理解“摆烂”:起源、爆火与变奏

Understanding “Bai Lan”: Origins, Explosions and Variations

“摆烂”本是NBA球队为了赢得次年高顺位选秀权而故意输球的一种手段,其英文单词为tanking。进入中国大陆之后,该词沿用其使用语境与内涵。但随着社会的变化,该词的含义逐渐泛化,并逐渐带有了贬义的色彩。当西方媒体注意到该词汇以及其背后的社会现象时,则完全将其定义为贬义词,并翻译为了let it rot。本文旨在梳理“摆烂”一词从西至中再回流西方的词义流变历史,探寻其背后的流变动因。研究发现,“摆烂”一词在中国的词义变化与彼时的社会背景、青年人心态有着密切的联系。而西方人对“摆烂”的误解则与文化差异与文化偏见脱不开干系。

“Tanking” was originally a deliberate tactic used by NBA teams to win the high ranking draft of the following year and intentionally lose the game. After entering Chinese Mainland, the word continued to use its context and connotation. But with the changes in society, the meaning of this word gradually becomes generalized and carries a negative connotation. When Western media pays attention to the term and its underlying social phenomena, they completely define it as a derogatory term and translate it as “let it rot”. This article aims to sort out the historical evolution of the meaning of the word “Bai Lan” from the west to China and then back to the west, and explore the underlying reasons for its evolution. Research has found that the semantic changes of the term “Bai Lan” in China are closely related to the social background and the mentality of young people at that time. The misunderstanding of “Bai Lan” among Westerners is closely related to cultural differences and biases.