【大紀元4月30日訊】早在15世紀20年代，中國明朝的遠洋船隊就到過澳大利亞海岸。在漫長的歲月中，許多中國人漂洋過海，陸續來到澳大利亞這片古老的「南方大陸」。他們把中華文化帶到這裡，同當地人民和睦相處，為澳洲經濟、社會和多元文化發展起到很大作用。
Back in the 1420’s, the expeditionary Fleets of China’s Ming Dynasty reached the Australian shoreline. For centuries, the Chinese sailed across vast seas and settled down in what they called the “Southern Land”, or today’s Australia. They brought Chinese culture to this land and lived harmoniously with the local people, contributing their proud share to Australia’ s economy, society and its thriving pluralistic culture.
歷史上，1405年至1433年間，中國的遠洋航行先後七次渡過中國海、印度洋，航程遍及世界各大洋，中國的「寶船」 先後到過各大洲，其中也包括澳洲。這遠比公認的英國人庫克船長發現澳洲大陸早了300年。
In fact, in the extraordinary historic years between 1405 and 1433, seven magnificent epic expeditions are said to have brought China’s “treasure ships” across the China Seas and the Indian Ocean, chartering much of the world, including Australia. This was over three hundred years before the Englishman Captain Cook, was credited with Australia’s discovery.
美國布朗大學英語與藝術歷史教授蘭都（George P. Landow）研究發現，當年有人提出定論，認為庫克船長發現了澳洲大陸時，英國海軍部航海圖處處長代倫堡船長（Captain Dalrymple） 持強烈的反對意見：「當年如果沒有海軍部的航海圖在手，庫克幾乎不可能發現澳洲！」許多學者也紛紛指出，早在9世紀一直有中國人不斷到澳洲開採銅礦。經過15世紀的中國遠洋航行，中國人最終繪製出了庫克當年使用的航海圖。
According to the Professor of English and Art History, George P. Landow from Brown University USA, at the time that Captain Cook was credited with the discovery of Australia, Captain Dalrymple, head of the Map Department at the British Admiralty raised a serious objection: “Cook could hardly have discovered Australia since he had in hand Admiralty maps already depicting that continent!” In fact, many scholars suggest that the Chinese regularly journeyed to Australia as early as the ninth century to mine copper, and fifteenth-century Chinese voyages of exploration led directly to the maps Cook used.
英國退役潛艇兵孟席斯（Gavin Menzies）在《1421年：中國發現世界》一書中詳細的重新詮釋了影響深遠的這段歷史。他蒐集了中世紀的古地圖、手稿、航海知識及植物佐證，在來自世界各地的學者組成的研究項目組的共同努力下，孟席斯提出大膽的設想：首先發現澳洲大陸的是中國人。
Gavin Menzies, a retired British sub-mariner, has laid out this far-reaching major reinterpretation of history in the book “1421: The Year China Discovered the World”. Using a mixture of medieval maps, manuscripts, maritime knowledge and botanical evidence, and combining a whole team of interested researchers from across the globe, Menzies poses the assumption that it was the Chinese, not Europeans who discovered Australia.
中國官方記載也證實鄭和的船隊在15世紀20年代曾到過澳洲大陸。在明朝皇帝朱棣的親信太監的帶領下，龐大的中國遠洋船隊出海探索世界的各個角落。他們當時不僅到過澳洲，還遠達非洲西海岸，南、北美洲的東、西海岸，甚至到過北極圈和南極洲。美國人李露曄（Louise Levathes）在《當中國稱霸海上》一書中寫到，朱棣皇帝的船隊簡直就是一個漂浮的城市：船隊擁有300多艘大船，有些船體長達400多英尺，船身由上等柚木建成，船隊共有2.8萬多名船員。這些巨大的多桅帆船建造技術高超，使用了平衡舵和舷牆船室，其技術遠遠超出歐洲數百年。
Official Chinese records affirm that Admiral Zheng He’s fleets reached Australia during the 1420’s. Under the command of Emperor Zhu Di’s loyal eunuch admirals, massive Chinese fleets ventured to the four corners of the world. Not only did they land in Australia, but they also swept up the west coast of Africa, sailed down the east and west coasts of North and South America, venturing all the way to the Arctic Circle and Antarctica. According to another related book entitled “When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433”, author Louise Levathes conveys that Emperor Zhu Di’s fantastic fleet was a virtual floating city; with over 300 ships–some measuring over 400 feet, built from the finest teak, and with combined crews of over 28,000 men. These extraordinary wooden ships were the most technically superior vessels in the world with innovations such as balanced rudders and bulwarked compartments that predated European ships by centuries.
