Monday, March 26, 2012

Be happy! --Lloyd Morris

"The days that make us happy make us wise."

----John Masefield

When I first read this line by England's Poet Laureate,it startled me. What did Masefield mean? Without thinking about it much,I had always assumed that the opposite was true. But his sober assurance was arresting. I could not forget it.

Finally, I seemed to grasp his meaning and realized that here was a profound observation. The wisdom that happiness makes possible lies in clear perception,not fogged by anxiety nor dimmed by despair and boredom,and without the blind spots caused by fear.

Active happiness not mere satisfaction or contentment----often comes suddenly,like an April shower or the unfolding of a bud. Then you discover what kind of wisdom has accompanied it. The grass is greener,bird songs are sweeter,the shortcomings of your friends are more understandable and more forgivable. Happiness is like a pair of eyeglasses correcting your spiritual vision.

Nor are the insights of happiness limited to what is near around you. Unhappy,with your thoughts turned in upon your emotional woes,your vision is cut short as though by a wall. Happy,the wall crumbles.

The long vista is there for the seeing. The ground at your feet,the world about you----people,thoughts,emotions,pressures----are now fitted into the larger scene. Every thing assumes a fairer proportion. And here is the beginning of wisdom.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

A fuzzy basketball

Tim moved in the neighborhood with his parents and his younger brother. He brought his pajamas, school bag, books, and a fuzzy basketball. His parents bought a house, a car, and a whole nine yard of furniture. Tim's younger brother is so little, he only needs his milk bottle.

Tim's mom said: "This is a great new beginning!" Smile comes to her face.
Tim's dad agreed: "It would be a wonderful life!" He hugs his family in his arms.
Tim's brother looked at new places with sleepy eyes and one hand on Mommy's neck, the other arm needs to hold that milk bottle.
Tim, Tim just looked at his fuzzy basketball, wondering, where can he shoot some ball.

Luckily for Tim, there is a hoop on the second house to the left of his home. Tim walks to his new school, passing the hoop everyday. He observes. There are no people shooting the hoop! "Maybe I could play with it." Tim thinks.

Today is Saturday, Tim is happy. "I am going to shoot basketball!" He said it out loud. Grabbing his fuzzy basketball, Tim goes out. Tim's mom is happy, "don't be too late."

Tim walked to the basket and observed. "Just one shot." He shoots one. "Maybe another one." He shoots two. "This is the last shot." He shoots three. "I am Kobe Bryant!" He put in another one with a layup. Oh, Tim is happy.

"Hello, young fellow." Tim turns his head and looks up, an old woman walks up the drive way. "Hello," Tim replies shyly. "Ah, did I startle you? I am sorry," the old woman smiled, "you must be the new neighbor. I am Mrs. Wormwood, what's you name?" "Tim." The old woman continued, "You can shoot the basket. This is an old basket. I am glad somebody can still have fun with it." "Thank you, Mrs. Wormwood." Tim is happy and relaxed.

Tim comes home from school early everyday. He would dribble his fuzzy basketball on the road to Mrs. Wormwood's drive way to shoot basket. Tim would imagine himself being Kobe Bryant one minute, Jason Kidd the next. He jumps, runs, and shoots. He is an all star in his own imagination.

Tim's mom observed, "It is great to see him so energized!"
Tim's dad smiled, "Slow down there, trooper!"
Tim's younger brother is amazed while holding on to his mom's neck and the other his milking bottle.

It's been three months passed, Tim's neighbors all wonder, this little boy really like to play basketball!

One neighbor remarked, "Hey, you play pretty well."
One neighbor said, "Good shooting forms."
Mrs. Wormwood smiled, "You need a new basketball."

Tim's mom agreed, "Tim, you need a new basketball."
Tim's dad nodded, "Your ball is all greyed out and fuzzy."
Tim's younger brother trying to stand up in a wobbly fashion while holding on to his mommy's leg. He forget his milk bottle, which is placed on the ground rolling.

"NO!" Tim said, "I like my fuzzy basketball."
"But it is so old, you can hardly hold on to it." Mom said.
"NO!" Tim said.
"A new basketball is easier to play with, you don't need to pump the air before each time you play." Tim's dad trying to reason.
"NO!" Tim is red faced.
Tim's younger brother trying to stand by himself in a wobbly fashion. His mommy is holding the milk bottle for him this time.

Tim plays with his fuzzy basketball. He thinks to himself, "I like my fuzzy basketball. I don't like the new pajamas, the color is all wrong. I don't like the new school bag, it's too big. I don't like the new books, they are heavier. I like the feeling of the fuzziness of the basketball, the weight feels right too. The air may be leaking, but that's okay. As long as the sun is out, temperature is high, my ball still bounces."

One day, Tim plays his fuzzy basketball under the sun. It is hot outside. Record high! Tim shoots one, Tim shoots another, and Tim shoots the third, and Boom! It is like car back fired, or a balloon exploded, the fuzzy basketball touched the side of the basket board and burst.

Tim's younger brother comes out and stares! Then comes Tim's mom, and Tim's dad, and all the neighbors. Tim stands there and stares. "I want my fuzzy basketball back!" He cries.

On the school playground, Tim sits at the corner and looks on. There's a boy with curly hair comes up and asks, "are you the boy with a fuzzy basketball?" Tim looks up at the boy, "yes." "Would you want to be on my team?" the curly haired boy said, "me and my buddy here are trying to get a pickup game going, we need one more." Another boy with dark brown hair steps forward, holding a fuzzy basketball. Tim looks on with a smile on his face, "yes, I want to play a pickup game!"

cold weapons

以前一個叫傳統中國文學網的電子報有一篇長兵器的文章:


中國古代長兵器初探

摘要:

禮書中對生活中各式各樣的器物與制度均有相當的記載描述。在火藥尚未發現並運用於戰爭中之前,戰場上的廝殺完全是冷兵器的天下;其中又可分長兵器、短兵器、射遠器與防禦器。本文企圖從禮書與各方資料中將古代冷兵器中的長兵器集中作一淺介,並試圖對其演變和源流加以說明。
關鍵詞:戈、矛、殳、戟、斧、鉞、戚

第一章‧正文

第一節 兵器的產生

在上古時代,大地上充滿各種猛禽野獸,大自然賦予牠們防身的本領和攻擊的利器。「凡有血肉之蟲,含牙戴角,前爪後距,有角者觸,有齒者囓,有毒者螫,有蹄者趹。」而人類無筋骨之強,爪牙之利,所以防衛自身的工具,遂成為增強能力和應付環境所不可或缺的東西。而早期原始社會中,勞動工具和戰爭武器是分不開的,所以打獵、捕魚、整地的工具,也同樣是殺傷敵人,保衛家園的武器。

