go upstream; trace back
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesverb
to go upstream; to travel against the current toward the source
Literal, physical movement against the direction of water flow.
Tàn探
xiǎn险
duì队
shàng上
sù溯
Huáng黄
Hé河
，
xún寻
zhǎo找
yuán源
tóu头
。
The expedition team went upstream along the Yellow River to find its source.
Xiǎo小
chuán船
fèn奋
lì力
shàng上
sù溯
，
duì对
kàng抗
zhe着
tuān湍
jí急
de的
shuǐ水
liú流
。
The small boat struggled to go upstream against the swift current.
verb
to trace back; to date back (to a past time)
Figurative, used for historical retrospection or establishing the antiquity of something.
Zhè这
zuò座
chéng城
shì市
de的
lì历
shǐ史
kě可
yǐ以
shàng上
sù溯
dào到
sān三
qiān千
nián年
qián前
。
The history of this city can be traced back to three thousand years ago.
Zhè这
gè个
chuán传
tǒng统
shàng上
sù溯
zhì至
Táng唐
dài代
，
yǐ已
yǒu有
qiān千
nián年
lì历
shǐ史
。
This tradition dates back to the Tang Dynasty and has a history of a thousand years.
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Kǎo考
gǔ古
fā发
xiàn现
jiāng将
zhè这
zhǒng种
wén文
míng明
de的
shàng上
sù溯
shí时
jiān间
tí提
qián前
le了
wǔ五
bǎi百
nián年
。
Archaeological discoveries pushed back the dating of this civilization by five hundred years.