书目

Marco Polo Travels[马可波罗游记]

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.

作者简介

PeterHarrisisSeniorFellowoftheAsianStudiesInstituteatVictoriaUniversityofWellington,NewZealand.HeisthetranslatorandeditorofZhouDaguan's'ARecordofCambodia'andhaseditedZenPoemsintheEveryman'sLibraryPocketPoetsseries.ColinThubronisthefinesttravelwritercurrentlywritinginEnglish.HisBehindtheWall(1988)wonboththeHawthorndenPrizeandThomasCookTravelBookAward.HismostrecentbookShadowoftheSilkRoad(2006)isanaccountofhisepic7,000-milejourneyrevisitingtheterrainofhisBehindtheWallandTheLostHeartofAsia.

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