内容简介
MarcoPolosetoffonhistravelsfromVeniceasayoungmanin1271,andreturnedhomein1295afterspending24yearsaway,17oftheminChina.Heisoneofthefewearlyadventurerswhosenamenearlyeveryoneknows.Hisbookwasoneofthebest-lovedworksoftheMiddleAges,andhasremainedpopulareversince.AtatimewhenChinaisagainassumingglobalimportance,hisaccountofChinaundertheMongolemperorKhubilaiKhan-thedazzlinglysplendidcapitalinBeijing,thegreatsouthernmetropolisofHangzhou-isaclassicreminderoftheantiquityofChinesepowerandcivilization.MarcoPoloalsoportrayscountriesandcitiesallalongthetraderoutefromtheMediterraneantoMongolia.HeremindsusthatIraq'spresentsufferingisnotuniquebyrelatingthestoryoftheattackonBaghdadbyMongolforcesin1258.HeconveysthedauntingprospectofthedesertsofcentralAsiaandthedistantcharmsofYunnan.AndheremindsusofthehugemerchantshipsdominatingChina'stradewithforeigncountries,shipsthatfaroutstrippedtheirEuropeancounterparts.HeevenwritesaboutJapan,thefirstEuropeantodoso.Hisbookwasoftenthoughtofasabookofmarvels,butoneofitsstrikingfeaturestoacontemporaryreaderisitsclarity,realismandtolerance.Asthisneweditionshows,hesometimesexaggerates,buthisreputationformakingthingsupisquiteunfair,asColinThubronmakesclearinhisintroduction.TheoriginalmanuscriptofMarcoPolo'sbookislost,andinthemanylaterversionsnamesandotherdetailshavebecomesogarbledthatithasbeensaidthathisitinerariesareimpossibletofollow.Thisnew"Everyman"editionshowsthisneednotbeso.Itexplainsclearlyallthereferencesinthebook,andshowsindetailwithnewmapstheroutesdescribedfromVenicetoBeijing,fromBeijingtoBurma,andfromBeijingtosouth-eastChina.Italsoprovidesanup-to-datehistoryofthebookandthecontroversiessurroundingit.