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Prized encyclopedia to be studied at home
and abroad
《永乐大典》的前世今生，你了解多少
扫码听讲解
文章导读
《永乐大典》是中国古代规模最大的类书，被称为“世界有史以来最大的
百科全书”，是中华文化的重要符号与璀璨瑰宝。但明末以后，《永乐大典》
屡遭厄运。直至今日，《永乐大典》仍散逸在全球各地，每一残叶甚至留白
纸都被收藏机构视若珍宝，其价值已然无法用具体价格数字来衡量。2021年
5月国家图书馆《永乐大典》研究中心成立，旨在联系组织国内外专家学者，
对《永乐大典》进行更全面、更深入的研究，展示推广其具有当代价值、世
界意义的文化精髓。《永乐大典》究竟有什么独到之处？又应该怎样向西方
世界用英文介绍这部国宝级百科全书呢？我们一起走进今天的China Daily。
课前讨论
① “大部头书”可以怎么说？
② 怎样表达“以文治天下”？
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China Daily精读专题｜30个中国文化故事
文章讲解
Prized encyclopedia to be studied at home and abroad
重 点 单 词 prized [pra zd] adj. （只 重 点 词 组 at home （尤用于报刊
用在名词前）珍贵的；宝贵的 【释】 新闻）在本国；在国内【释】(used
[only before noun] very valuable to sb especially in JOURNALISM) in sb's
【例】I lost some of my most prized own country, not in a foreign country
possessions in the fire. 在这场大火中， 【例】The politician is not as popular
我失去了一些最宝贵的物品。 at home as he is abroad. 这位政治人物
在国内不如在国外受欢迎。
译
国宝级百科全书引国内外研究者关注
Little remains of the original edition of Yongle Dadian, an encyclopedia
completed in 1408 after being commissioned by Emperor Yongle during the
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
重 点 单 词 remain [ r me n] v . 重 点 单 词 commission [k 'm n] v.
(formal) 1) 剩余；遗留；继续存在 正式委托（谱写或制作、创作、完成）
【例】There were only ten minutes 【释】to officially ask sb to write,
remaining. 只剩下十分钟了。2) 仍 make or create sth or to do a task for
需去做（或说、处理）【例】Much you 【例】She has been commissioned
remains to be done. 还有很多事要去 to write a new national anthem. 她已接
做。 受谱写新国歌的委托。
长 难 句 分 析 Little (主语) remains (谓语) of the original edition of Yongle
Dadian (介宾结构), an encyclopedia (同位语，补充说明Yongle Dadian)
completed in 1408 (过去分词短语作后置定语，修饰an encyclopedia) after
being commissioned by Emperor Yongle during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
(时间状语)
译
《永乐大典》最初的副本至今已然所剩无几。这是一本百科全书，受明永乐大帝之命编纂，
成书于1408年。
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China Daily精读专题｜30个中国文化故事
However, from what is left of the handwritten tome, which is also known as the
Yongle Encyclopedia, it is not difficult to imagine just how impressive it was.
重 点 单 词 tome [t m] n. [c]（尤指理论性的）大部头书，巨著【释】
(formal) a large heavy book, especially one dealing with a serious topic【例】a
weighty tome 一本沉甸甸的大部头书。
译
然而，哪怕是从《永乐大典》这部手书巨著仅存的残卷中，我们也不难想象它昔日的光
辉。
The encyclopedia not only charts the emperor's ambitions, but acts as a
reference work for culture and knowledge in China.
重 点 单 词 chart [t ɑ:t] v. 记录，跟踪（进展或发展） 【例】The exhibition
charts the history of the palace. 展览记载了这座王宫的历史。n. 图表；海图；
（唱片销售量的）排行榜
拓展延伸：【图表类】表达
bar chart 条形图 pie chart 饼图 flow chart 流程图 weather chart 气象图
重 点 词 组 reference work 工具书
译
这部百科全书不仅彰显了永乐大帝的宏图壮志，同时它也为人们了解中国的文化知识提
供了参考。
On May 31, the National Library of China in Beijing announced that the Yongle
Encyclopedia Research Center would be established on its premises. The center
will promote comprehensive studies of the encyclopedia by teaming up with
other institutions in China and overseas.
