Zheng He: From Captive to Admiral (Part 1)

HSK 3 · 390 characters · Zheng He

A boy taken from Yunnan by an army rises to command the greatest fleet the world had ever seen.

六liù百bǎi多年duō nián前qián，郑和zhèng hé出生chū shēng在zài云南yún nán，那时nà shí他的tā de名字míng zi叫jiào马和mǎ hé。More than six hundred years ago, Zheng He was born in Yunnan — back then his name was Ma He.他的tā de父亲fù qīn去qù过guò很远hěn yuǎn很远hěn yuǎn的de地方dì fāng，常常cháng cháng给gěi孩子们hái zi men讲jiǎng大海dà hǎi和hé远方yuǎn fāng的de故事gù shì。His father had traveled to places far, far away, and often told the children stories of the sea and distant lands.马和mǎ hé听得tīng de入rù了le迷mí，心里xīn li想xiǎng：“大海dà hǎi到底dào dǐ是shì什么shén me样子yàng zi的de？”Ma He listened, fascinated, and wondered: "What is the sea really like?"

可是kě shì，他tā十shí岁suì那年nà nián，战争zhàn zhēng来了lái le：明朝míng cháo的de军队jūn duì打dǎ到了dào liǎo云南yún nán。But the year he turned ten, war came: the army of the Ming dynasty fought its way into Yunnan.马和mǎ hé被bèi军队jūn duì抓走zhuā zǒu了le，成了chéng le一yī名míng太监tài jiàn。Ma He was taken away by the army and made a eunuch.他tā失去shī qù了le家jiā，离开lí kāi了le父母fù mǔ，可是kě shì他tā没有méi yǒu失去shī qù勇气yǒng qì。He lost his home and was separated from his parents — but he did not lose his courage.

后来hòu lái，他tā被bèi送到sòng dào一位yī wèi王子wáng zǐ的de身边shēn biān做事zuò shì，这位zhè wèi王子wáng zǐ叫jiào朱棣zhū dì。Later, he was sent to serve at the side of a prince — a prince named Zhu Di.朱棣zhū dì很快hěn kuài就jiù发现fā xiàn，这个zhè ge年轻人nián qīng rén又yòu聪明cōng ming又yòu勇敢yǒng gǎn。Zhu Di soon discovered that this young man was both clever and brave.打仗dǎ zhàng的de时候shí hou，马和mǎ hé总是zǒng shì想xiǎng得de比bǐ别人bié ren快kuài，也yě比bǐ别人bié ren更gèng不怕bù pà危险wēi xiǎn。In battle, Ma He always thought faster than everyone else, and feared danger less.

朱棣zhū dì打dǎ了le几年jǐ nián仗zhàng，最后zuì hòu当上dāng shang了le皇帝huáng dì。Zhu Di fought for several years, and in the end he became emperor.皇帝huáng dì没有méi yǒu忘记wàng jì这个zhè ge勇敢yǒng gǎn的de年轻人nián qīng rén：他tā给gěi马和mǎ hé起qǐ了le一个yī ge新xīn名字míng zi，叫jiào郑和zhèng hé。The emperor did not forget this brave young man: he gave Ma He a new name — Zheng He.

一天yī tiān，皇帝huáng dì对duì郑和zhèng hé说shuō：“我要wǒ yào建jiàn一支yī zhī世界上shì jiè shàng最zuì大dà的de船队chuán duì，我要wǒ yào你nǐ带着dài zhe它tā，去qù看看kàn kan大海dà hǎi的de那nà一边yī biān。”One day, the emperor said to Zheng He: "I am going to build the greatest fleet in the world, and I want you to take it and see what lies beyond the sea."

一yī四sì零líng五wǔ年nián，郑和zhèng hé的de舰队jiàn duì出发chū fā了le：两liǎng百bǎi多duō条tiáo大船dà chuán，两liǎng万wàn七qī千qiān多duō人rén。In 1405, Zheng He's fleet set sail: more than two hundred great ships and more than twenty-seven thousand men.人们rén men从来没有cóng lái méi yǒu见过jiàn guò这么zhè me大dà的de木船mù chuán，也yě从来没有cóng lái méi yǒu见过jiàn guò这么zhè me大dà的de船队chuán duì。No one had ever seen wooden ships so large, or a fleet so vast.中国人zhōng guó rén把bǎ这次zhè cì伟大wěi dà的de航海háng hǎi叫做jiào zuò“下西洋xià xī yáng”。The Chinese called this great voyage "sailing the Western Seas."

站在zhàn zài最zuì大dà的de那nà条tiáo船chuán上shàng，郑和zhèng hé看着kàn zhe大海dà hǎi，想起xiǎng qǐ了le小时候xiǎo shí hou听tīng过guò的de故事gù shì。Standing on the largest ship, Zheng He looked out at the sea and remembered the stories he had heard as a child.那个nà ge十shí岁suì就jiù失去shī qù一切yī qiè的de孩子hái zi，现在xiàn zài带着dài zhe世界上shì jiè shàng最zuì大dà的de船队chuán duì，向着xiàng zhe大海dà hǎi出发chū fā了le。The boy who had lost everything at ten was now leading the largest fleet in the world, setting out toward the open sea.