最初可能是以初步加工後帶有鋒利邊緣的石塊和粗大甚至斷裂尖銳的木棒為搏鬥的工具,接下來便將二者結合,在棍棒頂端綁上尖銳的石塊或石片,成為最早出現的石斧和石矛。隨著時代進步和人類需要,精工磨製的石兵器逐漸成型;「黃帝以玉為兵」,所謂玉兵,指的就是琢磨過的兵器,當然其中也包括雕飾精美的玉質兵器,而這通常用來顯示自身威望和地位的象徵。之後在知識技術的提升,銅製、青銅製、鐵製、鋼製等兵器慢慢演變打造;由於火藥的發現應用,兵器由原始的冷兵器階段逐漸進入火器階段,射程、殺傷力、準確度成為新時代兵器所嚴加要求的標準。畢竟戰爭是交戰雙方綜合實力在戰場上的較量,軍事裝備的強弱在很大程度上決定了勝負結果,所以基礎技術水平和客觀條件變化使新型兵器不斷開發和應用在戰爭之上。

第二節 枕「戈」待旦1

本研究報告以兵器介紹為主體,故以錢玄「三禮通論」中兵器編排為準則,首先以「戈」為例,依次敘述陳列之。

戈是具有中國民族色彩的一種長柄格鬥類進攻型長兵器,由於構造特殊,垂直裝柄,橫刃有鋒,基本性能適用于戰場上橫擊啄刺獲後拉勾殺敵人,因此古代叫做勾兵或稱啄兵。在歐洲,亞洲西北部以及南部各古老民族間,都沒有發現類似的兵器;因此學者們認為:「戈為中華遠古民族固有的自創兵器」。

關於戈的起源,有許多不同的說法:2
1. 郭寶鈞認為,戈是由角兵器演變而來的。古人狩獵時,禽獸曾以角觸人,於是人們仿效獸角型式製成勾兵器。他說:「吾嘗疑戈之形制,最初或即原于角兵。」
2. 郭沫若認為,戈的前身是商代勾兵。他說:「最古之戈,僅有援、有內,而無胡,存世之商勾兵,皆戈也。」
3. 李濟認為,戈之原始,遠在石器時代,也許是由斧變化出來的。
4. 還有學者認為,戈是由鐮刀類工具演變而成的兵器。

這些觀點,各有所據。從早期石戈的形制來看,戈的創制顯然是受石斧和石刀的影響,但因戈刃向內,和現代農家用的鐮刀很相似,因此我們認為戈來源於勾刃的可能性較大。

在《周禮‧考工記》中記載著春秋時代製戈的工藝規範:3
1. 製造戈戟的青銅合金,應是「四分其金而錫居其一」,即錫的含量應為百分之二十五。
2. 標準戈制:「戈廣兩寸,內倍之,胡三之,援四之」。戈寬兩寸,內長一倍即四寸,長為六寸,援為八寸,依此類推。這種形制只是春秋時代齊國官書的定制,其他各國的戈制並不盡相同。
3. 援、內、胡之間的角度必須符合力學原則和實戰需要。《考工記‧冶氏》中指出:胡過于直則刺人不入,過于曲則傷人不深。以「橫捷為斜向上」為宜。內過長則援短,胡也短,上部太輕,勾殺無力;反之,內太短則援、胡都顯得長,用起來不靈便。《考工記》說:胡不應成勾狀,上下要寬,即不可太直也不可太曲,才能便於臨陣勾殺。
4. 戈「重三鋝」,即一斤四兩重;「戈柲六尺六寸」,即木柄長度的標準,但這並不是定規,根據實際需要而有所增減。

戈之部分名詞有三:4

1. 曰援,即平出之刃,用以勾啄敵人者。
2. 曰胡,即直下部分,有孔用以貫穿所以縛于柄者。
3. 曰內,即援後短柄,用以穿入長木柄,中端亦有孔貫索縛于長木柄之上端,使戈體堅牢著柄而不左右移者。

標準的戈,由戈頭、柲、銅鐏三部分組成。5
1. 戈頭,分為援、內、胡三部分。上面以分開解說,這裡就不再贅述。
2. 柲,即木柄。為了便於前砍後勾,多用扁圓形柲,以利於把持。雖然《考工記》記載長六尺六寸,但從出土的戈來看,戈柲的長度並不一樣;根據實戰需要,步戰用的柲短,車戰的柲長。例如湖南長沙瀏城橋出土的春秋晚期銅戈,長柲達314釐米,短柲錦140釐米。安陽殷婦好墓出土39件玉戈,有的僅長40釐米,當為儀仗用具,並非格鬥兵器。
3. 鐏,《說文》:「鐏,柲下銅也」,注:「銳可插地者曰鐏」。早期的鐏,只是為了便於使戈在不用時插在地上,不致欹斜,所以在柄的尾端加上一個銅制鐏,並不能殺傷敵人。《禮記‧曲禮》說:「進戈者,前其鐏,後其刃。」要把帶刃的一端對著自己,把有鐏的一端遞給受者,以免誤傷接戈的人,這樣才算合乎軍禮。近年來,再河北、河南等地發現有的商代戈鐏帶有尖刺或鋒刃,看來,鐏
也可能用於刺擊。

戈這種兵器有三面鋒刃。援的上下有刃,既可推又可勾,直下部分的胡也有刃,可以用來割殺;援的前端又能啄殺,是一種多功能的白刃兵器。但是戈這種兵器有一個嚴重的缺點,就是戈頭很容易從柲上脫落。因為戈頭橫裝在柲上,勾殺啄擊時吃力很大,臨陣時,常常掉落;為了解決這個問題,戈的形制總是在不斷改進,現已發現的商代青銅戈就有三種不同類型,代表了三種裝柲的方法,即曲內、直內、銎內三種形式。6

曲內戈:援和內之間沒有明顯的分界,沒有闌,裝上柲以後,容易脫落,商以後就被淘汰了。

直內戈:開始在援和內之間也沒有明顯的界限,商以後為了防止掉落,增添了闌;後來又增設了胡,這樣一來,就不容易掉落了。所以商以後,直內式的戈很流行。在殷墟西區出土的21件直內銅戈中,11件有胡,從短胡一穿到長胡四穿都有。

