过了元旦，中国的农历春节也快到了，细心的人们会发现，今年的装饰主题已经从蛇变成了马，这是因为中国人习惯用十二种动物来标记年份，也被称之为“属相”。
After New Year’s Day, China’s Lunar New Year is just around the corner. Observant people will notice that the theme of decorations has shifted from the snake to the horse. This is because, in Chinese tradition, people use twelve animals to represent the years, a system known as the “Zodiac”.
这些动物究竟是怎么被选中的？
But how were these animals chosen?
为什么中国人聊天总爱问“你属什么”？
Why do Chinese people often ask “What’s your zodiac sign?” when they meet?
你想知道自己的属相有什么寓意么？
Are you curious about the meaning behind your zodiac animal?
我们一起来看看～
Let’s dive in and explore!
十二生肖是怎么来的？
How Did the Twelve Zodiac Animals Come About?
生肖纪年是古代中国农耕文明发展过程的里程碑，对研究掌握自然科学规律，发展农业生产起到了积极的作用。
The use of animals to mark years is a milestone in the development of ancient Chinese agricultural civilization, playing an important role in understanding natural science and advancing agricultural production.
这是通过基于积累的经验观察自然变化而实现的，在农业科技不发达的年代，农民靠天吃饭的漫长日子里，可以大概的分析出哪年干旱和哪年雨水多等等，参照这些规律，再决定什么年适合种什么庄稼。时至今日，在一些地方还流传着“羊马年，广收田”、“就怕鸡猴饿狗年”等类似农业谚语。
This was achieved by observing the natural changes based on accumulated experience. In ancient times, when agricultural technology was underdeveloped, farmers had to rely on the weather for their livelihood. Over the years, they observed patterns—such as which year was particularly dry or which year had abundant rainfall—and used these observations to determine which crops to plant in specific years. Even today, some areas still hold onto agricultural proverbs like “In the Year of the Sheep and Horse, harvests are abundant” or “The years of the Chicken, Monkey, and Dog are ones to be cautious of, as they may bring poor harvests or even famine”.
十二生肖最早见于世界上第一部诗歌总集《诗经》。《诗经·小雅·车攻》中有“吉日庚午，既差我马”的描述，虽然这里只提到了马这一种动物，但显示了古代以动物来纪时的习惯。东汉王充的《论衡》中明确提到了十二种动物的名称，并与十二地支相配属。这是目前已知最早对十二生肖进行完整记载的文献之一.
The earliest reference to the zodiac appears in the Book of Songs (Shijing)， the world’s first poetry anthology. In the poem Xiao Ya·Che Gong (translated as “The Battle of Chariots”)， the line “On the auspicious day of Gengwu, my horse is already ready” refers to the horse, demonstrating the ancient custom of using animals to mark time. The Lunheng by Wang Chong from the Eastern Han Dynasty is one of the earliest texts to clearly mention the twelve zodiac animals, associating them with the twelve Earthly Branches.
生肖的出现，也与华夏先民的动物、图腾崇拜和早期天文学的研究有着密切的联系。
The zodiac’s origin is also closely tied to the worship of animals, totems, and early astronomy studies among the ancient Chinese.
有一种说法认为，生肖文化起源于图腾文化，有不同的象征意义：上古以来，不同部落有自己崇拜的动物，例如牛是农耕社会的象征，相传神农氏炎帝是“牛头人身”，所以炎帝的后裔就以牛为图腾。
One theory suggests that zodiac culture originated from totem worship, with each animal carrying different symbolic meanings. In ancient times, different tribes revered particular animals, such as the ox, which symbolized farming society. It is said that Emperor Shennong (the mythical god of agriculture) was depicted with the head of an ox, and therefore, his descendants adopted the ox as their totem.
还有人认为，十二生肖起源于动物崇拜。在原始社会中，人类的生产力很差，猪、牛、羊等牲畜与农事活动关系密切，虎、蛇等动物可能威胁到人的自身安全，人们也会感到恐惧……以上种种原因，最终导致生肖形成。
Another theory holds that the zodiac originated from animal worship. In primitive society, livestock such as pigs, cows, and sheep were closely linked to agricultural activities, while animals like tigers and snakes could pose a threat to human safety, creating fear. All of these factors contributed to the formation of the zodiac.
除此之外，有学者提出一种观点：十二生肖既与真实动物有关，也有“天文学”背景，与古人对星象的联想有关系。午马、辰龙、寅虎，就与这些星座的形象有关系。
Some scholars also propose that the zodiac is both connected to real animals and has an “astronomical” background. They suggest that the ancient Chinese linked certain animals to constellations, such as the Horse (Wu)， Dragon (Chen)， and Tiger (Yin)， which correspond to specific celestial images.
