20230630 final exam culture 06

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Zhao Xizhen 赵喜珍 Chinese traditional custom: Draw lots

Chinese traditional custom: Draw lots

Abstract

Draw lots, also called Shi'er（试儿）、Shizhou（试周）,which means a vocational inclination test for an infant. It is a very important ceremony in the one-year-old ceremony. It was first seen in the ancient customs of the Northern and Southern Dynasties(AD420-589) and spread among the people.The baby is born one year, accounting for "ZHOU"（周）, now called one full year of life. In this day, the whole family not only to celebrate, but also to hold a grand ceremony.It is not only a traditional cultural custom, but also reflects the cultural significance of the Chinese traditional family model.

抓周，也叫试儿、试周、揸生日。它是周岁礼中一项很重要的仪式，最早见于南北朝时期的古俗，在民间流传。婴儿出生满一年，占称“周”，现称周岁，周岁这天，全家人不仅要庆贺，而且还要举行隆重的抓周仪式。抓周不仅是一项传统文化习俗，也从中体现了中国传统家庭模式的文化意义。

Keywords

Draw Lots, customs, cultural significance.

抓周，习俗，文化意义。

Introduction

This custom, which has been passed down in folklore for a long time, is a ceremony held when a child turns one year old to predict his future and temperament, and is a way to celebrate the first birthday anniversary. It belongs to the traditional birth rituals as well as the birth annunciation, the full moon ceremony and the 100th day ceremony, etc. Its core is the wish for the continuation, smoothness and prosperity of life, with the nature of family games,reflecting the parents' very affectionate toward their children, and also is a kind of faith custom with human relations and the pursuit of child rearing; at the same time, it also objectively tests how the mother enlightens her children. With the improvement of living standards, the custom of Draw lots is being paid more and more attention to many families, and many places are also holding organized this activity as a way to celebrate the baby's birthday.

抓周，又称拭儿、试晬、拈周、试周，英文为Draw lots。这种习俗，在民间流传已久，它是小孩周岁时举行的一种预测前途和性情的仪式，是第一个生日纪念日的庆祝方式。它与产儿报喜、三朝洗儿、满月礼、百日礼等一样，都属于传统的诞生礼仪，其核心是对生命延续、顺利和兴旺的祝愿，反映了父母对子女的舐犊情深，具有家庭游戏性质，是一种具有人伦味、以育儿为追求的信仰风俗；同时也在客观上检验了母亲是如何对孩童进行启蒙教育的。随着生活水平的提高，抓周这一习俗被越来越多的许多家庭重视，许多地方也在有组织地集体举行抓周活动，以此来庆祝宝宝的生日。

It objectively tests how birth mothers and wet nurses educate their children through this way, which is why some parents are not superstitious but advocate Draw lots, and it is also one of the reasons why this custom is spread among the people.

通过抓周，在客观上检验了生母、奶妈对小孩是如何教育的，这也是为何有些家长不迷信但却主张抓周的原因所在，同时也是这一习俗得以在民间流传的原因之一。

Source Search

There should be a time process for a custom to form and develop. In the Southern dynasty, Draw lots was already popular in Jiangnan(which is the region south of the Yangtze River), so the generation time should be a little earlier. Therefore, according to Tales of The Three Kingdoms circulated among the people, the origin of Draw lots was pushed forward to the Three Kingdoms time.

一种习俗从产生形成到发展流传，应当有一个时间过程。南朝时抓周便已流行于江南，所以其产生时间应当更早一点。因此，又有人根据民间流传的《三国外传》，将抓周的起源时间向前推至三国时间。

According to legend, after Sun Quan's(founder of the Wu country in the dynasty of three kingdoms) ascending to the throne, his son Sun Deng died of illness, so that Sun Quan had to choose another successor from among his descendants. A man named Jing Yang asked to see Sun Quan, saying that the succession was a great task throughout the ages, and that it should not only depend on the virtue of the princes, but also on thier talent. He also proposed to Sun Quan how he should choose his son. So Sun Quan, according to Jing Yang's way, recruited all the royal descendants into the palace on an auspicious day, then Jing Yang brought out a plate full of beads and shells, ivory, rhinoceros horn, etc., and let the young royal descendants grab them at will. Some of the children grabbed jade and some took rhinoceros horn. Only Sun Hao, the son of Sun He, grabbed the booklet with one hand and the Sui belt with the other. Sun Quan was so happy to see this that he immediately crowned Sun He as the crown prince. After this, many people also used similar methods to test the future of their children and grandchildren, thus forming the custom of "testing children" or Shi'er（试儿） which spread in Jiangnan.

