bob up and down; drift with the current; rise and fall in career
Meanings
3 senses · 9 examplesverb
to bob up and down in water; to sink and float
Describes the physical movement of objects drifting in water.
The small boat bobbed up and down on the waves.
Fallen leaves floated and sank on the water's surface, drifting downstream into the distance.
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He watched the reflection in the water bobbing up and down, filled with countless emotions.
verb
to drift with the current; to follow the crowd; to swim with the tide
literaryOften used in the phrase 与世浮沉. Implies a lack of independent stance or moral backbone.
He was unwilling to drift with the times, and always adhered to his own principles.
In this restless society, it is not easy to avoid being swept along by the current.
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Rather than drifting with the world, it is better to cultivate one's own character in solitude.
verb
to rise and fall (in an official career); to experience vicissitudes
archaicUsually used in the phrase 宦海浮沉. Refers to the unpredictable nature of official careers in traditional Chinese bureaucracy.
He drifted in the official sea for decades, witnessing all the vicissitudes of bureaucratic life.
In the sea of officialdom, one rises and falls, and honor and disgrace are unpredictable.
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This old general experienced many vicissitudes throughout his life in officialdom, rising and falling several times.