手势语言与原始礼仪

Sign Language and Origion of Rites

研究礼的起源，仪式分析是唯一正确的方法。先秦礼书记载的大量动仪，实际上就是由许多原始民族中习见的手势动作语言发展而来的，而乐舞则是更加生动形象的手势动作语言。由手势动作语言转化而来的礼节仪式最初仅仅是一些简短的片段，经过数千年的损益，后世产生的新文化因素不断被吸收进来，它的原始形态反而不易为人察觉，但它的精神却深刻地影响了中国文化。

An analysis of rituals is a correct approach to the study of the origion of rites. The PreQin Book of Rites has a lot of records of rituals,which actually stem from primitive people's sign language, later to become the more vivid images in music and dances. Step by step, the inconsistent rituals with sign laguage as its origion develop into rites with new cultural elements added to them bit by bit in the course of thousands of years. Now, although the very beginning of rites is hardly seen, its essense as an influential force on Chinese culture is certam.