2023年了，我们为什么仍需要马可·波罗？

在交通纵横的21世纪，“条条大路通罗马”的俗语早已成为现实。从北京直飞罗马大约需要12个小时，如果你搭乘火车继续向北，只需三个小时就能抵达水城威尼斯。

It takes roughly 12 hours to fly directly from Beijing to Rome. If you'd travel northward to Venice, an extra three-hour railway trip would be enough.

得益于现代交通的便利，今天的我们很难想象，马可·波罗在13世纪完成的从家乡威尼斯到汗八里城（今北京）艰巨的跨欧亚之旅，为什么会被视为传奇，甚至是一种奇迹。此番远行，交通工具的匮乏是最小的阻碍，更多需要面对的危险在前路接踵而至：恶劣天气、王国纷争、语言障碍、战火纷飞……

Tapping into the convenience of modern transport, one can hardly imagine why it could be called marvel, or even a miracle, when Marco Polo completed his arduous Trans-Eurasian journey from his hometown Venice to Khanbaliq (now Beijing) in the 13th century when lack of transport was the minimal obstacle. More dangers were yet to come: acute weathers, partitions of kingdoms, language barriers and warfare…

He was remembered not only for his trailblazing journey, but more as the first European to leave a detailed description about China, even though it was not deemed as significant as it should have been at his living time.

It is believed that Polo got himself a disapproving nickname "Marco Milione" after he came back to his hometown because people found his stories about the East to be filled with extravagance.

当时，这些威尼斯同胞对他的故事无动于衷或漠不关心，某种程度上来说也是可以理解的。13世纪时，威尼斯把持着从欧洲通向小亚细亚的海上贸易路线，整个城市的威望达到了顶峰。威尼斯商人声名在外，有一种说法是，在欧洲人已知的世界版图里，只要有人的地方，就会有威尼斯商人。马可·波罗的家族便是威尼斯商人的一员。

Somehow it makes sense why his fellow Venetians stayed untouched or indifferent to his stories. Back in the 13th century, the Venetian city pride was at its peak for its maritime trade prowess. The Venetian merchants - which the Polo family was a part of - got their reputation for dominance over maritime trade routes connecting Europe and Asia Minor.

So when a 13th-century Venetian read or heard about an unknown city called Kinsai that was hailed as "la citta celeste piu bella e piu splendida del mondo" (the finest and most splendid city in the world), what reaction would you expect other than disbelief or ridicule?

“行在”便是如今的中国杭州，因其富饶美丽、管理有序和商贸繁盛，在《马可·波罗游记》 中占据了最多的篇幅笔墨。

Kinsai is present day Hangzhou and occupied the most pages in "The Travels of Marco Polo" for its opulence, orderly governance and commercial success.

Centuries later, things have changed while remaining yet unchanged.

在马可·波罗生活的时代——中世纪晚期，欧洲对于以外的世界几乎一无所知；而今，旅行者们能够轻而易举获取有关中国的信息，再加上便捷的现代交通，旅行难度大大降低。

Ordinary travelers don't have to go through the same torture as Polo did. Unlike Polo, a man born in the Middle Ages when ignorance about the world outside Europe was predominant, nowadays people have easy access to information about China.

但即使是在21世纪，很多西方民众依然会像他们的祖先在中世纪所做的那样，对未知的世界妄下定论、充满误解。在信息时代，有媒体的歪曲抹黑报道以及爱煽风点火的政客的加持，这种误解往往能飞速传播、不断放大。

But even in the 21st century, people, as their ancestors did in the Middle Ages, tend to jump to easy conclusions, which are often misconceptions, in terms of things and places they don't fully understand. Even worse, this kind of misconception can be magnified with the help of fabricated media reports, smear campaigns and attention-seeking politicians. In this era we need people like Marco Polo more than ever before.

People who are brave enough to step out of their comfort zone and see a different world;

People willing to share what they've seen, heard and felt;

People who can overcome prejudice and see and tell the truth.

To celebrate such bravery, courage and open minds, China Daily website has launched a video series about three Italians who've come a long way to re-discover the modern China.

他们身份各异——网红博主、艺术家和企业家。

他们是21世纪的“马可·波罗”。

They are an influencer, artist and entrepreneur.

They are the "Marco Polos" in 21st century.

《马可·波罗游记》在它问世的年代并未引起多大反响，但有价值的东西早晚会被发现，在大航海时代，游记成为以哥伦布为首的航海家们的重要灵感。今天，我们幸运地希冀着，关于21世纪马可·波罗的故事能够在当代被听见、被记录、被传播。

Unlike the 13th-century Polo, whose story didn't quite impress his contemporaries but was rediscovered at the Age of Discovery and was believed to have inspired explorers like Christopher Columbus, the 21st-century Marco Polo's travels will be heard and spread.

记者：赵思远 陈昕钰

推 荐 阅 读

江歌妈妈首场直播带货，销售额超百万

比咖啡还提神？补氧神器热销，医生提醒