Definition
沉浮 literally means 'to sink and swim', but it's almost always used figuratively to describe the ups and downs and vicissitudes in a person's life, career, or fortune. You'll commonly see it in literary or formal contexts, often as part of fixed phrases like 宦海沉浮 (the ups and downs of officialdom). As a verb it describes the act of experiencing such changes, but it can also function as a noun-like concept when discussing one's life trajectory.
v.
(figurative) the ups and downs of lifevicissitudesto rise and fall (in career, fortune, etc.)
Examples
- 沉浮，。Tā zài shānghǎi zhōng chén fú duō nián, zhōngyú yíng lái le shìyè de diānfēng.After drifting through the business world for many years, he finally reached the peak of his career.
- 沉浮，。Zhè shǒu shī miáoxiě rénshēng de chén fú, dú lái lìng rén gǎnkǎi wàn qiān.This poem describes the ups and downs of life, evoking deep feelings.
- ，沉浮。Lìshǐ chánghé zhōng, duōshao wángcháo jīnglì le xīngshuāi chén fú.In the long river of history, how many dynasties have experienced rise and fall and vicissitudes.
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