{"id":7773,"date":"2019-10-02T15:56:33","date_gmt":"2019-10-02T15:56:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chinesemoment.com\/chinese-reading\/the-history-of-postage-stamps\/"},"modified":"2019-10-02T15:56:33","modified_gmt":"2019-10-02T15:56:33","slug":"the-history-of-postage-stamps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinesemoment.com\/de\/the-history-of-postage-stamps\/","title":{"rendered":"The History of Postage Stamps"},"content":{"rendered":"
Huh, learn something new every day. My entire understanding of the postal service comes from Terry Pratchett’s “Going Postal”, so it’s interesting to take a quick look into the [vaguely] factual history of the postage stamp.
This widely-circulated story is believed to be apocryphal, but Sir Rowland Hill was a very real postal reformer and inventor.
Interesting Vocabulary
\u7ef4\u591a\u5229\u4e9a\u5973\u738b – wéi du\u014d lì yà n\u01da wáng – Queen Victoria
\u4fbf\u58eb – biàn shì – Penny
\u7f55\u89c1 – h\u01cen jiàn – Rare
\u90ae\u5dee – yóu ch\u0101i – Postman
\u4e0d\u7ea6\u800c\u540c – bù yu\u0113 ér tóng – To take the same action all together without prior consultation, in unison
\u9ad8\u5cf0 – g\u0101o f\u0113ng – Peak
\u540c\u60c5 – tóng qíng – Sympathize
\u7ec5\u58eb – sh\u0113n shì – Gentleman
\u4ece\u5584\u5982\u6d41 – cóng shàn rú liú – Accept good advice
1840\u5e74\uff0c\u82f1\u56fd\u53d1\u884c\u4e86\u4e16\u754c\u7b2c\u4e00\u679a\u90ae\u7968\u3002\u5b83\u4e0a\u9762\u5370\u4e86\u82f1\u56fd\u7ef4\u591a\u5229\u4e9a\u5973\u738b\u7684\u5934\u50cf\u3002\u56e0\u4e3a\u8fd9\u4e00\u679a\u90ae\u7968\u662f\u9ed1\u8272\u7684\uff0c\u6240\u4ee5\u6709“\u9ed1\u4fbf\u58eb”\u4e4b\u79f0\u3002
\u4e00\u767e\u4e94\u5341\u591a\u5e74\u524d\u7684\u67d0\u4e00\u5929\uff0c\u5728\u82f1\u56fd\u7684\u4e00\u4e2a\u6751\u5b50\u91cc\uff0c\u6765\u4e86\u4e00\u8f86\u7531\u9a6c\u513f\u62c9\u52a8\u7684\u90ae\u8f66\u3002\u90a3\u4e2a\u65f6\u5019\uff0c\u90ae\u8f66\u5230\u6751\u91cc\u6765\u9001\u4fe1\u662f\u5341\u5206\u7f55\u89c1\u7684\u3002\u6240\u4ee5\uff0c\u6751\u91cc\u7684\u4eba\u4e00\u542c\u89c1\u9a6c\u8f66\u58f0\uff0c\u4fbf\u7acb\u523b\u4ece\u5c4b\u5b50\u91cc\u3001\u7530\u5730\u91cc\u51b2\u51fa\u6765\uff0c\u56f4\u5728\u90ae\u8f66\u7684\u5468\u56f4\u3002
\u90ae\u5dee\u8d70\u4e0b\u8f66\uff0c\u624b\u91cc\u9ad8\u4e3e\u7740\u4e00\u5c01\u4fe1\uff0c\u5927\u58f0\u558a\u7740: “\u7231\u91cc\u4e1d·\u5e03\u6717\u5c0f\u59d0\uff0c\u6709\u4fe1\uff01”\u4e00\u4e2a\u59d1\u5a18\u8f7b\u58f0\u5730\u5bf9\u90ae\u5dee\u8bf4: “\u6211\u5c31\u662f\u7231\u91cc\u4e1d·\u5e03\u6717\u3002”\u4eba\u4eec\u7684\u773c\u5149\u90fd\u4e0d\u7ea6\u800c\u540c\u5730\u6295\u5411\u5979\u3002
