从刀耕火种到精耕细作

文/五花肉

“工欲善其事，必先利其器”，自古以来农业就关乎国运命脉，而农业的发展又很大程度上取决于农具的“进化”程度。作为农具的典型代表之一，犁的发明和使用推动了我国古代农业生产力的巨大提升。

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.

犁的雏形：耒耜

Embryonic Form of Plough: Wooden Plough

耒耜是我国最古老的农具，相传由神农所制，在一根尖头木棍上加一段短横梁，形如木叉，上有曲柄，下为犁头，使用时把尖头插入土壤，用脚踩横梁使木棍深入，然后翻出，即可实现松土目的。

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.

为了便于推广使用，到了春秋战国时期，耒耜的制作趋于规范，“耒高六尺六寸，耜广五寸”，这一尺寸后来被《考工记》采用，成为当时的工艺标准。

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.

耒耜的出现，对于我国从原始刀耕火种迈入真正意义的耕播农业时代具有重要意义。

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：直辕犁

Two-cattle for Tilling: Straight Shaft Plough

随着冶炼技术的进步，铁具开始大量出现，铁犁逐渐取代耒耜，铁犁牛耕在我国传统农耕方式中的主导地位自此确立。

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.

西汉时期最著名的铁犁是一种二牛抬扛式的直辕犁，由两人指挥两头牛进行耕种。两牛相距约八尺（约210 cm），中间横抬一“杠”，“杠”后接续辕犁。一人牵牛，一人坐于“杠”上脚踏辕犁，控制犁铧入土深浅。

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.

作为汉代最重要的农具之一，直辕犁相比耒耜的标准化程度和质量稳定性更高，极大提升了当时的耕种效率。

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：曲辕犁

Finalized Design of Plough: Crankshaft Plough

到了唐朝，人们对精细化耕作的要求不断提高，直辕犁转弯不便、起土费力、操作不灵活等劣势逐渐显现。一种由11个部件构成的曲辕犁应运而生。

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.

作为直辕犁的改进版，曲辕犁改直辕、长辕为曲辕、短辕，长度参照时人的身高，以6尺（约180 cm）为标准，使其更加符合人体工学；增设的犁盘、犁箭、犁评和犁建，便于转弯和调节耕地深度；犁底与犁梢分离，可以控制耕垡的宽窄；犁壁则能碎土推土，减少运动阻力。

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.

这种结构精细、操作灵活、轻便省力的曲辕犁，代表了当时农具最先进的制造工艺和技术标准，在我国古代农耕史上留下了浓墨重彩的一笔。

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.

结 语

Conclusion

犁的演变，从结构的不断优化，到形式和功能的丰富完善，具有鲜明的精细化、标准化烙印，不仅推动了我国农业生产力的长足发展，更彰显了中华民族一直以来对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.