相传，三国时,孙权登基没有多久,太子孙登就因病去世了，孙权只能从其他后辈中再选一名继承人。有个叫景养的人求见孙权，说立嗣传位是千秋万代的大业，不能只看皇子是否贤德，还要看他的天赋。并且向孙权提出了他选择皇子的办法。于是孙权按照景养所说，在一个良辰吉日将所有皇室后辈招进宫里，然后景养端出一个装满珠贝、象牙、犀角等物的盘子，让小皇孙们任意地抓取。众小儿有的抓翡翠，有的取犀角。只有孙和的儿子孙皓，一手抓过简册，一手抓过绥带。孙权看到后很高兴，立马册封孙和为太子。在这之后，许多人也用类似的方法来测试儿孙的未来，由此形成了流传江南的“试儿”习俗。（佚名《抓周源自三国时期》）

Historical Development

The documentary record of Draw Lots dated back to the North and South Dynasties. The custom of Draw Lots is clearly recorded in Yan Zhitui's Yan Family Sutra of the Northern Qi Dynasty, when it was still known as "testing children". When discussing the history of the custom, many writers claimed that the custom was widespread in the Jiangnan area at least during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and gradually spread throughout the country during the Sui and Tang Dynasties.

文献上有关抓周的记载可上溯到南北朝时期。北齐颜之推《颜氏家训》就明确记载了抓周这一习俗，此时它还被称作是“拭儿”。不少著述在论及抓周习俗的历史时，都称这个习俗至少在南北朝时已普遍流行于江南地区，至隋唐时逐渐普及全国。

By the Tang and Song dynasties, this custom had spread from Jiangnan to all parts of the country, and at this time it was called "Shizui"（试晬） or "Zhouzui"（周晬）. In the Yuan and Ming dynasties, this custom became more prevalent and was called "Qiyang"（期扬）, and only in the Qing dynasty was the name of "Zhuazhou"（抓周） and "Shizhou"（试周）.

到了唐宋时期，这一风俗已从江南传开至全国各地，此时叫做“试晬”或“周晬”。元代和明代，此习俗更加盛行，被称之为“期扬”，到了清代才有“抓周”、“试周”之称。 In the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period, this kind of ceremony was still prevalent in Beijing. No big banquet was held for the child's birthday, but friends and relatives still came to congratulate the child and brought small gifts (such as cakes and toys). In addition, it was customary for the elders who met the child for the first time to attach a white thread to a coin and put it around the child's neck, which was called a "hanging thread" (you can also do the same in normal times).

清末民初，北京民间仍然盛行这种“抓周”礼。小儿周岁不举办大酒席，但亲朋好友仍会来贺岁，且带上小礼物（如糕点玩具等）。另外，在习惯上，只要是和小孩第一次见面的长辈，都会用一挂白线拴上钱币，给小孩套在脖子上，这叫做“挂线”（在平时也一样）。（黄晓《抓周仪式的文化解读》）

Nowadays, many places still retain the custom of Draw Lots, but there is no longer a superstitious element, which can be seen as an inheritance of traditional customs.

