Chinese Cultural Tip: 筷子(Kuài zǐ )Chopsticks

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 There are many different tales of the origin of chopsticks, one of which is related to Dayu, a legendary figure who tamed floods. It is said that there were ravaging floods which caused serious damage during the reign of Yao and Shun, who therefore sent Dayu on a mission to control the floods. Dayu swore to complete his task successfully and relieve his people from the threat of floods. During his mission, he passed by his own house three times, but each time he did not go back in. He begrudged every minute he had to spend on rest and sleep. One day, he came to an island by boat feeling very hungry. He began to cook meat in an earthenware crock. When the meat was done, it was too hot to eat it with his hands, but it would take too much time to wait for the meat to cool off.  

 

 

Kuàizǐ, kěyǐ shuō shì Zhōngguó rén de yí xiàng dútè fāmíng. Tā qīngqiǎo línghuó, yǒu tiāo, bō, jiá, bàn, bā děng gōngnéng, Zài shìjiè gè guó de cānjù zhōng biéjù yì gé, bèi xīfāng rén yù wéi “dōngfāng de wénmíng”. Zhōngguó shì kuàizǐ de fāyuándì, yǐ kuài jìn cān yǐ yǒu sān qiān duō nián lìshǐ.
筷子,可以说是中国人的一项独特发明。它轻巧灵活,有挑、拨、夹、拌、扒等功能,在世界各国的餐具中别具一格,被西方人誉为“东方的文明”。中国是筷子的发源地,以筷进餐已有三千多年历史。
Chopsticks are a special invention of the Chinese people. Simple and handy, they are unique among all the tableware found throughout the world with such functions as poking, turning, stirring, chopping, and picking up food. It is called “a civilization of the East” by Westerners. Chopsticks were invented by the Chinese and have been used as traditional tableware for more than three thousand years.

Kuàizǐ de yóulái yǒu hěnduō zhǒng shuōfǎ, qí zhōng yí gè shuōfǎ hái hé “Dàyǔ zhì shuǐ” yǒu guān ne.Xiàngchuán Yáo Shùn shídài,hóngshuǐ fànlàn chéng zāi,Shùn mìng lìng Yǔ qù zhìlǐ shuǐhuàn.Dàyǔ fāshì yào wèi rénmín qīngchú hóngshuǐ zāihài,suǒyǐ sān guò jiāmén ér bú rù. Tā rìrì yèyè mánglù zhe, bié shuō xiūxī, jiùshì chīfàn 、shuìjiào yě shě bú dé dānwù yì fēn yì miǎo. Yǒu yí cì, Dàyǔ chéng chuán lái dào yí gè dǎo shàng, fēicháng jī’è, tā jiù jià qǐ táoguō zhǔ ròu. Kěshì ròu zhǔ shú hòu, yóuyú tài tàng shǒu wúfǎ yòng shǒu ná zhe chī, rúguǒ děng ròu liáng le zài chī yòu huì dānwù shíjiān. Dàyǔ bú yuàn làngfèi zhìshuǐ de shíjiān, suǒyǐ jiù kǎn xià liǎng gēn shùzhī bǎ ròu cóng rè tāng zhōng jiá chū, chī le qǐlái. Cóngcǐ, wèi le jiēyuē shí jiān, tā zǒngshì zhè yàng chīfàn. Qí tā rén jiàn tā zhèyàng chīfàn, jì bú tàng shǒu , yòu búhuì shǐ shǒu shàng zhān rǎn yóu nì, Yúshì fēnfēn xiàofǎng, jiù zhèyàng jiàn jiàn xíngchéng le kuàizǐ de chúxíng. Jīngguò jǐ qiān nián de fāzhǎn, wǒmen xiànzài shǐyòng de kuàizǐ hái dàiyǒu yuánshǐ zhú mù gùnbàng de tèzhēng.
筷子的由来有很多种说法,其中一个说法还和“大禹治水”有关呢。相传尧舜时代,洪水泛滥成灾,舜命令禹去治理水患。大禹发誓要为人民清除洪水灾害,所以三过家门而不入。他日日夜夜忙碌着,别说休息,就是吃饭、睡觉也舍不得耽误一分一秒。有一次,大禹乘船来到一个岛上,非常饥饿,他就架起陶锅煮肉。可是肉煮熟后,由于太烫手无法用手拿着吃,如果等肉凉了再吃又会耽误时间。大禹不愿浪费治水的时间,所以就砍下两根树枝把肉从热汤中夹出,吃了起来。从此,为了节约时间,他总是这样吃饭。其他人见他这样吃饭,既不烫手,又不会使手上沾染油腻,于是纷纷效仿,就这样渐渐形成了筷子的雏形。经过几千年的发展,我们现在使用的筷子还带有原始竹木棍棒的特征。
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