新托福TPO17阅读原文及译文(一)
发布时间：2023-02-03 10:55:00
www.ylongedu.com新托福TPO17阅读原文(一：Europe'sEarlySeaTradewithAsiaTPO17-1：Europe'sEarlySeaTradewithAsiaInthefourteenthcentury,anumberofpoliticaldevelopmentscutEurope'soverlandtraderoutestosouthernandeasternAsia,withwhichEuropehadhadimportantandhighlyprofitablecommercialtiessincethetwelfthcentury.Thisdevelopment,comingasitdidwhenthebottomhadfallenoutoftheEuropeaneconomy,providedanimpetustoalong-helddesiretosecuredirectrelationswiththeEastbyestablishingaseatrade.Widelyreported,ifsomewhatdistrusted,accountsbyfigureslikethefamoustravelerfromVenice,MarcoPolo,ofthewillingnessofpeopleinChinatotradewithEuropeansandoftheimmensityofthewealthtobegainedbysuchcontactmadetheideairresistible.Possibilitiesfortradeseemedpromising,butnohopeexistedformaintainingthetraditionalroutesoverlandAnewwayhadtobefound.Thechiefproblemwastechnological:HowweretheEuropeanstoreachtheEast?Europe'smaritimetraditionhaddevelopedinthecontextofeasilynavigableseas—theMediterranean,theBaltic,and,toalesserextent,theNorthSeabetweenEnglandandtheContinent—notofvastoceans.Newtypesofshipswereneeded,newmethodsoffindingone'sway,newtechniquesforfinancingsovastascheme.ThesheerscaleoftheinvestmentittooktobegincommercialexpansionatseareflectstheimmensityoftheprofitsthatsuchEast-WesttradecouldcreateSpiceswerethemostsought-aftercommodities.SpicesnotonlydramaticallyimprovedthetasteoftheEuropeandietbutalsowereusedtomanufactureperfumesandcertainmedicines.Butevenhigh-pricedcommoditieslikespiceshadtobetransportedinlargebulkinordertojustifytheexpenseandtroubleofsailingaroundtheAfricancontinentallthewaytoIndiaandChina.TheprincipalseagoingshipusedthroughouttheMiddleAgeswasthegalley,along,lowshipfittedwithsailsbutdrivenprimarilybyoars.Thelargestgalleyshadasmanyas50oarsmenSincetheyhadrelativelyshallowhulls,theywereunstablewhen
www.ylongedu.comdrivenbysailorwhenonroughwater:hencetheywereunsuitableforthevoyagetotheEast.EveniftheyhuggedtheAfricancoastline,theyhadlittlechanceofsurvivingacrossingoftheIndianOcean.Shortlyafter1400,shipbuildersbegandevelopinganewtypeofvesselproperlydesignedtooperateinrough,openwater:thecaravel.Ithadawideranddeeperhullthanthegalleyandhencecouldcarrymorecargo:increasedstabilitymadeitpossibletoaddmultiplemastsandsails.Inthelargestcaravels,twomainmastsheldlargesquaresailsthatprovidedthebulkofthethrustdrivingtheshipforward,whileasmallerforwardmastheldatriangular-shapedsail,calledalateensail,whichcouldbemovedintoavarietyofpositionstomaneuvertheship.Theastrolabehadlongbeentheprimaryinstrumentfornavigation,havingbeenintroducedintheeleventhcentury.ItoperatedbymeasuringtheheightoftheSunandthefixedstars:bycalculatingtheanglescreatedbythesepoints,itdeterminedthedegreeoflatitudeatwhichonestood(Theproblemofdetermininglongitude,though,wasnotsolveduntiltheeighteenthcentury.Bytheearlythirteenthcentury.WesternEuropeanshadalsodevelopedandputintousethemagneticcompass,whichhelpedwhencloudsobliteratedboththeSunandthestars.Alsobeginninginthethirteenthcentury,therewerenewmapsrefinedbyprecisecalculationsandthereportsofsailorsthatmadeitpossibletotraceone'spathwithreasonableaccuracy.Certaininstitutionalandpracticalnormshadbecomeestablishedaswell.AmaritimecodeknownastheConsulateoftheSea,which 