现在不少地方仍然保留着“抓周”这一习俗，但是已经没有了迷信的成分，这可以看做是对传统习俗的一种继承。

The process of Draw Lots

On the day of the child's first birthday, parents will dress the child and put on new clothes, and then begin to worship the ancestors, first telling them that today is the offspring's birthday, praying for blessing the child to grow up healthy. Then choose a spacious room, set up two square tables or a round table covered with cloth or mat, and arrange the prepared items in a semi-curved shape at one end of the table, then place the baby on the table and ask him/her to grab the objects on the table.After that,we can infer the interests of the baby and the possible future profession from he/she grabs. 在孩童周岁这天，父母给孩子梳洗打扮，换上新衣，然后开始祭拜祖先，先告诉祖先今日是后代的周岁，祈求保佑孩子能够健康成长。然后选一间比较宽敞的房间，摆上两张方桌或一张圆桌，上面铺好布或席子，将准备好的抓周物品呈半弧形摆放至桌子的一端，将宝宝放在桌上让宝宝抓桌上的物品，然后根据宝宝所抓物品推测宝宝的兴趣爱好以及将来可能从事的行业。 Draw Lots ceremony in each region In the book Chinese National Customs compiled by Hu Pu'an, the custom of Draw Lots in many regions of China in modern times, such as Beijing, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Anhui, is recorded. In the Beijing area, all the items are put on the table, and newly clothed child is carried to the tablel. If he grabs a pen, he will be a great writer; if he grabs an abacus, he will be a merchant. 近人胡朴安所编的《中华全国风俗志》一书中，对我国近代很多地区如北京、浙江、江西、安徽等地的抓周习俗都有记载。北京地区是把所有物品都放在桌子上，等小孩穿上新衣后抱到桌子上，让他随意抓取。如果抓的是笔，则代表他以后是大作家；如果抓的是算盘，则代表他以后会是商人。 All over Jiangxi and Beijing area is similar, but in the former Qing Dynasty, a kind of Chaohu(which was a string of beads worn on a Qing dynasty court dress) was added, if the child caught this item, the family will be very happy, outsiders will also congratulate for this, because it represents the child will become an official in the future. 江西各地和北京地区类似，但在前清的时候，又加入了朝珠一种，如果小孩抓了这个物品，家人都会很高兴，外人也会为此道贺，因为这代表着小孩以后会当官。 The Qiongya region of Hainan Province calls the child's first birthday "Duisui"（对岁）, this day to congratulate more friends and relatives than the child's full moon day. Elders family will put pen, ink, paper and ink stone, abacus toys, etc. in a sieve, then invite the Taoist priest to come over to worship the gods, and then put the sieve in front of the gods, let the children themselves to grab at will. Those who choose stationery may like studying, and those who choose abacus and silver yuan may like business. 海南省琼崖地区称小儿周岁为“对岁”，这一天来祝贺的亲朋好友比小孩满月那天还要多。外祖父家将笔墨纸砚、算盘玩具等都放在一个筛子中，父亲家则请道士过来奉神，然后把筛子放在神明面前，让小孩自己去随意抓取。择文具者为喜读书，择算盘、银元者则近于商(陈顺宣《汉族生养益寿风俗》)。 The Korean people living in Jilin, Heilongjiang and Liaoning attach importance to celebrating the baby's first birthday and also hold the ceremony. On this day, the mother will first dress herself up and then dress the child. The guests gather around and praise the baby, then carry it to the birthday table prepared in advance. The table is decorated with cakes, sweets and symbolic items such as pens, books, beads and toys. After the guests arrive, the child is asked to choose his or her favorite item from the wide variety of items. When the child stretches out his small hand and picks up an item from the table, people burst into a frenzy as if they had discovered some mystery, praising how clever the child was to make the host happy. There are also those who set up Yepan（晔盘a container that looks like a plate）, on which they put rice, noodles, cakes, fruits, coins, silk thread, books, ink and pencils, bows and arrows (for female babies, scissor and ruler are used instead of bows and arrows) and other things for the baby to grab. And the silk thread symbolizes longevity. At the same time, an old man puts a white velvet around the baby's neck to express his hope that the baby will be a pure and innocent person like the snowy white velvet and will live a long life like the long velvet thread. 居住在吉林、黑龙江、辽宁等地的朝鲜族，重视庆贺婴儿周岁，也举行抓周之礼。这一天，母亲先会把自己装扮一番，再给孩子穿上精致的衣服。客人们会先围着小宝宝夸奖一番，接着把孩子抱到事先准备好的生日席桌前。席上摆设着打糕、糖果和笔、书、珠算、玩具等带有象征意义的东西。待客人到齐之后，就让孩子从这五花八门的东西中选择自已最喜爱的物品。当孩子伸出小手，从席桌上拿起一样东西时，人们就像发现了什么奥秘似的，顿时欢腾起来，赞扬这孩子如何聪明等，使主人高兴。也有设置晔盘者，上放人米、面条、糕点、水果、钱币、丝线、书本、笔墨、弓箭 (女婴则以剪刀、尺子代替弓箭) 等物，令婴儿抓取。其中丝线象征咨长寿。主家设晔宴招待贺客，贺客则送童装或玩具等，以祝婴儿健康成长，表达美好的祝愿，同时由一位上了年纪的老人在孩子脖预上套一团素白色绒，以示希望孩子像雪白的绒团那样做一个清白纯洁的人，能像长长的绒线那样长年延寿。（黄晓《抓周仪式的文化解读》） It can be seen that the custom of Draw Lots exists in many regions of the country. Parents' hopes for their children can be seen in the items that are set up. But in terms of what is placed around, more or less, the variety varies slightly, and the meaning signified by what is grasped is much the same.This is a reflection of the degree of ethnic culture and local cultural standards of different historical periods and local regions in the custom of Draw Lots. 由此可以看出，在我国许多地区都存在着抓周习俗。从摆设的物品可看出家长对孩子的希望。但从各地摆设的东西来看，或多或少，种类稍有差异，抓取什么所表示的含义也大同小异。这是不同历史时期、不同地方区域的民族文化程度、地方文化水准在抓周习俗上的体现。

