My school was going to throw these books away! I thought they could use a little love...
房屋是怎麼蓋起來的 ?
How were houses built?
蓋房子先要挖地基 , 然後搭建房屋的骨架 . The construction of a house begins with digging a foundation. After that its frame is built.
房屋的骨架由柱和樑組合而成 , 用來承受屋頂 . 常見的樑柱組合方法有兩種 , 一種是穿斗式 , 一種是抬樑式 . A house's frame consists of columns and beams which support its roof. There are two commonly used methods of frame assembly: the through-beam system [in which beams are fitted into slots in the columns] and the raised beam system [in which rows of roof beams are fitted into notches at the ends of lower, slotted beams]. (1)
牆壁的做法也有很多種呢 ! There are also many ways to build walls!
門是房子的出入口 , 也是屋內屋外的分界 , 所以古人把裝門當做一件大事 , 通常會舉行祭典 . 而且古人認為房屋裡有 "財氣" , 為了怕財氣跑光 , 所以窗子越小越好 . Doors are both entrances and exits to a house, and also serve as a a boundary between indoors and outdoors. For this reason ancient people regarded the installation of doors as an important event, often holding a ceremony to mark the occasion. They also believed that a certain "wealth potential" was contained within each house, and they were afraid of this "wealth potential" dissipating over time. This is why smaller windows were preferred.
在房屋各處 , 常有木雕 , 石雕 ... 等各式各樣的裝飾 , 裝飾的圖案常有避邪 , 祈福的含意 . Wood and stone carvings were placed all over houses, and upon these carvings were inscribed various patterns and symbols which either warded off evil or invited prosperity.
打仗的時候 , 房屋就像一座城堡 .
During times of strife a house was like a fortress.
台灣早期常常發生匪亂和械鬥 , 人們需要利用地形 , 地物和人工設施 , 來增加家的防衛力量 , 例如把房屋蓋在小山前面 , 使敵人不能從背後入侵 . Early in Taiwan's history banditry and armed conflict were common occurrences. People needed to use the terrain, geographical features and man-made structures to better protect their homes. For example, a home might be built in front of a small mountain or hill to prevent enemies from attacking from the rear.
房屋前面挖個水塘 , 不僅可以減弱敵人的攻擊 , 萬一有火災 , 也可以取水救火 . A pond would be dug in front of a house to weaken attacks [from the front], and if there was a fire the water in the pond could be used to extinguish it.
房屋的牆壁上 , 會挖槍眼 . 用來架槍射擊 ; 房屋四周還會建造高於一般房屋的碉堡式樓房 , 用來監視 , 避難 . Gun ports were dug out of the walls ; and fortified buildings taller than [smaller residences nearby] were built around the perimeters of [settlements] for both surveillance and refuge.
港口出現繁榮的市鎮 .
A Prosperous Town Emerges from the Port.
城市的房屋 , 大多沿著街道而蓋 . 為了防衛 , 人們會把道路建成S形 , Y形 ... 等彎曲形狀 . 像鹿港的九曲巷 , 如果你躲在巷道轉角處防守 , 會有一夫當關 , 萬夫莫敵的效果 . 在街頭 , 街尾等地方 , 還會設置隘門 , 白天開放供人們出入 ; 晚上關閉 , 整條街就形成了一個大碉堡 , 敵人很難闖進來 . In cities most houses were built along streets. Roads were built in "S," "Y" or other winding shapes for protection. [Just think of] Lugang's winding Nine-Turn Alley. Hiding in one of the alley's [many] corners would allow you to repel a number of assailants. At the ends of each street were gates for allowing people in and out during the day. When these gates closed each night streets became large fortresses which enemies could only enter with great difficulty.
房屋前面開商店 , 後面當住家 .
Shops are opened in the front part of houses, with residences in the back.
靠街的土地較貴 , 所以房屋的正面都不大 , 很少會超過五公尺 . 如果想增加空間 , 只能向上 , 向後發展 . 像鹿港的街屋 , 大多是二層樓 , 而且細細長長 , 像條捲起來的手巾 , 所以有人叫它 "手巾寮" . Land near the street was more expensive, so the fronts of most houses were usually small [narrow], no more than 5 meters wide. If you wanted to increase the interior space you could only expand forwards or backwards [depending on the house's nearness to the road]. [You can see this] in the homes of Lugang, where most of the residences are two stories high, very long and very narrow. They look like rolled up handkerchiefs, and for this reason people call them "handerchief huts."
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1. Kind of hard to explain either system in just a few words, but they're pictured in the page above this section.
