Source text in Chinese | Translation by Lei Yang-Hohme (X) (#5440) |
足球在中国古代称为蹴鞠,早在春秋战国时期就已广泛开展。汉代出现了中国第一部足球专著《蹴鞠二十五篇》。唐代在制球工艺上有两大改进:一是把用两片皮合成的球壳改为用八片尖皮缝成圆形的球壳。二是把球壳内塞毛发改为放一个动物尿泡,“嘘气闭而吹之”,成为充气的球。由于球体轻了,可以踢高。球门就设在两根三丈高的竹竿上。在踢球方法上,汉代是直接对抗分队比赛,唐代则是中间隔着球门,双方各在一侧,以射门“数多者胜 ”。唐代开始出现了女子足球。女子足球的踢法不用球门,以踢高、踢出花样为能事,称为“白打”。到了宋代,足球在技术上已由射门比准向灵巧和控制球的水平方面发展。而且制球工艺比唐代又有提高,发展为“十二片香皮砌成”。原料是“熟硝黄革,实料轻裁”。工艺是“密砌缝成,不露线角”。做成的球重量要“正重十二两”。足球规格要“碎凑十分圆”。 | Soccer, in ancient China, was called “Cùjú.” Its early development could be traced back to as early as the Spring-Autumn and Warring States periods. In Han dynasty, the first monograph on soccer in Chinese history, 25 articles on Cùjú, was published. In Tang dynasty, craftsmanship on manufacturing soccer balls made a leap forward with 2 major improvements in tow: soccer balls were made of 2 spherical shells of leather at that time. Tang craftsmen refined the technique by sewing 8 pieces of leather together into a ball. The other improvement was to replace the hair that was traditionally stuffed inside the ball with an animal bladder. The artisans were supposed to “blow air into the bladder” so the ball would be charged with air. Since the weight of the ball is reduced, the ball can go up in the air higher than before. The goal was set on 2 thirty feet high bamboo rods. Han and Tang dynasties also differed in soccer rules. In Han dynasty, the players from both sides scattered around the field of play and the match took its course. But in Tang dynasty, the goal was positioned right in the middle of the field, each side taken by a team. And “whoever scores more goals wins.” The boom of women’s soccer was seen in Tang dynasty. The rules in women’s soccer dictated that no goal were to be used in the field. To win the game, the players were required to demonstrate mastery in high kicks and various soccer tricks. This is called the “báidǎ”. In Song dynasty, the soccer kicking techniques were taken to the next level by shifting the emphasis from soccer goal scoring skills to player's control skills. The flexibility of the player then began to play a more important role than simply scoring a goal. The craftsmanship on soccer ball manufacturing also reached new high in Song dynasty. The balls must be “made of 12 pieces of tan leather." The tan leather used were "boiled tan leather, thick materials cut exquisitely." Fine workmanship is also demanded: “neatly sewn together, with no visible threads.” The ball must weigh “exactly 12 taels.” The dimension of the soccer ball is also specified as “to be of perfect sphericity.” |