Time and Life in the Chinese Zodiac

4 days ago

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十二生肖里的时间与生活

The twelve animals and the hours of the day

十二种动物，一天的晨昏

“What is your Chinese zodiac animal?” usually means “In which year were you born?” But the twelve animals also belong to another cycle: the hours of the day.

“你属什么？”问的通常是出生年份。不过，十二生肖还与另一种循环相连：一天中的十二时辰。

Traditional Chinese timekeeping divides a day into twelve periods, each lasting approximately two modern hours. Named after the twelve Earthly Branches, these periods are associated with animals, beginning with the mouse at Zi.

传统计时将一天分为十二个时辰，每个时辰大约相当于现在的两个小时，以十二地支命名，并各有对应的生肖动物，从子鼠开始。

Over time, people have explained these connections through familiar animal habits, stories and symbolic ideas.

人们借助熟悉的动物习性、民间故事和传统观念，为这些联系赋予了生动的解释。

Animals and the Hours

动物与时辰

Zi · Mouse · 23:00–01:00

Zi spans midnight. In the quiet darkness, mice emerge to search for food while people sleep.

子时·鼠·晚上11点至凌晨1点

子时又称夜半，跨越午夜。人们安睡时，鼠在黑暗中寻找食物，为寂静的夜晚添了一点动静。

Chou · Ox · 01:00–03:00

The image of an ox resting and chewing the cud recalls a patient companion of farming life.

丑时·牛·凌晨1点至3点

夜里的牛棚中，牛休息、反刍，让人想到这位勤恳的农耕伙伴。

Yin · Tiger · 03:00–05:00

The darkness before dawn becomes the setting for a tiger moving through the mountains.

寅时·虎·凌晨3点至5点

黎明将近，山林尚暗。传统解释把这个时段与虎的出没联系起来，带着几分威严与神秘。

Mao · Rabbit · 05:00–07:00

Rabbits are often active around dawn and dusk. The association also brings to mind the rabbit of Chinese moon stories.

卯时·兔·早晨5点至7点

兔常在晨昏活动。清晨的兔影，也让人联想到月宫玉兔的传说。

Chen · Dragon · 07:00–09:00

Morning mist suggests the dragon of Chinese stories, moving among clouds and bringing rain.

辰时·龙·上午7点至9点

晨间云雾，让人想起传统故事中穿云行雨的龙。

Si · Snake · 09:00–11:00

As sunlight warms the ground, a snake basking in the sun offers an image for this part of the morning.

巳时·蛇·上午9点至11点

日光渐强，地面转暖。蛇晒太阳的景象，成为人们理解这个时段的一种联想。

Wu · Horse · 11:00–13:00

Noon is associated with strong yang energy in traditional thought. The horse’s strength and vitality give this idea an animal form.

午时·马·上午11点至下午1点

午时接近正午，传统观念将它与旺盛的阳气相联系，马的矫健也由此成为一种象征。

Wei · Goat · 13:00–15:00

A grazing flock places the afternoon among fields and hillsides.

未时·羊·下午1点至3点

羊群低头吃草，将午后的时间带入田野与山坡间的放牧生活。

Shen · Monkey · 15:00–17:00

Monkeys climbing and leaping through trees give the later afternoon a lively image.

申时·猴·下午3点至5点

猴群在林间攀爬、跳跃，为渐晚的午后添上活泼的画面。

You · Rooster · 17:00–19:00

Chickens returning to roost as daylight fades make this a familiar connection between animals and time.

酉时·鸡·下午5点至晚上7点

天色渐暗，鸡归栖息处。这是动物与时辰之间最容易从生活中理解的联系之一。

Xu · Dog · 19:00–21:00

The dog watching over the household connects the evening with protection and vigilance.

戌时·犬·晚上7点至9点

夜幕降临，犬守门户，体现了它陪伴和守护家庭的角色。

Hai · Pig · 21:00–23:00

A well-fed pig settling down to sleep brings the daily sequence towards its close.

亥时·猪·晚上9点至11点

夜深渐静，饱食安睡的猪，成为一天将尽时的生活图景。

These traditional associations bring together observations of animal life and stories passed down through generations. They give each period of the day a memorable image.

这些传统联系融合了对动物生活的观察与代代相传的故事，让一天中的每个时辰都有了容易记住的形象。

The Mouse and Yin–Yang

鼠与阴阳

Another traditional explanation turns to numbers. Odd numbers were associated with yang and even numbers with yin. The twelve Earthly Branches also alternate between yang and yin, prompting writers to look for corresponding patterns in the animals’ toes and hooves.

另一种传统解释从数字出发：奇数配阳，偶数配阴。十二地支也按阴阳交替排列，于是，有人试着从动物的足趾与蹄中寻找相应的规律。

The mouse offered a particularly memorable example. Its forefeet generally have four prominent digits, while its hind feet have five. Later writers connected this combination of even and odd with Zi, the period spanning midnight, and the meeting of yin and yang.

鼠的例子尤其容易记住：前足通常有四个明显的趾，后足有五个。后人将这种奇偶并存的特征，与子时跨越午夜、阴阳相接的意象联系起来。

The Ming writer Lang Ying recorded this interpretation in Qixiu leigao. Through the animals’ physical features, the discussion connects numbers with yin and yang, offering a glimpse into the symbolic thinking of traditional Chinese culture.

明代郎瑛在《七修类稿》中记下了这类解释。从动物的身体特征出发，将数字与阴阳相联系，体现了中国传统文化中观察万物、取象比类的思维方式。

Animals Close to Home

身边的动物

Six zodiac animals belong to the traditional group known as the “six domestic animals”: ox, horse, sheep or goat, chicken, dog and pig. They worked alongside people, provided food and materials, or helped guard the home.

十二生肖中的牛、马、羊、鸡、犬、猪，也是传统所说的“六畜”。它们参与劳作，提供食物与生活资源，或帮助人们守护家园。

The others suggest different relationships with the world. Mice lived near stored grain. Tigers inspired fear and respect. Rabbits, snakes and monkeys had distinctive movements and habits. The dragon inhabited stories and images, closely associated with clouds, water and rain.

其余动物则呈现了人与自然的不同关系。鼠与储粮相近，虎令人敬畏，兔、蛇、猴各有鲜明的形态与习性。龙生活在故事与图像中，与云、水和雨密切相连。

The twelve zodiac animals connect time with everyday life and imagination. A mouse stirring at night, a chicken returning to roost, a dog at the gate: familiar scenes give the passing hours a recognisable form.

十二生肖将时间与日常生活、自然想象联系起来。夜里活动的鼠、傍晚归栖的鸡、门前守候的犬，让流转的时光有了熟悉而生动的样子。

A Note on the Chinese Calendar｜中国历法说明

In the traditional Chinese calendar, the zodiac year begins on the first day of the first lunar month (Chinese New Year), rather than January 1. The Gregorian years shown in the illustration are provided for easy reference. Those born in January or February should check the date of Chinese New Year in their birth year to determine their zodiac animal.

按照中国传统农历，生肖年份从农历正月初一（春节）开始，而不是公历1月1日。图中所列公历年份仅供快速查阅。出生于公历1月或2月的读者，应根据出生当年的春节日期确认自己的生肖。