The meaning of the items representing the items（Baidu）

1. Books: good at study; suitable for scholars, experts. 2. Pen and ink: will become a writer or painter. 3. seal: powerful; will be a big official. 4. Abacus / calculator: will be a businessman, accountant; suitable for business. 5. Coins: will be very rich in the future. 6. Chicken legs: blessed, and will not worry about food and clothing in life. 7. Ruler: can become designers and architects in the future. 8.Scallion: on behalf of smart(because "scallion" is pronounced with the Chinese pronunciation "cong", meaning smart). 9. Garlic: represents good at calculation or arrangement(pronounced with the Chinese pronunciation "suan", meaning good at calculation or arrangement). 10. Celery: on behalf of hard work(also because of its Chinese pronunciation "qin"). 11. Straw: suitable for agricultural work. 12. Swords: can be officers, police. 1、书：会读书；适合做学者、专家 2、笔墨：会成为作家、画家 3、印章：有权势，会做大官 4、算盘/计算器：会当商人、会计师，适合从商 5、钱币：将来会很富有 6、鸡腿：有福气，表示一生将不愁吃穿 7、尺：将来可成为设计师、建筑师 8、葱：代表聪明 9、蒜：代表善于计算 10、芹菜：代表勤劳 11、稻草：适合农事工作 12、刀剑：能当军官、警察 13、听筒：适合医护工作 