銎內戈:「銎」,說文段注謂「斤鑿之孔,所以受柄者」。因此銎內戈就是在「內」部鑄成圓套,把柲裝在銎內,以防止脫落。這種戈製造複雜,但還是容易脫落,所以商以後不常見,故出土者很少。

儘管如此,戈仍是先秦時代最重要的兵器之一,對後來兵器的發展產生了深遠的影響,這種影響甚至超越了兵器本身,而滲透到古代文化中。「干戈」是古代兵器的總稱,甲骨文中也有干和戈字;「執干戈以衛社稷」是《禮記‧檀弓下》對干戈職能的總評述,古代的學者長期將干戈分別作為防禦和進攻兩大類兵器的代表;它們組合在一起又成為一個新字「戎」,而「戎」正是關於戰爭的總稱。「戎馬一生」、「兵戎相見」等詞彙至今仍然被經常性的引用,甚至是干戈在後期退出兵器行列之中,也存在著如「大動干戈」、「金戈鐵馬」、「化干戈為玉帛」等詞語,它們已經完全融入民族文化之中。

最後要提到的是,在春秋後期步卒、騎兵成為戰爭的主力,車戰漸漸成為配角,所以相關配套的一些兵器便漸漸失去存在的價值;因為步兵和騎兵作戰方式多為正面交鋒,所以要求要有較強的刺擊能力,以便於突刺時使用。特別是到了戰國時期,由於卜字型的戟已逐漸取代青銅制戈矛合裝的戟,加上盔甲和頭盔的硬度提高,無法發揮刺擊威力的戈便失去發揮的舞台,而由戟取而代之;從此戈就只能成為儀仗衛城的專門飾物,以及歷代史章、詩文中作為兵器泛稱和故事的象徵。

第三節 橫矛躍馬蕩征塵

中國古代長兵器中最重要、最常見、最實用、算的上是老字號的冷兵器,莫過於是矛了。從原始時代的石矛到小說上描繪的丈八蛇矛,擅用知名者比比皆是,而且製作簡單,純粹突刺使用,殺傷力又強;無怪自漢以降,戈廢戟衰,而矛制獨存,因為無論在車戰、步戰、騎戰中,都能有效刺殺遠距離的敵人,所以能縱橫在古代戰爭中,成為兵器中不可或缺的角色。

矛在古代又有「鍦」、「鏦」、「鋋」、「鈹」、「」等名稱,演變到後世便成為槍,是一種直而尖形的長柄刺兵器。起源於原始社會的狩獵工具,最初是由尖形的石塊或古角作矛頭,綁在竹木竿上用以錐刺,此為矛的雛形。矛的組成可分為矛身、骹、柲、鐏四部分。矛身,就是矛頭帶刃的部分,中線起脊,有的兩旁留有血槽。刃身下口是骹(銎),略成圓錐形,用來安插矛柲。安柄的銎統有兩種,一種直透于矛頭,一種僅止於矛銎,銎部兩側有環或孔,用以繫纓;《詩經‧國風》上說:「二矛重英」,英就是指矛上的纓飾。柲為竹制或木制,長為兩丈或兩丈四尺,為了防止矛頭脫落,兩旁常有兩個環紐或留出兩個小孔,以便用繩索將矛頭綁牢在矛柲上;或是用釘子釘牢,而柲端有鐏,同戈的功用一樣,用來插地以免欹斜。

商代時,矛已經被大量使用於戰爭之中,周代的銅矛,按其用途分為酋矛和夷矛兩種。據《周禮‧考工記》說,酋矛柄長兩丈,為步卒使用;夷矛柄長兩丈四尺,是兵車上用的。《考工記‧盧人》又說:「凡兵無過三其身」,所謂三其身就是三倍於身長的意思;人身長八尺,兩丈四尺正好三倍身長,在兩車交鋒時,能先刺殺對方的就能佔得優勢,無怪古代兵家有名言遺世:「一寸長,一寸強」。到了戰國時期,出現了鋼鐵鑄造的矛。《荀子‧議兵篇》中提到當時楚國南陽一帶出產的鐵矛十分鋒利,刺傷效果可以「慘如蜂蠆」來形容。漢代以後,鐵矛逐漸代替銅矛,成為軍陣的重要裝備。由於原來的銅矛鋒部較為圓鈍,刺擊時要靠身體的勁力才能產生殺傷力,連帶使得矛頭既長且重;鋼鐵制矛出現後,鋒銳度大幅超前銅矛,於是乎矛頭逐漸縮短、減重,從晉以後,槍之模型慢慢生成、興起,代替矛成為主流武器。雖然唐代仍有矛,但已不屬於常備兵器。

第四節 畫戟熒煌射秋水7

戟是中國古代冷兵器家族中一種經常使用到的長兵器,又叫作「孑」、「鏝」、「匽」、「棘」。它是一種在戈矛的基礎上演化而來的複合式兵器,柄前安直刃以刺敵人,旁有橫刃能勾啄敵人,故兼具勾、啄、刺、割四種作用,殺傷力較戈、矛都來的厲害。根據考古發掘材料,戟大約出現在商代。河北槁城台西的商代遺址中曾經出土一支戈、矛合體的青銅戟,這是我國目前發現最早的戟。在陜西、甘肅、河南、山東和北京等地發掘的西周和春秋墓中,也發現過不少青銅鑄造的戟,這說明戟在當時已是普遍使用的兵器;如《左傳》記載:隱公十年(公元前712年),子都拔戟逐潁考叔事;莊公四年(公元前609年),楚武王授師以戟的事…等等。

《周禮‧考工記》記載:「冶氏為戈廣二寸,內倍之,胡三之,援四之……重三鋝。戟廣寸有半寸,內三之,胡四之,援五之,倨句中矩與刺重三鋝。……廬人為廬器:戈柲六尺有六寸,殳長尋有四尺,車戟常,酋矛常有四尺,夷矛三尋。……故攻國之兵欲短,守國之兵欲長。……凡兵句兵欲無彈,刺兵欲無蜎,是故句兵稗,刺兵搏。擊兵同強,舉圍欲細,細則校,刺兵同強,舉圍欲重,重欲傅人,傅人則密,是故侵之。」前面提及,刺兵為矛,酋矛、夷矛均是,其柲長也曾介紹過;而刺兵兼句兵、啄兵為戟,其柄長自然更勝於戈與矛。所謂「車戟常」,周尺十有六尺,常倍於尋,尋為八尺,故車戟有十六尺長之意。

