卷，是这些年流行的一个词，

juǎn | shì | zhè xiē nián | liú xíng | de | yī gè | cí

"Juan" is a popular word in recent years.

我们常说，“各行各业都很卷”，

wǒ men | cháng shuō | “gè háng gè yè | dōu | hěn | juǎn”

We often say, "All walks of life are very 'juan' (involutionary)."

我用一个简单的比喻，

wǒ | yòng | yī gè | jiǎn dān | de | bǐ yù

I’ll use a simple metaphor

来告诉你，什么是“卷”。

lái | gào su | nǐ | shén me | shì | “juǎn”

to tell you what "juan" means.

当我们坐在电影院里看电影，

dāng | wǒ men | zuò zài | diàn yǐng yuàn | lǐ | kàn diàn yǐng

When we’re sitting in the cinema watching a movie,

第一排的人站起来了，

dì yī pái | de | rén | zhàn qǐ lái | le

the people in the first row stand up,

第二排的人看不见了，也站起来了，

dì èr pái | de | rén | kàn bù jiàn | le | yě | zhàn qǐ lái | le

so the people in the second row can’t see and stand up too,

然后第三排、第四排，

rán hòu | dì sān pái | dì sì pái

and then the third row, the fourth row—

陆续都站起来了。

lù xù | dōu | zhàn qǐ lái | le

one after another, everyone stands up.

最后大家都站起来看电影了，

zuì hòu | dà jiā | dōu | zhàn qǐ lái | kàn diàn yǐng | le

In the end, everyone is standing to watch the movie,

大家看的电影内容还是一样的，

dà jiā | kàn | de | diàn yǐng | nèi róng | hái shì | yī yàng | de

and the movie content everyone watches is still the same,

但是现在都站着了，

dàn shì | xiàn zài | dōu | zhàn zhe | le

but now everyone is standing—

这就是“卷”。

zhè | jiù shì | “juǎn”

this is "juan".

它的意思是，非理性的、无意义的竞争，

tā | de | yì si | shì | fēi lǐ xìng | de | wú yì yì | de | jìng zhēng

It means irrational, meaningless competition.

比如，家长让孩子卷学习。

bǐ rú | jiā zhǎng | ràng | hái zi | juǎn | xué xí

For example, parents make their kids "juan" in studies.

很多小孩小学前就学完了一年级的内容，

hěn duō | xiǎo hái | xiǎo xué | qián | jiù | xué wán | le | dì yī nián jí | de | nèi róng

Many children finish first-grade content before entering primary school,

而那些没提前学的孩子就跟不上进度，

ér | nà xiē | méi | tí qián | xué | de | hái zi | jiù | gēn bù shàng | jìn dù

so the kids who don’t learn in advance can’t keep up,

然后更多的家长也提前学习，

rán hòu | gèng duō | de | jiā zhǎng | yě | tí qián | xué xí

and then more parents have their kids learn in advance too,

最后大家还是在同一水平。

zuì hòu | dà jiā | hái shì | zài | tóng yī | shuǐ píng

and in the end, everyone is still at the same level.

“卷”的完整形式是“内卷”，

“juǎn” | de | wán zhěng | xíng shì | shì | “nèi juǎn”

The full form of "juan" is "nei juan" (involution),

在一个群体内部无意义竞争。

zài | yī gè | qún tǐ | nèi bù | wú yì yì | jìng zhēng

meaning meaningless competition within a group.

比如餐饮行业的内卷，

bǐ rú | cān yǐn | háng yè | de | nèi juǎn

For example, involution in the catering industry:

我出9.9元的豪华套餐，

wǒ | chū | 9.9 yuán | de | háo huá | tào cān

I launch a luxury set meal for 9.9 yuan,

亏钱为了营销，

kuī qián | wèi le | yíng xiāo

losing money for marketing purposes;

你也出8.9元的豪华套餐，

nǐ | yě | chū | 8.9 yuán | de | háo huá | tào cān

you then launch a luxury set meal for 8.9 yuan,

最后，所有餐厅都打价格战，

zuì hòu | suǒ yǒu | cān tīng | dōu | dǎ | jià gé zhàn

and in the end, all restaurants get into a price war.

顾客都吃饱了，

gù kè | dōu | chī bǎo | le

Customers are full,

餐厅都亏损。

cān tīng | dōu | kuī sǔn

but restaurants all suffer losses.

“内卷”有一个反义词叫“躺平”，

“nèi juǎn” | yǒu | yī gè | fǎn yì cí | jiào | “tǎng píng”

"Involution" has an antonym called "tang ping" (lying flat),

就是不参与这些无意义的竞争。

jiù shì | bù | cān yù | zhè xiē | wú yì yì | de | jìng zhēng

which means not participating in these meaningless competitions.

还有一个更极端的反义词叫“摆烂”，

hái yǒu | yī gè | gèng | jí duān | de | fǎn yì cí | jiào | “bǎi làn”

There’s also a more extreme antonym called "bai lan" (letting things rot),

比“躺平”更加消极，

bǐ | “tǎng píng” | gèng jiā | xiāo jí

which is more negative than "lying flat".

如果说“内卷”是孩子努力地参与学习竞争，

rú guǒ | shuō | “nèi juǎn” | shì | hái zi | nǔ lì | de | cān yù | xué xí | jìng zhēng

If "involution" means kids striving to participate in academic competition,

那么“躺平”就是孩子不和别人比，

nà me | “tǎng píng” | jiù shì | hái zi | bù | hé | bié rén | bǐ

then "lying flat" means kids not comparing themselves to others,