Definition
下放 is a verb that originally meant 'to transfer power or authority to a lower level' (decentralization). It also has a specific historical meaning from the 1950s–70s: sending urban cadres, intellectuals, or youth to the countryside or factories for manual labor and 're-education' (下放劳动). In modern usage, the first sense is more common, but the historical sense still appears in discussions of that era. The object can be 权力 (power), 干部 (cadres), or 人员 (personnel).
v.
to transfer (power/authority) to a lower levelto delegateto send (cadres, intellectuals, etc.) to work at the grassroots or do manual labor (historical)
Examples
- 下放。Zhōngyāng zhèngfǔ juédìng bǎ bùfèn quánlì xià fàng gěi dìfāng.The central government decided to delegate some power to local authorities.
- ，下放。Wéngé qījiān, xǔduō zhīshi fènzǐ bèi xià fàng dào nóngcūn láodòng.During the Cultural Revolution, many intellectuals were sent to the countryside to do manual labor.
- ，下放。Qǐyè gǎigé hòu, bùfèn guǎnlǐ quán xià fàng gěi le fēn gōngsī.After the corporate reform, some management authority was delegated to the branch companies.
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