How much history and culture can a steelyard "weigh"?

In modern society, weighing scales (ground scales, ordinary scales, etc.). ) is often used for heavier bulk materials, while electronic scales, spring scales, precious trace items or scales commonly used in laboratories are used for lighter materials. With a long history and tradition in China, the steelyard, which once dominated the weighing, has increasingly withdrawn from the historical stage. Now, it is even banned in most supermarkets and food markets, but it is only occasionally used by mobile vendors.

There is a folk mantra called "half a catty", which means that two things are the same and comparable. It comes from the fact that the steelyard used in ancient times was sixteen taels and one catty, so half a catty and eight taels are two different expressions of the same thing, which are actually equal.

According to legend, this steelyard was invented by Lu Ban in the Spring and Autumn Period. There is also a saying that the inventor of this scale is Fan Li, a native of Chu, who helped Gou Jian, the king of Yue, work for more than 20 years at about the same time. Whoever it is, at least the steelyard has existed as a weighing tool for a long time in China.

The weight of an object can be weighed by installing a hanging rope on a wooden lever as a fulcrum, hanging a heavy object at one end and installing a scale at the other end. A scale consists of a scale, a scale beam and a scale plate (some scales weighing heavier objects use "scale hook" instead of "scale plate"). In ancient times, the scale was called "Quan", which was made according to the symbol of Xuanyuan (the immortal star that dominated thunderstorms). The balance beam is called "scale", which represents another star-Wei Zi constellation; Common expressions such as "weighing", "weighing" and "contingency" are derived from this, and the so-called "weight" and "weight" in mathematical science are also derived from this.

The scale is also called "the weight", and as the saying goes, "eating the weight is iron-hearted" or "the tortoise eats the weight is iron-hearted" means this. This sentence comes from the characteristics of the tortoise, because once it bites something, it will bite down. People often say that people who don't know "contingency" are just like turtles biting things, and they don't know how to let go. Of course, this sentence means swearing!

There are many other proverbs about scales in life, which are full of fun, such as "Hang the scales on your nose-you can't lift your head", "When the scales fall into the sea-you can't make a fortune (float)", "When the scales hit an iron egg, you will come face to face" and "A mouse steals the scales", etc., which all reflect the close relationship between the scales and the daily life of working people in the past to a certain extent.

The basic principle of steelyard is actually the lever principle in physics: when the lever is balanced, power x arm of force = resistance x arm of resistance. The so-called force and resistance are respectively acted by the weight and the weight of the weighed object (generally represented by weight). Small traders carry rope buttons (hanging ropes) when doing business, that is, scales. Force arm and resistance arm are the distance between the weight and the weighed object when the balance is balanced.

Anyone who has used a steelyard or a balance has experienced that when the steelyard is in balance (the bar or beam is in a horizontal position), which side is slightly biased, and the weight of milligrams increases or decreases at one end, it will immediately destroy the balance of the steelyard, making one end drop sharply and the other end rise rapidly.

Some people say that the component name of the steelyard is based on the word "sharp eye", which means that you should be sharp-eyed and never be careless when weighing. To "weigh" your conscience, you must never be short. Otherwise, the balance beam, which is extremely sensitive to balance, will be "thousands of miles away" if it is slightly deviated under the amplification of the unequal arm lever.

On the beam of the steelyard, a flower star with a small dot is inlaid with metal as a symbol (ruler) for measurement and weighing, which is called a weighing star. According to legend, the scale stars engraved on the scale correspond to the stars in the sky. It is said that the first scale invented by Lu Ban was originally based on the six stars of Beidou and Nandou, and the scale star 13 was carved on the scale, which was designated as 13 kg.

The first seven stars on the scale are the Big Dipper, warning people who use the scale to stand between heaven and earth, and their hearts should be based on the direction pointed by the Big Dipper, and they should not be biased because of greed, or even distinguish right from wrong; The last six stars are six stars in the south, representing the six parties in the east, west, north and south, reminding people to be centered and not biased when using scales.

China's traditional physiognomy pays attention to "six stars in the southern bucket dominate life, and the big dipper dominates death". Life and death are marked on a steelyard, and there is a god who looks up three feet. Can users of steelyard take it for granted?

Sima Qian recorded in Historical Records. Qin Shihuang passed on "That Qin Shihuang" and measured a stone. Cars are on the same track, so are books. "That is, in order to strengthen the world-centered situation, Qin Shihuang made great efforts to unify the system of weights and measures in China, so he added three stars of" Fu, Lu and Shou "and changed it to 16 as a catty. Each of the 16 weighing stars on the scale represents a star. Therefore, 16 scales began in the Qin Dynasty after Qin Shihuang unified China.

The blessings, blessings and longevity that were added at the end of the weighing beam in the Qin Dynasty were also very particular. It is said that it is used to warn vendors to pay attention to honest management and not to cheat. If you lose two pounds in business activities, it will damage your virtue: one or two of them are called "losing blessings", that is, reducing the blessings and blessings brought by past lives; Less than 22 is called "injury pay", which will reduce the original official salary of the family or myself; Less than three or two is called "losing your life", which will definitely reduce the life span of yourself or other close relatives. These three stars are like three hanging "decapitated hay cutters", warning people to be honest in doing business and not to do things that harm others and do not know their conscience.

In addition, the first ruler star on the ruler rod is also called "ruler star", and its position is the hanging point or balance datum point of the ruler when the ruler and the ruler (ruler hook) form balance. Hanging weights at this point can keep the scale level without hanging weights, so the scale star is actually the zero scale or marking starting point of the scale, and the weights at this position can just balance the empty scale.

Therefore, to be a steelyard, the key is to be able to choose the right star. As long as the star is determined, it is a good measure. Nail it to the board and set the stars. It is true that people who can buy scales will put the weights on the fixed star first, with both ends flat; On the other hand, if you can't find a fixed star, you will be short of weight and lose "justice."

Because of this, people in later generations often take the fixed disk star as the scale or key link to measure things. To say that a person has a fixed star means that he has a clear plan or idea; If you don't know what to do, there will be no plans and established plans. Without the "backbone", you will keep changing, stepping on watermelon skin and sliding to where!

Not only the number and position of the scales are particular, but also their colors are said: the color of the scales must be white or yellow, not black. The original intention should be that black absorbs light, which is not conducive to users reading the scale. Later generations compared business to aboveboard, not black-hearted.

In the traditional agricultural society of China in the past, the relationship between scales and ordinary people was very close. Almost every family has at least one scale, so knowing and using the scale has become a necessary skill. There is a jingle that educates future generations: "If you don't know how to weigh flowers (stars), it's hard to become a master", so children often have a steelyard besides books, abacus, scissors, toys, needlework and cosmetics. Once the steelyard is robbed, it is considered "complete", and the child can at least keep his home and start a business. Some families regard the steelyard not only as a daily weighing instrument, but also as an auspicious thing or totem, as a "god of wealth" and sometimes even as a "disaster-eliminating" thing.

With the development of the times, the steelyard is farther and farther away from our daily life and gradually becomes a historical relic. However, it is necessary for us to absorb and inherit some business culture and spiritual ethics carried on the scale: for example, fair trade, not cheating children, not short weight; Accumulate virtue and do good deeds in business activities, and you will get many benefits and prolong your life; Honest, selfless, aboveboard and profitable. There will always be a spiritual balance in your heart, so as to be fair, just and fair!

Welcome to share? Please pay attention to "Returning to the Mountain"

If you are satisfied, please give me a compliment:

FTN essay contest | Historical Records FTN biography "turned out"