空竹的种类 Different Kinds of Kongzhu

Aside: As to the earliest Kongzhu, its shape and size are quite different to Kongzhu nowadays. With the development of modern science, the material and technique for making Kongzhu has made great progress.
旁白：说到最早的空竹，其形状、大小与后来的空竹是有着相当大的区别的，现在的空竹随着现代科学技术的发展，在工艺上，材料上有着非常惊人的改变。

采访空竹协会主任李宽江：后来发展成这个单轮空竹，又发展成双轮的，当时都是竹木的，比较原始的这种空竹。后来，改革开放以后，抖空竹人多了，发展到材料改变了，但形状没改变，这个用的是塑料的，工程塑料，不怕摔，而且成本比较低。
Interview：Then single-wheeled Kongzhu was developed. Later two-wheeled Kongzhu was developed. In the old time, all Kongzhu are made of bamboo. After the reform and opening up, more and more people begin to play Kongzhu. People begin to make Kongzhu by new materials, while keeping its shape. Plastic Kongzhu is cheap and not fragile.

现在还有好多异型空竹，有几层的空竹，两头有轴的空竹，盘儿呀，碗儿呀，碟儿呀，什么现在都有。
Some Kongzhu are made in exotic shapes. Some Kongzhu have several layers. Some Kongzhu have an axis on both sides. Some Kongzhu look like plates or bowls.

Host: You can see here, it is amazing. Look at this, this one is about meter cross, and it’s got all the different Chinese zoonic animals in it. This one is little bit smaller. What is been around, the things are making noise. Sound is amazing. You can see the designs, this one got “yin” and “yang” pattern on it. The bad come along into the evil, a little bit good in every evil, a little bit bad in every good. Look at that, this got a beautiful Chinese symbol on it, I am not sure what its mean is.
主持人：你看这里，太神奇了。看这个，直径大约一米，上面有中国的属相图案。这个小一些，周围一圈的孔是用来发声的。声音非常好听。你看这个设计。有“阴”和“阳”的图案。

Aside：This Kongzhu weighs 12 kilogram, with a diameter of 1 meter. It is a typical big Kongzhu. only strong man can play such big one. Since it is too heavy and too big, if we want it keep on moving, we need several people to play it by turns.
旁白：这个空竹直径一米，重24斤，可以说是大型空竹的代表。要抖起这样大的空竹，是要一定体力的。因为太重，太大，要持续地抖的话，还需要几个人轮流进行。

Host：Here is another one. This is slightly different style, and I am told these all are from the northern part of china. You can see this one of here, it is kind of got double one. So, you can play from both sides. Some of them are from this size, all the ways downs to this tiny one here. It looks likes something maybe you put on the mirror of your car.

Aside：Rods are necessary to play Kongzhu. Traditionally, it is made of bamboo. The length of a rod would be half a meter. Two rods will be connected by cotton threads. Nowadays, there are different types of Kongzhu with different sizes. According, we use different rods to play with them. The rods also vary in length.
旁白：杆是抖空竹必备的工具，其材质从传统上来说是竹木的，长度约半米，连接两杆的线一般是棉线。而今，针对形状各异、大大小小的空竹，所使用的杆也产生了很大变化，长长短短各不相同。

Host introduces rod: We have to look at the sticks they use for these, and you can see we have two long ones here, we got a wooden handle, and the material here is a little bit modern, it seems some kind of material they use for a fishing pole amost, looks like I am fishing here.

Some materials they also use are just wood, they also use bamboo, but, I’m wondering why some of these are longer than others, and somebody told me that it because the long one looks good when you are doing it. A little more room to move around, the shorter one here, you can see how it bothers the rope. And this of course it takes a heavier diabolo. The light string, this one, is use for, maybe this little small one here, you can have a look, right in there.