Cultural significance

"The ritual of Draw Lots marks the end of one stage of a child's life and the beginning of another. Through the various aspects of the ritual, the people express their reverence for their gods and ancestors, as well as conveying their expectations for their offspring and their aspirations for a better life. The ritual of Draw Lots is also an important carrier for family gatherings and assumes a certain entertainment function." “抓周仪式标志着儿童一个生命阶段的结束和另一个生命阶段的开始。通过仪式的各个环节，既表达了人们对神灵和祖先的崇敬之情，也传递了对后辈的期待和对美好生活的向往。抓周礼俗也是家族聚会的重要载体，承担了一定的娱乐功能。”（徐森阳，王宇鹏《抓周仪式的内容及其文化心理意义探析》） (1) The beginning of a new phase of the newborn. （一）新生儿新阶段的开始。 The Draw Lots ceremony is held when the newborn is one year old and represents a growth ritual. The newborn moves from infancy to early childhood and slowly grows from an ignorant baby to an individual exploring the outside world on his or her own. 抓周仪式在新生儿一周岁时举行，代表了一种成长仪式。新生儿从婴儿时期迈入幼儿时期，从一个懵懂无知的婴儿慢慢成长为一个自主探索外部世界的个体。 (2) The ritual of Draw Lots represents the reverence for the gods and the wish for the children. （二）抓周仪式代表对神明的敬畏和对孩童的祝愿。 The Draw Lots ceremony begins with worshiping the gods and praying to them to bless the newborn's healthy growth. The birth of a newborn is a family legacy, representing a new hope for a family and reflecting the continuity of life. 抓周仪式首先要祭拜神明，并向神明祈祷保佑新生儿健康成长。新生儿的出生，是一个家族的传承，代表了一个家族的新希望，反映了生命的延续。 (3) The Draw Lots ceremony can promote family heritage and social interaction. （三）抓周仪式能促进家庭传承和社会交往。 With the development of society, people have more and more convenient ways to communicate and interact with each other, but people are less able to experience the traditional strong family ties. The appearance of a newborn child is a link between family members, who bring them together again to feel the traditional kinship between families, enhance their feelings, and strengthen their sense of identity in the relationship of family members. At the same time, the Draw Lots ceremony unites family and friends, and people are able to further promote social interaction and interpersonal relationships during the conversation. 随着社会发展，人们交流交往的方式越来越便捷，但人们却较少能体验到传统的家族浓厚亲情。新生儿的出现，是家庭成员联系的纽带，他使家庭成员再次相聚在一起，感受家庭之间传统的亲情、增进感情，强化对家族成员关系的认同感。同时，抓周仪式凝聚亲朋好友，人们在交谈的过程中能够进一步促进社会交往，推动人际关系的发展。

References

1.Xu Senyang, Wang Yupeng徐森阳，王宇鹏. 抓周仪式的内容及其文化心理意义探析 ——以苏州地区为例 2.Huang Xiao黄晓. 抓周仪式的文化解读 ——以广德地区为例 3.Li Songling, Qu Chunhai李松龄，屈春海. 话说抓周习俗 4.Yi Ming 抓周源自三国时期

Questions

1.When did the Draw Lots from? 2.What's the meaning of abacus? 3.Can you talk about the cultural significance of Draw Lots?

Answers

1.The documentary record of Draw Lots dated back to the North and South Dynasties. 2.It means the child will be a businessman, accountant; suitable for business. 3.The ritual of Draw Lots marks the end of one stage of a child's life and the beginning of another. Through the various aspects of the ritual, the people express their reverence for their gods and ancestors, as well as conveying their expectations for their offspring and their aspirations for a better life. The ritual of Draw Lots is also an important carrier for family gatherings and assumes a certain entertainment function.

Wang Jiaqi 王佳绮 the image of cattle in Chinese culture

Abstract

Cattle plays an extremely important role in Chinese culture and have a great influence on both ancient and modern society. This chapter will analyze the reasons why cattle are so important in Chinese culture from a historical perspective, briefly analyze the image of cattle in Chinese culture and its guiding significance to the development of modern China, and briefly compare the cattle culture of other countries.

牛在中国文化中有着极其重要的地位，对古今社会都有极大的影响。本文将从历史角度分析牛在中国文化中如此重要的原因，简要分析牛在中国文化中的形象和对现代中国发展的指导意义，并简单对比其他国家的牛文化。

Key Words

Traditional Chinese Culture, cattle, cattle culture, culture and society

中国传统文化 牛 牛文化 社会文化

Introduction

China has a long history, industrious and intelligent Chinese people have forged a broad and profound Chinese excellent traditional culture, and the culture related to cattle is a significant one. The Chinese people have deep and complex feelings for this kind of animal. We can see the image of cattle no matter in literary works or in political programs.

中国历史悠久，勤劳智慧的中国人民铸就了博大精深的中国优秀传统文化，而与牛有关的文化更是其中浓墨重彩的一笔。中国人民对有着深厚而复杂的情感，无论是在文学作品还是政治纲领中，都能见到这种动物的身影。

Origin: Totemism in Chinese Farming Society

As far back as the period of clan tribes in primitive China, tribes usually chose animals in nature as clan insignias, which also produce the primitive totem worship. The cattle is one of the main objects of totem worship of the ancient Chinese, symbolizing wealth and power. One of the ancestors of the Chinese people, the Emperor Yan, whose tribal totem symbol is the cattle. From Sima Zhen’s completing Shiji, the creator of Chinese agriculture Emperor Yan as a person with a cattle's head.

