雙語科技百科(地理) 第27期:鄭和下西洋
Envoy of Peace-Zheng He’s Great Voyages
In the early days of the Ming Dynasty，that is, early in the 15th century,China was an advanced country in the world，with a booming economy and prosperous culture. In order to strength the relations with countries lying to the west of China as well as to flaunt the national power of the Great Ming Empire，Em-peror Ming Chengzu launched a series of marine een 1405 and 1433，Zheng He was ordered seven times to ad as an en-voy to these countries，known as “Zheng He’s voyages to the west seas”，as the main activities were carried out in the west sea area of today’s Kalimantan Island，known as west seas in ancient times.
15世紀初的明朝，國力強盛，經濟發達，文化興旺。明成祖即位後，爲了加強與東南亞國家的聯繫，也藉此炫耀大明帝國的國威，開始了一連串大規模的海上活動。從公元1405到1433年，受明成祖派遣，鄭和先後七次率領龐大的船隊進行遠航。因主要活動區域在今天的加裏曼丹島以西海域，舊稱西洋，因此這些航海活動總稱爲“鄭和下西洋”。In 1405，a huge fleet of more than 300 ships manned by over 27，800 men，including sailors，clerks，interpreters, officers and soldiers，artisans，medical men and meteorologists，set sail from Liujia Harbour near Suzhou on a distant voyage under the leadership of Zheng He. On board the ships were large quantities of car-go that could be broken down into over 40 different categories，including silk goods，porcelain，gold and silver ware，copper utensils，iron implements，cotton goods，mercury, umbrellas，and straw mats，etc. The fleet sailed along China’s coast to Champa close to Vetnam and，after crossing the South China Sea，visited Java，Sumatra and reached Sri Lanka by passing through the Strait of Malacca.
永樂三年(1405 )，一支由水手、店員、翻譯員、工匠、醫生、氣象學者、官兵共27800多人和300餘艘船隻組成的龐大船隊，在鄭和的指揮下，從蘇州附近的劉家港出發，首次下西洋。船上裝載着大量的貨物，有絲綢、瓷器、金銀首飾、銅器、鐵具、棉花貨物、水銀、傘和稻草墊等40多個品種。船隊沿中國海岸經過越南，穿越南中國海，拜訪爪哇、蘇門答臘，經過馬六甲海峽到達斯里蘭卡。
On the way back it sailed along the west coast of India and returned home in 1407. Envoys from Calicut in India and several countries in Asia and the Middle East also boarded the ships to pay visits to China. Zheng He’s second and third voyages taken shortly after, followed roughly the same route.
船隊沿印度西海岸返航，於1407年返回中國。沿途中，印度古裏的使臣以及亞洲數個國家和中東地區的使臣，紛紛登上鄭和的船隊拜訪中國。鄭和回國後不網久又進行了第二、第三次西洋航行，基本沿着同一航線。Each time he had under his command a big fleet and a staff of more than 20000 men. His fleets had sailed in the South China Sea and the Indian had gone further south to Java in today’s Indonesia. Sailing then in a north-west direction，they had visited Yemen，Iran and the Holy City of Islam Mecca and further west to today’s Somalia in East Africa. In all，he had made calls at more than 30 countries and territories. All this had taken place about half a century be-fore the famous European sailor Columbus’s voyage to America. For this reason，Zhen He’s expeditions could rightfully be called“an unprecedented feat in mankind’s history of navigation”.
