18. 丝绸之路

The Silk Road is one of the greatest and most important trade routes. It is the overland route that connects China and Europe, the East and the West. The Silk Road began in the 2nd century BCE when Han Emperor gave Zhang Qian the diplomatic missions of visiting the Western regions. The Silk Road was largely scattered and very few merchants ever crossed the whole route. Most of the areas along the road were rugged or with hostile forces, which made the route quite dangerous. Therefore, the supply of silk and other goods was often limited.

丝绸之路（the Silk Road）是世界上最伟大、最重要的贸易通路之一。它是连接中国和欧洲、东方和西方的陆路通道。丝绸之路始于公元前2世纪，汉高祖（Han Emperor）派遣张骞出使西域的时期。丝绸之路极其分散，很少有商人走过整个道路。大部分地区地形崎岖或有敌对势力的存在，使得丝绸之路非常危险。因此丝绸和其他商品的供应经常受到限制。