立故宮博物院新收藏的夷曰匜，是一件十分重要的西周青銅器。它雖被定名為匜，卻與青銅器的另一類─通常所說的觥十分相似，正處於傳統意義上的觥與匜的銜接點上，即由盛酒功能的匜向盛水功能的匜轉化。以往多認為一類銅器只有一種功能。其實一類銅器往往不止一種功能，而且在發展過程中功能也不是自始至終一成不變的。銅器功能的轉化受三種因素的影響: (1) 器物本身必須具備可以轉化的基本因素。(2) 其外部因素，例如西周初年伊始禁止酗酒的政治影響力。有一些酒器不是消失，而是開始向水器轉化，這一點卻往往為人們所忽略，具體的證明就是夷曰匜。從這一點來說，夷曰匜在青銅器的發展演化史上佔有重要的一席。(3) 功能轉化還受到其他器類的影響。

The I-yüeh I, held in the collection of the National Palace Museum, is an extraordinarily important Western Chou bronze. Although it has been termed an i, it is actually also quite similar to vessels typically referred to as gung. Standing on the boundary between these two vessel types, it occupies a transitional stage between the alcohol-holding gung and water-holding i. Past attitudes typically held that each type of bronze vessel had only one distinct function. In fact, a given type of bronze often had more than one function, and these functions changed over the lifetime of the type. Changes in the function of bronzes can be attributed to three influencing factors: (1) The need for multi-functionality in the vessel itself. (2) External factors, such as the restrictions on drunkenness initiated in the early Western Chou. Some wine vessels did not disappear, but rather transformed into water vessels. The I-yüeh I is substantive evidence of this frequently neglected phenomenon. From this perspective, the I-yüeh I occupies a critical position in the developmental history of bronze. (3) The influence of other vessel types. (Translated by Jeffrey Moser)