在西周時期,戟已經大量應用於戰爭,當時製造的戟,都是整體鑄成的。前面已有提到西周時戟的規格是:戟廣寸半,內常四寸半,胡長六寸,援長七寸半,刺長六寸,重一斤四兩,柄長一丈六尺,下有鐏(柄下端圓錐形的金屬套)8。而就目前所發現的有兩種型式,一種以矛為主體,旁邊生一橫刃,柲裝於矛體的銎部。這種戟刺殺力強,但勾啄時易於掉頭。另一種則以戈體為主,突出前伸的鋒刺;也有把鋒端鑄成反卷的鉤狀,這種戟出土較多。但是這兩種戟的的總體形狀近似「十」字形,本身不夠牢固,製造工藝都很複雜,技術要求較高;而且青銅質地易脆、易折,因此僅在西周與春秋初期使用過。春秋中、後期及戰國,普遍又使用將戈、矛聯裝在一個木柄上的戟,同時為了增加殺傷力,除了採取加大戈和柄的夾角、在內和胡上加刃的辦法,也有在矛頭下的長柄上自上而下聯裝二到三件戈頭,成為所謂的三戈戟。1977年在湖北隨縣曾侯乙墓出土的兵器中,就有保存完整的三聯裝戟,同時在該墓漆棺中,還有二聯裝戟的畫像。這裡特別介紹,就是在戈矛分鑄聯裝的戟產生後,因為直刺有一定的功效,橫鉤也去除了掉頭的困擾,殺傷力增強後,連帶使得其下柄除了一般木製柄,還有積竹製柄。所謂積竹製柄就是柄中心有一跟較粗的有棱木棒,在木棒外用16片青皮竹篾與木棒平行的包在木棒外邊,然後用絲線纏緊,再塗上黑漆或紅漆,使其光亮平滑。這種竹木兼用的柄,剛柔並濟,比單純的木柄堅軔而有彈性。1971年湖南長沙瀏城橋春秋晚期楚墓出土的青銅戟,就有這種積竹柄戟。

隨著鐵兵器的發展,戰國末年和漢代,鋼鐵製的戟出現,不但直地改變,形狀也隨之有所變化。由於鋼鐵質堅而有韌性,所以戟刺改為窄長尖銳,側旁小枝(垂直伸出的部分)由原來寬肥而有中脊改為像前鋒般尖利細長;同時成為合鑄,並且淘汰掉與「援」對應的「內」,加長用來縛柲的胡,使整條戟看來近似「卜」字形,所以又稱「卜字戟」。由於這種鐵戟刀鋒尖利,殺傷力強,很快就成為步騎兵的主要兵器;在兩漢以後,戟的形狀更有新的變化,小枝由原來與戟體垂直,變成了小枝垂直橫出後,稍向上弧曲,使枝刺上揚,進一步增加了戟的作戰能力。但是到了魏晉以後,鋼鐵甲冑的防護能力提升,戟兵器僅靠鉤啄橫向攻擊已無法造成強大傷害,而縱向突刺又因直鋒長度不足,效果比不上同是長兵器的矛,原有的橫刃小枝反而成為累贅,使得戟在戰場上發揮出來的成效大不如前,故其地位漸漸由矛所取代。從此,戟便降為儀仗、警蹕之物。唐代以後,便完全從戰場上淘汰下來,成為一種官僚門前列戟制度的象徵物。這時候的戟,造型以華麗為重,故多帶戟刀,並在小枝上大作文章;小說傳奇、戲曲舞台上流傳後世,成為武將代表兵器的「方天畫戟」,便是按照當時戟那種華美炫麗模樣加以想像設計出來的。

第五節 銅殳鐵棒得天下

殳,是一種竹、木製的擊打型長兵器,又叫做杵、杖、棓、杸、祋,後來才叫做棍棒。殳在夏、商、周三代時,與戈、戟、矛、弓矢合稱為五兵;周代則是將戈、戟、酋矛、夷矛、殳列為長兵五兵,成為車戰中士兵最基本的組合配備;到了戰國時期,又被列為步卒五兵之一。殷商時期的青銅器產量有限,僅供貴族執用,因此交戰時,貴族甲士於戰車上以戈矛進行白刃戰,用弓矢射殺遠距離敵人;而配合戰車行動的步卒,由於多半是奴隸或他國俘虜,所以主要兵器便是竹、木製的殳棒,在戰車附近擊打對手。《詩經‧衛風‧伯兮》:「伯兮執殳,為王前驅」,《尚書‧武成》:「武王伐紂,戰於牧野,前徒倒戈,血流漂杵」等記載,都談到了殳的功能和作戰地位。但是從以往研究與出土物觀之,戈、戟、矛均有詳細研究與眾多實物可觀,其形制鑄造與相關藝術亦尚易闡發探討;獨殳則未見有人特為研究其屬何種長兵,僅知後代棍棒類兵器均從其演進而來。

周殳之出土者,未經古今收藏家或考古家圖示吾人,各地博物館、圖書館或研究所中,亦罕見此物。其殳之為物,近於農器,出土物被疑為刈田,或搗稻之物,而不以為兵器,遂至收藏無人乎?考古之兵器,大都皆可兩用,戰時以之禦敵,平時以之工作。此風遠自骨兵石兵時代而來,如石斧、石鑿、石鏟、石錘、石刀、石棒、石戈等器均是也。銅器時代初期之兵器,亦未必不如是,如句兵本重在句在割,商句兵頗近於鐮刀之形,割禾割黍割稷,均屬可能。戟亦可刺割兼施,矛亦可刺獸獵魚。今戈、戟、矛均易考實,而殳獨缺如,想必其形制及用途,更偏重於農林方面無疑。9

《周禮‧考工記‧廬人》曰:「殳長尋有四尺,凡為殳,五分其長,以其一為之被而圍之;參分其圍,去一以為晉圍,五分其晉圍,去一以為首圍。凡為酋矛,參分其長,二在前,一在後,而圍之。五分其圍,去一以為晉圍,參分其晉圍,去一以為刺圍」。註曰:「殳長丈二。」。又註曰:「被,把中也。圍之,圜之也。大小未聞,凡矜八觚。鄭司農云,晉,謂矛戟下銅鐏也;刺,為矛刃胸也。玄謂晉,讀如王搢大圭之搢。矜,所捷也,首,殳上鐏也,為戈戟之矜,所為如殳,夷矛如酋矛」。考工記又曰:「擊兵同強,舉圍欲細,細則校」。註曰:「改句言擊,容殳無刃;同強,上下同也;舉謂手所操。鄭司農云,校讀為絞而婉之絞。玄謂,校,疾也,人手操細以擊則疾」。然則殳為擊兵,打麥拍稻,或砍樹劈薪,均可用之也。

