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For more than 2,000 years,
兩千多年來
coastal trade in China has depended
中國的沿海貿易主要依靠于
on a remarkable and pioneering type of ship,
一種具有開創性卓越性能船
known to us as the junk.
我們稱之為舢板
This working vessel follows a general design
這艘船所用的的大眾化設計
that's been in use in Fujian for at least 600 years.
在福建已經使用了600多年
Its bows take the form of a beak, with two large painted eyes
船首是畫上了兩只大眼睛的鳥喙造型
evoking the traditional seafarers' belief
古代的航員們相信
that the bird's image would help sailors return safely,
鳥的形象可以使海員們平安歸來
like the migrants that return each spring and autumn.
就像每年春秋回來的候鳥一樣
Tea and other goods were stored in strong bulkheads,
茶葉和其他貨物經防水處理后儲存
each waterproofed and separated from the next to minimise flood damage.
分儲在防水壁中以降低洪澇帶來的損失
This innovation, introduced to keep precious tea cargos dry,
這種保持珍貴茶葉干燥的革新措施
spurred on the improvement of not only Chinese boats,
不僅改進了中國的船只
but Western ones, too.
還改進了西方的船只
The distinctive rigging of the junk's sails
舢板上獨特的索具
allows easy handling in bad weather,
使得它在惡劣的天氣下也容易操縱
essential along this storm-battered coast.
這在風暴肆虐的海邊至關重要
Each year from July to November,up to a dozen typhoons,
臺風一詞源于“大風”的諧音
a corruption of the Chinese word for "great wind",
每年7至11月成批的臺風
head northwest towards China.
朝西北方向席卷中國而來
