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For more than 2,000 years,
两千多年来
coastal trade in China has depended
中国的沿海贸易主要依靠于
on a remarkable and pioneering type of ship,
一种具有开创性卓越性能船
known to us as the junk.
我们称之为舢板
This working vessel follows a general design
这艘船所用的的大众化设计
that's been in use in Fujian for at least 600 years.
在福建已经使用了600多年
Its bows take the form of a beak, with two large painted eyes
船首是画上了两只大眼睛的鸟喙造型
evoking the traditional seafarers' belief
古代的航员们相信
that the bird's image would help sailors return safely,
鸟的形象可以使海员们平安归来
like the migrants that return each spring and autumn.
就像每年春秋回来的候鸟一样
Tea and other goods were stored in strong bulkheads,
茶叶和其他货物经防水处理后储存
each waterproofed and separated from the next to minimise flood damage.
分储在防水壁中以降低洪涝带来的损失
This innovation, introduced to keep precious tea cargos dry,
这种保持珍贵茶叶干燥的革新措施
spurred on the improvement of not only Chinese boats,
不仅改进了中国的船只
but Western ones, too.
还改进了西方的船只
The distinctive rigging of the junk's sails
舢板上独特的索具
allows easy handling in bad weather,
使得它在恶劣的天气下也容易操纵
essential along this storm-battered coast.
这在风暴肆虐的海边至关重要
Each year from July to November,up to a dozen typhoons,
台风一词源于“大风”的谐音
a corruption of the Chinese word for "great wind",
每年7至11月成批的台风
head northwest towards China.
朝西北方向席卷中国而来
