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 Title: “Bird Wings on A Human Body” 人身傅翼 Year: 1891 Volume: 24 Page Number: 41 Caption Translation: The ancient philosopher Mozi made a mechanical bird which stunned the whole world. But now humans are becoming more and more imaginative and skilled, so new machines keep emerging every day. In Paris, a master inventor named Ader, inspired by birds in flight, shut himself up in his house for several years trying to devise a flying machine. It could rise up into the clouds and move on its own in every possible direction, just like Liezi the Daoist riding upon the wind. It really is an unsurpassable wonder. Some day I will get one of these so that I can see the azure sky in the morning and rest in phoenix trees in the evening. That would be even better than the powers of Daoist immortals! |
Translator: Hiang Tiying Revised by Peter C. Perdue Caption Text: 昔墨子作木鳶而能飛， 世皆驚為奇異， 不謂人心愈變而愈巧， 機械愈出而愈奇。 法京有楔器師亞打。 前者仰視飛鳥， 意有所感， 閉戶數年冥思極索， 匠心獨運， 製成械器。 凌空而起， 上出雲霄， 且能獨往獨來， 左之右之， 指揮如意， 大有列子御風而行之概， 是誠巧不可階矣。 他日乘此四出， 將見朝遊碧落， 暮宿蒼梧， 又何止朗吟飛過洞庭湖而已哉。 View on Yale Visual Resources |
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| illustrations from the 1898 edition of the Dianshizhai huabao, generously provided by the Sterling Memorial Library at Yale University Massachusetts Institute of Technology © 2015 Visualizing Cultures  |
| “Bird Wings on A Human Body”
人身傅翼 1891 artist (Jin) Chanxiang (Jin Gui) (page 41) [dz_v24_042] |