由沧水入黑水——明代册封船往返琉球国的海上经历

From the Dark Blue Water(沧水) to the Black Water( 黑水) : Sea-going Experience of the Conferring Ships(册封船) to Ryukyu Kingdom during the Ming dynasty

明朝派出钦差册封使前往琉球国,封船从闽海出发,由大陆架海域进入到东海边缘的深海之上,此即古人所云"由沧水入黑水"之途。在五批册封使的笔下,册封使团不断改进封船船体结构以适应海洋航行特点,募集海上航行经验丰富的水手尤其是舵手,遵行前人的探索足迹,吸收前人的宝贵经验,最终还要在暴风雨袭击中经受住最惨烈的考验和心理震荡。海洋环境史研究的迷人之处似乎在于,以承载数百人的封船倾覆大海之厄运或者死里逃生的侥幸结果来验证乘船人与海洋风暴搏击下的最后命运,可以体验帆船时代人的智慧和勇气,由此得以催生的多篇《使琉球录》文献因而愈显精彩。

The Ming Dynasty's conferring ships to Ryukyu kingdom started from the water of Fujian,following the continental shelf to enter the deep sea on fringe of the East China Sea( 东海),which was called From the Dark blue water( 沧 水) to the Black water( 黑 水) by the ancients.According to the reports of five Sapposhi( 册封使),the structure of conferring ships was updated continuously to fit the sailing on sea,experienced sailors and in especial veteran helmsmen were recruited,predecessors' experience was explored and followed,and they also endured the most terrible ordeal and mental shock in rainstorm. The charm of researching the history of marine environment,is by reviewing the boaters' destiny of either misfortune on the sea or escaped with bare life,to represent the wisdom and courage of people in Sailing age. With this perspective,the Ryukyu Records( 《使琉球录》) appears more splendid.