丝绸之路（The Silk Road）可以追溯到公元前二世纪，中国使者（envoy）张骞沿着这条连接亚欧两大洲的贸易通道（trade access）出使西域。这条通道源于今日的西安，一路穿越河西走廊（Hexi Corridor）、塔里木盆地（the Tarim Basin）以及西亚的港口城市，最后抵达地中海的东岸，全程7千公里。中国通过这条通道给西域各国带去了丝绸织物（silk cloth）、火药、造纸术和印刷术。同时，也从国外给我们引进了佛教（Buddhism）、伊斯兰教（Islam），以及葡萄、玻璃、香水（perfume）等产品。因为著名的中国丝绸是沿着这条通道进入西方国家的，所以欧洲学者将此通道称作“丝绸之路”。
【参考译文】
The Silk Road dates back to the second century BC, when Zhang Qian, a Chinese envoy, traveled along this trade access Road linking Asia and Europe. The route originated in present Xi’an and passed through Hexi Corridor, Tarim Basin and port cities in Western Asia, finally reaching the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, covering a distance of 7,000 km. Through this passage, China brought silk cloth, gunpowder, papermaking and printing to the western regions. At the same time, they brought us Buddhism, Islam, grapes, glass, perfume and other products from abroad. Because the famous Chinese silk came into Western along this route, European scholars called it the “Silk Road”.