\u7231\u91cc\u4e1d\u63a5\u8fc7\u90ae\u5dee\u7ed9\u5979\u7684\u4fe1\uff0c\u770b\u4e86\u4e00\u770b\u4fe1\u5c01\uff0c\u4fbf\u628a\u4fe1\u4ea4\u8fd8\u7ed9\u90ae\u5dee\u3002“\u5bf9\u4e0d\u8d77\u3002”\u5979\u8bf4\uff0c“\u6211\u6ca1\u6709\u8db3\u591f\u7684\u94b1\u4ed8\u90ae\u8d39\u3002”
\u4eba\u4eec\u90fd\u5f88\u540c\u60c5\u5979\uff0c\u4e0d\u77e5\u9053\u8be5\u8bf4\u4e9b\u4ec0\u4e48\u8bdd\u3002\u7a81\u7136\u95f4\uff0c\u4eba\u7fa4\u91cc\u8d70\u51fa\u4e00\u4e2a\u7ec5\u58eb\u6a21\u6837\u7684\u4eba\uff0c\u4ece\u53e3\u888b\u91cc\u62ff\u51fa\u4e00\u4e9b\u94b1\u5e01\uff0c\u8bf4\u8981\u66ff\u7231\u91cc\u4e1d\u4ed8\u90ae\u8d39\uff0c\u53ef\u662f\u7231\u91cc\u4e1d\u5e76\u4e0d\u8ba4\u8bc6\u4ed6\u3002
\u5979\u5e26\u7740\u611f\u6fc0\u7684\u7b11\u5bb9\u5bf9\u8fd9\u4f4d\u7ec5\u58eb\u8bf4: “\u8c22\u8c22\u60a8\u7684\u597d\u610f\uff0c\u5148\u751f\uff0c\u8fd9\u5c01\u4fe1\u6211\u76fc\u671b\u4e86\u5f88\u4e45\uff0c\u53ef\u662f\u73b0\u5728\u6211\u7528\u4e0d\u7740\u5b83\u4e86\u3002”
“\u4e3a\u4ec0\u4e48\u5462\uff1f”\u90a3\u4f4d\u7ec5\u58eb\u611f\u5230\u5341\u5206\u5947\u602a\u3002
“\u8fd9\u5c01\u4fe1\u662f\u6211\u7684\u7537\u670b\u53cb\u5bc4\u7ed9\u6211\u7684\u3002\u6211\u4eec\u6253\u7b97\u660e\u5e74\u7ed3\u5a5a\u3002\u4ed6\u4e3a\u4e86\u7b79\u94b1\u7ed3\u5a5a\uff0c\u53ea\u5f97\u5230\u5916\u5730\u53bb\u627e\u5de5\u4f5c\u505a\u3002\u7531\u4e8e\u6211\u4ed8\u4e0d\u8d77\u90ae\u8d39\uff0c\u6240\u4ee5\u4ed6\u4e8b\u5148\u4ea4\u4ee3\u6211: \u5728\u4fe1\u5c01\u4e0a\u753b\u4e2a\u53c9\uff0c\u662f\u8868\u793a\u4ed6\u7684\u65e5\u5b50\u8fc7\u5f97\u5f88\u597d\uff1b\u753b\u4e2a\u5706\u5708\uff0c\u610f\u601d\u662f\u4ed6\u5df2\u7ecf\u627e\u5230\u5de5\u4f5c\u4e86\u3002”
“\u554a\uff01\u539f\u6765\u8fd9\u4fe1\u5c01\u91cc\u662f\u6ca1\u6709\u4fe1\u7684\u3002”\u90a3\u4f4d\u7ec5\u58eb\u81ea\u8a00\u81ea\u8bed\u5730\u8bf4: “\u8fd9\u79cd\u60c5\u5f62\u5f88\u4e0d\u5408\u7406\uff0c\u5fc5\u987b\u6539\u5584\u3002”
\u5bf9\u4e8e\u8fd9\u4ef6\u4e8b\u60c5\uff0c\u4ed6\u60f3\u4e86\u5f88\u4e45\uff0c\u7ec8\u4e8e\u60f3\u51fa\u4e86\u4e00\u4e2a\u597d\u529e\u6cd5\u3002
\u4ed6\u5411\u5f53\u65f6\u7684\u82f1\u56fd\u653f\u5e9c\u5efa\u8bae: “\u90ae\u8d39\u5e94\u8be5\u7531\u5bc4\u4fe1\u7684\u4eba\u6765\u4ed8\uff0c\u800c\u4e14\u4e5f\u4e0d\u5e94\u8be5\u592a\u6602\u8d35\uff0c\u5426\u5219\u7a77\u4eba\u662f\u4ed8\u4e0d\u8d77\u7684\u3002\u4e3a\u4e86\u5927\u5bb6\u7684\u65b9\u4fbf\uff0c\u6211\u8ba4\u4e3a\u5bc4\u4fe1\u7684\u4eba\uff0c\u7528\u4e00\u4e2a\u4fbf\u58eb\u4e70\u4e00\u679a\u90ae\u7968\uff0c\u8d34\u5728\u4fe1\u5c01\u4e0a\uff0c\u8fd9\u6837\u5bc4\u51fa\u53bb\u5c31\u53ef\u4ee5\u4e86\u3002”
\u7ed3\u679c\uff0c\u82f1\u56fd\u653f\u5e9c\u4ece\u5584\u5982\u6d41\uff0c\u63a5\u53d7\u4e86\u4ed6\u7684\u5efa\u8bae\u3002\u8fd9\u4f4d\u7ec5\u58eb\u7684\u540d\u5b57\u53eb\u7f57\u5170·\u5e0c\u5c14\u4e16\u754c\u4e0a\u7b2c\u4e00\u679a\u90ae\u7968\u5c31\u662f\u8fd9\u6837\u8bde\u751f\u7684\u3002<\/p>\n

