“壮志西行追古踪，孤烟大漠夕阳中；驼铃古道丝绸路，胡马犹闻唐汉风。”千年之后的今时今日，人们依然可从诗意的描写中感知当年丝绸之路的繁荣盛况。

“Travel west with great aspiration to chase ancient trace in the solitary smoke, desert and the setting sun; camel bell, ancient path and the Silk Road, we can still hear the Tang and Han style from Hu Horses.” Today after a thousand years, people can still sense the prosperity of the Silk Road in those days.

 

 

丝绸之路不只是令人感触万千的逝去的繁华，而是有着其更为现实的价值和更为远大的未来， 梳理2000多年的丝路贸易史，一定会让人自己也大吃一惊。

The Silk Road is not only the passing prosperity filling all sorts of feelings in people’s mind, but also has more realistic values and ambitious future. Carding over 2000 years of the Silk Road trade, you must be surprised.

 

在丝绸之路的历史上，交易时间最长的是丝绸，处于价值链顶端的也是丝绸，这就是德国地质学家李希霍芬将其命名为丝绸之路的根本原因。说到底，丝绸是一个重要的贸易符号，它代表着很长时期亚欧贸易的繁盛与繁荣。

In the Silk Road History, the silk was traded for the longest time and was in the top of value chain, which is the primary cause that the Germany historical geographer Ferdinand Freiherr von Richthofen called it the Silk Road. In the final analysis, silk was an important trade symbol, representing the long-term prosperous and booming trade between Asia and Europe.

 

 

据传说，公元前53年，古罗马执政官克拉苏率领大军与安息人在卡尔莱大战，在战争的紧急关头，安息人突然展开了色彩斑斓的丝绸军旗，这些锦绣军旗在正午的阳光下鲜艳夺目，疲于应战的罗马军团眼花缭乱阵脚大乱，最终惨败。一些西方学者认为，这些丝绸军旗，就是罗马人见到的最早的丝绸制品，卡尔莱战役后，丝绸很快就深入到罗马人的社会生活中。

Legend goes that in 53 BC, ancient Rome consul Crassus led army to battle with Parthians at Carrhae. In the battle emergency time, Parthians suddenly unfolded colorful silk army flags which is dazzlingly beautiful under midday sunlight. Warworn Roman Legion were dazzled and in havoc and finally disastrously defeated. Some western scholars thought those silk army flags were the earliest silk products seen by Romans. After Carrhae battle, silk was soon penetrated into Romans’ social life.

 

 

中国人所发明的丝绸，是对世界物质文化和纺织技术的伟大贡献，在汉代以后的一个相当长的时期，中国都是全球唯一能生产丝绸的国家。

The silk invented by Chinese is the great contribution to world material culture and textile technology. In a rather long period after the Han Dynasty, China is the only country that can produce silk in the world.

 

正是西方人对丝绸的大量需求，支撑起了丝绸之路最初的繁华，也终于联通起了欧亚之间的这条大通道。

It was exactly the great demand of westerners on silk that supported the initial prosperity of the Silk Road and finally connected the channel between Europe and Asia.

 

陆上丝绸之路，是指起始于古代中国长安，通过甘肃、河西走廊和今天的新疆地区，连接亚洲欧洲和非洲的古代商业贸易路线，是汉武帝派遣张骞出使西域后所形成的基本干道。

The Land Silk Road means the ancient commercial trade starting from ancient Chang’an, China, passing through Gansu, Hexi Corridor and today’s Xinjiang Region, connecting Asia, Europe and Africa and is the basic artery formed after Emperor Wu of Han dispatching Zhang Qian to mission to the Western Regions.

 

随着唐中叶以后中国政治和经济重心的逐渐南移，航海和造船技术的进步，海路在交通中的作用日益重要，并逐渐取代陆路成为东西方之间交往的主要通道。海上丝绸之路主要以南海为中心，广州、泉州、明州、杭州、扬州，都是对外贸易的重要口岸，尤其是广州，作为宋元时期世界性的大港，也是最早设置市舶司的港口城市，

With China politics and economic center gradually shifting to the south after Tang Dynasty middle period and the progress of navigation and shipbuilding technology, sea route plays an increasingly important role in transportation and gradually replaces land route to become the primary channel for trade between the east and the west. The Marine Silk Road centers on the South China Sea and Guangzhou, Quanzhou, Mingzhou, Hangzhou and Yangzhou are all the important ports of foreign trade, especially Guangzhou, as the worldwide grand port in Song and Yuan Dynasties, was also the port city firstly setting up the Bureau for Foreign Shipping.

