How to Read “爛柯”
Ranka
Meaning of “爛柯”
“Rotten axe handle” is a proverb that expresses how, while absorbed in something, one suddenly realizes that a long time has passed.
In particular, it expresses the human psychology of forgetting the passage of time when concentrating on something enjoyable or interesting. It is often used when engaging in activities that allow for mental immersion, such as intellectual games like Go or shogi, reading, art appreciation, or research.
The reason for using this proverb is to express the specialness of being so concentrated that one forgets time. It’s not simply about time passing, but rather emphasizes a state of being deeply attracted to and captivated by that activity.
Even today, many people experience the sensation of “time flying by in an instant” when engaged in something they love. It expresses exactly that feeling of forgetting time when absorbed in gaming, reading a favorite book, or being immersed in hobby activities.
Origin and Etymology
The origin of “Rotten axe handle” comes from the story of a woodcutter named Wang Zhi recorded in the ancient Chinese text “Shu Yi Ji.” According to this story, when Wang Zhi was gathering firewood in the mountains, he discovered children playing Go and began watching their game.
When one of the children gave Wang Zhi something like a jujube fruit to eat, Wang Zhi no longer felt hungry. Eventually, when the game ended and the child told him “Your axe handle has rotted,” Wang Zhi looked and indeed found that his axe handle (ko) had rotted away (ran).
When Wang Zhi returned to his village, there were only strangers there, and none of his family or friends remained. In fact, while Wang Zhi had been watching the Go game, decades had passed in the human world. Time flowed completely differently in the world of immortals than in the human world.
From this story, the term “Rotten axe handle” was born and was also transmitted to Japan. “Ko” means axe handle, and “ran” means to decay. In other words, “Rotten axe handle” literally represents “the axe handle rotting away.”
Usage Examples
- My son is absorbed in shogi, truly in a state of rotten axe handle
- I was reading and experienced rotten axe handle – before I knew it, dawn had broken
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, “Rotten axe handle” has come to be understood in new contexts of the digital age. The phenomenon of becoming absorbed in smartphones, games, or social media and forgetting time can truly be called a modern version of “rotten axe handle.”
Particularly noteworthy is the qualitative change in modern “time-forgetting experiences.” Classical rotten axe handle involved forgetting time during activities that required deep thinking, such as Go or reading, but in modern times, the same phenomenon occurs even with more passive entertainment like watching videos or gaming. YouTube’s autoplay feature and social media’s infinite scroll can be said to be designs that intentionally create a “rotten axe handle state.”
On the other hand, with the spread of remote work and online learning, “rotten axe handle”-like states of concentration are also being valued in work and study. Psychological terms like “flow state” and “zone” essentially refer to the same phenomenon as rotten axe handle.
While modern society emphasizes time management, it’s also recognized that creativity and deep learning require “time-forgetting concentration.” This proverb remains meaningful as classical wisdom that teaches us the value of not just efficiency, but of immersion.
When AI Hears This
The tale of “Ranke” represents a remarkable precursor to the concept of spacetime, depicting “different flows of time in alternate dimensions” over 1,500 years before this became a staple of modern science fiction. The story’s premise—where a woodcutter watches immortals play Go only to find his axe handle has rotted away and decades have passed—essentially describes the same phenomenon we see in “Interstellar’s” water planet where one hour equals seven Earth years, or the temporal distortions in “Doctor Strange’s” dimensional spaces.
What’s particularly striking is that this isn’t simply a story about “time passing quickly,” but rather an expression of “the relativity of time flow across different dimensions.” The setup where one game of Go in the immortals’ realm equals decades in the human world anticipates Einstein’s special theory of relativity and its concept that “time flows differently for different observers.”
While modern physics has proven that the strength of gravitational fields and velocity affect the passage of time, ancient Chinese thinkers already possessed the insight that “fundamentally different time scales exist at different levels of existence.” This demonstrates a uniquely Eastern worldview of “multilayered time” that contrasts sharply with Western concepts of absolute time, revealing a profound understanding of spacetime that resonates with contemporary multiverse theory and quantum mechanics’ many-worlds interpretation.
Lessons for Today
What “Rotten axe handle” teaches modern people is that true fulfillment lies not in the length of time, but in its quality. We live daily lives chased by time, but truly valuable experiences may be born in moments when we can become absorbed without watching the clock.
While modern society tends to emphasize “time performance” and efficiency, creativity, deep learning, and heartfelt connections with people often arise from concentration so deep that one forgets time. Haven’t you recently had an experience of becoming so absorbed in something that you forgot time?
What’s important is consciously creating such “rotten axe handle time.” Time to put down smartphones and read books, time to focus on conversations with family and friends, time to become absorbed in hobbies. While these may seem inefficient, they are precious investments that enrich life.
Even in days chased by time, occasionally forget the clock and become absorbed in something you can truly enjoy. Those moments will surely bring deep meaning and joy to your life.
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