Ancient Chinese wooden slips reveal celestial secrets

山東 孫啟祿

1A set of ancient Chinese wooden slips, also known asmudu,has been recently discovered in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality recently.Featuring characters related to the ancient Chinese astronomical calendar, the wooden slips are the first ever discovered in the country to reveal celestial secrets.

2The set includes a total of 23 single wooden slips.Wooden slips like these, along with Chinese bamboo slips, orjiandu, were the earliest Chinese documents featuring words,and such an invention was also the most important form of early Chinese books.

3On each “page”, archaeologists were able to find characters written in ink relating to the ChineseTiangan Dizhi, or the Ten Heavenly Stems and 12 Earthly Branches, an ancient astronomical calendar system involving 10 Chinese characters used as ordinals (序數) and another 12 characters used to divide a day into 12 two-hour periods.For example,wu(noon) refers to the time from 11 am to 1 pm.This wood slip calendar, which is still in a perfectly good condition, was discovered in a Western Han Dynasty tomb.

4Despite its purpose being unknown, Sichuan archaeologist Yu Pei'er explained that the discovery might be closely “connected to the tomb owner's profession and beliefs”.“Wooden and bamboo slips are often found in ancient Chinese tombs, but the astronomical contents of the findings inspire us researchers to further investigate the specific burial customs of the area,” Yu remarked.

5The wooden slips were discovered in the Guankou No.1 Western Han Tomb located in the Wulong District of Chongqing Municipality.According to the information inscribed(刻)on the slips,the tomb dates back to193 BC,making it one of the oldest Western Han Dynasty tombs ever discovered.

6“This is the first time that we've found a tomb with a clear dating that puts it during the Western Han period in China,”an archaeologist said,adding that the tomb is also the best preserved wooden-chambered tomb ever found in Southwest China.

Reading Check

1.What is the significance of the characters found on the wooden slips?

A.They detail the personal life of the tomb owner.

B.They record ancient Chinese herbal medicine recipes.

C.They relate to the ancient Chinese astronomical calendar system.

D.They are instructions on traditional Chinese ceremonies.

2.Which of the following was also served as early Chinese documentation?

A.Stone tablets.B.Chinese bamboo slips.

C.Silk manuscripts.D.Clay tablets.

3.What aspect of the wooden slips' discovery interested the researchers?

A.The potential connection to the tomb owner's profession and beliefs.

B.Their detailed accounts of daily life during the Western Han Dynasty.

C.The artistry of the characters written on the slips.

D.The materials the slips were made from.

4.What can be known about the tomb where the wooden slips were found?

A.It contains the remains of a famous historical figure.

B.It is the largest tomb from the Western Han period ever discovered.

C.It is one of the oldest and best preserved Western Han Dynasty tombs found in the region.

D.It features the most intricate carvings and designs from that era.

?語篇解碼

What：本文的主題語境為人與社會，屬于歷史和傳統的范疇。文章主要介紹了在重慶市發現的一組古代木牘，并強調了它們的獨特性和重要性。本文共分為6 個段落。第1、2、3段介紹了古代漢字木牘的發現情況并對木牘進行描述；第4段介紹了專家對木牘的解讀；第5 段指出這些木牘的發現地址及墓葬的起源；第6 段介紹了木牘被發現的意義。

Why：這篇文章旨在向讀者介紹木牘的發現及其意義。這是迄今為止發現的中國首次揭示天文學秘密的木牘，為我們了解古代中國天文學提供了寶貴的信息。同時，這些木牘也突顯了木牘這種古代書寫形式的重要性——它們是最早的漢字記錄形式之一，對于記錄和研究古代中國歷史和文化具有重要價值。文章讓我們對中國古代歷史、文化和天文學有所了解，也為我們揭示了古代人們的思考方式。

How：本文是一篇新聞報道。新聞報道的時態以一般過去時為主，人稱多用第三人稱，通常包括何時（when）、何地（where）、何事（what）、何因（why）、何人（who）等要素。本文的詞塊主要與歷史相關。

?語言學習

Ⅰ.語料薈萃

a set of 一套

be related to 與……有關

astronomical calendar 天文歷法

a total of 總共

along with 隨著；和……一起

be used as 被用作

divide...into 把……分成……

refer to 查閱；參考

for example 例如

in a good condition 狀況良好

be connected to 連接到

burial customs 喪葬習俗

Ⅱ.語句分析

1.According to the information inscribed on the slips, the tomb dates back to 193 BC,making it one of the oldest Western Han Dynasty tombs ever discovered.根據刻在木牘上的信息，這座陵墓可以追溯到公元前193 年，是迄今為止發現的最古老的西漢陵墓之一。

【點石成金】本句是一個簡單句。the tomb dates back to 193 BC 是句子的主干；According to...slips 是介詞短語作狀語；making it...discovered 是動詞-ing短語作結果狀語。

2.“This is the first time that we've found a tomb with a clear dating that puts it during the Western Han period in China,” an archaeologist said, adding that the tomb is also the best preserved wooden-chambered tomb ever found in Southwest China.一位考古學家說：“這是我們第一次發現一座年代明確的中國西漢時期的陵墓。”他補充說這座陵墓也是中國西南地區有史以來保存最完好的木室墓。

【點石成金】本句中，an archaeologist said 是句子的主干；adding...China 是動詞-ing形式短語作伴隨狀語，that the tomb is...China 是賓語從句；引號里面是直接引語，其中的This is the first time that...意為“這是第一次……”，是固定句式。

?語言運用

Ⅰ.例句仿寫

1.天文歷法以其復雜的計算和精確的觀測在古代文明中發揮了至關重要的作用，使其成為追蹤天文事件的寶貴工具。

The astronomical calendar, with its complicated calculations and precise observations,played a crucial role in ancient civilizations,_____________________________________for tracking celestial events.

2.這是這座城市幾十年來首次慶祝傳統節日，該慶祝活動的豐富歷史意義吸引了當地人和游客。

_____________________________________in decades, captivating both locals and tourists with its rich historical significance.

Ⅱ.寫作實踐

假定你是李華，你的澳大利亞朋友Jenny在網上看到中國古代木牘出土的新聞報道，給你發郵件詢問相關情況，請你根據以下要點給她寫一封回信。

1.木牘出土的地點；

2.簡要介紹木牘的內容；

3.木牘出土的重要意義。

注意：

1.詞數80左右；

2.可以適當增加細節，以使行文連貫。

Dear Jenny,

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

Best regards,

Li Hua