 

事实上中国从来就不是一个单一的陆地国家，郑和下西洋，只是中国海外贸易的一个高峰。从公元前二世纪中叶起汉武帝就派人大规模出海远至南洋，2000多年以来，无论是官方还是民间，是主动还是被动，中国的海上贸易从未中断过，这样持久延续的海外贸易在世界史上也是罕见的，

In fact, China has never been a simple land country. Zhen He’s travelling to the west is just a peak of China overseas trade. Starting from the middle period of 2 BC century, Emperor Wu of Han had sent a large number of people to travel overseas to the South Seas. For ever 2000 years, no matter official or civil, active or passive, China marine trade has never been interrupted. Such lasting and continuous oversea trade is also rare in world history.

 

今天的一带一路只是丝绸之路贸易繁华互联互通的现代升级版。一带一路将陆上丝绸之路与海上丝绸之路整合在一起，使丝路经济贸易发展第一次跳出了古代丝绸之路的地缘局限，着眼于海洋与陆地广阔空间的地缘联系，发展出了全新的地缘经济特征，

Today’s the Belt and Road is just the modern upgrading version of the trade prosperity and interconnection of the Silk Road. The Belt and Road integrates the Land Silk Road and Marine Silk Road , enabling the silk road economic and trade development to firstly jump out of the geographical limitation of the ancient Silk Road, focus on the geopolitical contact of marine and land broad space and develop a whole new economic geography characteristics.

 

目前在欧亚大陆桥上至少有8个班列来往于中国与欧洲之间，2014年年底启程的义新欧班列，从中国著名的小商品市场义乌通向西班牙马德里， 全程13000公里，行程21天，穿越中国西部与哈萨克斯坦和俄罗斯及欧洲全境，是世界上货运列车行驶的最长距离。

At present, there are at least 8 block trains travelling between China and Europe on the Eurasia Land Bridge. The Yixinou block train setting out at the end of 2014 passes from China famous small commodity market Yiwu to Spain Madrid. The whole journey is 13000 kilometers, travelling 21 days. It passes through Western China, Kazakhstan, Russia and Europe whole territory, which is the longest distance of the world freight train.

 

 

在一带一路全新的地理版图中，中国的高铁技术成了一张响亮的名片，中国高铁从20世纪90年代开始规划高速铁路网，打造出足以角逐全球市场的中国自主品牌。印尼雅万高铁刚刚奠基开工不久，这是中国高铁从技术标准、勘察设计、工程施工、装备制造、物资供应，到运营管理、人才培训等全方位整体“走出去”的第一单项目，具有里程碑式的意义。

In the Belt and Road wholly new geography layout, China High-speed Rail technology became a resounding visiting card. China High-speed Rail started to plan High-speed Railway network from the 1990's and has created the China self-owned brand that is sufficient to compete in global market. Indonesia Yawan High-speed Rail just laid a foundation and started construction, which is the first program that China High-speed Rail “walks out” comprehensively from technical standard, survey and design, engineering construction, equipment manufacturing, material supply to operations management and talent training, etc. and has landmark meaning.

 

 

在道路的连通中，遥远的路途变得便捷，亚欧大陆的一些天然阻隔将会不断消失。 时空千年，多变浮沉，漫漫古道，绵延至今不衰。一带一路宣示了亚洲和欧洲曾经的辉煌，也揭示了创造辉煌的规律，来自丝路贸易的历史与现实特征是其历久弥新的魅力所在。中国与世界的发展已经共同迈入了丝路新时代。

In the road connection, remote route becomes convenient. Some natural barrier between Asia and Europe continents will constantly disappear. Over thousands of years of ups and downs, the long ancient road stretches till now. The Belt and Road declares the past glory of the Asia and Europe and also reveals the rule of creating glory. The historic and reality characteristics coming from the Silk Road Trade is its enduring charm. The development of China and world has stepped into the new Silk Road era together.