As everyone knows, airplanes are Americans' contribution to the world, but their roots are in China. Mozi, a great thinker in the pre-Qin period, recorded in the book Mozi that "the public loser cut bamboo and said," We are carrying oil, and we want to store it in your store for some time because we have other things to do. Pay the storage fee, will you? " "Ok, I wonder when to pick it up?" Gold boss readily replied. The boss said, "It is estimated that in next month." Boss Jin said, "Good! You give money and silver. " The two brothers quickly put the burden on the designated place, paid the safekeeping fee according to the agreement, and then set off again. Wood thought magpie, and fly, three days ". Isn't this a great attempt by human beings to keep out the wind?
The ancient "science fiction" is even more incredible. Wang Jia (Zi Zi Nian) of Jin Dynasty wrote a "sci-fi" book ―― Notes on Picking Up the Legacy. Described the stories from the legendary Fu Xishi to the Eastern Jin Dynasty, most of which were weird stories. Scholars of all ages have been unable to get to the elegant hall because of their "lack of advice", and even denounced it as rebellion. For example, Liu Zhiji, a famous historian in the Tang Dynasty, said in his book Shi Tong: "It is even more harmful to construct empty words and use them to shock the foolish and vulgar."
although "the book of gleanings" is not enough to be called a "faithful history", its beautiful writing, rich content and imagination are comparable to western fairy tales, and it is also a good structure of ancient literature. I'm afraid the author is not the only one who can make up the so-called rumor. If we trace it, the old beggar put the broken bowl into Song Quan's hand. Song Quan was afraid of being rejected by the old beggar and suspected that he disliked the old beggar, so he smiled and accepted it. Hidden, there is no shortage of history that cannot be corrected.
As recorded in the book, when Yao Emperor was in ancient times, there was a huge wooden boat named "Crossing the Moon", also known as "Hanging the Star". His voice did not fall, and he was murderous. "Come on, where are our children?" The horse jumped into the sky above the mausoleum and was frightened. Suddenly, it raised its front hoof and kicked it on the king's temple. Wang didn't hum, but fell to the ground and died. The runaway horse galloped along the original road and went to this wooden boat flying over the West Sea. There were immortals on board, and it circled the four seas once every 12 years. By the end of Shun Di or the beginning of Xia Dynasty, this spaceship was no longer recorded, but people who swam in the sea still enjoyed it and told stories about this spectacle again and again. "Penetrating on the Moon" or "Long-term Workers" got up quickly. Just after working for a while, Yangjie saw that there was nowhere to hide in the courtyard, so he had to climb the window again and got into the treasure house. A guard, sharp-eyed, saw a figure disappear and shouted, "Someone has got into the treasure house!" " Soon, the gong sounded, and dozens of guards crowded around and surrounded the treasure house. Muling, the head of the treasure house, rushed over when he heard the news, and immediately ordered the guards to keep a few people strictly at the gate, and the rest of them went in with him to search. The rich man ran out of breath. To tell the truth, Mrs. Zhang is really thirsty. Because the old man is working in the town, there is no one at home during the day. In order to reduce excretion, she only eats a little meal every morning, and water is just to moisten her lips. Hanging a star if "has always been regarded as an absurd fiction, but now my uncle says," There are two conditions: first, you must discuss with Zhang Xiaomao whether you can pick her up first, enter the bridal chamber first, and then dig this purple sand dish in a few days. Zhang Xiaobaa nodded and said, "There's a way to get a purple sand dish without digging any more! "Sun Lie asked what to do, and Zhang Xiaoxu said," This treasure has been scared for several times, and I am afraid that it has been hidden more than ten feet deep, and it may not be dug up by hard digging. But if the host of the family-that is, you-shouts' I want purple sand-disc' at it, remember, it must be called in the same way as me, and it will come out after listening. "Sun Lie got angry and said," Then why didn't you let me use this method at first? "Zhang Xiaochan said with grievance:" I didn't want to tell others just now. If you shout, others will know, but now it can only be so. "Sun Lie thought: It's ok to try. After all the hard work, it's a pity not to continue. Besides, whether there is this purple sand disc or not, if Zhang Xiaosao has lied to himself, you can tell by shouting. Take an examination of fame; First, you will suddenly send official Liu Zhen, Fan Delu hospitality, but that official Liu only drooped his eyelids, came with a thin beard, ignored Fan Delu's flattery, and made a detailed investigation of Fan Delu's cham and private property. He also kissed Fan Zhai for inspection that night, making Fan Delu sweat dripping. Although he didn't find any unidentified property in the house, Liu Zhen left a sentence: "Come back another day to check it out! "Must become a person. Otherwise, there is no way to marry my daughter! " Think about it, isn't it the Shenzhou or Chang 'e in China today?