殳雖具有擊兵之效能,實近於農林之器或兼有衛家及儀仗之用。早期的殳,是一根堅實的、帶有八棱的粗木棒,長約一丈二尺左右。公元前632年晉楚城濮之戰時,晉軍還曾大量製作木兵器裝備軍隊;近年在湖南長沙瀏城橋楚墓曾出土過殳的實物,長3.1米,有棱無刃,可見春秋時期木製的殳仍在使用。此後,殳的質地和形狀都有了改變,從單純木製發展圍套有尖角形的銅頭。1976年在秦始皇陵東側三號兵馬俑坑中,發掘出銅質殳頭三十件:圓筒形,長10.5釐米,直徑2.3釐米,壁厚0.3釐米,頭為多角尖錐體;1977年在湖北隋縣曾侯乙墓,還曾出土過七件有「曾侯之用殳」銘文的殳:頂端套有一只類似三棱刮刀型的銅頭,頭的後部和殳杆上,各有一個球狀銅箍,殳杆長約3.3米左右。這種殳,不僅具有打擊性能,而且也具有刺擊的性能。到了戰國時期,有的殳還改為鐵製,因此出現了鐵頭或全用鐵鑄的殳。如《呂氏春秋‧貴卒篇》說,中山的力土,穿著鐵甲,手執鐵杖作戰;《六韜‧軍用篇》中也曾提到一種重12斤,柄長五尺的「方首鐵棓」,即是方形鐵頭的殳。上述的鐵杖和鐵棓,以及唐代及其以後的棒、棍等,都是殳的演進。

然殳之形究竟為何?其有刃乎?過去很多訓詁學、考古學家都認為「殳無刃」。《周禮‧考工記‧廬人》賈公彥疏:「殳,長丈二尺,無刃,可以擊打人」。另外《釋名‧釋兵》也說:「殳,殊也,長丈二尺而無刃」。後來一些經籍注疏、辭書釋文均沿用此說。《兵仗記》曰:「殳,即祋也。禮書作八觚形,或曰如杖,長丈二尺而無刃,主於擊」。10雖然考古學家曾在安徽壽縣蔡侯墓中發掘出有刃的殳頭,但是囿於「殳無刃」的舊說,誤定為矛的一種變形。直到前面曾提及1978年湖北隨縣擂鼓墩發掘的曾侯乙墓中出現的有銘文帶刀殳,方證實戰國時期除了無刃殳外,還有一種帶刃的殳。因此我們可以確認,戰國時期確有帶刃的殳。有的銅箍上帶刺球,也許後世狼牙棒一類兵器來源於此。

古代還有一種儀杖用的禮殳,積竹為棒,八棱,《說文‧殳部》:「建於兵車,旅賁以為是驅也」。漢代「執金吾」所持的金吾就是這種禮殳,禮殳通體銅制,兩頭鍍金,拿在手中金光閃閃,很是威武。宋太祖趙匡胤出身武將,善用棍棒,傳說他靠一條桿棒打出四百座軍州,因此宋軍中裝備多種棍棒。《武經總要》卷十六中有七幅宋代棍棒圖,有棒首增加刃器、兩端包鐵、鐏部加刺刃,棒杆縮短四到五尺,便成易於揮舞格鬥的短兵器,殺傷力自然提高。

俗云:「棍打一片,槍擊一點」,這是民間對殳、棍這類兵器的通俗評價。棍棒主要是一種打擊兵器,依靠人的力量使其獲得加速度時所產生的動能來擊殺對方。每一位古代將士都要經過嚴格的體能訓練後,才能在戰場上熟練發揮棍棒的最大效用,然而在防禦能力隨時代演進而呈倍數成長時,棍棒類兵器對上堅實的頭盔和護身甲冑,殺傷能力嚴重縮減,因此其在戰爭中的作用和地位便如同前述數樣兵器,遭到淘汰或列為裝飾之用品。

第六節 左砍右劈逞神威

這一節我們將砍擊類兵器合在一節共同研究。斧、鉞、戚均屬斧類砍擊的弧形圓刃格鬥兵器,差別只在於斧小於鉞,而戚小於斧。斧鉞的淵源十分悠久,約有幾十萬年以上的歷史。在北京周口店遺跡的C層(最下層)曾出土過多種石斧,如笨斧、踵斧、利斧等,都經過人工錘打、加工;而再其他新石器時代的遺址中,也陸續有石斧出土。

《說文解字‧斤部》:「斤,斫木斧也」。段玉裁注:「凡用物斫者皆曰斧,斫木之斧則謂之斤」。斧是上古時代砍斫器物、捕獵禽獸、殺傷敵人的主要利器,故應用範圍極廣;因此凡帶「斤」旁的漢字,多含有斬截、折取的意思。如:
新──取木也。
斫──擊也。
斯──折也。
斨──方銎斧也。
斬──截也。

斧又稱戚、揚、劉、鈇,用金屬鑄造才成為鉞。《廣韻》:「鉞,斧也」。兵書《六韜》:「大柯斧重八斤,一名天鉞」。古書中斧鉞並提,孰大孰小,有時實不易區分,因為特點均為扁平,有弧形的寬刃及孔洞;欲區分兩者最大的差異在於裝柄方式的不同,越用繩索穿孔將鉞與斧固定,斧則是以銎授柲。金屬的斧大約出現於3500年以前,河南偃師二里頭遺址中出土了一把銅戚,通長23.5釐米,寬12釐米;後部有「內」、寬2.9釐米,有一方穿孔,用來縛柲;中部隆起,橫切面成橢圓形,刃部略為外移,內與身之間有闌。這是迄今出土最早的青銅斧,也是最早的青銅兵器之一。

