去岁今朝，我们邀请生活方式研究者曹涤非以一篇酣畅淋漓的《要牛就别怕丑》，与《芳草说》的读者们共贺辛丑年春；今年，他笔下的“虎”又将带来怎样的妙趣与启示？除此之外，为今日佳节“添彩”，参与文末互动，即有机会获得来自侨福芳草地的定制礼品一件。

Last year, lifestyle researcher Cao Difei was invited to celebrate the Spring Festival with readers of The View via "All About the Ox". This year, what will his "tiger" bring us? To spice up the holidays, join the interactive campaign at the end of this article to win a gift from Parkview Green FangCaoDi.

虎衔牛尾，新春将至。

The Year of Tiger tails after the Year of Ox. The 2022 Lunar New Year is approaching now.

虎衔牛铜案，战国，青铜，云南省博物馆藏

Bronze Case in Shape of Ox in the Mouth of Tiger

The Warring States Period, Bronze ware, Collected by Yunnan Provincial Museum

相比西方那位靠驯鹿出行的胖老头，中国人可能更愿意见骑黑虎的财神爷。虽然成语说“骑虎难下”，《周公解梦》里却有“骑虎行者，恶事无”一句，更评论梦见虎咬牛的寓意为“先苦后甘”，让人期待新岁当有新气象。

Compared with Santa Claus, an old man who travels the world on a flying sleigh pulled by reindeer on the Christmas Eve in the West, the Chinese may be more willing to greet the God of Wealth riding a black tiger. Despite a Chinese idiom "riding a tiger" has the meaning of ‘having no way to back down’, the saying of "a person who rides a tiger makes no malicious deed" is emphasized in Zhou Gong Jie Meng (The Duke of Zhou’s Interpretation of Dreams), which even comments that dreaming of a tiger biting an ox implies “after suffering comes happiness”. Inspired by these contents, people look forward to a new look in the New Year. 

牛与虎的组合，由来已久。北至内蒙，南至云贵，都有文物出现。鄂尔多斯市杭锦旗阿鲁柴登出土的虎咬牛纹金饰牌，就是战国时期的文物。1972年，云南省江川县李家山古墓群遗址，在第24号墓坑中发掘的虎衔牛铜案，也是战国青铜器。古代的案又称为“俎”，是放置肉祭品的重要礼器。虎的形象出现于庙堂之上，体现出那时候人们对它的崇拜。

The combination of ox and tiger is of a long standing in China, and it is proved by numerous cultural relics unearthed from Inner Mongolia in the north to Yunnan and Guizhou in the south. The Gold Ornament Plate with Pattern of Tiger Biting Ox, a cultural relic unearthed in Aruchaideng, Hanggin Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, exactly dates back to the Warring States Period. In 1972, at the site of Lijiashan Ancient Tombs in Jiangchuan County, Yunnan Province, Bronze Case in Shape of Ox in the Mouth of Tiger, unearthed from Tomb Pit No. 24, is also a bronze ware of the Warring States Period. In ancient China, case (or table) was also known as “zu (a kind of chopping block used in ancient China)”, which served as an important ritual vessel for placing meat sacrifices. The image of the tiger appeared in the magnificent places, thereby demonstrating totemic beliefs in tiger at that time.

虎咬牛纹金饰牌，战国

Gold Ornament Plate with Pattern of Tiger Biting Ox

The Warring States Period

十二生肖中的虎，对应于地支中的“寅”。《千字文》开篇第一句就讲：“天地玄黄，宇宙洪荒。”，而“寅”字是取“宇”、“宙”二字组合而成。如果天为一，地为二，“寅”便是“三”。“寅”便是地支的第三位。

“Tiger” in the Chinese Zodiac Signs corresponds to the “yin” in the Earthly Branch. The first sentence of the opening chapter of One Thousand Character Primer goes as follows: “Tian Di Xuan Huang Yu Zhou Hong Huang (The sky is dark blue and the earth is yellow, for the world comes into being under the chaotic state of ignorance.”) The Chinese character “yin (寅)” is a mix of “yu (宇)” and “zhou（宙)”. If the sky is “one” and the earth is “two” to beget all things of the world, “yin” is actually “three” and ranks the third in the Earthly Branches.

