陶瓷之谜第 16 课

But this situation changed forever in 1 498, 然而到了1498年情势从此改观
when the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama 这一年葡萄牙航海家迦马
succeeded in finding a sea route to the orient, 成功发现通往东方的航路
establishing direct commerce with South and East Asia. 与南亚和东亚 建立直接贸易往来

By about 1 550 the Portuguese and the Dutch 1550年左右 葡萄牙和荷兰船只
had begun to travel in the other direction... '' 便开始从另一方向航来

Dreaming of the riches of the orient, they sailed from Europe down the West coast of Africa, 向往东方财富的他们 由欧洲沿着西非海岸而下
then around the Cape of Good Hope, 绕过好望角
where they caught the scent of spices and coffee 在此嗅出贸易风中的 香料与咖啡气味
on the trade winds and followed it to India. 跟随着它一路向东航到印度

Some went on to SE Asia... 有些人到了东南亚
and the bravest sailed all the way to the exotic ports of China. 更大胆的则一路东行 直抵充满异国风味的中国海港
There they filled their cargo holds with porcelain and other treasures to import back to Europe, 他们在此将满载瓷器 和其它珍宝的船舱运回欧洲
bypassing the earlier route through Africa and the Mediterranean. 避开早期经非洲 抵地中海的航线
Putting those Italian and Arab middle-men out of business. 使意大利和阿拉伯中间商 无利可图

And the porcelain rush was on. 此时欧洲展开了瓷器热
In the sixteenth century, Portugal, Holland, England and France 16世纪的葡萄牙，荷兰 英国和法国
all fought for the right to import the marvelous Chinese porcelain. 为了争取中国瓷器的进口权而开战

But Europeans were still eating off wooden trenchers 但此时的欧洲人 还是用木盘吃饭
and the wealthy off pewter and silver plates. 有钱人家则用锡 器皿和银盘
This began to change in the early 1 7th century however, 17世纪初这种现象开始改观
as more and more Chinese porcelain was shipped directly to Europe. 越来越多的瓷器 直接进口到欧洲

Suddenly, this new luxury began to show up in the homes of the wealthy. 一夕间
新的奢侈品 开始出现在富豪人家

Statues of the Buddhist goddess guan yin became particularly popular, 观音像尤其大受欢迎
because Europeans sometime mistook her to be the Virgin Mary. 因为有些欧洲人将误认为圣母马利亚

A vogue for things Chinese - ''Chinoiserie''soon became the rage all across Europe, - a fad embodied by the royal pavilion at Brighton in England.当时中国风席卷欧洲英国 莱顿的皇家亭阁 便是个中代表