早在中国原始氏族部落时期，就通常以自然界存在的动物作为氏族徽帜，因此产生了原始的图腾崇拜。牛是古人图腾崇拜的主要对象之一，象征着财富和权力。中华民族祖先之一的炎帝，其部落图腾标志崇拜物就是牛。司马贞《补史记》载中国农业的创造者炎帝为人身牛头。

Cattle are the first livestock to be tamed by human beings, and the Chinese call them "the first of the six domestic animals". According to historical records, cattle were domesticated and used as early as 7000 years ago in the Neolithic Age. And it was discovered that cattle were larger and stronger than other animals, which improved the efficiency of farming and made them more suitable as laborers for ploughing. Chinese civilization is a typical farming civilization, and the development of agriculture is an important manifestation of the progress of Chinese society. Cattle provides a great contribution to it, and the combination of farm cattle and iron farming tools is also a great technological innovation in Chinese society.

牛是人类最早驯服的牲畜，中国人称其为“六畜之首”。根据史料记载，早在 7000 多年前新石器时代人类就把牛驯化进行役用，人们发现牛相比其他动物而言，体型更大，力气更大，提高了耕作的效率，更适合作为拉犁耕地的劳动力。中国是典型的农耕文明国家，农业的发展是中国社会进步的一个重要表现，而牛为农业发展提供了极大的贡献，耕牛与铁器相结合也是中国社会的一次伟大技术变革。

The cattle have played an important role in Chinese culture as they have enabled the Chinese farmers to increase their productivity, to expand their living space, to provide the basis for population reproduction, and to lay the foundation for the development of Chinese civilization.

牛让中国劳动人民的生产效率得到极大的提高，生存空间得以扩展，为人口繁衍提供基础，为中国社会文明的发展奠定了基础，因此牛在中国文化中有及其重要的地位。

Cattle in Sacrifices

In ancient China, sacrifices is as important as defending the land. In ancient times, at the end of the year, people hold more solemn sacrifices than ususal to their ancestors and gods. People generally chose cattle as the main sacrifice in major rituals to show the solemn because cattle were domesticated by humans earlier and played an important role in social life. It also symbolizes wealth and high status. Also, in ancient Chinese’s minds, cattle were spiritual animals and could communicate with the gods.

在古代中国，祭祀与保疆卫土同等重要。古人在年终岁尾，都要举行比较隆重的祭祀先祖和神灵的活动，由于牛是较早为人类所驯化的家畜，且在社会生活中具有重要作用，象征着财富和地位，而且牛在古代中国人的心目中是具有灵性的动物，可以通神，所以重大的祭祀仪式上，人们一般都要选用牛作为主要的祭品，以示祭祀活动的庄重肃穆。

The Image of Cattle in Traditional Chines Culture

According to the traditional Chinese sexagenary cycle, the “Ten Heavenly Stems and the Twelve Earthly Branches”, the cattle is used instead of the 2nd of the twelve Earthly Branches. In the Chinese classic "Yijing", the cattle is the symbol of the hexagram Kun. The cattle symbolizes the Earth and the Mother. It represents the suppleness and gentleness, the ability to contain and store everything like a gentle and kind mother.

在中国传统纪年法“天干地支”中，以牛代丑。中国古代的《易经》中，则以牛为坤卦的象征。牛象征地，象征母。表示柔顺和温和，能包藏储存万物，像温顺慈祥的母亲。

The cattle represents farming. Agricultural activities can only be carried out normally in times of peace. So cattle are also messengers of peace, reflecting Chinese people's aversion to war. Also, because of their influence on farming culture, cattle often represents great strength. The words "old ox" and "old yellow ox" refer to an old cattle, but they are also a metaphor for those who serve the people in a down-to-earth manner and with dedication. The image of the cattle is also often found in traditional Chinese artworks, usually representing the noble qualities of selflessness, hard-working and being enterprising. The Chinese people also have a fine tradition of praising the qualities of kindness, simplicity, hard-work and bravery. Chinese people have always been known for their stout attitude, straightforwardness, righteousness and loyalty, so the image of the cattle has been given special attention.

