中國古代科技zhōngguógǔdàikējì

ScienceandTechnologyofAncientChina指南針

zhǐnánzhēnTheCompass

在指南針發明以前，人們在茫茫大海上航行，只能靠太陽和星星的位置辨認方向，如果遇上陰雨天，就會迷失方向。是中國人發明的指南針，幫助人們解決了這個難題。zàizhǐnánzhēnfāmíngyǐqián,rénmēnzàimángmángdàhǎishànghángxíng,zhǐnéngkàotàiyánghéxīngxīngdewèizhìbiànrènfangxiàng,rúguǒyùshàngyīnyǔtiān,jiùhuìmíshīfangxiàng.shìzhōngguórénfāmíngdezhǐnánzhēn,bāngzhùrénměnjiějuélezhègènántí.Beforethecompasswasin-vented,mostpeopleidentifiedthedirectionatsea,onlydependinguponthepositionofthesunandstars.Ifitwascloudyorrainy,peoplewouldlosethedirectioninthisway.Itwasthecompass,inventedbytheChinesepeople,thatsolvedthisproblem.

指南針是指示方向的儀器。早在戰國時期，中國人就發現了磁石指示南北的特性，并根據這種特性制成了指示方向的儀器——司南。司南由一把光滑的磁勺和刻有方位的銅盤組成，勺把指示的方向是南方，勺頭指示的方向是北方。zhǐnánzhēnshìzhǐshìfangxiàngdeyíqì.zǎozàizhànguóshíqī,zhōngguórénjiùfāxiànlecíshízhǐshìnánběidetèxìng,bìnggēnjùzhèzhǒngtèxìngzhìchénglezhǐshìfangxiàngdeyíqì–sīnán.sīnányóuyībǎguānghuádecísháohékèyǒufangwèidetóngpánzǔchéng,sháobǎzhǐshìdefangxiàngshìnánfāng,sháotóuzhǐshìdefangxiàngshìběifāng.Thecompassistheinstrumentusedforindicatingdirection.AsearlyastheWarringStatesPeriod(475BC-221BC),theChinesediscoveredthatamagnetcouldbeappliedtoindicatethesouthorthenorth,andadirection-indicatinginstrumentsinanwasmadeonthebasisofthisfeature.Theinstrumentcomprisedasmoothmagneticspoonandacopperplatecarvedwithdirections;thehandleofthespoonpointedsouth,andtheheadnorth.到了宋代，人們把經過人工磁化的指南針和方位盤結合起來，制成了“羅盤”。有了羅盤，無論在什么情況下，人們都能準確地辨認方向了。dàolesongdài,rénmēnbǎjīngguòréngōngcíhuàdezhǐnánzhēnhéfangwèipánjiéhéqǐlái,zhìchéngleluópán.yǒuleluópán,wúlùnzàishénmēqíngkuàngxià,rénmēndōunéngzhǔnquèdebiànrènfāngxiàngle.IntheSongDynasty,peoplecombinedanartificiallymagnetizedcompasswithanazimuthplatetocreateapropercompasscalledluopan,which,inanycases,couldtellsailorstheaccuratedirection.

北宋時，指南針已開始應用于航海事業。南宋時，指南針經由阿拉伯傳到歐洲，當時的阿拉伯人親切地稱指南針為“水手之眼”。běisòngshí,zhǐnánzhēnyǐkāishǐyìngyòngyúhanghǎishìyè.nánsòngshí,zhǐnánzhēnjīngyóuālābóchuándàoōuzhōu,dāngshídeālābórénqīnqièdechēngzhǐnánzhēnwéi“shuǐshǒuzhīyǎn”.IntheNorthernSongDynasty(960-1127),thecompasswasbeingappliedtonavigation.IntheSouthernSongDynasty,theinstrumentwasintroducedtoEuropeviaArabia,andArabsatthattimecalleditaffectionately“theEyesofSailor”.

指南針的發明，給航海事業帶來了劃時代的影響，世界航運史也由此翻開了新的一頁。明朝初期鄭和率領船隊七下西洋，15世紀哥倫布發現新大陸和麥哲倫環繞地球航行等壯舉，都是指南針用于航海事業的成果。zhǐnánzhēndefāmíng,gěihánghǎishìyèdàiláilehuàshídàideyǐngxiǎng,shìjièhángyùnshìyèyóucǐfānkāilěxīndeyíyè.míngcháochūqīzhènghéshuàilǐngchuánduìqīxiàxīyáng,shíwǔshìjìgēlúnbùfāxiànxīndàlùhémàizhélúnhuánràodìqiúhángxíngděngzhuàngjǔ,dōushìzhǐnnánzhēnyòngyúhánghǎishìyèdechéngguǒ.Theinventionofthecompasshadanepoch-makinginfluenceonnavigation,therebyopeningupanewerainthehistoryofinternationalnavigation.ZhengHe'sfleetsmadesevenvoyagesacrossseastoSoutheastAsiaandaroundIndianOceanintheearlyMingDynasty,ChristopherColum