You may think you cannot live through summer without air conditioners. But in ancient China， hand fans were almost the only ones to help people keep cool.

Chinese people started to use hand fans over 2，000 years ago. The fans came in different shapes，such as round and square. They were also made from all kinds of materials. Palm leaf fans were cheap and easy to make. Feather fans showed the owners high status. Sandalwood fans could send out a sweet smell.

Later， hand fans became far more than just something that could cool you down. They developed into art works， in which tuanshan （round fans） and zheshan （folded fans） were the most common.

In the shape of a full moon， round fans were usually made of silk. They had beautiful birds and flowers on them. Women especially those in the imperial palace， liked to use them. Meanwhile， men， especially the literati， used folded fans. The literati liked them because folded fans were usually made of paper and they could paint and write poems on them. It was a way for them to show off their ability in literature， painting and handwriting. Almost anything can be painted on folded fans.

Today， Chinese people still use these fans， only not many people write or paint on them any more. Next time when you are waving a fan， you may think of the stories behind it.

你可能會认为，没有空调你难以忍受夏天，但是在古时候的中国，手扇基本上是人们消暑的唯一方式。

中国人在2000多年前就开始使用手扇了。扇子的形状各异，比如有圆的和方的，并且由各种各样的材料制成。棕榈扇便宜、好制作;羽毛扇象征着拥有者的尊贵地位;檀香扇会散发出缕缕清香。

后来，手扇不仅用于消暑，还演变为艺术作品，其中以团扇和折扇最为常见。

团扇形似一轮满月，通常由丝绸制成。扇面上绣有精美的花鸟。宫廷里的女士尤其钟爱使用团扇。与此同时，男士，尤其是文人墨客，喜欢使用折扇，原因是折扇通常由纸制成，他们可以在上面画画、赋诗。 折扇是文人们展示文学造诣、绘画和书法能力的一种方式，几乎所有的事物都可以画在折扇上面。

现在，人们仍然在使用扇子，只是很少有人会在扇面上写写画画了。下次当你使用扇子时，不要忘记扇子背后的故事哦。

Vocabulary

air conditioner 空调

square adj. 方的

status n. 地位;身份

imperial palace皇宫;宫廷