從刀耕火種到精耕細作

文/五花肉

“工欲善其事，必先利其器”，自古以來農業就關乎國運命脈，而農業的發展又很大程度上取決于農具的“進化”程度。作為農具的典型代表之一，犁的發明和使用推動了我國古代農業生產力的巨大提升。

Sharp tools make good work. Agriculture has been closely related to the destiny and lifeline of a nation traditionally. The development of agriculture, to a great extent, depends on the evolution of the farm tools. As a typical farm tool, plough’s invention and application greatly promoted agricultural productivity in ancient China.

犁的雛形：耒耜

Embryonic Form of Plough: Wooden Plough

耒耜是我國最古老的農具，相傳由神農所制，在一根尖頭木棍上加一段短橫梁，形如木叉，上有曲柄，下為犁頭，使用時把尖頭插入土壤，用腳踩橫梁使木棍深入，然后翻出，即可實現松土目的。

Leisi (wooden plough) is the oldest farm tool in China.According to legend, the inventor of wooden plough was Shennong who added a short twig-shaped beam onto the stick with a sharp end. There was a crank and a colter in the upper and lower part. Scarification was realized by wedging the pointed end into the soil,further wedging it with foot on the beam and turning inside out.

為了便于推廣使用，到了春秋戰國時期，耒耜的制作趨于規范，“耒高六尺六寸，耜廣五寸”，這一尺寸后來被《考工記》采用，成為當時的工藝標準。

In order to disseminate wooden plough, the making of wooden plough has been standardized in the period of Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period."The height of Lei (crank) is six Chi and six Cun and the width of Si (colter) is five Cun." The dimension was later adopted in the Literature of Manufacturing Standard and regarded as the technical standard then.

耒耜的出現，對于我國從原始刀耕火種邁入真正意義的耕播農業時代具有重要意義。

The invention of wooden plough holds great significance to the transition of our country from primitive slash-and-burn cultivation to farming and sowing agriculture era in a real term.

二牛抬杠：直轅犁

Two-cattle for Tilling: Straight Shaft Plough

隨著冶煉技術的進步，鐵具開始大量出現，鐵犁逐漸取代耒耜，鐵犁牛耕在我國傳統農耕方式中的主導地位自此確立。

The progress of smelting technology was followed by the massive emergence of ironware. And then iron plough gradually replaced the wooden plough.Thus, the dominance of cattle-driven iron plough was established in the traditional farming of China.

西漢時期最著名的鐵犁是一種二牛抬扛式的直轅犁，由兩人指揮兩頭牛進行耕種。兩牛相距約八尺（約210 cm），中間橫抬一“杠”，“杠”后接續轅犁。一人牽牛，一人坐于“杠”上腳踏轅犁，控制犁鏵入土深淺。

The most known iron plough in West Han Dynasty was the two-cattle-driven straight shaft plough, with which two people directed two cattle for tilling. The two cattle were at a distance of 210 cm or so apart,with a shaft in between. The shaft was joined by the poled plough. One people led the cattle, and the other sat on the shaft and stepped on the poled plough,controlling the depth of tilling.

作為漢代最重要的農具之一，直轅犁相比耒耜的標準化程度和質量穩定性更高，極大提升了當時的耕種效率。

As one of the most important farm tools in Han Dynasty, the straight shaft plough was higher in standardization and more stable in quality than wooden plough, thus greatly improving the tilling and sowing eきciency then.

犁的定型：曲轅犁

Finalized Design of Plough: Crankshaft Plough

到了唐朝，人們對精細化耕作的要求不斷提高，直轅犁轉彎不便、起土費力、操作不靈活等劣勢逐漸顯現。一種由11個部件構成的曲轅犁應運而生。

In Tang Dynasty, people had higher demands for intensive and meticulous farming. With the disadvantages of straight shaft plough gradually showing up, such as inconvenience in swerving,difficult of dozing soil, and inflexibility in handling,hence the crankshaft plough that was comprised of 11 components was created.

作為直轅犁的改進版，曲轅犁改直轅、長轅為曲轅、短轅，長度參照時人的身高，以6尺（約180 cm）為標準，使其更加符合人體工學；增設的犁盤、犁箭、犁評和犁建，便于轉彎和調節耕地深度；犁底與犁梢分離，可以控制耕垡的寬窄；犁壁則能碎土推土，減少運動阻力。

As the improved model of the straight shaft plough,crankshaft plough transforms direct and long shaft into curved and short shaft. The length referred to the stature of people then and was subject to the standard of 180 cm, which was even more ergonomic. The new added plate, arrow, frame and stick facilitated the swerving and adjusting the in-soil depth. The separation of plough bottom and plough tip allowed the control over the width of the furrow. The plough cavity could grind and dozing soil while easing the motion-resistance force.

這種結構精細、操作靈活、輕便省力的曲轅犁，代表了當時農具最先進的制造工藝和技術標準，在我國古代農耕史上留下了濃墨重彩的一筆。

The fine structure, flexible operation, lightness,convenience and labor economy were displaying the most advanced manufacturing technique and technical standard, making the crankshaft plough itself a defining moment in the farming history of ancient China.

結 語

Conclusion

犁的演變，從結構的不斷優化，到形式和功能的豐富完善，具有鮮明的精細化、標準化烙印，不僅推動了我國農業生產力的長足發展，更彰顯了中華民族一直以來對精益求精的不懈追求。

From the constant optimization in structure, to the improvement in forms and functions, the evolution of plough are characterized by distinct refinement and standardization, which not only promotes the substantial development of agricultural productivity in China, but also represents Chinese nation's constant striving for excellence.