中国古代的干支、十进位制和十二进位制纪时

On the Ancient Chinese Gan-Zhi(干支)and Decimal System and the Period of the Twelve-digit System

目前见到的中国古代最早的系统纪时方法,是在殷商时期盛行的干支纪日法。干支纪日法流传至今。商代大多用天干加地支纪日,也间或单用天干或单用地支纪日;商人纪日、纪月、纪年、计数均采用十进位制;商人对一日的时段划分,白天分段细密,夜间分段疏阔,时称取之于对日、月、星辰等自然现象的观察和人们的生活习俗。西周、春秋时期纪月、纪年、计数均采用十进位制;西周末至春秋时对一日的时段划分仍是不均匀的,时称名也多沿用商代,但对时称的使用已注上了等级的限制。春秋晚期至战国,纪月已采用十二进位制;纪年出现了十二进位制的"岁星纪年法"。汉代以后用地支十二进位制纪时和漏刻计时。唐宋以后流行生辰(八字)算命。战国、汉代始用地支与十二生肖相配。

The earliest systematic chronological method in ancient China is the Gan-Zhi(干支)chronological method prevailing in the Shang Dynasty, which has been handed down to the present day. The Shang Dynasty mostly used the days of Tiangan plus Dizhi to record, and sometimes only used the days of Tiangan or the days of Tiangan alone;the Shang nationality used the decimal system to calculate the days, months, years and counts;the businessmen divided the period of a day into fine segments during the day and sparse segments at night, which was called the observation of natural phenomena such as the sun, the moon and the stars and peoples living customs. In the Western Zhou and Spring and Autumn Periods, the decimal system was adopted for the period of time, month, year and counting. The division of time between the Western Zhou and the Spring and Autumn Period was still uneven, and the time names were mostly used in the Shang Dynasty, but the use of the time symmetry had been marked with hierarchical restrictions. During the Warring States Period, including the late Spring and Autumn Period, the twelve-digit system was adopted in month counting, and the twelve-digit system of "Year Star Chronology" appeared in Jiyue. After the Han Dynasty, the time of the twelve-digit system of land expenditure and the time of missing engravings were recorded. Birthday(eight characters) fortune telling became popular after Tang and Song Dynasties. The twelve zodiac signs were matched by the original branches of the Warring States Pariod and Han Dynasty.