目前，在澳洲很多地方已經發現了中國人先於歐洲人發現澳洲的證據。這些證據包括從古老的中國船隻上留下來的碎片，中國的陶器和瓷器，中國艦隊沿路留下的玉器、石頭建築、石頭平台和雕刻、採礦場，還有諸如荷花、紙莎草等原產於中國的植物。除了已發現的無數古器物之外，在零星分佈於澳洲各地土著部落的記載中，當地人將中國人稱為乘坐巨船來到澳洲的「文化英雄」。古老的土著巖洞壁畫也栩栩如生的描繪了據信到過澳洲的巨大的中國船。昆士蘭省中部偏西的土著居民至今仍在世代相傳著在多少個「黃金時代」（譯註：Dreamtimes: 澳大利亞土著文化中,著名的黃金時代。）以前，非常顯眼的黃種人從南方來，尋找他們在北方的家園。
Evidence of Chinese landings dated prior to the time of European discovery have been found in a number of places here in Australia. Some of the evidence includes pieces of debris from ancient Chinese boats, Chinese porcelain and ceramics, Jade found in the wake of the Chinese fleet, stone buildings, stone platforms and carvings, mining operations, as well as plant life found to be indigenous to China, such as the lotus and papyrus. In addition to numerous artifacts that have been discovered, there are also several accounts from various aboriginal tribes from different parts of the country who referred to Chinese people as being ‘cultural heroes’ who came to Australia in great vessels. Ancient aboriginal cave drawings depict the enormous Chinese vessels that are said to have reached Australian shores. Aboriginals in the far west of central Queensland still tell of how many “dreamtimes” ago, distinctive yellow men came from the south looking for their homeland in the north.
據說，關於神秘的「南方大陸」的簡單傳說很早就出現在中華歷史中。這片「南方大陸」可以在中華古老的地圖中得到驗證，那裏面勾畫出了澳洲海岸的輪廓。按照中國古人的想法，古老的南方大陸是一片廣袤的土地，富產黃金和其他稀有礦產。有意思的是，在現代社會，當19世紀50年代中國報紙登出澳洲的淘金熱時，非常多的中國人選擇到這廣闊的大陸去開闢新天地。
A belief of a mysterious “land to the south” is said to have existed since very early Chinese history. This ‘land to the south’ can be verified by ancient maps, which display Australia’s basic coastal outline. According to ancient thought, the great land in the south was a vast continent, which was said to be plentiful in gold and other precious minerals. Coincidentally, in our modern times, when news of ‘gold strikes in Australia’ appeared in Chinese newspapers in the 1850’s there were large numbers of Chinese who chose to try their luck in this vast southern land.
中國人在明朝偉大的探險時代走遍了半個地球，如果不是由於後來的變故，那時的中國人也許會環遊全球了。當遠洋船隊返回中國後，明帝朱棣已然體衰勢危，中國也開始走上閉關鎖國的道路。隨後繼任的歷代皇帝嚴禁任何航海計劃，停止建造或修補遠洋船隻，最終導致大部份關於這些偉大的航海記錄被藏匿或銷毀。
Half the world was in China’s grasp during this great exploratory time of the Ming Dynasty, and the rest could easily have been fully circumnavigated; yet when these great fleets returned, Emperor Zhu Di lost control and instead China at the time took an about face and turned its sights inward. Succeeding emperors forbade new voyages and stopped all building and repair of ocean vessels and finally, most of the records of the triumphs of these remarkable expeditions were hidden or destroyed.
也許，中國偉大的航海發現所留下的考古遺蹟會在將來的某一天被人們所認知。對於新的發現，人們往往需要經過一段時間才會接受。那麼，這些新發現也許還要經過更多年的辯論之後，才能真正改變現在教科書中的說法。
Perhaps the remaining archaeological evidence of China’s extraordinary voyage of discovery will be brought more fully to light eventually. As new findings generally take some time to be accepted, they might be further debated for many more years to come before any changes are finally made to our present day textbooks.@
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