重 点 单 词 premise [ prem s] n. premises [plural 复数]（商店、餐馆、公司等
使用的）房屋及土地 【例1】Schools may earn extra money by renting out their
premises. 学校通过出租房屋场地可以获取额外收入。【例2】business
premises 企业经营场所
拓展延伸：1) off the premises 【例】The manager escorted him off the premises.
2) on the premises 【例】The wonderful desserts are made on the premises.
重 点 词 组 team up (with sb) 合作；（与某人）结成一队
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China Daily精读专题｜30个中国文化故事
译
（2021年）5月31日，位于北京的中国国家图书馆宣布在馆内设立《永乐大典》研究中心。
该中心将促进国内外相关机构一起合作，对《永乐大典》进行更为全面的研究。
Although the work is generally referred to as an "encyclopedia" in the English-
speaking world, Yongle Dadian is different from modern encyclopedias that
provide summarized introductions of items.
重 点 单 词 encyclopedias 重 点 单 词 summarize [ s m ra z]
[ensa kl 'pi:d z] encyclopedia复数。 v. 总结；概括；概述 【例】The
百科全书 【例】People underestimate results of the research are summarized
the power of encyclopedias.人们低估 at the end of the chapter. 在这一章末尾
百科全书的力量. 对研究结果作了总结。
译
在英语国家，《永乐大典》普遍被称为一本“百科全书”。百科全书一般会为其囊括的
类目提供概括性介绍。然而，《永乐大典》却与现代意义上的百科全书有所不同。
It was known as leishu ("category book"). In this type of reference work,
lengthy citations or entire works, rather than excerpts, are often included and
categorized based on themes and the pronunciation of key words.
重 点 单 词 lengthy [ le θi] adj. 重 点 单 词 citation [sa te n] n. [c]
很长的；漫长的；冗长的 【例】 引语；引文；引述 【例】The essay
lengthy delays 多次长时间拖延 begins with a citation from 'Hamlet'. 这
重 点 单 词 excerpt [ek s pt] n. 篇文章引用了《哈姆雷特》中的一句
[c] 摘录；节选；（音乐、电影的） 话作为开头。
片段 【例】[+ of/from] An excerpt
拓展延伸：cite v. 引用；引述；援引
of the speech appeared in the 【例】The pa ssa ge cited a bove is fr om a
Sunday paper. 演讲的节选刊登在 Robert Frost poem. 以上引用的文字出自罗伯
周日的报上。 特·弗罗斯特的一首诗。
译
它其实是一本类书（辑录各门类或某一门类的资料）。这类工具书一般包括较长的引文
或是整篇著作，而非仅是选段。内容通常根据主题和关键词的读音进行分类。
More than 600 leishu works were compiled in ancient China, the oldest of
them dating to the 3rd century. Some 200 survive either intact or partially.
Yongle Dadian is the largest-scale leishu compiled, and is also generally
considered one of the biggest paper-based reference books in history.
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China Daily精读专题｜30个中国文化故事
重 点 单 词 compile [k m'pa l] v. 重 点 单 词 i n t a c t [ n t k t ] [ n o t
编写（书、列表、报告等）；编 usually before noun] adj. 完好无损；完
纂 【例】We are trying to compile 整 【例】Most of the house remains
a list of suitable people for the job. intact even after two hundred years. 虽然
我们在努力编制一份适合做这项 过了两百年，这房子的大部分还保持
工作的人员的名单。 完好。
重 点 单 词 date [de t] v. 确定年 重 点 单 词 p a r t ia lly [ pɑ li]
代 【例】The skeleton has been adv. 部分地；不完全地 【释】
dated at about 2000 BC. 这骨架的 partly; not completely 【例】The
年代为公元前 2000 年左右。 road was partially blocked by a
拓展延伸：date back (to...) / date from... 追 fallen tree. 倒下的一棵树挡住了部
溯到；始于；自......至今 分道路。
拓展延伸：par tia lly V.S. par tly 辨析：同：均指部分 【例】The road is par tly/par tia lly
finished. 道路完工了一部分。
异：① partly尤用以说明原因，其后常跟 because或due to；【例】I didn't enjoy the trip very
much, partly because of the weather. 这次旅行不太愉快，有一部分原因是因为天气。② 指身
体状况时应用 partially。【例】His mother is partially blind. 他的母亲失去了部分视力。
译
古代中国共计编纂类书600余部，其中最古老的要追溯到公元三世纪。时至今日，得以完
整或部分留存的类书约有200部。《永乐大典》是规模最大的类书典籍，同时也被普遍认
为是历史上最大的纸质工具书之一。
Good and bad times.
