銅鏡

The Bronze Mirror

我們在參觀博物館時，常常看到各種古代銅鏡。它是我國古代人民用來整容的家庭日用品。這些銅鏡大多是從古墓中出土的，也有少數是傳世之物。

Whenever we visit a museum, we see various types of ancient bronze mirrors. Used as a household necessity for dressing by the ancient Chinese people, these bronze mirrors were mostly unearthed from ancient tombs, while some are kept as heirlooms.

早在公元前11世紀，我國先民已經使用銅鏡了。戰國時期，銅鏡在民間盛行。鏡的正面磨光發亮，背面有的飾單層或雙層花紋，常見的有獸面紋、花葉紋、龍鳳紋等。西漢時期，銅鏡較厚重，紋飾多幾何圖案、神人和禽獸紋等。并有鑄刻銘文，每句僅三至四字，例如：“長相思”、“毋相忘”、“常富貴”、“樂未央”等。內容多是通俗的吉祥語。宋、元時期出現了圓鏡、長方鏡、菱鏡、八棱鏡和帶柄手鏡等。清代以后，逐漸被玻璃鏡所代替。

Our ancestors started to use bronze mirrors in as early as the 11th century B.C. During the Warring States Period, bronze mirrors prevailed among the populace. The front side of the mirrors, after being polished, glistens while the backside is embellished with single-layered or double-layered patterns, among which the commonly seen are thus- of animal faces, flowers and leaves, dragons and phoenixes. During the Western flan Period, the bronze mirrors used to be relatively thick and heavy. Most of the decorative patterns were of geometrical forms, supernatural figures, or fowls and animals, accompanied by inscriptions of only three or four characters with such meanings as "eternal love", "never to forget", "wealth for ever" and "everlasting happiness". The content frequently dealt with common well-wishings. During the Song and Yuan Dynasties the bronze mirrors appeared in all shapes: round, rectangular, rhomboidal, octagonal, and those with a handle. Since the Qing Dynasty, however, the bronze mirror has gradually given way to the glass mirror.

上海博物館展出一件銅鏡——“透光鏡”，它是西漢時期的珍品，直徑為11 .5厘米。這面銅鏡與普通銅鏡一樣，背面有圖案，還有銘文。奇怪的是，當一束光線照到鏡面，。反射投影在墻壁上，墻上的光亮圈內竟出現銅鏡背面的圖案和文字，好像從鏡背“透”過來的，故稱“透光鏡”。對于這種現象，在過去很長的時間里，連科學家們都感到驚奇，人們把它稱做“魔鏡”。今天，我國已可仿制出售，作為旅游紀念品，很受外國游客的歡迎。

In Shanghai Museum, one finds a treasure of the Western Han Period, the "penetrative bronze mirror", measuring 11.5 cm. in diameter. Like ordinary bronze mirrors it bears patterns and inscriptions on the back. But what amazes people is that when a bundle of rays is projected onto the surface of the mirror, which, in turn, reflects the light on the wall, the patterns and inscriptions on the backside are shown in the ring of the light, as if they had penetrated the whole thickness of the mirror. Hence the name of the mirror. For a long time in the past, even scientists were so puzzled at the phenomenon that it was called a "magic mirror". Today, reproductions of this mirror are being made and sold as souvenirs and they appeal very much to tourists.

我國古代常把銅鏡當做隨葬品。在古墓中，往往發現銅鏡放置在死者的頭頂或胸側。有時把銅鏡和木梳一起放在漆匣內或小荷包里。在發掘古墓時，還發現有的銅鏡放在墓頂上方，據說這是為了“辟邪”和“降妖”。

In ancient times, bronze mirrors were very often used as sacrificial objects. In the ancient tombs, one can always expect to find bronze mirrors placed on top of the head or beside the chest of the dead. Sometimes, bronze mirrors and combs were put together in lacquer boxes or small pouches. In unearthing ancient tombs, bronze mirrors were sometimes discovered on the inner topsides, in order to keep away evil spirits and subdue demons, so it was said.

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