十二生肖为什么老鼠在第一个？
Why is the Rat the First in the Zodiac?
中国古代学者曾经从一昼夜十二时辰的角度作出解释，每个时辰都对应一种动物的活动高峰：
In ancient China, scholars explained the order of the zodiac based on the twelve hours of the day, with each hour corresponding to the peak activity time of a particular animal:
子时(23:00 - 1:00)
老鼠于暗夜最活跃，四处寻食，故称“子鼠”。
Zi (11:00 PM - 1:00 AM)： The rat is most active at night, searching for food, hence “Zi Rat”.
丑时(1:00 - 3:00)
牛此时反刍积力，为劳作蓄能，故称“丑牛”。
Chou (1:00 AM - 3:00 AM)： The ox chews cud and prepares for labor, thus “Chou Ox”.
寅时(3:00 - 5:00)
老虎此时出山林巡地，威慑四方，故称“寅虎”。
Yin (3:00 AM - 5:00 AM)： The tiger patrols the forest and exerts dominance, hence “Yin Tiger”.
卯时(5:00 - 7:00)
兔子出窝欢快吃草，故称“卯兔”。
Mao (5:00 AM - 7:00 AM)： The rabbit hops out to feed on grass, hence “Mao Rabbit”.
辰时(7:00 - 9:00)
龙能腾云驾雾，此时兴云布雨，故称“辰龙”。
Chen (7:00 AM - 9:00 AM)： The dragon, soaring through clouds, brings rain, hence “Chen Dragon”.
巳时(9:00 - 11:00)
蛇于此时爬出洞穴，穿梭觅食，故称“巳蛇”.
Si (9:00 AM - 11:00 AM)： The snake emerges from its hole, looking for food, hence “Si Snake”.
午时(11:00 - 13:00)
马奔跑速度极快，活力四射，故称“午马”.
Wu (11:00 AM - 1:00 PM)： The horse runs swiftly, full of energy, hence “Wu Horse”.
未时(13:00 - 15:00)
羊此时悠闲吃草，悠然自得，故称“未羊”.
Wei (1:00 PM - 3:00 PM)： The goat grazes leisurely, hence “Wei Goat”.
申时(15:00 - 17:00)
猴子在林间跳跃嬉戏，活泼欢快，故称“申猴”。
Shen (3:00 PM - 5:00 PM)： The monkey leaps playfully in the trees, hence “Shen Monkey”.
酉时(17:00 - 19:00)
鸡陆续回窝准备休息，故称“酉鸡”。
You (5:00 PM - 7:00 PM)： The chicken returns to the coop to rest, hence “You Chicken”.
戌时(19:00 - 21:00)
狗忠诚守于门口护家园，故称“戌狗”。
Xu (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM)： The dog guards the home, hence “Xu Dog”.
亥时(21:00 - 23:00)
猪已进入甜美梦乡，安静沉睡，故称“亥猪”。
Hai (9:00 PM - 11:00 PM)： The pig sleeps soundly, hence “Hai Pig”.
生肖里的东方智慧
Eastern Wisdom in the Zodiac
十二生肖的诞生，体现了中国人“天人合一”的哲学思想。古人观察动物的生活规律，不是为了征服自然，而是为了学会与万物和谐相处。比如：
The creation of the zodiac reflects China’s philosophy of “harmony between heaven and humanity”. Ancient Chinese observed the behaviors of animals not to conquer nature but to learn how to live in harmony with it. For example:
牛代表勤劳，提醒人们要脚踏实地；
The ox symbolizes hard work, reminding us to be diligent.
蛇代表灵活，教导人们要随机应变；
The snake represents flexibility, teaching us to adapt.
龙代表包容，象征不同部落的融合。
The dragon symbolizes inclusiveness, representing the integration of different tribes.
这种智慧至今仍在影响中国人：我们既像马一样追求梦想，也像兔子一样懂得谨慎；既崇拜龙的强大，也珍惜鸡的平凡。生肖不是简单的动物符号，而是中国人对生活的诗意总结。
This wisdom still influences the way Chinese people live today: we chase our dreams like the horse, yet learn caution from the rabbit; we admire the strength of the dragon, yet appreciate the humility of the chicken. The zodiac is more than just a set of animal symbols; it’s a poetic reflection of how the Chinese view life.
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编辑：杨海燕
