郑和下西洋 Zheng He's Voyages — HSK 5 Reading

六百liùbǎi多duō年nián前qián的de明朝Míngcháo，中国Zhōngguó有yǒu一yí位wèi伟大wěidà的de航海家hánghǎijiā，名叫míngjiào郑和Zhèng Hé。

Over six hundred years ago, in the Ming dynasty, China had a great navigator named Zheng He.

从cóng1405年yī sì líng wǔ nián到dào1433年yī sì sān sān nián，他tā率领shuàilǐng船队chuánduì七qī次cì下xià西洋Xīyáng，访问fǎngwèn了le三十sānshí多duō个gè国家guójiā和hé地区dìqū。

From 1405 to 1433, he led fleets on seven voyages to the Western Seas, visiting more than thirty countries and regions.

他tā的de船队chuánduì规模guīmó巨大jùdà，最多zuìduō的de时候shíhou有yǒu两百liǎngbǎi多duō条tiáo船chuán、两万七千liǎngwàn qīqiān多duō人rén。

His fleet was enormous in scale: at its largest it had over two hundred ships and more than twenty-seven thousand people.

其中qízhōng最zuì大dà的de船chuán被bèi称为chēngwéi“宝船bǎochuán”，据说jùshuō长cháng一百yìbǎi多duō米mǐ，像xiàng一yí座zuò海上hǎishàng的de宫殿gōngdiàn。

The largest of these ships were called "treasure ships"; they are said to have been over a hundred meters long, like palaces on the sea.

船队chuánduì带dài去qù了le丝绸sīchóu、瓷器cíqì和hé茶叶cháyè，也yě带dài回huí了le香料xiāngliào等děng各地gèdì的de特产tèchǎn。

The fleet carried silk, porcelain, and tea abroad, and also brought back spices and other local specialties from many lands.

最zuì有意思yǒuyìsi的de是shì，有yǒu一yí次cì船队chuánduì带dài回来huílai一yì只zhī长颈鹿chángjǐnglù，全quán城chéng的de人rén都dōu跑pǎo去qù看kàn这zhè只zhī神奇shénqí的de动物dòngwù。

Most interestingly, on one voyage the fleet brought back a giraffe, and the whole city ran to see this magical animal.

凡是fánshì船队chuánduì到dào过guo的de地方dìfang，大多dàduō留下liúxià了le友好yǒuhǎo的de记忆jìyì。

Nearly everywhere the fleet went, it left behind friendly memories.

郑和Zhèng Hé去世qùshì以后yǐhòu，这样zhèyàng大dà规模guīmó的de航海hánghǎi就jiù停止tíngzhǐ了le。

After Zheng He passed away, ocean voyages on such a large scale came to an end.

今天jīntiān，人们rénmen仍然réngrán纪念jìniàn他tā，因为yīnwèi他tā证明zhèngmíng了le海洋hǎiyáng能néng把bǎ世界shìjiè连lián在zài一起yìqǐ。

Today people still commemorate him, because he proved that the ocean can link the world together.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

航海家hánghǎijiānavigator; seafarer

率领shuàilǐngto lead; to command

船队chuánduìfleet

瓷器cíqìporcelain

香料xiāngliàospice

长颈鹿chángjǐnglùgiraffe

凡是…都/大多… (every; whatever…)

凡是 sweeps in a whole category without exception: 凡是船队到过的地方，大多留下了友好的记忆。

凡是来过这里的人，都很喜欢这个地方。 — Everyone who has been here likes this place.

被称为… (to be called / known as…)

A passive pattern for naming: 其中最大的船被称为“宝船”。

苏州被称为“东方的威尼斯”。 — Suzhou is known as the "Venice of the East."

据说… (it is said that…)

Reports information from hearsay or tradition, without naming the source: 据说长一百多米。

据说这座桥有一千年的历史了。 — It is said that this bridge is a thousand years old.

1. How many voyages did Zheng He lead between 1405 and 1433?

2. What animal did the fleet once bring back to China?

3. What happened after Zheng He passed away?