中国城记:南京和世界紧紧相连

　　“In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue” is how the children’s nursery rhyme begins. However, more than 90 years before the Nina, the Pi?ta and the Santa Maria, a Chinese Muslim eunuch born in poverty ascended the ranks of the great naval powerhouse of the Ming Dynasty. His name was Zheng He and his skills as an ambassador and navigator helped to spread the glory of the Ming Dynasty over much of the known world.

　　“1492年，哥伦布在蓝色海洋上乘风破浪”，这成为孩子们童谣的开头曲。然而，远在哥伦布驾驶的三条船“尼娜、平塔和圣玛丽亚”之前，早于其87年的公元1405年，有一位中国人，就已率领庞大的240多艘海船、27800名船员组成的船队远航西洋。他的名字叫郑和，是中国明朝的宦官，他出生于贫困家庭，却登上了世界航海的最高地位。他作为大使和航海家的才能，进一步展现了明朝的辉煌。

　　Zheng He was born in the southwestern province of Yunnan but is forever associated with the great capital of Nanjing. It was the third Ming Emperor Zhu Di who found favor with Zheng and recognized his intelligence and diplomatic skills. This respect from the imperial throne solidified Zheng a place in Chinese history and contributed to one of the greatest periods of exploration.

　　郑和出生于云南省的西南部，少时在皇子朱棣身边长大，后跟随朱棣南征北战，并为朱棣成为大明朝第三位皇帝建立功勋。所以，郑和深得朱棣的信任和赏识。来自帝王的尊重，巩固了郑和在当时的政治地位，加上他的杰出才智和外交技能，开创了中国最伟大的航海探索时期。郑和，把南京和世界紧紧相连起来。