中国古人曾将碎石悬在一起，风吹时就能发出清脆的声音，他们将这种东西称为“占风铎(zhan feng duo)”，目的是用来知风。占风铎应该就是风铃(wind-bell)的起源。有人认为风铃会招魂，不宜摆放，但是在亚洲的一些地区，人们认为风铃能带来好运，常用风铃来预测风水(feng shui)。风铃能发出令人愉快的清脆声音，因此人们在闷热潮湿的夏日就会把风铃挂在窗边，给人以清爽的感觉。

　　参考译文：

　　The ancient Chinese once hung gravels together togive out clear sound when blown by the wind. Andthey called it "zhan feng duo", which was used to feel wind, "zhan feng duo" should be the origin of thewind-bell. Some people believe the wind-bell can call back the spirit of the dead, thus making itunsuitable to be hung out. However, in some regions of Asia, it's considered that the wind-bellcould bring people good luck, and it's often used to predict feng shui. Because the wind-bellcould give out pleasant and clear sound, people will hang it at the window in hot, suffocatingand humid summer, making themselves feel refreshed and cool.

　　1.碎石：可译为gravel.该词比较生僻，翻译时也可译为“small stone”。

　　2.招魂：可译为call back the spirit of the dead.

　　3.不宜摆放：用于指风铃，则是“不宜悬挂”的意思，应译为unsuitable to be hung out，其中 hung 的原形是hang.

　　4.预测风水：应译为predict feng shui.风水在英文中的固定表达为feng shui.

　　5.闷热潮湿：应译为hot，suffocating and humid，其中 suffocating 意为“令人窒息的，气闷的”。