汉代白虎纹瓦当，故宫馆藏

Eave-end Tile with White Tiger

The Han Dynasty, Collected by the Palace Museum

中国传统文化的四灵（青龙、白虎、朱雀、玄武）中，虎主西方，事实上虎却是东方的特有物种，至今曾有过九个分支。约200万年前，虎起源于东亚，后来逐渐向各地扩散。向西发展的一支止步于阿拉伯沙漠和高加索山脉，所以没能进入非洲和欧洲，称为里海虎（波斯虎、新疆虎）；向东发展的一支受阻于朝鲜海峡，未能登陆日本，称为东北虎（西伯利亚虎）；另一支通过华北、华中和华南，进入中南半岛，称为华南虎；继续向西南发展的，通过缅甸、孟加拉国，直抵印度半岛南端，分别为孟加拉虎、印支虎、马来虎；最南的一支沿马来西亚半岛南下，渡过马六甲海峡，登上印度尼西亚的苏门答腊、爪哇和巴厘等岛屿，成为今天的苏门答腊虎、巴厘虎、爪哇虎。到20世纪90年代，里海虎、巴里虎和爪哇虎这三支均已灭绝，当然是拜人类所赐。孔子说“苛政猛于虎”，但人要是发狠起来，着实比老虎可厉害多了。

Among the four mythological creatures in traditional Chinese culture (Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise), tiger dominates the West. In fact, tiger is a unique species of the East. So far, there have been nine subspecies of tiger in total. About 2 million years ago, tigers originated in East Asia, and then gradually spread to various places. A subspecies of tiger, which thrived westward, went no further in the Arabian Desert and the Caucasus Mountains and failed to enter Africa and Europe, is called “Panthera tigris virgata” (“Panthera tigris lecoqi” or Persian Tiger). A subspecies, which went eastward but was blocked by the Korean Strait and failed to go ashore in Japan, is called “Panthera tigris altaica” (Siberian Tiger). A subspecies, which entered the Indo-China Peninsula through the North China, the Central China and the South China, is called “Panthera tigris amoyensis Hilzheimer” (South China Tiger). A subspecies, which continued to explore southwestward, crossed Myanmar and Bangladesh, and arrived at the southern tip of India Peninsula, are called “Panthera tigris tigris” (Bengal Tiger), “Panthera tigris corbetti” (Indochinese Tiger) and “Panthera tigris malayensis” (Malayan Tiger), respectively. The southernmost subspecies of tiger went southward along Peninsular Malaysia, crossed the Strait of Malacca, boarded Sumatra, Java, Bali and other islands in Indonesia, and evolved into “Panthera tigris ssp. Sumatrae” (Sumatran Tiger), “Panthera tigris balica” (Balinese Tiger) and “Panthera tigris sondaica” (Java Tiger) in contemporary era. By the 1990s, Panthera tigris virgata, Panthera tigris balica and Panthera tigris sondaica were all extinct due to impacts of human activities. According to the Confucius, “A cruel regime causes more distress and pangs than tigers with their ferocious claws and fangs.” If a man becomes ruthless, he is oppressively much fiercer and more dreaded than a tiger.

白虎

A picture of White Tiger

虎在口语中被称为“老虎”，可见它在中国传统文化中由来已久，且地位颇高。有人争论老虎和狮子谁才是百兽之王？没见过有专门的比赛测评结果公布，但回想起来，在中国，老虎的形象一般是悬于正堂，而狮子的形象主要是看家护院——今天来看，这当然只是分工不同，而且就算你去找办公室主任盖章，也须过了门口保安这一关，至少要先扫码才能放行——但不管怎样，老虎头上的“王”字已经明确了它的出身和管辖范围，否则应该是个“King”或者是个“十字”才对。

Tiger is pronounced as “lao hu” in Chinese colloquial language: it has a long history in traditional Chinese culture and enjoys a high position. Opinions vary that either tiger or lion is the monarch of all beasts. For this question, there has been no special competition with a clear result. In retrospect, in China, the image of tiger was generally overhead in the hall, and the image of lion mainly guarded the house. From the modern perspective, of course, tiger and lion assume different duties. Even if you want to ask director of the general office to affix official seal for you, you still have to pass the security at the gate. At least you have to scan the registration code before you are allowed to enter—Anyway, the Chinese character of “wang (王)” on the tiger head has clarified its origin and territory. Otherwise, a “King” or a “Cross” makes sense.

