Table 1 Translation of traditional terms from local to modern vocabulary.
No | Traditional terminology | Chinese Pinyin | English translation | Modern terminology | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 正身 | Zhengshen | Main column | Load-bearing column | A hollow cylindrical structure, the quadruple-legged Tianche has two, the eight-legged Tianche has quadruple, and so on |
2 | 支杆 | Zhigan | Supporting column | Load-bearing column | A hollow cylindrical structure, the quadruple-legged Tianche has one, the eight-legged Tianche has two, and so on |
3 | 倒挂 | Daogua | Assisting column | Load-bearing column | A hollow cylindrical structure, the quadruple-legged Tianche has one, the eight-legged Tianche has two, and so on |
4 | 天箍头 | Tiangutou | Crown-beam | Main beam | A sturdy short beam at the top of the structure, with a pully on it |
5 | 支杆扒扒 | Zhigan papa | Secondary beam on the supporting column | Secondary beam | Secondary beam on the supporting column, circular cross-section |
6 | 倒挂扒扒 | Daogua papa | Secondary beam on the assisting column | Secondary beam | Secondary beam on the assisting column, circular cross-section |
7 | 娃娃料 | Wawaliao | Doll member | Structural member | Main members of Tianche, spindle-shaped elongated rod, vary in length from approximately ten to over twenty meters and in diameter from about ten to more than twenty centimeters |
8 | 脚子料 | Jiaoziliao | Foot member | Structural member | A slender member made of large logs, more than ten meters long, located at the bottom of the column |
9 | 倒龙料 | Daolongliao | Inverted dragon member | Structural member | A slender member made of large logs, more than ten meters long, located at the top of the column |
10 | 填箱料 | Tianxiangliao | Infill-members | Constructive member | Typically made from offcuts, employed exclusively for constructional purposes—filling gaps within the structure |
11 | 横穿 | Hengchuan | Transverse X-bracing | Horizontal bracing | For the reinforcement connecting two main columns |
12 | 顺穿 | Shunchuan | Longitudinal X-bracing | Horizontal bracing | For the reinforcement of supporting column and assisting column |
13 | 剪 | Jian | V-bracing | Horizontal bracing | For the reinforcement of supporting column and two main columns |
14 | 风篾 | Fengmie | Stay cable | Stay cable | A Tianche has many stay cables; one end of each stay cable is tied to the crown-beam, and the other end is anchored to the ground |
15 | 风篾桩 | Fengmiezhuang | Foundation of the stay cable | Foundation of the stay cable | Used to anchor the stay cables |
16 | 天辊子 | Tiangunzi | Sky-pulley | Pully | Used for hoisting the brine buckets |
17 | 天夹板 | Tianjiaban | Anchor of the pully | Anchor | Used to secure the pulleys to the crown-beam |
18 | 扳杆子 | Banganzi | Bending-bar | Bar | Reinforcement component at the top of the Tianche, also serving as a small crane |
19 | 圐圙棒 | Huluebang | Beam on the bending-bar | Auxiliary beam | Reinforcement component at the top of the Tianche, also serving as a small crane |
20 | 箍箍 | Gugu | Binding rope | Binding rope | A single rope is referred to as a ‘箍箍’ |
21 | 篾索 | Miesuo | Bamboo rope | BAMBOO rope | Before the 1960s, Tianches commonly employed bamboo ropes for bundling |
22 | 钢丝绳 | Gangsisheng | Wire rope | Wire rope | After the 1960s, Tianches predominantly used steel ropes for bundling |
23 | 楔子 | Xiezi | Wedge | Wedge | Driven into the ropes to generate tension |
