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Chinese to English translations [PRO]
Science - History / astronomy | | Chinese term or phrase: 木表 | | 周公姬旦在营建东都洛阳时，把嵩山作为其天文观测的中心，筑土圭、立木表，通过测量日影定出二十四节气和历法 |
| Aaron GilkisonKudoZ activityQuestions: 209 ( 7 open) ( 1 without valid answers) ( 14 closed without grading) Answers: 84
| | Local time: 06:21
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| | Gnomon | Explanation:
"土圭" and "木表" are called "圭表", which is also a kind of instrument invented by Guo Shoujing for measuring shadow of the sun.
Reference:
Gnomon - 圭表
[Guo Shoujing] This gnomon (guībiǎo 圭表) was based on a model made in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) of the gnomon developed by Guo Shoujing in the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368). Guo Shoujing changed the gnomon from a simple stick that measured the length of the shadow cast by the sun into a more precise instrument by adding a scale to the base and placing a crossbar across the top with which to measure the exact position of the shadow.
Notice the leveling trough that could assure a level surface, align the gnomon, and provide a perfectly smooth surface for measurement, at least on a calm day. Below you will find a detail of the scale used for measurement. It is in 尺 chǐ, one-third of a meter, or approximately a foot.
The original is now in the Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanjing where it was moved for safety when the Japanese invaded in the 1930's. The present copy at the Beijing Ancient Observatory (古观象台) was made in 1983.
FYI |
| Selected response from:
Joy Xu
Local time: 18:21
| Grading comment Helpful! Thank you!
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13 mins confidence:  
52 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +1 wood(en) column, wood(en) pillar, wooden sundial
Explanation:
传周文王四子姬旦以土圭木表测日影,立八尺之表,由正午时影长定了夏至,冬至和一年四季,在阳城,夏至时影长一尺五寸,遂定了阳城是地中,迁都洛邑。在中国古代,天文是统治者的工具。究竟周公是定了地中而迁都,还是为了迁都而定地中,...
参考：
http://www.baidu.com/s?ct=0&ie=gb2312&bs=ľ gnomon shadow t...
由此可见，表是一种测日影用的立柱（column或pillar）。从上下文中的“立木表“的”立“字也可以证实这一点。
再参考新华字典中表的意思：
(19)
直立于地面,用以测日影的标杆 [ancient Chinese sundial]
夏至日中立八尺之表,其景尺有五寸,谓之地中。(景:影。)――阮元《畴人传》
另外，考虑到华表一般译为：
ornamental column或ornamental pillar
参考：
http://www.google.cn/search?aq=f&num=100&complete=1&hl=zh-CN...
http://www.google.cn/search?aq=-1&oq=&num=100&complete=1&hl=...
所以估计"column"或"pillar"是古时“表”的本意，而sundial是一种加了刻度的测日影用的表，所以这个词可以考虑译为：
wood(en) column、wood(en) pillar或wooden sundial
看看结果：
http://images.google.cn/images?aq=f&um=1&complete=1&hl=zh-CN...
http://images.google.cn/images?aq=f&um=1&complete=1&hl=zh-CN...
http://images.google.cn/images?aq=f&um=1&complete=1&hl=zh-CN...
http://images.google.cn/images?aq=f&um=1&complete=1&hl=zh-CN...
http://images.google.cn/images?ndsp=20&um=1&complete=1&hl=zh...
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Note added at 2 hrs (2008-06-28 14:20:33 GMT)
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Sorry, I have just verified that 'sundial' / 'wooden sundial' should not be a translation for 表/木表. A sundial consists of a needle and a dial. It is another very similar instrument.
|   lbone
China
Local time: 18:21
Works in field
Native speaker of:  Chinese
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| Changes made by editors |
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| Jul 3, 2008 - Changes made by Joy Xu: | | Created KOG entry | KudoZ term => KOG term |
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