在古代，存在著一個神秘的團體，他們被稱為「貞人集團」，專注於占卜和儀式藝術。

In ancient times, there was a secretive group known as the "Diviners' Circle" who focused on divination and special rituals.

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       「國之大事，唯祀與戎」，在那個時代，古人們相信，通過進行精心設計的儀式，可以得到上天的祝福。

       古人通過祭祀達到祈福的目的，祈求風調雨順、農業豐收、畜牧旺盛、健康長壽、戰爭勝利等等。這些儀式也是對上天、神明、自然和祖先的崇敬的有形表達。

Back then, people believed that carefully designed ceremonies could bring them blessings from the heavens. They thought that by performing these rituals, they could ensure good things like good weather, successful farming, healthy livestock, long life, and victory in war. These rituals were their way of showing respect to gods, nature, and their ancestors.

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       在商朝，占卜達到了巔峰。商朝大規模使用甲骨文，令人驚訝的是，甲骨文99%都是卜辭，涉及占卜、祭祀和崇拜。甲骨文於1899年出土後，還原了商朝的占卜文化。

During the Shang Dynasty, divination was at its peak. They used something called "oracle bone script" extensively, and surprisingly, most of it was about divination, rituals, and worship. This ancient script was discovered in 1899 and revealed a lot about the divination culture of the Shang Dynasty.

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       根據《禮記》的記載，「殷人尊神，率民以事神，先鬼而後禮。」商朝統治者在重大決策前總要占卜，「卜以決疑」，他們相信天神將引領正確的方向。

According to the "Book of Rites," the people of the Shang Dynasty greatly respected gods and made offerings to them. Before making important decisions, their rulers always sought divination to clear any doubts. They believed that heavenly beings could guide them in the right direction.

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       占卜的核心是由貞人集團主持的，他們是精通複雜甲骨文字占卜技術的官員。貞人們執行「灼龜取兆」儀式，透過在龜甲獸骨上鑽洞燃燒，形成裂痕圖案。這些裂痕和線條被視為神秘信息的來源。貞人解讀這些圖案，將問題和答案刻在甲骨上，創建了神明的通信紀錄。

The core of divination was managed by members of the Diviners' Circle, who were experts in the complex art of oracle bone script divination. They performed a ritual called "burning turtle shells to get omens." This involved drilling and burning marks on turtle shells and animal bones, creating crack patterns. These cracks and lines were seen as sources of mystical information. The diviners interpreted these patterns, wrote questions and answers on the bones, and created records of communication with the divine.

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       「貞」字在甲骨文中是關鍵字，它由「卜」和「貝」合併而成，代表占卜被刻在銅鼎上。這個字在甲骨卜辭和易經的卦爻辭中出現了119次。

The character "貞" (zhēn) in oracle bone script was essential, representing divination inscribed on bronze cauldrons. This character appeared frequently in oracle bone inscriptions and the hexagrams of the Yi Jing (I Ching).

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       貞人集團的標誌性「卜辭之舞圖騰」深深刻在商代青銅文化中。

The iconic "Dance Totem of Divination" of the Diviners' Circle became a symbol deeply ingrained in the Shang Dynasty's bronze culture.

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       時間的流逝和朝代的變遷，占卜活動逐漸式微。隨著商朝在歷史舞台褪去，占卜藝術和複雜的甲骨文字逐漸消失，只有那些致力於開發過去歷史的人能夠理解其價值。

As time passed and dynasties changed, divination slowly faded away. With the Shang Dynasty's decline in history, the art of divination and the complex oracle bone script disappeared, understood only by those dedicated to exploring the past.