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69
below. Simplified modern versions have one bead above and four or
five below. The methods of calculation remain unchanged.
At time when the world has entered the age of electronics, the
abacus still enjoys undiminished vitality in China. Tests have shown
that, for operations of addition and subtraction, the abacus is still
faster than the electronic calculator. China developed in 1980 an
“electronic abacus” which combines the speed of traditional addition
and subtraction methods with those of the modern calculator at
multiplication and division. It is a happy example of the integration
between the East and West, the native and the modern.
Text 2. Steelyard (Gancheng)
The steelyard is the Chinese invention. As early as 200 B.C.,
China began to make a scale of this type big enough to weigh several
hundred pounds. The steelyard consisted of the following parts: an
arm, a hook, lifting cords and a weight. The arm or beam measured
about 1.5 meters long, graduated with the weight units- jin and liang.*
The hook, hanging from one end of the arm, was used to lift up the
object to be weighed. Hanging from the other part of the arm was the
free-moving weight, attached on a looped string. On the arm was
fixed one, two or three lifting cords, placed much closer to the hook
than to the other end. Anything to be weighed should be picked up by
the hook, while the weighter lifted up the whole steelyard, holding one
of the cords. He then slided the weight left or right until he found a
perfect balance of the beam. He then read the weight from the
graduation mark on which the weight-string rested.
This kind of steelyards is still in widespread use at market
gatherings in China. They may be made in varying sizes working by
the same principle, with the large ones to weight food grain in bulk,
pigs or sheep or their carcasses, and medium-sized ones for smaller
transactions. There is also a miniature steelyard only about one third
of a meter (about 1 foot) long, graduated with liang and qiang**.
Used to weight medical herbs and silver or gold, it first appeared
about 1,000 years ago.
The steelyard is more convenient than the platform scale. Not
only it can be carried around easily, but there is also no need for a
whole set of weights. Correspondingly to the lifting cords are different
sets of graduation marks on the arm for different measuring ranges.
It is perhaps worthwhile to mention that the equal-armed
platform scale appeared in China earlier than the steelyard with a
belo w. Si mp lified mode rn vers io ns ha ve o ne bead above a nd fo ur or
five be low. The met hods o f calc ula tio n re ma in unc ha nged.
At t ime w he n t he w orld has entered t he a ge o f e lectro nics, t he
abacus still e njo ys und i minis hed vitalit y in C hina. Tests ha ve show n
that, fo r operat io ns o f add it io n and s ubt ract io n, t he abacus is st ill
faste r tha n t he e lectro nic calc ulat or. China deve loped in 1980 a n
“ electro nic abac us” w hic h co mb ine s the speed o f t rad it io na l add it io n
and s ubt ract io n met hods w it h t hose of t he mode rn ca lc ulato r at
mult ip licat io n a nd d ivis io n. It is a happ y e xa mp le o f t he inte grat io n
between t he East a nd West, the na t ive a nd t he modern.
Text 2. Steelyard (Ga ncheng )
The stee lyard is t he C hinese inve nt io n. As early as 200 B.C.,
China be ga n to make a scale o f t his type b ig e no ugh to we igh se vera l
hundred po unds. The steelya rd co ns isted o f t he fo llow ing pa rts : a n
arm, a hook, lift ing co rds and a w eight. The arm or bea m meas ured
about 1.5 mete rs lo ng, grad uated w ith t he we ight units- ji n and liang. *
The hook, ha nging fro m o ne e nd o f t he arm, was used to lift up t he
object to be we ighed. Ha nging fro m t he ot he r part o f t he a rm was t he
free-mo ving we ight, attac hed o n a loo ped string. O n t he ar m was
fixed o ne, two or t hree lift ing cords, placed muc h c loser to t he hoo k
tha n to t he ot her e nd. Anyt hing to be weighed s ho uld be p icked up b y
the ho ok, while t he we ighter lifted up t he w ho le steelya rd, ho ld ing o ne
o f t he cords. He the n s lided t he w eight le ft or right unt il he fo und a
perfect ba la nce o f t he bea m. H e t he n read t he we ight fro m t he
grad uat io n ma rk o n w hic h t he weig ht -string rested.
This k ind o f steelya rds is st ill in w idespread use at marke t
gat he rings in C hina. The y ma y be made in varying s izes work ing b y
the sa me princ ip le, w it h t he large ones to we ight food gra in in b ulk,
pigs or s heep or t he ir carcasses, and med iu m-s ized o nes for s ma lle r
tra nsact io ns. There is a lso a min ia ture stee lyard o nly abo ut o ne t hird
o f a meter (abo ut 1 foot ) lo ng, grad uated w it h liang a nd qian g**.
Used to weight med ica l herbs a nd silver or go ld, it first appeared
about 1,000 years a go.
The stee lyard is mo re co nve nie nt tha n t he p lat fo rm sca le. N o t
only it can be carried aro und easily, b ut t here is also no need for a
who le set of we ights. Correspo nd ingly t o the lift ing co rds are differe nt
sets of grad uat io n ma rks o n t he arm fo r d iffe re nt meas uring ra nges.
It is perhaps w ort hw hile to me nt io n t hat t he eq ua l-arme d
plat for m sca le appea red in C hina earlier t ha n t he stee lya rd w it h a
69
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