鄭和每次遠航都率領2萬餘人組成的龐大船隊。船隊穿越南海和印度洋，曾經到達今天印尼的爪哇南部，還沿着西北方向，先後拜訪過也門、伊朗王國、伊斯蘭教聖地麥加，以及繼續向西到達東非今天的索馬里。他總共拜訪過30多個國家和地區，而且他所有的航行都比著名的歐洲水手哥倫布航行到美國早約半個世紀。基於此，鄭和的遠航毫無爭議地被稱爲在人類的航行史上的一個空前的壯舉。On each voyage Zheng He was acting as the envoy and commercial represent-ative of the Ming court. No matter what country he visited，he called on the ruler of the land，presenting to him valuable gifts in token of China’s sincere desire to de-velop friendly relations and inviting the host sovereign to send emissaries to China Wherever he was，he made a careful study of the customs and habits of local resi-dents. Showing them due respect, he bartered or dealt with them through consul-tation and negotiation on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. In this way, he obtained large quantities of pearls and precious stones，coral，ivory and dyestuffs for the Chinese emperor. He also brought back several kinds of rare and precious animals such as giraffe，lion，ostrich and leopard.
鄭和每次遠航時，他的身份都是明朝的外交使節和貿易代表，他每到一個國家，都會拜訪這個國家的元首，並通過贈送貴重的禮物來表達明政府願意和其建立和發展友好關係的願望，同時邀請東道國遣使來華。每到一處，鄭和和他的船隊都會人鄉隨俗，並在平等互利的基礎上，通過友好協商進行貿易活動。他以這種方式爲中國帝王獲得了大量的珠寶、珊瑚、象牙和染料，他還把諸如長頸鹿、獅子、鴕鳥和豹子之類的珍稀動物引進了中國。In ancient India，Chinese sailors made a good impression on the local people by observing local trading customs and practices. When he visited Sri Lanka on his third voyage，Zheng He offered a quantity of gold and silver Buddhist ceremonial vessels and silk-knit religious pennants to local temples on whose ground steles were set up to mark the occasion of his visit. Wherever he went, he was warmly received. At Zhancheng，the king of the land，in full royal regalia，came in person on elephant back with 500 cavalrymen to meet him at the wharf and then take him back to the palace. On the way they were greeted by local inhabitants who blew trumpets made of coconut shells and performed national dances at a solemn and joyous today，people in Somalia and Tanzania look upon MingChina unearthed today as a symbol of the traditional friendship between their own country and China.
在古印度，這些中國使者的入鄉隨俗給當地留下了很好的印象。在鄭和第三次遠航拜訪斯里蘭卡時，他向當地的寺院捐贈了大量的金銀佛教香爐和絲織經蟠，該寺院爲他舉行了隆重的儀式，以記載這一重要活動。他每到一處，都受到熱烈歡迎。占城的國王身着皇室盛裝，騎着大象，率領500騎兵，親自到碼頭迎接他的到來，並且把鄭和請到他的王宮。一路上，當地居民吹着椰子殼做成的號角，跳着民族舞蹈，以莊嚴而喜慶的儀式歡迎他。直到今天，索馬里和坦桑尼亞仍然把當地出土的明代瓷器視爲和中國傳統友誼的象徵。The countries Zheng He had visited later sent their emissaries and trade repre-sentatives to China from time to time. In 1419 when Zheng He was sailing back on his fifth voyage，17 countries sent their envoys to China，including Philippines and Malaysia. While in China，these foreign emissaries were shown great hospitality by Emperor Chengzu of Ming. The voyages by Zheng He strengthened the friendly re-lotions between China and other countries in Asia and Africa and gave an impetus to cultural and economic exchange between them.
鄭和拜訪過的國家紛紛派出使臣和貿易代表到中國。1419年，鄭和第五次南洋遠航期間，菲律賓和馬來西亞等17個國家派遣外交使節到中國。這些使節在中國逗留期間，受到了明成祖皇帝的盛情款待。鄭和的遠航加強了中國與亞非等國家之間的友好關係，促進了與他們的經濟文化交流。Zheng He’s voyages contributed a lot to the economic and cultural exchanges between China and other nations，and he opened up sea routes for East-West trade just as Zhang Qian and Xuan Zang had opened up land routes.
鄭和的航行爲中國和其他國家的經濟文化交往作出了重要貢獻。正如張賽和玄獎打開了陸地往來的門戶一樣，鄭和爲東西方貿易往來打通了海上航線。