虎纹青铜觥（商）

Bronze Gong (an ancient wine vessel made of horn) with Pattern of Tiger

The Shang Dynasty

西方文化中，虎算是泊来品，带有某种异域风情。希腊神话中，酒神狄俄尼索斯（Dionysus）是宙斯的私生子，掌管自然的秘密和酿酒的技艺。传说他为了躲避宙斯之妻赫拉的追杀，曾骑老虎渡河逃难，于是虎成了“酒神的车辇”（the wine god Dionysus’s carriage）——后人籍此创作的酒神包上，就用了一个两只虎头组成的马蹄形锁扣来装饰。这多少也反映出那个时期，阿拉伯半岛与欧洲大陆之间籍由土耳其海峡的往来历史。

In Western culture, tiger is characterized by an exotic flavor. In Greek mythology, Dionysus, the illegitimate son of Zeus, grasped the secrets of the Nature and the skills of winemaking. According to the legend, in order to flee from pursuing forces of Zeus’ wife Hera, Dionysus once rode a tiger to cross the river to escape. Therefore, tiger emerged as “The Wine God Dionysus’s Carriage”. GUCCI Dionysus bag, created by the later generations of people, is decorated with a horseshoe-shaped lock composed of the pattern of two tiger heads. In this way, people reminisce about the past records of the exchanges between the Arabian Peninsula and the European Continent through the Turkish Strait during that period.

《年轻的酒神》——1593年，由代卡拉瓦乔创作的一幅油画。

Young Sick Bacchus, 1593

An oil painting created by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio.

按五行方位，西方属金，加上老虎的威猛形象，于是与军事形成了某些关联。“虎狼之师”就是形容勇猛善战、纪律严明的军队；《三国演义》里有“五虎上将”；而古时调兵遣将的重要凭证，就是最早出现于春秋战国时期的虎符。由铜铸成，上刻铭文。一符剖为左右两半，右边留存于朝廷，左半交由地方官吏或统兵将帅保管。传达命令的人所带的一半与另一半相合，即表示命令验证可信。“符合”一词，便源于此。《史记·魏公子列传》中“信陵君窃符救赵”的故事，更是广为流传，饱受称颂的爱国佳话。

In accordance with the directions of the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Gold, and Water), Gold prevails in the West. Tiger is associated with the military realm. The Chinese idiom of “Hu Lang Zhi Shi (虎狼之师, army with a tiger-like, wolfish disposition)” is used to describe the brave, battle wise and well-disciplined army. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms tells moving stories on “Five Valiant Generals”. Tiger tally, which originally appeared in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, was an important means for dispatching troops in ancient times. Tiger tally was made of bronze with inscriptions on it, which was often split into two halves. The right half of tiger tally was kept in the imperial court, and the left half was in charge of the local officials or generals. Under the premise that one half of tiger tally, held by a man who transmitted the military orders, was consistent with the other half of tiger tally, the military orders were verified with credibility. This was the source of Chinese phrase “fu he (符合)”. The patriotic story “Lord of Xinling stole a tiger tally to relieve Zhao State”, cited from Historical Records· Collected Biographies of High-ranking Scholars in the Wei State, was very popular in ancient time and it is celebrated also nowadays.