根據歷史文獻記載,夏代軍隊已經裝備了斧鉞。《史記,殷本紀》:「桀為虐,政荒淫,而諸侯昆吾氏為亂,湯乃興師,率諸侯,湯自把鉞以伐昆吾,遂伐桀」。商代生產的斧鉞種類很多,型式優美,質料良好,鑄造雕刻精美,顯示銅斧至商代已有相當時間的演進。殷墟出土的商代銅斧,仄面看不對稱,多為空頭斧,刃作凸形,略外出;周代銅斧亦有空頭者,其大多數均以管形銎容柄,其管筩並非為今之斧銎為長方形,仍係圓形,故管體上有一孔或數孔,以安定木柲,但亦有方形銎容柄之斧類見於周代。儘管周代斧鉞承襲商代遺制,但從出土實物觀之,形體一般不大,殺傷效果亦不如戈矛,似乎逐漸降為裝飾及儀仗用兵器,是以《周禮‧考工記》對於斧之為兵,記載獨形簡陋,僅曰:「五分其金,而錫居一,謂之斧斤之齊」。即周代的青銅斧中,錫的含量約百分之二十;據考古工作者化驗,周代空頭青銅斧中的化學成分為:
天然銅:55.2﹪
鉛 :17.3﹪
錫 :15.3﹪
鐵 :4.4﹪
銀 :0.012﹪
金 :極微量

可知《考工記》僅示鑄斧時金錫合用之成分,又因斧形極不一致,長短寬窄各異,亦難指示尺度。斧鉞的刃部較厚,主要靠重量與利器砍斫,因此多為處罰、屠殺之器具,演變為刑罰之用途,《國語‧魯語上》也有以其為軍令殺人刑具之記載,後引申為執法、政權之意。《漢書‧刑法志》:「大刑用甲兵,其次用斧鉞」。皇帝拜將封帥出征時,往往授斧鉞以權,可便宜行事。《尉繚子》等兵書都有此記載,《六韜‧立將》篇:「將受命……君操鉞持首,授將其柄此,下至淵者,將軍制之」。

隨著生產力的發展,鋼鐵產量與純度不斷提高,可以製成沉重而鋒利的大斧,如三國名將徐晃便是以善揮大斧出名,於是斧鉞的地位又重新提高;諸葛亮曾因檢驗軍中戰斧質量多不可用,遂以百日時間親督工部重製刀斧,事後還寫了一篇《作斧教》,以告誡諸將戰斧之質量好壞實非小事,若臨敵,敗人軍事矣。晉以後,斧鉞的刃部加寬,握柄減短,砍殺能力又有所提升,唐代軍中流行用斧,依其式樣有長柯斧和鳳頭斧,並將斧列為常備兵器之一,由武庫令掌管。宋代亦有以大斧抗擊敵人成功之事蹟,南宋名將楊存中曾以長斧戰敗了金人的拐子馬:
「金以拐子馬翼進。存中曰:『敵恃弓矢,吾有以屈之』。使萬人操長斧,如牆而進。諸軍鼓譟奮擊,金人大敗。」

王德也曾以一萬名長斧手大破兀朮的十萬鐵騎:
「兀朮以鐵騎十萬夾道而陣。德曰:『賊右陣堅,我當先擊之』。麾軍度橋首,犯其鋒。一人披甲躍馬始出,德引弓一發而斃。乘勝大呼,令萬兵持長斧如牆而進,敵大敗。」

但在火器出現並大量使用後,斧鉞就少於戰場上活躍,雖然在城市防禦和水軍作戰上還有利用價值,藉以砍殺攀城敵人、攻城器具;或是斬截敵艦帆纜,使之失去控制而動彈不得。而步、騎兵戰中便少見其蹤影,僅在於皇帝的鑾儀、大將的衛隊、扈從中捧持,以示威儀;因此多在裝飾藝術下工夫,如同戟的演變一般,成為「中看不中用」的器物。

第二章‧結語

嚴格說起來,這篇報告並不能算是正式的研究,不過是以長兵器的範疇簡略介紹一番,而無深入對任何一項器物作深入、詳盡的探討,我想,這是以後作學問應該注意的地方。最後我想以三代的車戰介紹作為結論,並藉此對之前所談論到的長兵器回顧一番。

從《尚書‧甘誓》的記載來看,夏朝之軍陣,每車有士兵三人:車左、車右和馭者。孔安國解釋為:車左持箭射敵,車右執戈、矛退敵,馭者是駕車的車把士。用弓箭可遠距離殺傷敵人,這與戰車速度快、近距離的自我防衛能力低之特點有關;用戈矛等長柄武器則是為了近戰,以一定的距離取得對佔的優勢。這種裝備體現了車兵裝備的基本方向:即盡可能在遠距離殺傷敵人,以減少近戰時的威脅,從而加強自我防衛能力。由此可見,夏朝車兵作戰之機動性仍然很不足。

在安陽遺址發掘中,可知商代車兵是以五車為隊,每車也是士兵三人,裝備與夏朝相同;不同的是,商代每車另配步兵一隊,戰爭時,兵車在前,步兵在後,以步兵彌補車與車之間的空隙。這顯然是為了提高車兵艦戰作戰的能力,加強自我防衛,並克服機動性差的缺點。因此車兵與步兵相配合,便成了後世車戰裝備的不逾法規。

周朝時,車兵裝備規模有了大的變化。《周禮‧小司徒》鄭玄注引《司馬法》說,每一成三百戶人家,出革車一乘,甲士十人,徒兵二十人。每車甲兵由三人便為十人,武器裝備也就有所變化。從出土的舟車可知,武器裝備除了弓箭、戈、矛外,長柄者增加了戟,另有短兵器劍;士兵防身裝備則有盔甲和盾牌,因此車的形制也必然相應增大。周車外形仍是單轅、雙輪、方形車廂,車廂尺寸已達1.3─1.6米,但即便如此,十名帶甲士兵仍無法在如此空間施展手腳;故必然有徒步持劍、盾甲士護持在戰車四周,以步戰對敵攻擊。

另外關於周朝車兵記載是《左傳‧成公元年》引自《司馬法》的一條注文,說是戰車一輛,有甲士三人,步卒七十二人,共七十五人。後世兵書多沿用此項記載解釋周代車兵編制。《曹公新書》還近一步解釋這七十五人分為三隊:前拒,左、右角各一隊,如此一隊二十五人,合於步兵一兩之數,並將車兵、步兵的編制統一;還間接證明了《小司徒》注文中說的甲士十人,並非全置於車上,大約同《左傳》引文般僅三人在上,七人在下防衛而仍成一體;既保留了夏、商以來的車兵形式,也能組成如《曹公新書》中所說的前拒隊。由此可知,車兵除了與步兵配合作戰外,還增加了近車防護人員,改變了夏、商以來那種甲士僅乘車作戰的制度;而成為亦步亦車,互補缺失,彼此照應。然各種資料的不同,僅在於車、徒人數有多少,這很可能是反映當時每車裝備的不盡相同而已。

