翻译十四

Chinaisthehomeofsilk.Mulberryplanting,sericulture,silkreelingandthickeningareallgreatinventionsoftheancientChinese.AsearlyastheShangandZhouDynasties(1600BC-256BC),theChinesepeople’ssilk-weavingtechniqueshadreachedanextremelyhighlevel.DuringtheWesternHanDynasty(206BC-25AD),ZhangQian,anoutstandingdiplomat,travelledaroundcentralAsiaandconnectedChinawiththePersianGulfandtheMediterranean,openingupaneweraofSino-foreigntrade,exchangeandcommunication.Fromthenon,China’ssilkbecamewellknownforitsextraordinaryquality,exquisitedesignandcolor,andabundantcultureconnotations.Hitherto,ChinesesilkhasbeenacceptedasasymbolofChinesecultureandtheemissaryoforientalcivilization.

中国是丝绸的故乡。栽桑、养蚕、缫丝、织绸是中国古代人民的伟大发明。商周时期丝绸的生产技术就已发展到相当高的水平。西汉时张骞通西域，把中原与波斯湾、地中海紧密联系起来，开辟了中外交流贸易的新纪元。从此中国的丝绸以其卓越的品质、精美的花色和丰富的文化内涵闻名于世，成为中国文化的象征。东方文明的使者。