新大陆发现之前中国与美洲交流的可行性分析

Feasibility Analysis of Exchanges Between China and America Before the Discovery of the New World

中国与南、北美洲之间各有一条岛链相连,岛屿之间距离大都不过几十公里,伴随着通往美洲的洋流和风带,古代帆船航行约3个月即可到达。从《后汉书》始中国就有对南太平洋波利尼西亚的记载。波利尼西亚人至少在13世纪就已东渡美洲并成功引进美洲作物,而在14—15世纪美洲主要作物也开始在中国方志、本草等书籍中大量出现。故美洲主要作物或许并不是在新大陆发现后传入中国,而是至迟在14世纪通过波利尼西亚就已传入,在新大陆发现之前中国与美洲交流存在可行性。

China and South and North Americas have two island chains connecting each other,the distance between whichis only tens of kilometers.Accompanied by the ocean currents and windsto the Americas,ancient sailing boats could travel there about three months. ＂History of the Later Han Dynasty＂ has a record of the South Pacific Polynesia.At least in the 13 th century Polynesians traveled to Americas and successfully introduced American crops,and in the 14 th-15 th century the main crops of Americas began to appear in Chinese local chronicles,materia medica and other books.Therefore,the main crops in Americas may be introduced into China before the discovery of the New World not later than the 14 th century through Polynesians.This shows that there was feasibility of exchanges between China and Americas before the discovery of the New World.