杜虎符，战国， 陕西历史博物馆藏

Bronze Tiger-shaped Tally of Du County 

The Warring States Period, Collected by Shaanxi History Museum

到了唐朝，因为避讳唐太宗李世民曾祖父（追谥为唐太祖）李虎的名讳，不仅将虎符改为鱼符或兔符、龟符，连老虎的称谓都改为了“大虫”。

In the Tang Dynasty, because of the taboo in the name for the respected person, i.e., Li Shimin’s great-grandfather Li Hu (posthumous worshipped as Emperor Taizu of the Tang Dynasty), not only tiger tally was changed to fish tally, rabbit tally or turtle tally, but also tiger was called “da chong” in Chinese.

作为最大型的猫科动物，老虎称为大猫倒是更合适。中国的百家姓中是没有虎姓的，但据《回回姓氏考》载，“唯成都虎姓，音不读虎而读猫（Māo）音。”，可见回民中有虎姓，今天主要分布在西北、南京、成都和洛阳等地。有兴趣可以一考究竟。

As the largest feline, tigers are more appropriately dubbed as big cats. There is no surname of “hu (虎)” among a variety of family surnames in China. According to Textural Research on Hui People’s Family Surnames, “People surnamed “hu (虎)” only live in Chengdu, but the pronunciation of this surname sounds ‘Māo’ rather than ‘Hǔ’.” In other words, some hui people are surnamed “hu (虎)” and mainly reside in the Northwest China, Nanjing, Chengdu, Luoyang and other places. Those who are interested could further research this topic.

古时形容天子有龙颜，将军有虎威，其实虎与女性形象也有不少关联。《山海经·西山经》中记载，西王母的形象就是：“其状如人，豹尾虎齿而善啸，蓬发戴胜”——长着老虎牙的女人，想想也是害怕。难得祥子竟然娶了虎妞，让人感叹爱情真伟大。

In ancient times, it was said that the emperor took appearance of a dragon, and the general had the dignity of a tiger. In fact, tiger is often associated with the female image. According to The Classic of Mountains and Seas · The Classic of the Western Mountains, the Queen Mother of the West is described as follows: “She looks like a human, with leopard tail and tiger teeth. She likes howling, with hair accessory on a bush of hair”. Such a woman with tiger teeth looks terrible. Readers acclaim that “Love Is All That Matters” when they are moved by the storyline that Xiangzi marries the ugly Huniu (a girl with strong personality).

西王母汉画像砖，出土于四川新都

Portrait Brick with Pattern of the Queen Mother of the West

The Han Dynasty, Unearthed in Xindu District, Chengdu, Sichuan

清代袁枚以美食名作《随园食单》留名后世，他也曾写过一部志怪文集《子不语》，其中有《沙弥思老虎》一节，讲某禅师和一个小和尚在山上修行。十多年后弟子长大随禅师下山，“见牛马鸡犬，皆不识也，师因指而告之”。“少倾，一少年女子走过，（小和尚）惊问：‘此又是何物？’师虑其动心，正色告之曰：‘此名老虎，人近之者，必遭咬死，尸骨无存。’……”，结果晚上回到山上，师父问起，小和尚却说：“一切物都不想，只想那吃人的老虎，心上总觉舍他不得。”正应了《礼记·礼运》中：“饮食男女，人之大欲存焉。”

In the Qing Dynasty, the scholar Yuan Mei was famous for his gourmet monograph Sui Yuan Shi Dan. A section entitled “A Novice Monk Missing a Tiger” in Zi Bu Yu, a collection of essays about weird, uncanny or supernatural things authored by Yuan Mei, tells the story about a Zen master and his disciple (a little monk) who ever practiced on the mountain. A decade later, the young monk grew up and followed the Zen master to go down the mountain. The young monk knew nothing about oxen, horses, chickens and dogs. Therefore, pointing to the animals, the master instructed the young monk. After a short while, a young woman walked by them. The little monk asked with surprise: “What is this?” The master told him in a serious tone: “This is a tiger. Anyone who comes near will be bitten to death, and even no bones are left.’…” At last, when they returned to the mountain in the evening, the master asked what the little monk thought about. The little monk answered: “I don’t want to think about anything. I just miss the man-eating tiger. I always feel that I am loath to part with her.” Indeed, as The Book of Rites stated, “Dining and intercourse between male and female are the most basic and important requirement, i.e., the natural instincts of man.”

