什麼是弓箭

一種兵器，弓是一根用木頭或其他有彈性的材料製成的狹板，把它彎起來並用弦繃緊；箭是一根尾部帶羽毛的長木杆。把箭尾槽搭在弦上，然後向後拉箭，使弓產生足夠的張力，鬆開後，箭即被推出。弓的材料從木頭、骨頭、金屬到塑膠、纖維玻璃都有。箭頭是用石頭、骨頭和金屬製成。弓箭起源於史前時期。從古埃及時代到歐洲中世紀，在地中海一帶和歐洲，弓是首要的兵器，在中國和日本使用的時間則更長些。匈奴、突厥、蒙古人，以及歐亞草原其他民族在打仗時精於騎射，騎馬弓箭手是火藥未發明前戰爭中最爲致命的武器。弩，一種複合型的弓，和英格蘭長弓使箭成爲戰場上令人生畏的飛行兵器。土耳其弓的威力對中世紀後期的戰爭也有巨大影響。在許多民族的文明史上，弓在軍事上的重要性僅次於它作爲狩獵器的價值。弓箭現在有時仍用在娛樂狩獵方面。亦請參閱archery。

bow and arrow

Weapon consisting of a strip of wood or other flexible material, bent and held in tension by a string. The arrow, a long wooden shaft with a pointed tip, is stabilized in flight by a feathered tail. The arrow is fitted to the string by a notch in the end of the shaft and is drawn back to produce tension in the bow, which propels the arrow when the string is released. Bow construction ranges from wood, bone, and metal to plastic and fiberglass; arrowheads have been made from stone, bone, and metal. The origins of the bow and arrow are prehistoric. The bow was a primary military weapon from Egyptian times through the Middle Ages in the Mediterranean world and Europe and even longer in China and Japan. The Huns, Turks, Mongols, and other peoples of the Eurasian steppes excelled in warfare as mounted archers; horse archers were the most deadly weapon system of pre-gunpowder warfare. The crossbow, the compound bow, and the English longbow made the arrow a formidable battlefield missile. The powerful Turkish bow had a great impact on warfare in the late Middle Ages. In many cultures, the bow's importance in warfare has been secondary to its value as a hunting weapon. It is still sometimes used for recreational hunting. See also archery.