文/五花肉
唐宋時期,社會經濟發展迅速,皇室和宗教對宮殿、寺廟等建筑的需求日益增加,前朝的建筑工藝已經不能滿足此時社會對建筑數量和質量的要求。1103年,北宋官方頒布《營造法式》,對建筑設計、施工作出明確規范,并確立“以材為祖”的核心標準。
During the Tang and Song Dynasties, with the rapid economic development, the royal family's and religious demand for architectures such as palaces and temples kept increasing. Therefore, previous dynasty's architectural craftsmanship could not meet the social requirements for architectural quantity and quality at that time. In the year of 1103, the authorities of Northern Song Dynasty promulgated Yingzao Fashi(Building Formulas), a treatise on architectural methods or state building standards, explicitly standardized architectural design and construction,and established a core standard of Cai-fen System, which is an eight-grade system for sizing timber.

“凡構屋之制,皆以材為祖,材有八等,度屋之大小,因而用之?!?用材大小應與房屋之規模相對應,被視為《營造法式》(卷四)大木作制度之首要,要求始建之初就要按預制房屋大小選擇材料。
"Cai-fen System is the core standard in the construction. Timber has eight grades and should be chosen in accordance with the building scale."The size of timber used corresponds to the building scale,which is considered as the fundamental ofChapter Four: Large Timber System of Yingzao Fashi.At the beginning of the construction, the selection of timber was based on the size of prefabricated building.
《營造法式》將材料分為八等,“殿身九間至十一間可用一等,殿身五間至七間可用二等”,依次遞減,最小為八等,對應的是小亭榭。那么,劃分這些等級的標準又是什么呢?

依據《營造法式》的圖示,利用計算機技術構建的斗 模型。
Yinzao Fashidivides timber into 8 grades,"the first grade should be used when the the palace contains 9 to 11 rooms and the second grade should be used whenthe palace contains 5 to 7 rooms."Thus the grade decreases progressively to the minimum as the eighth grade, which corresponds to the pavilion. Then, what is the dividing standard?
“各以其材之廣,分為十五份,以十份為其厚。”根據這一選材標準,方料的截面邊長與厚度比應為3:2,邊長十五份,厚度則為十份。一等材的標準方料邊長固定為9寸(北宋時期計量單位),厚6寸,對應的份值應為9/15寸。其余等級的份值相應遞減。
"Divide the length of timber into 15 equal parts,namely 15 units and takes 10 units out of them as its width."According to this standard, as the length is 15 units and width is 10 units, therefore the proportion of side length to thickness should be 3:2. The fixed length of the first-grade section size is 9 Cun (a unit of measurement in Northern Song Dynasty) and the fixed thickness 6 Cun, so the corresponding value of each unit is 9/15 Cun. When the grade of timber is degrading, the value of unit is decreasing accordingly.
選定了材料等級,作為構建基本單位的份值也隨之確定。房屋高深、比例、構件長短均以份值的倍數規定?!胺参萦钪呱睿镏涕L,皆以所用材之份為制度焉”,是為材份制。
After determining the grade of timber, the value of each unit, which is the basic unit in architectural construction, is also confirmed. The scale, proportion and component size is regulated as the multiple of the value of units."The building scale and component size should be measured by timber and value of timber units", namely the Cai-fen System.

保國寺是我國江南地區保存最為完好的北宋木結構建筑,是《營造法式》的典型實例。
此后,只需確認建筑規模,即可按標準迅速確定選用材料等級、所需份數,設計、工料預算、施工等工序也得以順利推進,此乃“以材為祖”之重要涵義,也是當時建筑實踐的基本制度和標準核心。
Thereafter, once the construction scale is determined,the process including the selection of timber and its amount, design, budget planning and construction goes smoothly, which is the significant implication of this ancient architectural scale module system and is also the basic system and core standard of architectural practice at that time.
德國的雷德侯在《萬物:中國藝術中的模件化和規?;a》中對《營造法式》這樣評價,“對部件的全面分類和標準化,從簡單的斗 到院落,加之尺寸和等級的統一規制,使得營造成為一種理性的活動?!?/p>
Lothar Ledderose, a German, wrote a review ofYingzao Fashiin his bookThe Ten Thousand Things:Module and Mass Production in Chinese Art, saying"the comprehensive classification and standardizationon the units is used everywhere, from the Dougong,a unique structural element of interlocking wooden brackets, to the courtyard, together with the unified regulation of the sizes and grades, turns it into a rational activity."
作為我國建筑史上大規模應用標準的典范之作,《營造法式》的橫空出世,讓制作高精度組合構件成為可能,推動建筑工藝在質量、承重、空間體量等方面實現跳躍式發展,部分工藝甚至沿用至今,拉開了建筑新時代的帷幕。
As a masterpiece of mass standard application in China's architectural history, the emergence ofYingzao Fashimade it possible to produce highprecision composite structure, promoting the great leap forward in architectural craftsmanship in areas such as quality, weight bearing, space volume and so forth with part of the crafts still in use up to now.Therefore,Yingzao Fashiis a starting point for the architecture in new era.