Cultural Tip: Chopsticks

筷子[Photo: nipic.com]

筷子（Kuàizi，Chopsticks）

中國的筷子，在人類文明史上是一樁值得驕傲和推祟的科學發明。諾貝爾獎獲得者李政道先生曾在論證中華民族是一個優秀種族時說：“中國人早在春秋戰國時代就發明了筷子。如此簡單的兩根東西，卻高妙絕倫地應用了物理學上的杠桿原理。筷子是人類手指的延伸，手指能做的事，它都能做，且不怕高熱，不怕寒凍，真是高明至極。比較起來，西方人大概到十六、十七世紀才發明了刀叉，但刀叉哪能跟筷子相比呢?”日本的學者曾測定，人在用筷子夾食物時，有80多個關節和50條肌肉在運動，并且與腦神經有關。因此，用筷子吃飯使人手巧，可以訓練大腦使之靈活，外國人對這兩根神奇的棍狀物能施展出夾、挑、舀、撅等功能欽羨不已，并以自己能使用它進食而感到自豪。

Chinese chopsticks have greatly contributed towards human civilization. Nobel prize winner Mr. Lee Tsung-dao once said while commenting on China as a great nation: "As early as the Warring States period Chinese invented chopsticks. Although simple, the two sticks perfectly use the physics of leverage. Chopsticks are an extension of human fingers. Whatever fingers can do, chopsticks can do, too. Moreover, their great talent is not even affected by high temperatures or freezing cold. In comparision, it was probably not until the 16th or 17th century that the knife and fork were invented. But how can the knife and fork compare with chopsticks?" According to research by Japanese scholars, people use more than 80 joints and 50 muscles to eat food with chopsticks. Therefore, using chopsticks can exercise the brain! Foreigners are often surprised at how Chinese can use the stick-like ustensils so skillfully. Many even feel proud of their being able to use them to eat.