Papercutting
剪纸
One of China's most popular folkarts is papercutting. Archaeological finds trace the tradition back to the 6th century ;it is supposed that the beginnings of papercutting were even a few centuries earlier.
剪纸既是中国民间最为流行的手工艺术之一。考古发现剪纸可以追溯到6世纪。据推测，剪纸的实际年代比这还要早几个世纪。
Papercuttings are used for religious purposes，for decoration and as patterns .Today，papercuttings are chiefly used as decoration. They ornament walls，windows，doors，columns，mirrors，lamps and lanterns in homes and are also used for decoration on presents or are given as presents themselves. They have special significance at festivals. At the New Year's Festival for example，entrances are decorated with papercuttings which are supposed to bring good luck.
剪纸通常用于宗教、装饰、图案等。现在主要用于装饰，或粘于家里的墙、窗、门、柱、镜、灯、灯笼，或用于礼品的装饰，或直接作为礼品赠送。剪纸在节日里具有特殊意义。例如在春节，人口处贴上剪纸以求福避祸。
Papercuttings are not produced by machine .but by hand. There are two methods of manufacture :scissor cuttings and knife cuttings. As the name indicates，scissor cuttings are fashioned with scissors. Several pieces of paper-up to eight pieces-are fastened together. The motif is then cut with sharp，pointed scissors.
剪纸都是用手工制成，分为两类:用剪刀或刻刀、剪刀剪纸，一般是将一张彩纸对折，然后勾勒出图案，再用剪刀剪去图案中的空白，展开以后就会呈现出一幅图案左右对称的剪纸作品。
In the countryside，papercuttings are usually made only by women and girls .This used to be one of the crafts that every girl was to master and that were often used to judge brides. Professional papercutting artists are，on the other hand，almost always men who have guaranteed incomes and work together in workshops.
在中国的许多地方，剪纸已成为大姑娘和小媳妇必备的女红技艺，成为衡量妇女心灵手巧的一种标志。而专业的剪纸艺人以男性为多，他们常在一起工作，有稳定的收入。
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