參考翻譯

　　Advances in motive power were for a long while the main way in which progress and national competition in technology were measured.First at sea,then on the railways,then on the roads,in the air and finally in space,more and more rapid movement was seen as an carefree good and also,in some vague way,as a key to a fuller understanding of the world.

　　唐朝時期，人們就在昌南建造窯坊(kiln),燒制出一種青白瓷(bluish white porcelain)。青白瓷色彩晶瑩，有“人造玉器”的美稱，因而遠近聞名，并大量出口歐洲。當時，歐洲人還不會制造瓷器，因此中國特別是昌南鎮的瓷器很受歡迎。 在歐洲，昌南鎮瓷器是備受珍愛的貴重物品，人們以能獲得一件昌南鎮瓷器為榮。因此，歐洲人就以“昌南”作為瓷器和生產瓷器的“中國”的代稱。久而久之，歐洲人就把昌南的本意忘卻了，只記得它是“瓷器”，即“中國”了。

　　【參考翻譯】

　　In the Tang Dynasty, people started to build kilns tomake bluish white porcelain in Changnan. The bluishwhite porcelain was glittering and had thereputation of artificial jade, so it became famoushome and abroad and was exported to Europe inlarge amount. At that time, Europeans were not able to make porcelain,so porcelain fromChina，especially from Changnan，was warmly welcomed. In Europe，porcelain from Changnanwas luxurious article cherished by everyone, and obtaining even one piece of it would makepeople feel very proud. In this way，Europeans used Changnan as the code name for china(porcelain) and the place of its production，China. Gradually, Europeans forgot the originalmeaning of Changnan，only remembering it is “china”，namely“China”.

　　【詞匯解析】

　　1.燒制出一種青白瓷:可譯為make bluish whiteporcelain， 燒制可譯為 make，“青白色的”可譯為bluishwhite。

　　2.色彩晶螢:可譯為glittering,意為“閃閃發光的”。

　　3.遠近聞名:可譯為be famous home and abroad。

　　4.以…為榮:即be proud of,文中譯為…make people feelproud。

　　5.久而久之:理解為“逐漸地”，可用gradually來表達。

　　6.只記得它是瓷器:根據前后句，本句可譯為only remembering it is “china”, 用現在分詞作狀語來表達。