中国文化 | the charm of traditional Chinese kites （中国传统风筝的魅力）

每日英语 · 公众号 · 英语 · 2024-10-26 07:30

正文

“草长莺飞二月天，拂堤杨柳醉春烟。儿童散学归来早，忙趁东风放纸鸢。”一起来领略一下风筝的魅力吧。

For Chinese people, the kite, a toy that carries countless childhood memories, is not just a form of entertainment but a microcosm (缩影) of China’s ancient culture. Let us soar into the world of kites together and experience their charm.

对于中国人来说，风筝是一种承载着无数童年回忆的玩具，它不仅是一种娱乐形式，更是中国古代文化的缩影。让我们一起飞向风筝的世界，感受它们的魅力。

The craftsmanship of kite-making

风筝制作工艺

The making of traditional Chinese kites is a handicraft that requires not only high skill levels from the maker but also artistic creativity. The materials for making kites are diverse, from bamboo and silk to paper, and the choice of each material reflects the maker’s artistic taste. The most critical steps in the process are making the frame and pasting. The frame is usually made of bamboo, which must be both strong and lightweight; pasting involves tightly attaching the chosen paper or silk to the frame, ensuring the overall strength and flight performance of the kite.

中国传统风筝的制作是一种手工艺，不仅需要制作者的高超技艺，还需要艺术创造力。制作风筝的材料多种多样，从竹子、丝绸到纸张，每种材料的选择都反映了制作者的艺术品味。这个过程中，最关键的步骤是制作框架和粘贴。框架通常由竹子制成，竹子必须既坚固又轻便；粘贴包括将选定的纸张或丝绸紧紧地贴在框架上，以确保风筝的整体强度和飞行性能。

Different regions have their own distinctive kite-making characteristics. For example, Beijing-style kites are known for their extremely beautiful details, while Weifang kites are renowned for their flying performance. Kite-making is not just a technical task but also an artistic creation.

不同的地区有自己独特的风筝制作特点。例如，京派风筝以极其精美的细节而闻名，而潍坊风筝则以其飞行表演而闻名。风筝制作不仅是一项技术任务，也是一项艺术创作。

Kite culture and art forms

风筝文化与艺术形式

During traditional Chinese festivals, such as Qingming and Mid-Autumn Festival, kite-flying is an important activity. Kites not only represent people’s wishes for freedom but also symbolize health and longevity. In ancient times, it was believed that kites could carry away diseases and disasters, so people flew kites on specific days with the hope of keeping away from evil and misfortune.

在中国的传统节日，如清明节和中秋节，放风筝是一项重要的活动。风筝不仅代表着人们对自由的渴望，也象征着健康和长寿。在古代，人们相信风筝可以带走疾病和灾难，因此人们在特定的日子放风筝，希望远离邪恶和不幸。

The art forms of kites are diverse, ranging from simple single-line kites to complex multi-line controlled kites, each with its unique charm. In kite design, Chinese kite artists have shown great creativity. They have combined traditional calligraphy and painting with kite-making to create a series of kites with national characteristics. Many kites are painted with beautiful patterns, such as dragons, phoenixes, flowers, birds, and traditional totems (图腾) that are aesthetically pleasing (美观的) and rich in cultural meaning.

风筝的艺术形式多种多样，从简单的单线风筝到复杂的多线控制风筝，每种风筝都有其独特的魅力。在风筝设计方面，中国风筝艺术家表现出了极大的创造力。他们将传统书画与风筝制作相结合，创造了一系列具有民族特色的风筝。许多风筝都绘有美丽的图案，如龙、凤、花、鸟及传统图腾。这些图案不仅美观，还承载着深厚的文化内涵。

These kites are not only loved domestically but also have a high reputation internationally, becoming a calling card for Chinese culture.

这些风筝不仅在国内广受欢迎，在国际上也享有很高的声誉，成为中国文化的名片。

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编辑：李云排版：李晨晖

一校：孙星二校：樊翠芳三校：史俊艳

初审：尚继明复审：李晨晖终审：张俊