In the Song Dynasty (960-1270 A. D.), people loaded fire powder on fengzheng to assault the enemies by tying a piece of kindling incense[1] on the fuse[2] and flying it into the sky above the enemy camp, where it exploded and caused chaos. Then they took the advantage[3] to launch an attack and defeated the enemy. It is thus evident that fengzheng was originally made for military use.

　　在宋代时，人们更用风筝屡创奇招。他们loaded fire powder on fengzheng 在风筝上装上火药，to assault the enemies 去突袭敌人。方法是flying a piece of kindling incense on the fuse 在导火线上绑上一段燃着的香火，并且flying it into the sky above the enemy camp 将风筝放爱敌营上空，趁燃烧爆炸，造成混乱，然后launch an attack 突袭敌军。大家看，古代军用的风筝和如今的燃烧弹是不是有异曲同工之妙呢？看来fengzheng was originally made for military use 风筝的渊源起于军事。

It was from the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A. D.) on that fengzheng gradually became a toy for entertainment. But at that time, this entertainment was limited to the children of nobility and the rich. Getting bored with the silent fengzheng, they tied a bamboo whistle on it. When they flew fengzheng in the air, the wind blew the whistle and made a sound much like that produced by zheng(an ancient musical instrument), which was very pleasant to the ear. People then vividly named it fengzheng(wind musical instrument).

　　在全唐盛日，四海升平，一直被用于军事上的纸鸢，随着传统节日清明的兴起，开始向民间娱乐型转化，became a toy for entertainment 逐渐成为娱乐的玩具。但是风筝还只是to the children of nobility and the rich 有钱人家的子弟的玩具。Getting bored with the silent fengzheng, they tied a bamboo whistle on it.因为对风筝鸦雀无声地在空中飞行感到厌烦，就tied a bamboo whistle on it 在风筝上系一个竹哨。在空中，风入竹哨，发出如“古筝”般的声音。这就是风筝名称的由来。唐代诗人高骄曾有“夜静弦声响碧空，官商信任往来风。”“依稀似曲方堪听，又被风吹别调中”等咏风筝诗句。

Only after the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127 A. D.) was paper fengzheng increasingly made, and from then on it turned from the entertainment for the rich into a popular one among the ordinary people.

　　在宋代，it turned from the entertainment for the rich into a popular one among the ordinary people变成大众化的普通流行玩具。到了清朝，风筝更发展成一门艺术。曹雪芹就是一位制宫廷样式风筝的高手，他还将放风筝的情景写进了《红楼梦》里。

　　读了风筝发展的曲折历史，您是否感到小巧的风筝背后有许多故事和传奇呢？阳春三月间轻飏的风筝正是我们对春天的期盼，但愿风筝：“消得春风多少力，带将儿辈上春天。”

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