In imperial times, Yongle Dadian was meant to be read only by emperors.
重 点 词 组 be meant to be sth 被普遍认为是【例】This restaurant is meant
to be excellent. 都说这家饭店很棒。
译
辉煌与困苦。
封建王朝时期，只有帝王才可以阅读《永乐大典》。
In 1403, Zhu Di, or Emperor Yongle, had just won a civil war and seized the
thr one from his nephew. He commissioned Xie Jin, chief of the cabinet, to
compile the encyclopedia in an attempt to appease intellectuals and academics
angry with him for starting the war. He wanted to show that he ruled the
country via culture, not the military.
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China Daily精读专题｜30个中国文化故事
重 点 单 词 seize [si z] v. （常指 重 点 单 词 throne [θr n] n. 王位；
通过暴力突然）夺取，攻占【例】 王权；帝位【例】Queen Elizabeth
They seized the airport in a surprise came/succeeded to the throne in 1952.
attack. 他们突袭攻占了机场。 伊丽莎白女王于 1952 年即位/登基。
重 点 单 词 appease [ pi z] v.1) 重 点 单 词 academic [ k 'dem k] n.
安抚；抚慰【例】The move was 高等院校教师；高校科研人员 【释】
wide ly seen a s an a t t empt t o a person who teaches and/or does
appease critics of the regime. 2) 绥 research at a university or college
靖（满足另一国的要求以避免战 拓展延伸：appeasement n. [u] 平息，安抚；
争） 绥靖 【例】a policy of appeasement 绥靖政策
译
1403年，朱棣，即永乐皇帝，刚刚取得了内战的胜利，从他侄子手中夺得了皇权。他命
令内阁要员解缙编纂一部百科全书，以平息文人学士对其发动战争的不满。他希望向世
人昭示，自己以文治天下而非用武力夺权。
Leading a team of about 100, Xie handed in a draft the following year, but the
emperor was not satisfied, because he thought that it mainly focused on ancient
classics and was not inclusive enough.
重 点 单 词 inclusive [ n klus v] 重 点 词 组 hand sth in (to sb) 提交，
adj. 包容广阔的；范围广泛的 呈交，上交（尤指书面材料或失物）
【例】The party must adopt more 【例】You must all hand in your
inclusive strategies and a broader projects by the end of next week.
vision. 拓展延伸：1) hand sth out (to sb) 分发某物
拓展延伸：1) inclusion [ n klu: n] n. [u] 【释】to give a number of things to the
（被）包括，包含【例】His inclusion in members of a group; SYN = distribute 【例】
the team is in doubt. 他是否能被选入这个 Could you hand these books out, please 请把
队还未定案。 这些书发给大家好吗？
2) exclusive [k sklu:s v] adj. （团体、社 2) handout [ h nda t]
团等）排外的；不愿接收新成员的【例】 n. [ c] （发给学生的）课堂讲义 【例】
He belongs to an exclusive club. 他参加的 Please read the handout. 请看一下发下来的
是一个不轻易吸收新会员的俱乐部。 材料。
译
解缙带领一支百人团队，于第二年呈递了一版初稿。然而皇帝并不满意，认为初稿主要
收录古代典籍，所涉范围不够广泛。
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China Daily精读专题｜30个中国文化故事
Yao Guangxiao, a monk and a political adviser to Zhu Di, took over the job as
editor-in-chief. More than 2,000 people joined the project to collect books and
write the encyclopedia by hand. Over 7,000 kinds of books were eventually
referenced in Yongle Dadian.
重 点 词 组 take over (from sb)/take sth over (from sb) : 接替；接任；接管；
接手
拓展延伸：take sth over 接收，接管（企业、公司等，尤指通过购买股份）
【例】CBS Records was taken over by Sony. 哥伦比亚广播公司的唱片公司已被索尼公司收
购。
译
后来，姚广孝担任监修，接管了这一工作。他是一位僧人，同时也是朱棣的辅政大臣。
此次的编纂队伍扩大到了两千余人。团队成员共同收集图书，并编著这部百科全书，全
程皆为手写完成。最终，《永乐大典》汇集了超过七千种图书。
For Zhu Di, the encyclopedia was a prized work.
译
于朱棣而言，这部百科全书的确是无价之宝。
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