Europe's Early Sea Trade with Asia 歐亞早期海上貿(mào)易 P1: In the fourteenth century, a number of political developments cut Europe's overland trade routes to southern and eastern Asia, with which Europe had had important and highly profitable commercial ties since the twelfth century. This development, coming as it did when the bottom had fallen out of the European economy, provided an impetus to a long-held desire to secure direct relations with the East by establishing a sea trade. Widely reported, if somewhat distrusted, accounts by figures like the famous traveler from Venice, Marco Polo, of the willingness of people in China to trade with Europeans and of the immensity of the wealth to be gained by such contact made the idea irresistible. Possibilities for trade seemed promising, but no hope existed for maintaining the traditional routes over land. A new way had to be found. 難詞解析： Overland ['əʊvəlænd]: 經(jīng)過陸地的 Route [ruːt]: 路線 Commercial [kə'mɜːʃ(ə)l]: 商業(yè)的 Tie [taɪ]: 連接 Impetus ['ɪmpɪtəs]: 刺激/動力 Long-held: 被長期持有的 Secure [sɪ'kjʊə; sɪ'kjɔː]: 使…安全 Establish [ɪ'stæblɪʃ]: 建立 Account [ə'kaʊnt]: 解釋/說明 Promising ['prɒmɪsɪŋ]: adj.有前途的 難句解析： [In the fourteenth century], [a number of political] developments cut [Europe's overland trade] routes [to southern and eastern Asia], [with which Europe had had important and highly profitable commercial ties since the twelfth century]. 在14世紀(jì)，一系列的政治發(fā)展切斷了歐洲的陸地貿(mào)易路線，到東亞和南亞的貿(mào)易路線。歐洲與東亞和南亞國家有著重要且高利潤的商業(yè)聯(lián)系，自從12世紀(jì)。 [Widely reported], [if somewhat distrusted], accounts[ [[by figures] [like the famous traveler from Venice], [Marco Polo]], [of the willingness of people in China to trade with Europeans] and [of the immensity of the wealth to be gained by such contact] ]made the idea irresistible. 被廣為報道，如果或多或少有不信任，解釋說明，由人物、由類似來自威尼斯的旅行者馬可波羅這類人物帶來的解釋說明，對中國人有意愿與歐洲人進行貿(mào)易的解釋說明，和對這樣的接觸能帶來的巨大財富的解釋說明，使得這個想法不可抵抗。 P2: The chief problem was technological: How were the Europeans to reach the East? Europe's maritime tradition had developed in the context of easily navigable seas—the Mediterranean, the Baltic, and, to a lesser extent, the North Sea between England and the Continent—not of vast oceans. New types of ships were needed, new methods of finding one's way, new techniques for financing so vast a scheme. The sheer scale of the investment it took to begin commercial expansion at sea reflects the immensity of the profits that such East-West trade could create. Spices were the most sought-after commodities. Spices not only dramatically improved the taste of the European diet but also were used to manufacture perfumes and certain medicines. But even high-priced commodities like spices had to be transported in large bulk in order to justify the expense and trouble of sailing around the African continent all the way to India and China. 難詞解析： Maritime ['mærɪtaɪm]: 航海的 To…an extent: 達(dá)到…..程度 Finance [faɪ'næns; fɪ-; 'faɪnæns]: 募集資金 Scheme [skiːm]: 計劃/圖紙/陰謀 Sheer [ʃɪə]: 純粹的 Reflect [rɪ'flekt]: 反省/反映 Immensity [ɪ'mensətɪ]: 廣袤 Sought-after: 被追逐的 Bulk [bʌlk]: 大體積/大量 難句解析： But even high-priced commodities [like spices] had to be transported [in large bulk] in order to justify the expense and trouble [[of sailing] [around the African continent] all the way [to India and China]]. 即使是高價的商品例如香料也必須被大量運輸，這樣才使得成本和麻煩合理，繞著非洲大陸航行到印度和中國的成本和麻煩。 P3: The principal seagoing ship used throughout the Middle Ages was the galley, a long, low ship fitted with sails but driven primarily by oars. The largest galleys had as many as 50 oarsmen since they had relatively shallow hulls, they were unstable when driven by sail or when on rough water: hence they were unsuitable for the voyage to the East. Even if they hugged the African coastline, they had little chance of surviving a crossing of the Indian Ocean. Shortly after 1400, shipbuilders began developing a new type of vessel properly designed to operate in rough, open water: the caravel. It had a wider and deeper hull than the galley and hence could carry more cargo: increased stability made it possible to add multiple masts and sails. In the largest caravels, two main masts held large square sails that provided the bulk of the thrust driving the ship forward, while a smaller forward mast held a triangular-shaped sail, called a lateen sail, which could be moved into a variety of positions to maneuver the ship. 難詞解析： Principal ['prɪnsəp(ə)l]: 主要的 Seagoing ['siːgəʊɪŋ]: 航海的 Galley ['gælɪ]: 雙層槳帆船 Oar [ɔː]: 漿 Rough [rʌf]: 粗糙的/惡劣的 Caravel ['kærəvel]: 輕帆船 Mast [mɑːst]: 桅桿 Lateen [læ'tiːn]: 大三角帆 Maneuver [mə'nʊvə]: 移動/機動 難句解析： The [principal seagoing] ship [used throughout the Middle Ages] was the galley, [[a long, low ship] [fitted with sails] but [driven primarily by oars]] 主要的船只，貫穿于中世紀(jì)使用的船只，是galley，這是一種長而淺的船，帆很合適，但是主要被漿驅(qū)動。 生詞和文章讀懂了嗎? 測試篇 1. The principal seagoing ship used throughout the Middle Ages was the galley, a long, low ship fitted with sails but driven primarily by oars. The word “principal” is closest in meaning to____ A. practical B. abbreviated C. chief D. departed 2. This development, coming as it did when the bottom had fallen out of the European economy, provided an impetus to a long-held desire to secure direct relations with the East by establishing a sea trade. The word “establish” is closest in meaning to____ A. found B. estimate C. grab D. separate P1：14世紀(jì)，_____切斷了歐洲的陸地貿(mào)易路線。 P2：歐洲到達(dá)亞洲最主要的問題是_____。 P3：中世紀(jì)使用最廣泛的航海船只是_____。 Answer Key: 1. C 2. A P1: political developments P2: technology P3: galley