弓箭(bow and arrow)
一种兵器，弓是一根用木头或其他有弹性的材料制成的狭板，把它弯起来并用弦绷紧；箭是一根尾部带羽毛的长木杆。把箭尾槽搭在弦上，然後向後拉箭，使弓产生足够的张力，松开後，箭即被推出。弓的材料从木头、骨头、金属到塑胶、纤维玻璃都有。箭头是用石头、骨头和金属制成。弓箭起源於史前时期。从古埃及时代到欧洲中世纪，在地中海一带和欧洲，弓是首要的兵器，在中国和日本使用的时间则更长些。匈奴、突厥、蒙古人，以及欧亚草原其他民族在打仗时精於骑射，骑马弓箭手是火药未发明前战争中最为致命的武器。弩，一种复合型的弓，和英格兰长弓使箭成为战场上令人生畏的飞行兵器。土耳其弓的威力对中世纪後期的战争也有巨大影响。在许多民族的文明史上，弓在军事上的重要性仅次於它作为狩猎器的价值。弓箭现在有时仍用在娱乐狩猎方面。亦请参阅archery。
English version：
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.
