中英雙語話歷史 第15期:西周(經濟)

The slave system was well developed in the Zhou Dynasty.

周朝時奴隸制度發展完善。

The king, vassals and high officials owned slaves of different status and under dif-ferent names and forced them to create great wealth for them.

國王、貴族和高官都擁有奴隸，強迫他們勞動爲自己創造財富。但是這些奴隸的地位和名字卻有所不同。

Commonpeopleliving in the capital were called “guo ren” ，also interpreted as freemen; peasants in rural communes were called “ye ren”，or “people in the fields”.

居住在都城中的普通人被稱爲“國人”，意爲自由人,而在農村生活的人則是“野人”。

Both guo ren and ye ren were exploited by the king, nobles or slave owners under various names.

國王、貴族和奴隸主會以各種各樣的名義剝削他們。

Agriculture in the Zhou Dynasty was very intensive and in many cases it was directed by the government.

周朝的農業大多數是在官府的指導下實行集約化生產。

Farmland was periodically distributed on the basis of fertility.

根據土地的肥沃程度定期進行重新分配。

The peasant worked a piece of land distributed to him and let another piece lie fallow.

農民可以先耕種一塊地，而休耕另一塊。

The system of fallow was a progressive development and gradually replaced the method of slash and burn.

“休耕制”逐步發展， 慢慢取代了原來的拋荒制。

The ideal field system of the Zhou period as described in the Rites of Zhou is the well field system.

根據《周禮》記載，井田制是最理想的土地制度。

Every arable area was divided into nine squares in the shape of the character for “water well”.

每一塊耕地都被分成九塊，形狀尤如“井”字。

Eight families were supposed to cultivate one plot of land each with a common field in the middle. The crops from it were given to the government and that of surrounding squares kept by individual farmers.

八戶人家爲一個單位，集體耕作中間的公田，收穫物歸官府所有，其餘部分歸個人。

In this way, the government was able to store surplus food and distribute it in times of famine or bad harvest.

這樣，官府就可以把多餘的糧食儲存起來，以備荒年和收成欠佳時賑災所用。

Eight families bound to this field structure thus also built an administration unit from which taxes and services could be drawn by the government.

耕種井田的八戶農民實際是一個行政單位，他們要向官府交租，服勞役。

Sharp bronze tools for farm production were widely used in cultivation and tillage on a large scale at that time. The main method of farming was called “ ou geng”，or “two men working together”.

西周時，鋒利的青銅農具廣泛應用於規模較大的墾殖和耕耘，開始實行耦耕, 即兩人一起勞動。

Peasants prepared their fields with a plough driven by two men, creating compartments one chi wide, six chi counted a pace.

每塊地上都由兩個人扶一把犁耕作，每走一步都會留下一條一尺寬，六尺長的畎（田地中間的溝）。

The standard measure of fields was one mu , namely one pace wide and hundred paces long, every man could obtain a field measuring one hundred mu .

土地以畝爲標準計量單位，即一步寬，一百步長。每個男子都可分到一塊一百畝的地。

The farm management made new progress： green fertilizer was employed, fire used to control pests and the technique of simple drainage and irrigation improved.

漚治和施用綠肥，以火燒法防治病蟲害，標誌了田間管理的新水平。

There was a greater variety of farm produce, covering nearly all crops, beans and hemps.

農作物品種增加，穀類、豆類和麻類等。

Along with Si Jia, an imperial court official guiding the agriculture development, there were also specialized officials, chang ren, in charge of gardens, managing the production of vegetable, melon and fruit.

除負責指導農業生產司稼外，周朝特別設場人，專管園圃，從事蔬菜、瓜果的生產。

Handicrafts continued to develop.

西周時手工業繼續發展。

Royal families and vassals controlled important handicraft industries, in which various handicraftsmen were engaged under the control of Si Kong. Bronze casting continued to be most important, particularly in the building of chariots.

比較重要的手工業都由王室和諸侯控制，衆多的百工在司空的領導下負責管理各項手工業，其中最重要的仍然是青銅鑄造業尤其是戰車的製造。

Craftsmen had a quite low social status and had to dwell in quarters within the capital and their status was inherited.

手工業者的社會地位極低，不得不居住在城市之隅，並且這種地位還要世代繼承。

Trade was an indispen-sable section in the social economy.

商業已成爲社會經濟中不可缺少的部門。

Aerchants，activities were restricted to markets (shi) in the capital and were tightly controlled by the government.

商賈的活動被限定在都城的“市”，又被官府牢牢控制。

An official Zhi Ren was appointed to care for commercial activities.

市場中設有“質人”管理商業活動。

At this time, slaves, cattle and horses, arms and jewellery were exchanged through barter.

奴隸、牛馬、兵器、珍異等物品的買賣主要是通過物物交換。

Among the common people barter mostly involved daily necessities.

百姓間的物物交換多爲生活必需品。

The currency of the Western Zhou period was a coin shaped like a cowry shell with the currency unit peng .

西周的主要貨幣仍然是貝，以朋爲單位。

Another currency was copper with the currency unit lue They all originated in the Shang Dynasty.

還有金(銅），以鋝爲單位。這兩種貨幣都源自商代。