牛代表农事，在和平年代农业活动才得以正常进行，因此牛也是和平的使者，体现着中国人民对战争的厌恶。同时因为牛对农耕文化的影响很大，牛也常代表极大的力量。“老牛”、“老黄牛”虽指年老的牛，但同时亦比喻那些踏踏实实、任劳任怨地为人民服务的人。牛的形象也经常出现在中国传统艺术作品中，通常代表着无私风险、勤劳进取的高尚品质，中国人民也有赞扬善良朴实、勤劳勇敢品质的优良传统，一直以姿态敦厚、质直好义和忠厚淳朴的性格而著称，因此牛的形象受到了格外的重视。

The cattle also has a negative connotation. The cattle is a representative of being industrious and simplicity, but also a typical example of stupidity and stubbornness. The cattle is also used as a metaphor for living in poverty or heavy burdens since the ancient Chinese people are mainly agriculturalists and need to work very hard to survive.

牛也有负面的含义。牛是勤劳憨厚的代表，同时也是愚笨、倔强的典型。由于中国古代人民以农业为主，为生存需要极大的劳动付出，因此牛也用于比喻生活贫苦或负担沉重。

The Three Ox Spirit in Modern Chinese Dream

China's reform and opening-up has allowed the country to develop sharply. Today China's economy is growing continuously, steadily and rapidly, and the people's living and cultural level has been improved as never before. At the CPPCC 2021 New Year's Tea Party, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized the need to carry forward the spirit of the "three ox spirit", and move forward on the new journey of building a modern socialist country in a comprehensive manner, as follows. In the face of the growing needs of the people for a better life, strive to be "serving-the-people ox" and be selfless. In the face of new challenges and new tasks in the new development stage, strive to the "pioneering ox" and to seek innovation and development and overcome difficulties. In the face of the great dream of national rejuvenation, strive to be the “persisting ox” and be hard-working. (Baidu baike three ox spirit)

改革开放让中国飞速发展，如今中国经济得到了持续、稳定、快速的发展，人民生活文化水平得到了前所未有的提高。在全国政协2021新年茶话会上，习近平总书记强调要发扬“三牛精神”，在全面建设社会主义现代化国家新征程上奋勇前进，具体内容为： 面对人民群众日益增长的美好生活需要，争当为民服务、无私奉献的“孺子牛”；面对新发展阶段的新挑战新任务，争当创新发展、攻坚克难的“拓荒牛”；面对民族复兴伟大梦想，争当艰苦奋斗、吃苦耐劳的“老黄牛”。

The spirit of the ox demands that every Chinese sons and daughters should carry forward the "three ox spirit", work hard and perseveringly, be practical to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

牛精神要求每一个中华儿女都应弘扬“牛精神”，艰苦奋斗，脚踏实地，实现中华民族的伟大复兴。

The Image of Cattle in British, Japan and India

In British history, cattle were used to help farming at first, but gradually horse farming took the place of cattle farming. So in Britain, a country dominated by animal husbandry, cattle were only used to provide meat and dairy products. In 1986, the first case of mad cow disease was discovered in England, and the damage of mad cow disease was almost fatal to the cattle storage industry in England, which also hit the British economy hard. In British culture, cattle mostly represent savagery, violence, ferocity, recklessness, stupidity, cowardice, incompetence and so on. In their eyes, cattle, especially bulls, are often associated with intimidation, rudeness and other obnoxious things.

英国历史中，一开始也选用牛帮助耕作，但逐渐马耕代替牛耕，于是在英国这样一个以畜牧业为主的国家，牛只是用来提供肉类和乳制品的动物。1986年在英国第一次发现了疯牛病病例，疯牛病对英国的牛蓄产业的伤害几乎是致命的，这也沉重打击了英国的经济。在英国文化中，牛大都代表着野蛮、暴力、凶猛、鲁莽、愚蠢、懦弱、无能等。在西方人眼中，牛尤其是公牛往往与恐吓、粗暴等令人讨厌的事物相关。

Japan is an island country with the culture of fishing people. The culture of farming people was introduced to Japan in the middle of Jomon Period, and it was mainly in the inland areas, while the coastal areas were still mainly fishing. So farming culture does not have an important position in Japan, and the relationship between cattle and Japanese people is not so vital like in China. The Japanese word for cattle is mostly derogatory, referring to stupidity and inferiority, but also to "many," "great," and “to a great extent”. Japanese culture does not give cattle human nature or divinity as Chinese culture does.

