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The voyages of Zheng He
郑和下西洋
Zheng he was a famous Chinese explorer. In 1405, he set off from China on the first of seven great voyages.
郑和是中国著名的探险家。1405，他发起了中国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.
这比哥伦布第一次航行发现美洲新大陆早了近一个世纪。
His travels were so important that they are still studies today.
他的旅行是如此重要，人们至今仍然研究。
Zheng He was born in Yunnan in 1371. He rose to become a trusted official of the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
郑和 1371 出生于云南，后来成为明朝永乐皇帝可信任的官员。
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.
皇帝下令郑造访并探索中国以外的土地，他的任务是发展关系，建立与国外贸易通道。
In a few years, he built a great fleet of ships, the biggest in the world at that time.
在短短几年内，他建造船舶组成了一支庞大的舰队，是当时世界上最大的。
The ships were known as treasure ships. They were big enough to carry 25,000 people as well as very large quantities of goods.
这些船被称为宝船，它们大到足以承载25,000 人以及非常多的货物。
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.
从 1405 年至 1433 年，郑和前后共进行了七次远游，并参观了东南亚，中东，甚至非洲的东海岸。
It seemed that nowhere was too far for him to visit.
看上去没有哪能远到他们去不了的地方。
These voyages allowed China to trade valuable goods like gold, silver and silk.
这些航行使得中国通过贵重物品如黄金、白银和丝绸进行贸易。
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.
每次航次结束，郑和返回时都带回在中国从没见过的很多东西，譬如来自非洲的长颈鹿。
Besides developing trade, the voyages also encouraged the exchange of cultures and technologies. They helped the development of those countries and regions.
除了发展贸易，航行也带动了文化和技术的交流，帮助了这些国家和地区的发展。
Zheng He died in 1433 during his last voyage.
1433 年，郑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，人们仍然铭记他，视他为开拓世界各地不同民族之间文化交流的先驱。
