Something quite remarkable is happening on the banks of the Yangtze River in Nanjing. A vast wooden ship is poised to set sail as China’s new international diplomat; destination foreign lands to which its predecessors voyaged long ago.
南京的长江岸边正在发生一些非常引人注目的事情。 一艘巨大的木船准备作为中国新的国际外交官起航；目的地是其前辈们很久以前就航行的外国。
Late last year, international media pointed out that China had overtaken the USA as the world’s largest diplomatic power, with 276 such posts globally, three more than America.
去年年底，国际媒体指出，中国已经超过美国，成为世界上最大的外交大国，全球有276个这样的职位，比美国多3个。
A better headline might have been “China Retakes Position as World’s Largest Diplomatic Power”.
更好的标题可能是“中国重新夺回世界上最大的外交大国的地位”。
Almost 600 years ago, Zheng He became an international ambassador beyond compare. The eunuch led an enormous fleet on voyages of discovery and diplomacy as far as Africa and the Arabian gulf.
近600年前，郑和成为无与伦比的国际大使。 太监率领一支庞大的舰队前往非洲和阿拉伯湾进行探索和外交航行。
It was the zenith of Chinese influence abroad.
这是中国在海外影响力的顶峰。
Emperor Han Wudi, who ruled from from 141–87 BCE, sent missions to today’s India and Sri Lanka. During the same period, a messenger of the Roman Empire came to China by sea.
公元前141年至公元前87年统治的汉武帝向今天的印度和斯里兰卡派遣了使团。 在同一时期，一位罗马帝国的使者乘船来到中国。
The Maritime Silk Road had been born and Nanjing was to be its capital.
海上丝绸之路诞生了，南京将成为其首都。
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From the year 1250 to 1279 CE, five shipyards in Nanjing built 3,550 ships, an average of 123 ships per year. The scale, tonnage, strength, stability and seaworthiness of these ancient Chinese sailing ships led the world at that time.
从公元1250年到1279年，南京的五个造船厂建造了3550艘船，平均每年有123艘船。 這些中國古代帆船的規模、噸位、強度、穩定性和適航性在當時引領了世界。
The Maritime Silk Road brought about numerous advances in technology, including the invention of the watertight compartment.
海上丝绸之路带来了许多技术进步，包括防水隔间的发明。
Among the vast number of ships built was Zheng’s flagship of the fleet. It could carry 3,000 men and even had elevators installed therein.
在建造的众多船只中，郑的旗舰是船队。 它可以载3000人，甚至还安装了电梯。
The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which forms the “road” of the Belt and Road Initiative, therefore needs an appropriate statesman. What better than one of Zheng’s ships?
因此，21世纪海上丝绸之路构成了“一带一路”倡议的“道路”，需要一个合适的政治家。 有什么比郑的一艘船更好的呢？
Which is exactly what has been taking shape on the banks of the Yangtze in Nanjing.
這正是南京长江沿岸正在形成的。
Meeting the requirements of both the China Classification Society (CCS) and DNV GL, the world’s largest ship classification society, the Zheng He replica displaces 1,800 tons of water and is 71.1 metres long. With a main mast 38 metres high, the replica will be able to manage 4-6 knots under sail.
符合中国船级社（CCS）和世界上最大的船舶船级社DNV GL的要求，郑和复制品排水1800吨，长71.1米。 主桅杆高38米，复制品在帆下可以承受4-6节。
In a concession to modernity, the wooden ship also has two 447 KW diesel engines that will propel the ship at 11 knots in the event of little wind.
作为对现代性的让步，这艘木船还拥有两台447千瓦的柴油发动机，在风小的情况下，可以以11节的速度推动船。
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Presiding over its construction has been Professor Zhao Zhigang, Deputy Secretary General of the China Zheng He Research Association.
中国正和研究协会副秘书长赵志刚教授主持了它的建设。
He believes that the new ship is a poster child for China’s international diplomacy today.
他認為，這艘新船是當今中國國際外交的海報。
It’s also a pricy extra for movies and a mobile museum of China.
这也是电影和中国移动博物馆的额外价格。
When complete, the replica shall hoist its sails and retrace the wake of its forbearers, 600 years ago. Wherever it makes port, there will be no shortage of people wishing to ascend its gangplanks. On board, they will learn of Nanjing, the place where Chinese and foreign merchants came together to exchange their wares 6 centuries ago.
完成后，复制品将升起帆，追溯其祖先600年前的尾迹。 无论它在哪里到达港口，都会不乏希望登上它的钢板的人。 在船上，他们将了解南京，南京是6个世纪前中外商人汇合的地方。
As the new ship helps address China’s vision for a community of shared future for mankind, so too we will then be able to say that the construction of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road is complete.
随着新船帮助解决中国对人类命运共同体的愿景，我们也将能够说21世纪海上丝绸之路的建设已经完成。
Following in the steps of the likes of Benjamin Franklin, a new kind of international diplomat will have arrived.
跟随本杰明·富兰克林等人的脚步，一种新型的国际外交官将到来。