Chapter II · The Implements: Words and things — The bei drying-pit is dug two feet deep, two and…
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The passage
“The bei drying-pit is dug two feet deep, two and a half feet wide, and one zhang long. Above it a low wall two feet high is built and plastered with clay.”
Words and things
The words around “The bei drying-pit is dug two feet deep, two and…” are a small map of Tang tea culture: names of plants, tools, places, and processes often carry a whole classification system.
When a term has no exact modern equivalent, do not force it. Compare it with the closest tool or tea type you know, then note what changes.
A vocabulary notebook is one of the simplest ways to read the Classic of Tea closely.
Reading note
Read the passage once for the image, once for the judgment, and once for the practice it implies.
Practice
- Name one thing the passage asks you to notice.
- Compare it with a tea you know.
- Keep the question open.