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The voyages of Zheng He
鄭和下西洋
Zheng he was a famous Chinese explorer. In 1405, he set off from China on the first of seven great voyages.
鄭和是中國著名的探險家。1405，他發起了中國七大航海史上的第一次。
This was nearly a century before Christopher Columbus first set sail on his journey of discovery to America.
這比哥倫布第一次航行發現美洲新大陸早了近一個世紀。
His travels were so important that they are still studies today.
他的旅行是如此重要，人們至今仍然研究。
Zheng He was born in Yunnan in 1371. He rose to become a trusted official of the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
鄭和 1371 出生于云南，后來成為明朝永樂皇帝可信任的官員。
The emperor ordered Zheng He to visit and explore the lands outside China, his task was to develop relations and set up trade routes with foreign countries.
皇帝下令鄭造訪并探索中國以外的土地，他的任務是發展關系，建立與國外貿易通道。
In a few years, he built a great fleet of ships, the biggest in the world at that time.
在短短幾年內，他建造船舶組成了一支龐大的艦隊，是當時世界上最大的。
The ships were known as treasure ships. They were big enough to carry 25,000 people as well as very large quantities of goods.
這些船被稱為寶船，它們大到足以承載25,000 人以及非常多的貨物。
From 1405 to 1433, Zheng He went on seven trips and visited South-East Asia, the Middle-East and even the east coast of Africa.
從 1405 年至 1433 年，鄭和前后共進行了七次遠游，并參觀了東南亞，中東，甚至非洲的東海岸。
It seemed that nowhere was too far for him to visit.
看上去沒有哪能遠到他們去不了的地方。
These voyages allowed China to trade valuable goods like gold, silver and silk.
這些航行使得中國通過貴重物品如黃金、白銀和絲綢進行貿易。
At the end of each voyage, Zheng He returned with many things that were seen in China for the first time, such as a giraffe from Africa.
每次航次結束，鄭和返回時都帶回在中國從沒見過的很多東西，譬如來自非洲的長頸鹿。
Besides developing trade, the voyages also encouraged the exchange of cultures and technologies. They helped the development of those countries and regions.
除了發展貿易，航行也帶動了文化和技術的交流，幫助了這些國家和地區的發展。
Zheng He died in 1433 during his last voyage.
1433 年，鄭和在他最后一次航行中去世了。
However, his voyages were such a huge achievement that people still remember him as a pioneer in opening up cultural contacts between different peoples around the world.
然而，他的航行成就是如此巨大，人們仍然銘記他，視他為開拓世界各地不同民族之間文化交流的先驅。
