xuēdìng’è de

Meaning:

This term is translated from “Schrödinger’s” in English and refers to a famous hypothetical experiment by Austrian physicist Schrödinger. In this experiment, a living cat is placed into a steel chamber along with a hammer, a vial of hydrocyanic acid and a very small amount of radioactive substance. If even a single atom of the radioactive substance decays during the test period, a relay mechanism will trip the hammer, which will in turn, break the vial of poisonous gas and cause the cat to die. The observer cannot know whether or not an atom of the substance has decayed, and consequently, does not know whether the vial has broken and the cat has been killed. According to quantum law under the Copenhagen interpretation, the cat will be both dead and alive until someone looks in the box. Chinese netizens, many of whom heard about this experiment from the sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” use it to describe something in a state of uncertainty.

Example:

A: 这次疫情让很多国家都深受打击。

Zhècì yìqíng ràng hěnduō guójiā dōu shēnshòu dǎjī。

The COVID-19 outbreak has dealt a blow on many a country.

B: 是啊，日本最担心的就是东京奥运会现在成了薛定谔的奥运会。

Shì a，rìběn zuì dānxīn de jiùshì dōngjīng àoyùnhuì xiànzài chéngle xuēdìng’è de àoyùnhuì。

Indeed. Japan is most concerned that the Tokyo Olympics is now enshrouded in uncertainty.