By 21ST
Issue No. 195
Published on 2005-10-10
Posted on 2005-10-11

百年古船"哥德堡号"重返中国。 (鼠标右键选“目标另存为”下载此文件) SHE was an old friend to the Chinese, and she was made in Sweden. In the 18th century, a big wooden sailing ship called the Gotheborg travelled a long distance to trade with China. Through her three journeys, "the Silk Road of the Sea" between China and Sweden was made and the two peoples began to learn more about each other. Now, 260 years later, the Gotheborg is on her way to China again. A replica (复制品) of the ship set sail on October 2 from Gothenburg in Sweden. It is pieced together mostly by hand with the techniques used to build the original boat that sank in 1745. Representing its importance to the country during the 18th century, the Gotheborg is a Swedish national symbol for culture, trade and industry. Thousands of Swedish people lined the harbour and sent their best wishes to the replica ship. She will follow the same route as she did in the 18th century, a journey of about 70,000 kilometres. After calling at (停靠) several foreign ports, she plans to reach Guangzhou in July and Shanghai in August next year. Then she will start her homeward journey from Hong Kong, in December 2006. "My crew (全体船员) are all excited about this historical journey," said Gunnar Silfverberg-Utgaard, the captain. "The ship can't sail to windward (迎风), so we have to follow the winds and currents, just as sailing ships did in previous centuries." The ship also carries modern equipment like a global positioning system (全球定位系统). HELP piece together: 拼，拼接 line v. 排成行 previous adj. 以前的 diver n. 潜水员 Like her forerunner (先驱), the ship is full of Sweden artworks and products for trade and cultural exchange with her visiting ports. Her voyage is also part of the celebrations for the 55th anniversary of diplomatic (外交的) relationships between China and Sweden. China has promised the warmest possible welcome when the ship reaches Chinese ports. A guide ship for the Gotheborg is being built in Guangzhou. The original Gotheborg operated by the Swedish East India Company had several years of successful service on Asian trade routes. But in 1745 during her return voyage, the ship struck an underwater rock and sank with all her cargo (货物) just outside her home port of Gothenburg. In 1985 a diver found the wreck (残骸) and an excavation (挖掘) began. Millions of tons of Chinese goods were taken out of the water; tea, silk and china. People were very surprised to find they were in such good condition. The tea still tasted good even though hundreds of years had passed. Test yourself 翻译下列句子： 1.这艘船主要通过手工拼接而成，完全采用1745年的沉船所用的技术。(piece together) 2. 她将沿着18世纪时的路线行驶。(route) 3. 广州正在为"歌德堡"建一艘导航船。(build) 4. 尽管历经了几百年，那些茶叶味道却很好。(even though) Keys 1. It is pieced together mostly by hand with the techniques used to build the original boat that sank in 1745. 2. She will follow the same route as she did in the 18th century. 3. A guide ship for the Gotheborg is being built in Guangzhou. 4. The tea still tasted good even though hundreds of years had passed.