In 1840, England issued the world’s first postage stamp. The face of Queen Victoria was printed on it. Because the stamp was black, it was called the “Penny Black”.
One day more than one hundred and fifty years ago, a mail coach rode into a village in England. At that time, mail coaches rarely brought letters to the villages. So as soon as the village folks heard the sound of the carriage, they immediately rushed out of houses and fields to stand around the coach.
The postman stepped down from the coach holding up a letter and loudly cried, “Miss Alice Brown, you have a letter!” A girl’s light voice replied, “I’m Alice Brown.” Everyone’s gaze simultaneously went her way.
Alice took the letter the postman handed her, looked at the envelope, and then gave the envelope back to the postman. “Sorry,” she said, “I don’t have enough mo<\/em>ney to pay the postage fee.”
Everyone sympathized with her, and didn’t know what to say. Suddenly, a man of gentlemanly appearance walked out of the crowd, took some cash from his pocket, and said he wanted to pay the postal fee on Alice’s behalf, though Alice didn’t know him at all.
Wearing a proud smile, she told the gentleman, “Thank you for your kindness, mister, I’ve looked forward to this letter for a long time, but I have no use for it now.”
“Why?” The gentlement thought this was quite strange.
“This letter was sent to me by my boyfriend. I plan to marry him next year. To earn mo<\/em>ney for the marriage, he went away to look for work. Because I can’t pay any postage fees, before he left he told me: if he draws an X written on the envelope, it means he’s doing well, if there’s a circle on the envelope, it means he’s already found work.”
“Ah! So actually there’s wasn’t any letter in the envelope to begin with.” The gentlemen mused out loud to himself, “This situation is unfair, [the mail system] must be improved.”
He thought a<\/em>bout it for a long time, and finally thought of a solution.
He suggested to the then-government: “The postage fee should be paid by the sender of the letter, and it shouldn’t be too expensive, otherwise poor people won’t be able to afford it. For everyone’s convenience, I think people sending letters should use a one-penny stamp and stick it on the front of the letter – that’s how they can send it out.”
As a result, the English government were willing to follow this good advice and accepted his suggestion. This gentleman’s name was Rowland Hill, and this is how the world’s first postage stamp was born.
<\/div>\n