中英雙語話史記 第116期:元朝經濟與文化

Yuan Dynasty

元朝

Social Economy and Culture

社會經濟與文化

As in other periods of alien dynastic rule of China, a rich cultural diversity developed during the Yuan dynasty.

正如中國其他時期的不同年代一樣，豐富的文化多樣性在元朝得以發展。

The major cultural achievements were the development of drama and the novel and the increased use of the written vernacular.

文化上的主要成就在於戲劇和小說的發展以及對於本地文字書寫的增多。

Given the unified rule of central Asia, trades between East and West flourished.

統治了整個中亞之後，東西方的貿易交往得到了振興。

The Mongols’ extensive West Asian and European contacts produced a fair amount of cultural exchange.

蒙古國與西亞和歐洲的廣泛聯繫創造了一定的文化交流。

Western musical instruments were introduced to enrich the Chinese performing arts.

西方的樂器傳入中國，豐富了國內的表演藝術。

From this period dates the conversion to Islam, by Muslims of Central Asia, of growing numbers of Chinese in the northwest and southwest.

從這個時代開始，由於中亞的穆斯林，越來越多的西北和西南部的中國人轉而信奉伊斯蘭教。

Nestorianism and Roman Catholicism also enjoyed a period of toleration.

景教和天主教同樣得到了一段時間的默許。

Lamaism (Tibetan Buddhism) flourished, although native Taoism endured Mongol persecutions.

儘管傳統道教受到了蒙古人的迫害，喇嘛教（藏傳佛教）卻繁榮發展。

Confucian governmental practices and examinations based on the Classics, which had fallen into disuse in north China during the period of disunity, were reinstated by the Mongols in the hope of maintaining order over Han society.

爲了保持對於漢人的統治，在分裂時期被北方棄用的儒家政策和以儒家經典爲基礎的科舉制在元朝時期得到了恢復。

Advances were realized in the fields of travel literature, cartography， and geography， and scientific education.

旅遊文學、製圖學、地理學和科學教育領域取得了進步。

Certain key Chinese innovations, such as printing techniques, porcelain production, playing cards, and medical literature, were introduced in Europe, while the production of thin glass and cloisonne became popular in China.

當薄玻璃製造和法藍瓷工藝在中國興起時，一些核心的中國發明例如印刷術、瓷器製造、紙牌以及醫藥文學傳至歐洲。

The first records of travel by Westerners date from this time.

西方人的第一部遊記追溯到這個時期。

The most famous traveler of the period was the Venetian Marco Polo, whose account of his trip to “Cambaluc” the Great Khan’s capital (now Beijing)，and of life there astounded the people of Europe.

這個時代最著名的旅者是威尼斯人馬可波羅，他對於自己到元朝都城“堪巴祿克”（今北京）的旅行以及那裏人們的生活震驚了歐洲人。

The Mongols undertook extensive public works. Road and water communications were reorganized and improved.

蒙古人還廣泛進行公共工程的建設。

To provide against possible famines, granaries were ordered built throughout the empire.

道路和水陸交通得到了整頓和改進。

The city of Beijing was rebuilt with new palace grounds that included artificial lakes, hills and mountains, and parks.

爲了對抗可能發生的饑荒，國家的每個地方都建立了糧倉。

During the Yuan period, Beijing became the terminus of the Grand Canal, which was completely renovated.

北京城被重建，新建了包括人工湖、假山和花園在內的皇家建築。

These commercially oriented improvements encouraged overland as well as maritime commerce throughout Asia and facilitated the first direct Chinese contacts with Europe.

元朝時期，經歷了全面翻修，北京成爲了大運河的終點。

Chinese and Mongol travelers to the West were able to provide assistance in such areas as hydraulic engineering, while bringing back to the Middle Kingdom new scientific discoveries and architectural innovations.

這些貿易導向型的發展不僅鼓勵了陸路貿易還激勵了貫穿亞洲的海上貿易，並促進了中國與歐洲的首次直接聯繫。

Contacts with the West also brought the introduction to China of a major new food crop—sorghum—along with other foreign food products and methods of preparation.

中原和蒙古前往西方的旅者可以再水利工程方面提供幫助，同時爲朝廷帶回新的科技發現與建築創造。

與西方的聯繫還爲中國帶來了一種新的主要糧食作物——高粱以及其他一些國外的食物和製作工藝。