中英雙語話歷史 第38期:漢朝(對外關係)
During the period of the Eastern Han, transmarine transport expanded, which led to a close relation with other countries.
The Han court received a Japanese goodwill envoy in 57 to whom Emperor Guangwu gave a seal inscribed with a title of honor.
建武中元二年（57)，倭國派使臣來贈送方物,劉秀賜以印綬。Later, Han iron and bronze wares and silk goods found their way to Japan.
此後東漢的鐵器、銅器和絲織品便源源不斷地輸往倭國。
It is said that in 64, Mingdi sent his official Cai Yin to Central Asia to learn more about Buddhism after a vision of a golden figure appeared to him in a dream, who a minister told him was Buddha.
相傳,漢明帝在夢裏見到一個金人，大臣告訴他那是佛。於是公元64年，明帝遣郎中蔡愔等出使天竺（印度）求其道。In 67, Cai Yin returned and brought back with him not only the images of Buddha and Buddhist scriptures but also two Buddhist monks Kasyapamatanga and Dharmaranya, who came to Luoyang at the invitation of the Han emissary, which marked the beginning of the spread of Buddhism in China. Emperor Ming ordered the White Horse Monastery built in their honor and asked them to translate Buddhist sutras into Chinese.
蔡愔於公元67年回洛陽，帶來佛像和一些佛經，並邀請沙門攝摩騰和竺法蘭一起回國。次年，明帝在洛陽建白馬寺,供攝摩騰、竺法蘭居住,並翻譯《四十二章經》，爲中土佛教之始。They were followed by the Parthian monk An Shigao, who came to China in 148 and stayed for more than years.
公元148年帕提亞僧人安世高來到中國,居住了20年。He became a well-known translator, rendering into Chinese 95 Buddhist works comprising 115 juan during his stay.
在此期間，他翻譯了115卷95部佛經，成爲著名的譯者。During the reign of Emperor Zhang and Emperor He, with China’s prosperity came another attempt at westward expansion.
章帝、和帝時，國力強盛，朝廷意圖向西拓展疆域。In 73, for the purpose of building good relationship with western region tribes, a military officer, Ban Chao, younger brother of Ban Gu, went westward on a diplomatic mission with a delegation of thirty-six men.
公元73年，爲建立與西域各國的友好關係，班超（班固的弟弟）帶領36名軍士,奉命出使西域。He finally made those desert tribes tributaries of the Eastern Han Empire, which ensured the long peace and smoothness along the Silk Road.
他成功說服各國向東漢稱臣，確保了絲綢之路的安全暢通。Furthermore, Ban Chao once remained in the Western Regions for 31 years, suppressing rebellions and establishing diplomatic relations with over 50 states there.
班固在西域長達31年之久，不但多次鎮壓叛亂，還與50多個國家建立了外交關係。In 97, the Eastern Han court dispatched an emissary, Gan Ying to Daqin(the Roman Empire).
公元97年，東漢朝廷派甘英出使大秦（羅馬帝國）。He traveled westward, passing Tiaozhi(modern Iraq) and Anxi (modern Iran), and finally arrived at the west border of Anxi (the Persian Gulf), but returned without crossing the gh failed to reach Daqin, he brought home a wealth of information about west Asia.
甘英西經條支（今伊拉克）、安息（今伊朗）諸國，至安息西界（波斯灣），未過海而還，帶回了大量有關西亞地區的信息。As the most famous envoy after Zhang Qian, Gan Ying made great contribution to open a route connecting Asia with Europe.
甘英是繼張騫之後到達西亞的使節，爲開闢歐亞通道做出了重要貢獻。
