Chang'an，now called Xi'an，was the capital city ofthe Tang Dynasty. During the Tang Dynasty,Chang'an was nearly eleven times as large as today'sXi'an，and was a metropolis with an internationalreputation. The streets and residences of Chang'anwere designed like a chessboard, with neat and well-proportioned layout of the east and west.Lots of streets and avenues inside the city were over100 meters wide.Chang'an was also the cultural center of China at that time，with rich andcolorful entertainment activities such as music，dancing,cock fighting，etc.Many students fromJapan and Korea came to study in Chang'an，and merchants from Central Asia went along theSilk Road to gather there.Among the population of about one million in Chang'an，there weremore than 10,000 foreign households.

　　自隋朝起,封建政府開(kāi)始從科舉考試(imperialexamination)合格的應(yīng)試者中選拔官員。參加科舉考試的人有兩種:一種由學(xué)館選送的學(xué)生構(gòu)成,叫做生徒 (shengtu);另一種叫做鄉(xiāng)貢(xianggong),由縣試合格者構(gòu)成。唐朝的科舉考試一般由禮部(Ministry of Rites)主持。考生考取后,再經(jīng)吏部(Ministry of Personnel)復(fù)試,根據(jù)成績(jī)授予相應(yīng)的官職。科舉制度一直被多朝沿用,直到中國(guó)最后一個(gè)封建王朝—清朝。然而,明清時(shí)期,科舉制度演變成嚴(yán)格、呆板的制度,阻礙了中國(guó)考試制度的現(xiàn)代化和科學(xué)化發(fā)展。

　　Since the Sui Dynasty,the feudal government startedto select officials from the qualified candidates inthe imperial examinations.There were two kinds ofpeople taking the imperial examination.One wascomprised of students chosen by academies, whowere called shengtu; the other kind,called xianggong, was made up of those who had passedthe examinations held by counties.The imperial examination in the Tang Dynasty was usuallyheld by the Ministry of Rites.Those who passed the examination would be re-examined by theMinistry of Personnel and be conferred with relevant official positions according to theirexamination results.The imperial examination system was used throughout many dynastiesuntil China's last imperial dynasty,the Qing Dynasty.However, during the Ming and QingDynasties,the imperial examination system became a strict and rigid institution whichstopped China from adopting modern and scientific methods.

　　明朝(the Ming Dynasty)初期,中國(guó)是世界上最發(fā)達(dá)的國(guó)家之一。為了弘揚(yáng)國(guó)力、加強(qiáng)與其他各國(guó)的聯(lián)系,明成祖多次派遣鄭和出使西洋。1405年,鄭和開(kāi)始了第一次航行。他的艦隊(duì)由200多艘船構(gòu)成,所載人數(shù)超過(guò)2萬(wàn)人,包括水手、軍人、技術(shù)人員、譯員等,還有大量黃金和絲綢,用于交易和作為禮品。往返用了兩年時(shí)間。鄭和出使的一些國(guó)家隨船派遣使者(envoy),并帶來(lái)向明朝進(jìn)貢的貢品(tribute)。鄭和下西洋是世界航海史上的一大壯舉(feat)。今天,東南亞仍有很多紀(jì)念鄭和的建筑。

　　In the early Ming Dynasty, China was one of the most developed countries in the world.In order to transmit its national power and strengthen contacts with other countries,Emperor Chengzu sent Zheng He to the Western Ocean many times.In 1405,Zheng He embarked on his first voyage.His fleet was composed of more than 200 ships and carried over 20,000 men,including sailors,soldiers,technical personnel,interpreters etc.,and large amounts of gold and silk to be used for trade and as gifts.The round trip took two years.Some of the countries Zheng He visited dispatched envoys bearing tributes to the Ming court on his ships.Zheng He's voyages were a great feat in the world's navigation history.Today,there are still many buildings in Southeast Asia dedicated to his memory.