還有一種說法,認為周制每車只有十人,是依據《孟子‧盡心》章中說,武王伐殷,「革車三百乘,虎賁三千人」;《呂氏春秋‧簡選》中也有相似的話。若把「虎賁」理解為甲士,與《周禮‧小司徒》注所引的那條史料相符,只是漏掉徒兵的數目。因此這條記載是不完全的,而且《尚書‧牧誓》記載是「戎車三百輛,虎賁三百人」;虎賁是步兵,不是甲士,孔傳釋為百夫長,那麼戎車三百乘,是配步兵三萬人,每乘百人。有注家說這是取其「全數」,即每車七十二人,四捨五入為一百人;即便如此,要說每車甲士十人也是缺乏根據的。總之,按照車兵裝備的發展過程來看,周時的車兵不應該只有甲士而不配備步兵,因此說每車甲士十人是不準確的一種說法。至於春秋戰國以後,不在這次討論範圍中,故於此不加以贅述。

附註:
1刀槍劍戟十八般──中國古代兵器 p.31 段清波著 四川教育出版社 1998年7月
2 干戈春秋──中國古代兵器史話 p.15-16 李少一 劉旭著 中國展望出版社 1985年9月
3 干戈春秋──中國古代兵器史話 p.21-22 李少一 劉旭著 中國展望出版社 1985年9月
4 中國兵器史稿 p.65 周 緯撰 明文書局 1981年5月
5 干戈春秋──中國古代兵器史話 p.18 李少一 劉旭著 中國展望出版社 1985年9月
6干戈春秋──中國古代兵器史話 p.19 李少一 劉旭著 中國展望出版社 1985年9月 
7 同(註1)p.5
8 中國軍事史 第一卷 兵器 p.21 韋鎮福 田昭林 張 醒 楊伯時 執筆 解放軍出版社 1990年
9同(註4) p.103
10.同(註4) p.104

參考書目:
十三經注疏‧整理本 周禮注疏 冬官考工記 注漢‧鄭玄 疏唐‧賈公彥 主編‧李學勤 台灣古籍出版 2001年10月
刀槍劍戟十八般──中國古代兵器 段清波著 四川教育出版社 1998年7月
三禮通論 錢 玄著 南京師範大學出版社 1996年10月
干戈春秋──中國古代兵器史話 李少一 劉 旭著 中國展望出版社 1985年9月
中國古代兵器 王兆春著 天津教育出版社 1991年11月
中國兵器史稿 周 緯撰 明文書局 1988年2月
中國古代兵器圖集 成 車 鍾少異編著 張博智 張 濤繪圖 解放軍出版社 1990年9月
中國軍事史 第一卷 兵器 韋鎮福 田昭林 張 醒 楊伯時執筆 解放軍出版社 1983年5月
中國古代士兵生活與征戰 劉洪濤 著 台灣商務印書館 1998年12月
古代兵器史話 楊 泓著 上海科學技術出版社 1988年5月
周禮 錢 玄 錢興奇 王華寶 謝秉洪 注譯 岳麓書社出版發行 2001年7月
新定三禮圖 宋聶崇義集注 上海古籍出版社據宋淳熙二年本影印,原書版框高二一二毫米,寬一五五毫米 1984年6月

撰文者:彥之/台北市立師範學院應用語言文學研究所
版權所有,欲轉載文章,請徵求電子報的同意!

(版權的問題是這樣的, 那電子報已經結束了, 我也不知道怎麼瓣... 這又實在是一篇不錯的文章, 先貼上來, 如有問題, 我就下架)

Thursday, March 22, 2012

隨便摘錄

所以還是摘錄自仁波切所著的"心光乍現"的一段智慧心語作為這篇文章的結語--

 

難得值遇緣深眾親眷,

剎那聚合無常變化前,

勿將箭矛嗔心相交攻,

何不舒泰溫柔相對待。

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

number talks

I was talking about basketball with some people online these few days. One of the stats of one player became a topic, Assist.

The point I was trying to argue was that assist of a player meant more than his willingness to share the ball. It also meant how often a player possess the ball on court. For example, a point guard are usually the ones who brought the ball up the court. So it is natural for that position to have more assist than most other players. It also applied to the star players, because they also have more chance to possess the ball. The more chance a player could put his fingers on ball, the more freedom for him to do as he wish. A star player in this case can put the ball on the ground, driving to basket; or he could shoot on the spot; or he could pass to make an assist.

The more I thought about this, the more I dealt deeper into the stats, for games, for players. There are many interesting co-relations within a player's stats. Like the assist(apg) and scoring(ppg). It is indeed true that most of high scoring players do have more assists than most other players.

But it is more interesting about the game stats. What I meant by game stats is that, after each game, there are more than three accounts of that game on the NBA recap page. The most obvious are, game story, box score, and play-by-play. If I just looked at box score, it seemed it provided a complete picture of how the team and each player are performed in one game. But it does not necessarily reflect the game results. It seemed that in a close game, a play-by-play may be more accurately reflect the game results.

If I looked at game stats, I can see how each player and each team performed, across the whole game. But it does not tell how do one react in the fourth quarter? A player could perform badly the whole night, except in the final minutes. The chance of that may be surprising, as the game draw near, and each player's focus is up. So these two stats tells something different about games. In a purely stats sense, box score is a pure stats. Play-by-play is more like a chronicle, which provided with much less stats, but more narration. By tracking box score of each game of each team, I might be able to learn how a team is performing. For example, I could look at assist stats of each team and learn about the efficiency of their play. Because I believe that apg of a team tells me how aggressive the team is running the basket. By studying the play-by-play, I learned each player's flow, do they heat up fast; or do they start slow? Who is more focused, who performed worse...

This leads me to wonder about how we could approach the history study. How should we view about stats from history. And what kind of stats should we collect? How we could use the timeline as a tool, which we need to ask, what should we use it for? The stats at one point of time, how doe it fit in a timeline? What kind of relationship can we draw between each stats?

Video game idea

What did Sacrifice impress me the most?

The creativity and production value in the game was and still is the most impressive aspect of the game to me personally.

The first was the magic system. The magic system was and still is the best in video game. There are still no magic spells nowadays can get close to the impressiveness of this game. The effect of the magic spells felt so real and physical. The animation of characters casting those spells involved chanting and hand gestures. These add to the whole spell experience. The spells in most other games always have fancy lightening and dancing. But they don't feel powerful or physical to me. Sacrifice's spells gave me that feeling. I don't need fancy lightening, but I want to see the results and feeling the physical aspect of the spells. I felt that the spells in Sacrifice was also integrated into the physical aspect of the game. Some of the spells were powerful enough to alter the terrain permanently. That was a grandeur sight.

