印 Young Docents南院小小英語導覽員 · 永慶高中
Lesson 3 of 8

Blue-and-White青花——亞洲陶瓷之美

One colour, fired in fire, traded across an ocean.一種顏色，經火淬煉，越洋而行。

📍 Gallery · 青花—亞洲陶瓷美學
Read

The Story 展廳故事

In the ceramics gallery you meet an old friend you have seen all your life: white porcelain painted with deep blue. We call it blue-and-white. The blue comes from a mineral called cobalt, painted onto the clay before a clear glaze is added.

在陶瓷展廳，你會遇見一位你一生都見過的老朋友：白瓷上繪著深藍的紋飾，我們稱它「青花」。那抹藍來自一種叫「鈷」的礦物，在上透明釉之前先畫於坯體上。

The piece is then fired in a kiln at a very high temperature. Under the heat the cobalt turns a brilliant blue and the glaze becomes glassy and smooth. A single firing can decide whether years of work become a treasure or a crack.

接著作品被送入窯中以極高溫「燒製」。在高溫下，鈷轉為鮮亮的藍，釉面則變得如玻璃般光滑。一次燒製，就決定了多年心血是成為珍寶，還是化為裂痕。

Blue-and-white was one of the great trade goods of Asia. Ships carried it from China to Persia, India, and beyond; potters in other lands copied and changed the patterns. So a single blue bowl can hold the whole story of this museum: many cultures, one shining object.

青花曾是亞洲最重要的貿易商品之一。船隻將它從中國運往波斯、印度乃至更遠；各地的陶工臨摹、改造這些紋樣。於是一只藍色的碗，便能承載整座博物館的故事：多元文化，凝於一件閃亮的器物。

“A blue bowl is a small map of Asia: made in one land, loved in many.”一只青花碗，是亞洲的小地圖：產於一地，見愛於四方。
Words

Word of the Day 關鍵字

porcelain (n.)
a hard, white, fine type of ceramic
瓷；瓷器
“The bowl is made of thin white porcelain.”
ceramic (n.)
an object made of clay and hardened by heat
陶瓷（製品）
“This gallery is full of Asian ceramics.”
cobalt (n.)
a metal that gives a deep blue colour
鈷（呈深藍色的金屬）
“The blue comes from cobalt under the glaze.”
glaze (n.)
a glassy coating on pottery
釉
“A clear glaze covers the painted design.”
fire (v.)
to bake clay in a kiln at high heat
燒製（陶瓷）
“The potter fires the vase in a hot kiln.”
pattern (n.)
a repeated decorative design
紋樣；圖案
“Dragons and flowers are common patterns.”
trade (n.)
the buying and selling of goods between places
貿易
“Blue-and-white was a famous trade good.”
Say it

Docent Phrase Bank 導覽實用句

Tap 🔊 to hear each line, then say it aloud. 點 🔊 聽一次，再自己大聲說一遍。

This is blue-and-white porcelain. The blue comes from cobalt.
這是青花瓷，藍色來自鈷。
The artist painted the design before firing it in a kiln.
工匠在入窯燒製前先畫上紋飾。
Look closely at the pattern — can you find the dragon?
仔細看這紋樣——你能找到那條龍嗎？
Pieces like this were traded across Asia by ship.
像這樣的器物曾由船隻運送、行銷亞洲各地。
Notice how smooth and glassy the glaze is.
請注意釉面多麼光滑、如玻璃般晶亮。
Check

Quick Check 小測驗

Choose one answer for each question. 每題選一個答案，作答後會看到解析。

Q1.Where does the blue colour in blue-and-white come from?
青花的藍色來自什麼？
The blue is cobalt, painted on before the glaze and turned brilliant by firing.藍色是鈷，在上釉前畫上，經燒製後轉為鮮亮的藍。
Q2.What happens to a piece in the kiln?
器物在窯中會發生什麼？
Firing at high temperature hardens the clay and turns the glaze glassy.高溫燒製使坯體變硬、釉面如玻璃。
Q3.Why is blue-and-white a good symbol for this museum?
為什麼青花很適合作為這座博物館的象徵？
Blue-and-white travelled and was copied across Asia — many cultures, one object.青花流通並被亞洲各地臨摹——多元文化、一件器物。
Q4.Which word means 'a glassy coating on pottery'?
哪個字意思是「陶瓷上如玻璃的塗層」？
Glaze is the clear, glassy layer over the painted design.glaze（釉）是覆蓋在彩繪紋飾上、透明如玻璃的塗層。
Your Turn · 換你試試

Describe one blue-and-white piece

Pick a bowl or vase (real or imagined) and describe it to a visitor.

選一件碗或瓶（真實或想像），向訪客描述它。

  1. Name the material (porcelain) and the colour (cobalt blue).
  2. Describe one pattern you can see (a dragon, a flower, waves).
  3. Add one fact: it was fired in a kiln OR traded across Asia.