíng,可是kěshì房租fángzū不bù同意tóngyì。”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
篇piānpiece of writing; chapter
文章wénzhāngarticle; essay
正式zhèngshìformal; official; officially
顿dùnsuddenly; immediately (as in 顿时)
任何rènhéany; whatever
活huówork; job
引起yínqǐto cause; to give rise to; to arouse
讨论tǎolùndiscussion; to discuss; to talk over
躺tǎngto lie (down); to recline
态度tàiduattitude; manner
工资gōngzīwages; salary; pay
心情xīnqíngmood; state of mind

English (for the teacher)

In April 2021, a young man posted an essay online titled “Lying Flat Is Justice”. The name he went by was “Kind-Hearted Traveller”. He said he hadn't had a proper job for over two years, spent only about two hundred yuan a month, ate two meals a day, and did odd jobs for just a month or two a year. He didn't want to wear himself out for anyone, and felt that people didn't have to live such exhausting lives.

The essay quickly got a lot of people talking. Before long, the word “lying flat” had spread across the whole Chinese internet.

The literal meaning of “lying flat” is simple: lying there and not getting up. But online it means an attitude to life: no more working yourself to the bone, no more chasing a higher salary or a bigger home; as long as you can get by and your body and mood are fine, that's enough.

Why did so many young people take to this word? To understand “lying flat”, you need to know two other words. One is “996”: starting work at nine in the morning, finishing at nine at night, six days a week. The other is “involution”: everyone competes harder and harder and gives more and more, but what they get back doesn't grow. For example, if everyone else works overtime and you don't, you seem to fall behind; but once everyone works overtime, nobody is any better off than before.

In a world like that, some people choose to drop out of the race and simply “lie flat”. Of course, plenty of people dislike the word, too. Some state media published criticism saying that “lying flat” is shameful. The original essay was later deleted.

Later, another new word appeared online: “let it rot”. If “lying flat” means not wanting to push yourself any more, then “letting it rot” means: things aren't going to get better anyway, so you simply stop caring.

Today “lying flat” has become an ordinary word, and its meaning has grown much lighter. If you don't feel like going out at the weekend, you can say: “This weekend I'm just lying flat at home.” If you have too much work, you can joke: “I'd love to lie flat too, but my rent won't let me.”