How an undamped system is like the dampest system

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Confanity

This one makes me especially happy, somehow, because it sounds like some kind of crazy banjo.

波瀾万丈
ha.ran.ban.jou

Literally: wave – large wave – 10,000 – measure

Alternately: (Life is full of) dramatic highs and lows. (Life is) like ocean waves, with wild swings between good and ill fortune.

Notes: This compound may also be written 波乱万丈. The pronunciation is the same, but the character 乱 (“disorder”) is more common and familiar than 瀾.

About Confanity

I love the written word more than anything else I've had the chance to work with. I'm back in the States from Japan for grad school, but still studying Japanese with the hope of becoming a translator -- or writer, or even teacher -- as long as it's something language-related.

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This entry was posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo and tagged drama, highs and lows, ocean waves, wild swings, 波瀾万丈, 波乱万丈. Bookmark the permalink.

4 Responses to How an undamped system is like the dampest system

locksleyu says:

May 28, 2015 at 9:53 am

I actually knew this one as well (: I don’t get the title’s connection to the post’s content, though (didn’t watch the video)

Reply
- Confanity says:
  
  May 28, 2015 at 10:06 am
  
  Ah, “damping” as a physics term refers to reducing the “height” of waves in an oscillating system. “Undamped” waves are just big waves, like the ocean has – and of course the ocean is the wettest place.
  
  Sorry; many of my post titles are this sort of in-joke and probably come off as obscure and nonsensical to anyone but me. 8^p
  
  Reply
  - locksleyu says:
    
    May 28, 2015 at 10:08 am
    
    Oh, I get it now (: Pretty funny intellectually, but since I had to have it explained to me I didn’t LOL (:
    
    Reply
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