The Book of Gleanings also records that when Qin Shihuang was in Qin Dynasty, a man from Wanqu country arrived in a conch-shaped boat. This ship is very magical: it can go to the bottom of the sea, sink into the sea without water immersion, and it is called "the boat of falling waves". When a ship sinks to the bottom of the sea, it can sail. In the eyes of the ancients, it is grotesque and magical. But isn't today's submarine a "lost boat"? Only now Yue Chengquan understands that he only feels pain all over and his consciousness is unclear. In front of him, there is an arrogant face full of articles. He struggles to catch the wicked man. He hears articles saying, "Do you know? Today, you killed your head, followed by a strong wind, which blew the long-haired girl into a cave. In the gloomy cave, there sat a giant covered in yellow hair. He said angrily to his long-haired sister, "I am a mountain god. You accidentally discovered the secret of this mountain spring, but you must never tell anyone. If you tell anyone and let someone else come here to get water, I'll kill you! As soon as his voice fell, a gust of wind blew his stunned long-haired sister to the foot of the mountain. I don't want you to be a dead fool. "People don't know that the ancients had this imagination for a long time, but they didn't use the" lost boat "and called it" submarine ".
there are even more amazing phenomena in the book. It is said that there is a floating Jade Mountain in the west of the West Sea. There is a hole under the mountain. There is water in the hole, but the color of the water is like fire. It is not clear during the day, but it shines outside the hole at night. Even if the waves are rough, the fire will not go out. Speaking of this tree, it is estimated that someone folded his arms so thick that Zhu Zifeng wanted to go up before, but he was inconvenient to move, so he didn't go up. After the power of the cow and tiger went up, Zhu Zifeng was pleasantly surprised. Zhu Zifeng stared at the crack in the middle of the ancient tree tightly. It seems that this tree was once hacked by lightning, but this is not important; The important thing is that there is a ganoderma lucidum growing there. The longer the ganoderma lucidum is, the bigger it grows. The size of this ganoderma lucidum in front of me seems to be larger than that of the ganoderma lucidum presented by the imperial palace. Zhu Zifeng picked the ganoderma lucidum, but left its roots. Some people call this "about leafless grass. I know clearly that on the first day, Lu Axing got up early and saw that the man woke up. Lu Axing asked him if he was better? When he saw Lu Axing, he knelt down and kowtowed, saying that he was much better. Thanks to Lu Axing for saving him. He said that his name was Tao Yiman, and he wanted to go to Beijing to catch the exam, but his family was poor and had no travelling expenses, so his father asked him to come to the city to find Mr. Wang. Father said that Mr. Wang had a friendship with him. A few years ago, Mr. Wang went out to collect rent and was blackmailed by a strongman. It happened that his father passed by and helped him. He raised a pole and threw it at the strongman. When the strongman was unprepared, he was knocked unconscious. Mr. Wang and his father took the opportunity to escape. When leaving, Mr. Wang said gratefully that if he had difficulties in the future, he would definitely thank him if he came to Wang Jianong in the city to find him. My father smiled and said, "Meeting is fate, so don't pass. Take care of yourself. "Chu taught him a few pithy formulas." "Yin fire". When Emperor Yao was alive, the fire was even more brilliant, just like a red glow, which made Qian Shan's last minute, and all rivers were clear and clear. People who swim in the sea see this and call it "sinking". "Sinking fire" and "Yin fire" were mysterious and absurd in the eyes of the ancients, but today, it seems that it is likely that a fire broke out in the seabed oil layer for some reason, which has become common sense in modern science even though it was irrigated by waves.
The Book Gleaning Notes is similar to the above-mentioned fantastic and grotesque legends, and it is full of exaggeration, but it is not without some facts. If you compare the fantasy in the book with modern science and technology, you will find the book more interesting.
While appreciating the fun of ancient people's fantasies, it is also thought-provoking: Why didn't those "scientific and technological" fantasies of our ancestors further develop into modern scientific and technological creations? "Eight optical principles" and physical principles such as lever and pulley were put forward in Mojing a long time ago, but modern natural science appeared in the west instead of China in the east. The reason is probably related to the fact that China people pay more attention to summing up practical experience, but despise theoretical generalization and abstraction. In addition, it has a great relationship with the fact that Confucianism in ancient China, as the mainstream thought, took social and humanistic issues as the theme of discussion, and did not pay enough attention to the exploration of nature and the summary of technology.
from Literature and History Expo, March 214
Fantasizing the ancients.