中国范儿 55 中国象棋：方寸之间金戈铁马

In a battlefield shrouded by heavy smoke, generals and marshals maneuver to defeat their enemies and soldiers and officers, in the beats of war drums, ride their horses and fight to the end. Such a war scenario can happen not only in an ancient battlefield but also on the small board of Chinese Xiangqi (Chinese chess).

中国象棋，是一种二人对抗的棋类游戏，历史悠久。由于用具简单，趣味性强，自古以来都是一种极为流行的棋艺活动。

Chinese Xiangqi is a strategy board game for two players. Xiangqi has a very long history in China. With its easy accessibility and entertainment function, Xiangqi has been popular in China since the ancient era.

“象棋”的说法最早见于战国文献，“象”是“象征”之意，表明象棋“象征”沙场上的战斗，最早的象棋被称为六博棋，双方各只有六枚棋子，这与春秋时期的兵制相同，故有人认为象棋起源于春秋时期。横亘棋盘中间边界被称为楚河汉界，这是受到“楚汉争霸、划鸿沟为界”的历史的影响。同样也印证了象棋起源的军事背景。

The term "Xiangqi" first appeared in materials from the Warring States period. The word Xiang means symbol. So, Xiangqi symbolizes battles in the field. Xiangqi was formerly known as Liuboqi since each side had six pieces, which was in line with the military system of the Spring and Autumn Period. That is why some people believe Xiangqi first appeared during the Spring and Autumn Period. Dividing the two opposing sides is the River. Generally known as Chuhe Hanjie (the river of the Chu and the boundary of Han), the River is a reflection of the history of Chu-Han Rivalry, which is another evidence for the military origin of Xiangqi.

战争在古代中国被视为一门艺术，赤膊上阵的厮杀固然让人热血沸腾，但战场之外将帅之间的智力比拼却更加被推崇。象棋游戏就是这种思想的一种体现。

In ancient China, engaging in the war was an art. Face-to-face combat can arouse the emotions of people. In China, however, competitions among generals for strategic advantages attract more attention. Xiangqi is a game that showcases such competitions.

象棋对弈犹如两军对阵，双方各执16子，分为将（帅）、车、马、炮等7个兵种，组成完整的军阵，隔“楚河汉界”排布。每种棋子都有不同的属性，如将（帅）和士只能在大本营活动，卒子只能前进不能后退，马走两个方格的对角，而炮则必须隔着一枚棋子才能攻击另一枚棋子。

Playing Xiangqi is like engaging in a war. Each player has 16 pieces, which fall in seven roles including General, Chariot, Horse, and Cannon, etc. Each side has a full battle array, facing off along the River. Different roles have different movement rules. Here are some examples: General and Guard only move within the headquarters, Soldier cannot move backward, Horse moves diagonally and Cannon can only attack by jumping over a single piece.

对不同兵种各自属性的合理利用，会变幻出无数的战术，可以锻炼棋手的战争谋略；而不同棋子的配合可以在棋盘上的任何一个位置掀起波澜，这又要求棋手能够有通盘考虑的全局性战略眼光。

Players can improve their strategic maneuvering ability by appropriately utilizing various types of pieces. Good players can invent enormous amounts of tactics. Different arrangements of pieces can create a military storm anywhere on the chessboard. Players must have a strategic view of the overall situation to win the game.

象棋获胜的唯一标准是杀死对方的主将（帅），这体现了中国人 “擒贼先擒王”的战争观念，即无论双方实力对比如何，率先擒杀对方主将往往都会获得战争的胜利，这种案例在历史上屡见不鲜。

The game ends when one player captures the other's general, which is in line with one Chinese military strategy, namely, capturing the general to subdue your enemy. In other words, the side that captures the general of the opponent generally wins the war, regardless of relative military strength. Such cases are not exceptions in history.

如果说血染疆场、马革裹尸是武将的浪漫，那么在象棋棋盘上的厮杀就是文人的雅趣。在中国古代，象棋被列为士大夫们的修身之艺。它的流行也在中国文化之中留下了深刻的烙印，很多今天常用的俗语和成语都来源于象棋。

Warriors dream of laying down their lives on the battlefield one day, but Chinese gentries preferred to wage wars on the chessboard. In ancient China, playing Xiangqi was a necessity for the gentries to bolster their inner well-being. Xiangqi was so popular in China that it left its imprints in the Chinese culture. Many of slangs and idioms in today’s China came from Xiangqi.

如 “将军”，原指行棋攻击对方 “将（帅）”。后用来表示利用某事或某物使某人一下子处于相当被动难堪的境地。又如“弃车保帅”，在“帅”和“车”都受到威胁之时，舍弃“车”来保住“帅”，后被用来比喻舍弃重要的东西以保护更重要的东西。

For example, in the game of Xiangqi, Jiangjun means the General of one player is in check. Later, it got the meaning of forcing someone into a dilemma by certain maneuverings. To give up a rook to save the king is another example here. In the Xiangqi game, it means that the player has to sacrifice the Chariot to ensure the safety of General if both were in danger. Later, it was used to describe a situation in which one has to make minor sacrifices to safeguard his major interests.

中国象棋集文化、科学、艺术、竞技于一身，不但可以开发智力、锻炼辨证分析能力，还可以培养顽强的意志、修心养性。千百年来长盛不衰，深受广大群众的喜爱，是中华民族的文化瑰宝。

Chinese Xiangqi is outstanding for its cultural and scientific features on the one hand and its artistic and tournament functions on the other. It can increase the intelligence, improve the dialectic thinking, reinforce a mindset of perseverance, and bolster the inner wellbeing of players. As a cultural quintessence of the Chinese nation, Xiangqi has been very popular among the Chinese people for thousands of years.

来源：中国网

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