The second was the character creation. This includes the monsters players can summon, the villages players supposed to help or destroy, other wizards or magic casters, and gods themselves. All of these took great creativity and talents from game designers and voice actors, and script writers to work together. The creatures they created was purely joy. They were hardly seen in any other games, maybe except dragons.


The third thing I loved about the game was its control system, especially its camera control. The game does not give you a strafe and jump, that's the only things I'd like to complain. But the for a magic casting game, those two things does not really hurt that much. Besides, the camera control was very superb that these two obstacles were easily overlooked. Camera control seemed standard enough from the beginning. There's a cursor on the screen player can move up and down the screen to tilt the camera vertically. cursor to the right and left can move the camera to swirl around, and eventually see what's behind the characters players are controlling. While doing all those things, players could still issue magic spells from any angle. The left mouse control was for attack. But the right mouse control was for other kind of control. I love the setup. Although I did not use much of the setup. I think it has a very good potential. It eliminates many permanent UI on the game screens.

----------

I always feel that chinese fantasy is an even better background for video games. Because of its martial art legend, with chi gong. But it is very sad that there's no Chinese can do anything about it...

understanding each other

A: I love my cat.
B: What? How can you love a cat? Dog is much better.
A: Really? Dog is too much for me...
B: No... Dog is so happy, energetic, and loving. Cat is cold and unpredictable.
A: Wow, cats really make "big" impression on you...
B: Yeah, that's why I just could not understand how can anyone love cats?
A: Well, it's easy... It just like the way you feel about dogs.
B: But they are cold and distance.
A: They can show affection too.
B: I wonder what feels like loved by a cat.
A: Hehe, it is just like being loved by a dog.


I have no clue what I am doing here... lol

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

a little note

My mom does not watch a lot of movies. There are even less movies that she really liked. So it is special to see her eyes moistened after a movie. That movie was 武士的一分, a Japanese movie about samurai.

上次看唐山大地震時, 媽媽也很喜歡.

書鈔

"暴風雨"

普洛斯彼羅:

快活起來吧.
我們的表演就到此結束: 這些演員,
我們已經說過, 都是一些精靈,
現在已化為一陣薄薄的空氣,
像這場憑空虛構的夢幻一樣,
高聳入雲的城堡, 豪華的宮殿,
莊嚴神廟, 甚至整個地球和
地上的萬物, 都會消亡,
像這場虛幻的演出一樣消失,
不留下一縷煙痕: 我們不過是
構成夢幻的材料, 我們短暫的一生
最終也是止於永眠一覺.

(朱光潛悲劇心理學, 張隆溪譯, 安徽教育出版社, 第三版第二刷, 第八章, 152 頁)



...我們所謂 "表現", 主要是指本能衝動在筋肉活動和腺活動中得到自然宣洩, 也就是說, 像達爾文說 "情感的表現" 時那種意思; 其次是指一種情緒在某種藝術形式中, 通過文字, 聲音, 色彩, 線條等等象徵媒介得到體現, 也就是說, 在它的能量被釋放在適當的受體活動中時, 就已經表現了一半. 當它外在化為具體的象徵並傳達給別人時, 就得到了充分的表現. 在本來的心理學意義上的表現和在藝術意義上的表現, 都能夠減輕心裡的負擔, 給人以快樂. 憂鬱中的快樂正是表現的快樂, 是讓引起痛感的情緒暢快宣洩而不人為地去壓抑它. 讓我們用失戀的情形來做例子. 愛情意味著朝向一個目標的努力, 即求得被愛者用愛情作回報. 一旦得不到回報, 愛的活動就受到阻礙, 不能達到它的目標. 於是它產生出給人痛苦的失望. 在這失望當中, 生命力的發揮改變了方向, 從朝向固定目標的努力變成沉思這一努力的失敗. 對痛苦的這類沉思是憂鬱的一種, 它使遭到阻滯的精力得以宣洩. 主體雖然從外在方面看來似乎無能為力, 但在精神上卻是活躍的. 這就可以解釋為什麼憂鬱總是摻雜著一點快感在其中. 通過變痛苦為快樂的的這種微妙辦法, 人的心裡總在努力恢復由於外力阻礙而失去的平衡.

(朱光潛悲劇心理學, 張隆溪譯, 安徽教育出版社, 第三版第二刷, 第九章, 163 頁)

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

batter needs good butter

Betty Botter Bought Some Butter


Betty Botter bought some butter,
But, she said, The butter's bitter;
If I put it in my batter
It will make my batter bitter.
But, a bit of better butter
Will make my batter better.

So, she bought a bit of butter
Better than her bitter butter,
And she put it in her batter
And the batter was not bitter.
So, 'twas better Betty Botter
Bought a bit of better butter.

different qin luo fu

" Where are you going, my pretty maid?"
"I'm going a-milking, sir," she said.
"May I go with you, my pretty maid?"
"You're kindly welcome, sir," she said.
"What is your father, my pretty maid?"
"My father's a farmer, sir," she said.

"Say, will you marry me, my pretty maid?"
"Yes, if you please, kind sir," she said.
"What is your fortune, my pretty maid?"
"My face is my fortune, sir," she said.
"Then I can't marry you, my pretty maid!"
"Nobody asked you, sir," she said.

rhymes for remembering

Thirty Days hath September poem

Thirty days hath September,
April, June and November;
February has twenty eight alone
All the rest have thirty-one
Except in Leap Year, that's the time
When February's Days are twenty-nine

------------

valley of death

Psalm 23:1 ¶ [[A Psalm of David.]] The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want.

Psalm 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

Psalm 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Psalm 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

road

Robert Frost (1874–1963). Mountain Interval. 1920.

1. The Road Not Taken


TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; 5

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same, 10

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back. 15

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. 20

Monday, March 05, 2012

afterwrads...

It is important to understand. but we should not forget that reaching an understand without action afterwards only brings forth suffering.

Among two sides of debate, no matter it's political, or any other, there's always voice saying, all the messy debates come from lack of understand. There's some truth in it. But this statement usually lacks some understanding as well. If the debate did not last long enough, the statement might be true. But if it lasted long enough, you can be pretty sure, each side would understand the other side fully already.

So most important thing is not understanding any more... It is what comes afterwards that count.