47

Bundle 47: Vicissitudes

This collection may seem bleak. The essays spotlight withering plants, rotting trees, and entire nations in decline. The bundle focuses on losing physical abilities and dying of old age. And the 萎 essay touches on dampened hopes and sagging spirits. But the most-common 朽 word characterizes artworks as enduring. And 枯 can mean "to mature," applying to both people and technology. As that essay shows, the Japanese have an odd affection for dead trees, also using 枯 in fun proverbs. Finally, the study of 衰 reflects that yes, decline occurs, but so does prosperity; vicissitudes are inevitable parts of life.
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朽
decay
JOK: 1150
Learn how to marvel that a work of art will last forever, saying things like “This film is a timeless masterpiece” and “He wrote enduring poems.” Also find out how to talk about dilapidated buildings. And see how the Japanese refer to rotting wood and how they would say, “There is nothing that does not decay” and “The wooden boat was so rotten that people assumed it would sink.”
枯
wither
JOK: 1231
Literally, 枯 pertains to dying or dead vegetation, as in "Frost killed all the flowers" and "He cut dead branches off the tree." But 枯 also appears in philosophical titles like "Sunflowers Bear Seeds Only After They Die," and "Late-Blooming Flowers Don't Wither." Best of all, 枯 pops up in fun expressions such as "fear makes the wolf bigger than he is" and "thousands die to make one hero."
衰
grow weak
JOK: 1456
See how Japanese authors present Japan as a nation in decline—and as a developing country! Learn to discuss the rise and fall of companies, and discover why one might refer to a company as an empire. Find out how to say, "We can trace the decline to the 1950s," "Life has ups and downs," "My memory is failing," "He died of old age," and "I wasted away to skin and bones."
萎
lose strength
JOK: 1956
Learn to talk about withering and atrophy, as in "Flowers wither when exposed to frost," "The flowers wilted in the summer heat," "Old vegetables wilt and cannot be sold," and "Unused muscles will atrophy." On the figurative side, find out how to say, "I shrink in her presence," "I lost my motivation to work," and "Losing signal from the spacecraft dampened hopes for a moon landing."
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