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2020年精编外研版英语资料MarcoPoloIn1260,thebrothersandVenetianmerchantsNiccoloandMatteoPolotraveledeastfromEurope.In1265,theyarrivedatKaifeng,thecapitalofKublaiKhan's(alsoknownastheGreatKhan)MongolEmpire.In1269,thebrothersreturnedtoEuropewitharequestfromKhanforthePopetosendonehundredmissionariestotheMongolEmpire,supposedlytohelpconverttheMongolstoChristianity.TheKhan'smessagewasultimatelyrelayedtothePopebuthedidnotsendtherequestedmissionaries.UponarrivinginVenice,Nicolodiscoveredthathiswifehaddied,leavingthecareofason,Marco(bornin1254andthusfifteenyearsold),inhishands.In1271,thetwobrothersandMarcobegantotrekeastwardandin1275mettheGreatKhan.KhanlikedtheyouthfulMarcoandconscriptedhimintoservicefortheEmpire.Marcoservedinseveralhigh-levelgovernmentpositions,includingasambassadorandasthegovernorofthecityofYangzhou.WhiletheGreatKhanenjoyedhavingthePolosashissubjectsanddiplomats,KhaneventuallyconsentedtoallowthemtoleavetheEmpire,aslongastheywouldescortaprincesswhowasscheduledtowedaPersianking.ThethreePoloslefttheEmpirein1292withtheprincess,afleetoffourteenlargeboats,and600otherpassengersfromaportinsouthernChina.ThearmadasailedthroughIndonesiatoSriLankaandIndiaandontoitsfinaldestinationattheStraitofHormuzinthePersianGulf.Supposedly,onlyeighteenpeoplesurvivedfromtheoriginal600,includingthePrincesswhocouldnotwedherintendedfianceebecausehehaddied,soshemarriedhissoninstead.ThethreePolosreturnedtoVeniceandMarcojoinedthearmytofightagainstthecity-stateofGenoa.Hewascapturedin1298andimprisonedinGenoa.Whileinprisonfortwoyears,hedictatedanaccountofhistravelstoafellowprisonernamedRustichello.Shortlythereafter,TheTravelsofMarcoPolowaspublishedinFrench.ThoughPolo'sbookexaggeratesplacesandcultures(andsomescholarsbelieveheneverwentasfareastasChinabutonlydescribedplacesothertravelershadbeento),hisbookwaswidelypublished,translatedintomanylanguages,andthousandsofcopieswereprinted.Polo'sbookincludesfancifulaccountsofmenwithtailsandcannibalsseemtobearoundeverycorner.ThebookissomewhatageographyofAsianprovinces.ItisdividedintochapterscoveringspecificregionsandPolodelvesintothepolitics,agriculture,militarypower,economy,sexualpractices,burialsystem,andreligionsofeacharea.PolobroughttheideasofpapercurrencyandcoaltoEurope.Healsoincludedsecond-handreportsofareasthathehadnotvisited,suchasJapanandMadagascar.AtypicalpassagefromTravelsreads:ConcerningtheIslandofNicobarWhenyouleavetheislandofJavaandthekingdomofLambri,yousailnorthaboutonehundredandfiftymiles,andthenyoucometotwoislands,oneofwhichiscalledNicobar.Onthisislandtheyhavenokingorchief,butlivelikebeasts.Theygoallnaked,bothmenandwomen,anddonotusetheslightestcoveringofanykind.Theyareidolaters.Theydecoratetheirhouseswithlongpiecesofsilk,whichtheyhangfromrodsasanornament,regardingitaswewouldpearls,gems,silver,orgold.Thewoodsarefilledwithvaluableplantsandtrees,includingcloves,brazil,andcoconuts.ThereisnothingelseworthrelatingsowewillgoontotheislandofAndaman...TheinfluenceofMarcoPoloongeographicexplorationwasenormousandhewasalsoamajorinfluenceonChristopherColumbus.ColumbusownedacopyofTravelsandmadeannotationsinthemargins.AsPoloneareddeathin1324,hewasaskedtorecantwhathehadwrittenandsimplysaidthathehadnoteventoldhalfofwhathehadwitnessed.Despitethefactthatmanyclaimhisbooktobeunreliable,itwasasortofregionalgeographyofAsiaforcenturies.Eventoday,hisbookmuststandamongthegreatrecordsofgeographicexploration.