现在美女当然可以想，《女人是老虎》也可以唱，老虎可是不能吃了。古人看到老虎凶猛，便想着吃老虎肉能有回春、强精之功效。这一思想连同老虎，都出口到了一衣带水的邻邦。据《岛津家文书》记载，出兵朝鲜时，岛津义弘曾给当时日本的最高统治者，幕府将军丰臣秀吉送去两头盐渍的老虎肉。《吉川家文书》也有“为太阁殿下养生而供虎肉”的记录，考虑到日本本土并无老虎，这应该属于早期的关于进口食品的记载吧。今天老虎已属于珍稀濒危物种，被列为重点保护对象，所以您只能吃老虎菜了，想吃“老虎肉”，可以品武夷山虎啸岩肉桂岩茶。

Nowadays, of course we can either miss the pretty women, or sing Women Are Tigers, but tigers can’t be eaten. When the ancients witnessed the ferociousness of tigers, they believed that tiger meat would have the efficacy of rejuvenating and strengthening essence. This belief, together with tigers, was introduced into Japan, a neighboring country separated only the sea. According to Shimadzu Family Documents, when sending troops to Korea, Shimadzu Yoshihiro once sent two hunks of salted tiger meat to the shogun Hideyoshi Toyotomi, the supreme ruler of Japan at that time. Yoshikawa Family Documents also contains a record of “supplying tiger meat for the good health of His Royal Highness Hideyoshi Toyotomi.” Given the fact that there were no tigers in Japan, this should be the early records of imported food. In modern times, tiger is a rare and endangered species and under strict protection by the countries. Well, only tiger-like dishes are available for today’s people. If you want to eat “tiger meat”, why not drink Cinnamon Rock Tea of Huxiaoyan Scenic Area, Mount Wuyi?

猛虎食人卣，收藏于日本京都的泉屋博古馆

Bronze You (a lidded vessel that was used for liquid offerings by the Chinese) in Shape of a Fierce Tiger Eating a Man

Collected by Sen-Oku Hakukokan Museum, Kyoto, Japan

距今近1500年的《文选·刘琨〈重赠卢谌〉诗》有：“何意百炼刚，化为绕指柔。”一句，与之最好的呼应。应属“心有猛虎，细嗅蔷薇。”（In me the tiger sniffs the rose.）——这是著名作家余光中翻译的，英国诗人西格里夫·萨松 Siegfried Sassoon 的代表作《于我，过去，现在以及未来》（In me, Past, Present, Future Meet）中的经典诗句。能让如猛虎之心情获得片刻宁静，却是很多人一生的追求。

Nearly 1,500 years ago, “What fate it is that fire-proof steel becomes weakly drooping twining across the fingers!?”, quoted from Anthology of Works · Liu Kun’s Poems Re-given to Lu Chen, perfectly echoes with “In me the tiger sniffs the rose”. This sentence is translated by the famous writer Yu Kwang-chung on the basis of a classic verse in the masterpiece In Me, Past, Present, Future Meet by British poet Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967). Many people hope to enjoy a moment of calmness like those experienced by fierce tigers. 

近年来最著名的老虎形象，应该是李安的电影《少年 Pi 的奇幻漂流》里那一只了。原著作者加拿大作家扬·马特尔，因这部小说获得了2002年的布克奖（全球英文写作的最高奖项）。如果把虎比喻成对生命的热爱与追寻，那每人心中都有一只。且看千里江山，气吞万里如虎。

The tiger presented in Ang Lee’s film Life of Pi might be the most renowned image of tiger in recent years. Canadian writer Yann Martel, the author of the original book, won the 2002 Man Booker Prize (the world’s highest award for English writing). There is a tiger in everyone’s heart if tiger is compared to the love and pursuit of life. Majestic and powerful tiger, imbued with a lofty spirit, is brimming with vigor in the vast world.

译林出版社2005年出版的小说《Life of Pi》封面

Cover of the Novel Life of Pi

2005, Published by Yilin Press