导读:随着“一带一路”的进行，曾经辉煌的丝绸之路逐渐再次绽放光彩。对于很多人而言，沿线已经成了了解中国和旅行的目的地。
When Columbus ‘sailed the ocean blue in 1492’ he wasn’t looking for America, he was searching for a route from Spain to China; America just got in the way.
当哥伦布“于1492年在蓝色海洋上航行”时，他不是寻找美洲，而是寻找从西班牙到中国的路线；美洲只是挡住了他的去路。
The Spanish were after the riches of Asia: silk, dates, spices. Until later adventurers discovered how to sail to the Far East, trade with China depended on the Silk Road, along which merchants brought camels laden with goods from China all the way to the Mediterranean.
西班牙人追求亚洲的财富：丝绸、大枣、香料。直到后来的探险者们发现了如何航行至远东，与中国的贸易才依赖于丝绸之路，商人们沿线骑着装载从中国带来的商品返回地中海。
The trade between China and Europe generated huge wealth – hence Spain’s desire to find a new way to the East. Eventually a way emerged; as sea traffic developed from the 17th Century onwards, the overland route diminished.
中国和欧洲之间的贸易创造了巨大财富——因此，西班牙渴望找到一条通往东方的新路。终于一条路出现了；由于17世纪之后海上交通的开发，陆路消失了。
Now China is seeking to revive the Silk Road and is preparing to invest 4 trillion pound in new roads, rail links, oil pipelines and other infrastructure. It is hoped that goods can be shipped westwards by land far more quickly and economically than by sea.
现在，中国正在寻求重现丝绸之路光彩，同时准备投资4万亿英镑用于新路、铁路联系、石油管道和其他基础设施。中国希望能够通过陆地比海洋更快更经济地将商品输送至远方。
But the plan is also to attract more tourists. Actually, China does pretty well for tourists already; it’s the world’s fourth most visited country.
但是，该计划也是为了吸引更多的游客。实际上，中国早就为迎接游客做好了准备；它是世界上第四大受访国家。
Two cities – Beijing and Shanghai – dominate the tourism business, with significant interest in destinations such as Xi’an (to see the Terracotta Army) and Chengdu (for the pandas).
北京和上海在旅游业中占据主要地位，在西安（去看兵马俑）和成都（去看大熊猫）这些目的地还有重要的景点。
With a population of 1.4 billion, you would be forgiven for wondering whether China has the space for extra visitors. But it is vast (the UK is twice as densely populated as China).
中国拥有14亿人口，你要猜想它是否有为额外游客腾出空间也没事。但是中国幅员辽阔（英国是中国人口密度的二倍）。
You realise just how vast China is when you fly from Beijing (population 25 million) on a two-and-a-half-hour flight to Gansu province, which is situated towards the eastern end of the Silk Road.
当你从北京（2500万人口）坐上两个半小时的飞机去甘肃省（丝绸之路东端）时，你才会发现中国有多大。
While Beijing is slick and modern, cities such as Lanzhou and Dunhuang have one foot planted firmly in old China.
北京是富丽堂皇和现代化的，而兰州、敦煌这些城市已经深深印入了古代中国。
Laid-back Dunhuang, near the Gobi Desert, has colourful markets and a world-class museum of antiquities, but the reason most visit are the astonishing Mogao Caves, about 15 miles away.
毗邻戈壁荒漠的闲散敦煌拥有丰富多彩的市场和一个世界级的古董博物馆，但是最常参观的是令人汗颜的15英里外的莫高窟。
They are Buddhist grottoes which have survived 1,000 years of civil war, invasion and revolution. Given the language barrier and the cultural differences, the best way to see China is with a tour operator that specialises in the destination.
这是一个佛窟，他们在经历过1000年内战、侵略和革命后保留下来。考虑到语言障碍和文化差异，参观中国最好的方式是带上一名精通目的地的导游。
Other places featured include Xi’an, the former capital of China, where you can come face to face with the Terracotta Army built to protect China’s first emperor in the afterlife.
其他有特色的地方包括中国以前的首都西安，在这里，你可以面对面参观兵马俑，这是为保护中国首位皇帝的来世而建的。
From Lanzhou tour members take the train to Jiayuguan, China’s western gateway and a key location on the Silk Road. You can visit the Jiayu Fortress and walk on the western extremes of the Great Wall for views over the Gobi Desert.
旅行成员们从兰州坐火车到中国的西大门、丝绸之路重要地点嘉峪关。你可以参观嘉峪要塞，并在长城最西端行走一览戈壁荒漠的景色。
There is also a four-day coach journey along the original Silk Route through the Xinjiang region to Kashgar. Along the way, at Kurla, you can visit the ruins of the Iron Fortress.
还有沿着原丝绸之路穿过新疆到达喀什的四日长途公交旅行。在库尔勒沿线，你可以参观钢铁要塞遗迹。
