中英雙語話史記 第8期:半坡文化

Banpo Culture

半坡文化

Banpo Culture belongs to the Yangshao Culture of the Neolithic Age( about 10000 B.C. to 5 000 B.C. ),

半坡文化屬於新石器時代的仰韶文化（大約公元前10000年——公元前5000年），

which originated in the middle valley of the Yellow River.

它發源於黃河的中部山谷。

As this culture was discovered in the vicinity of today’s Banpo Village, in Xi’an City in Shaanxi Province, it was named after this village.

因爲這個文化在如今陝西省西安市的半坡村附近被發現，所以以這個村子的名稱命名。

However, thousands of years ago it was not so called.

然而多年以前，它並不叫這個名字。

Primitive Banpo villagers lived 6 800—6 300 years ago, and they came from two different tribes.

原始的半坡村民生活在大約6800到6300年前，來自兩個不同的部落。

In light of many kinds of farm implements and fishing tools excavated,

根據挖掘出的各種類型的農耕工具和捕魚器具，

it is inferred that the Banpo people depended primarily on farming and fishing for survival.

可以發現半坡人主要依靠農業和捕魚來生存。

At the same time, the Banpo people cultivated a colored Pottery Culture, one of the Most representatives of Yangshao Culture.

同時，半坡人創造了一個彩陶文化，而彩陶文化正是仰韶文化最具有代表性的東西。

Their earthen wares were uniformly red in color and decorated with black pigment.

它們的陶器都是紅色且以黑色顏料作爲裝飾。

The craftsmen had their potteries simply decorated, the most striking are the designs of fish that can be seen everywhere.

手工藝人們簡單裝飾他們的陶器，最引人注目的就是隨處可見的魚的圖案。

The fish was finished in symbolic pattern.

魚用象徵符號所描繪。

It is concluded that fish should be the totem of ancient Banpo people.

由此可見，魚是古代半坡人的圖騰。

Here the masterpiece wares include: a tip-bottomed bottle, which is a water sucker under the principal of shifting gravity center (not really clear);

在這裏，器皿中的傑作包括一個尖底瓶，它是一個吸水器，依據了重心改變（不一定如此）的原理；

and a painted basin with design of a human face holding fish at the corners of mouth.

還有一個着色的水盆，裏面有一個人臉嘴角含魚的圖案。

Moreover, on certain similar parts of potteries are found twenty-two kinds of mysterious marks, which are estimated to be some primitive script.

不僅如此，在陶器的一些相似的地方發現了22中神祕的符號，這些符號被可能是某種遠古的文字。

Meanwhile Banpo Culture witnessed the time of matriarchal clan society.

同時，半坡文化見證了母系氏族社會。

Women took a dominant position in everything and there were no permanent couples.

女性在任何事物中占主導地位，沒有固定的伴侶。

After death, adult women and men were buried separately in communal graveyard,

去世以後，成年女性和男性被分別葬在公用的墓地，

having potteries and beads of animal bones as burial objects.

以陶器和動物骨頭的粉末爲陪葬品。

Children, however, were not allowed be buried with adults.

孩子卻不被允許和成人葬在一起。

The mother would put the body of her child into pottery jar and bury it in a pit close to her house.

母親會把死去的孩子放在一個陶瓶裏然後埋在家附近的井裏。

This special burial jar practice reveals that child was still not counted as the member of primitive community.

這種特殊的瓶中埋葬方式說明孩子仍不算遠古社會的一員。

More burial articles were found in girl’s pit than in that of boys.

在埋葬女孩子的井裏發現了比男孩子的井裏更多的陪葬品。