日本是一个岛国，固有的是渔民文化，绳文中期耕民文化才传入日本，而且主要是在内陆地区，沿海则主要还是捕鱼，所以农耕文化在日本并不占有重要地位，牛与日本人民的关系并不像在中国是关乎生计。日语中关于牛的词汇多为贬义，比喻愚笨、卑贱，也表示“多”“大”、程度之甚。日本文化中也不会像中国文化一样，赋予牛人性或神性。

In India, the cow is considered sacred and inviolable. The sanctity of the cow derives from its economic value and ritual function, as well as being a product of religious struggle. According to ancient Indian mythology, Brahma gave life to priests as well as to cows. Cows were also used as ritual sacrifices and beef was served as a dish for distinguished guests, and the concept of not killing cows was gradually made sacrosanct. From an environmental and sustainability perspective, the ban on cow slaughter, though a religious mandate, has helped the entire Indian agricultural system to recover from frequent drought seasons, and the ban on beef has served as an insurance policy against natural disasters.

在印度，母牛被认为是神圣不可侵犯的。母牛的神圣性源自其经济价值和仪式功能，也是宗教斗争的产物。根据印度古神话，梵天在赋予祭司生命同时也赋予母牛生命；母牛也曾是仪式性祭品，牛肉也曾是招待贵宾的菜品，不杀生观念逐渐使母牛被尊为神圣不可侵犯。在环保和可持续发展角度来看，禁止宰牛虽是宗教律令，却有助于印度整个农业体系在频繁遭遇旱灾的季节里恢复生产，禁食牛肉相当于抗御自然灾害的一道保险。

Conclusion

China's long history and rich cultural heritage are the prerequisites for the richness of the Chinese cattle culture. Modern China has also taken the best out of traditional culture according to its development needs and innovated the "three ox spirit" to further guide China's development.

中国悠久的历史和丰厚的文化底蕴，中国牛文化如此丰富多彩的前提条件，同时现代中国也根据发展需要，对传统文化去其糟粕取其精华，创新提出了“三牛精神”，进一步指导中国发展。

Reference

[1]张美美,李彦芳. 中国牛文化[C]//中国畜牧业协会.第十二届中国牛业发展大会论文集.[出版者不详],2017:363-365.DOI:10.26914/c.cnkihy.2017.011487.

[2]陈萍.“牛”的文化解析[J].重庆三峡学院学报,2005(06):57-59.

[3]Baidu baike the three ox spirit 百度百科 “三牛精神”

[4]邹幸居“. 牛”、“马”中西文化内涵差异的认知探讨[J].暨南大学华文学院学报,2006(03)：74-79.

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Terms and Expressions

Farming society 农耕社会

Totemism 图腾崇拜

Clan tribes 氏族部落

Clan insignias 氏族徽帜

Totem worship 图腾崇拜

Emperor Yan 炎帝

Six domestic animals 六畜

Neolithic Age 新石器时期

Ten Heavenly Stems and the Twelve Earthly Branches 天干地支

The 2nd of the twelve Earthly Branches 十二地支中的丑

The hexagram Kun 坤卦

Serving-the-people ox 孺子牛

Pioneering ox 拓荒牛

Persisting ox 老黄牛

Mad cow disease 疯牛病

Jomon Period 绳文时期

Brahma 梵天

Questions

1.Whose tribal totem symbol is the cattle in ancient China?

2.Which kind of animal do people generally chose cattle as the main sacrifice in major rituals?

3.Is the image of the cattle all positive in Chinese culture?

4.The three ox spirit includes three aspects. What are they?

Answers

1.Emperor Yan.

2.The cattle.

3.No. The cattle is a typical example of stupidity and stubbornness, and it is also used as a metaphor for living in poverty or heavy burdens.

4.Serving-the-people ox, Pioneering ox and Persisting ox.