Wandering in the streets of Japan, travelers are often appealed by the curtain-like fabric hanging in front of the entrance of stores. They are usually rectangular in shape, with one or more vertical slits cut for easier passage. This unique kind of items in Japan is called noren. 

漫步日本街头，旅客常被店铺入口处悬挂的门帘状织物所吸引。它们通常为矩形，并且有一个或多个垂直开口以方便进出。在日本，这种独特的物品被称作“暖帘”。

Noren are traditional Japanese handicrafts made of cloth, ropes, beads or bamboo and in assorted colors, sizes and patterns. Hung at entrance or in windows, they can protect the house from sun, wind and dust; placed between rooms, they serve as space dividers.

暖帘是由布、绳、串珠或竹子制成的日本传统手工艺品，颜色、尺寸和图案多种多样。它们挂于入口处或窗户上，可以保护房屋免受阳光和风尘的侵扰；此外，它们还可置于不同房间之间，起到分隔空间的作用。

Many shops and restaurants use noren as their signboard, displaying their names and logos on the fabric. For instance, noren with the hiragana ゆmarks a public bath. Traditional drinking houses are recognized by the twisted-rope noren. The presence of noren can signify whether the establishment is open for business as they are always taken down at the end of the business day. At the same time, the cleanness of noren provides customers with some clues to the popularity of the shop or restaurant. 

许多商店和饭店都以暖帘作为招牌，将店名和商标印于其上。例如，标有平假名“ゆ”的暖帘代表着公共浴室，而扭绳暖帘，则是传统居酒屋的标志。店家通常会在打烊时取下暖帘，所以暖帘可以表明店铺是否处于营业状态。此外，通过观察暖帘清洁与否，顾客还可推测出该商店或饭店的受欢迎程度。

Frequently imprinted with the shop’s name, noren hold a larger meaning of symbolizing the Japanese merchant’s spirit. The disciple of a shop is granted the privilege of using the noren only when he is qualified to leave his master and become independent. In other words, noren represent the reputation of a business. Therefore, customers have always considered noren as a major criterion for selecting a store.

由于经常印有商店名称，暖帘承载的意义变得更加深远，成为日本商人精神的象征。店铺学徒只有出师独立后，才有资格使用暖帘。换句话说，暖帘代表了店家的声誉。因此，顾客也一直将暖帘视作选择商店的主要参照。

Besides, noren are irreplaceable for decorative and aesthetic purposes. Noren are always presented with an effortless simplicity, whose elegant lines, soothing colors and minimalist patterns rid people of life’s excess. The feeling of calm will ultimately wash people over. The sway of noren in the wind passes a valuable idea: there is beauty in simplicity. 

同时，暖帘的装饰和美学价值也是不可替代的。暖帘总是以一种简单的方式毫不费力地展现出美妙的画卷，其优美的线条、柔和的色彩和简约的图案使人们忘记生活中纷纷扰扰，最终内心归于平静。暖帘在风中摇曳的样子传递着一个宝贵的信念：简单中存在美。

Vocabulary

assorted adj. 各种各样的

signboard n. 招牌

Hiragana n. 平假名

privilege n. 荣幸

criterion n. 标准

aesthetic adj. 美学的