时间：2022-10-22 07:34:33
Marco Polo was a boy of seventeen. Once, his father and uncle had just returned to their family in Venice after a long journey. They talked about strange and beautiful lands in the East. They brought back gold and jewels.
Soon, the Polo brothers asked him to take a trip with them to the East. So it was how Marco Polo's journey be- gan. During three years of traveling to the Far East, he saw sights that were almost unbelievable to a boy. He met people who had strange ways of living. Some spoke languages that he did not understand. At last they reached China. This was in the year 1275. The emperor made a great feast in honor of the Polos and asked Marco to live in his court. Marco Polo learned to read, write and speak new languages.
Onee the emperor sent him to distant western and southern part of his empire. Marco Polo was given many soldiers and servants for his journey.
Marco saw paper made by the Chinese. People in China had also discovered how to print on paper; they had many books and even used paper money! They burned little black rocks for heat later called coal.
After three years, he wrote a book about his travels, which most people in Europe did not believe. But many years later the world knew that this man had discovered a great Eastern country.
马可波罗十七岁的时候，有一次，他爸爸和叔叔长途旅行后，回到威尼斯。他们向家人讲述了在东方那片神奇美丽的土地上的见闻，还带回了黄金和珠宝首饰。
不久，波罗弟兄们央求父亲也带他们去东方看看，马可波罗就这样开始了他的东方之旅。他们用了三年的时间才抵达远东。旅途所见几乎令人难以置信，他目睹了当地人奇异的生活方式，听到了很多陌生的语言。最终于1275年来到了中国。中国的皇帝盛宴款待波罗一家，并让马可住在皇宫里。马可波罗学会了新的语言，学会了读书、写字。
有一次，皇帝派马可波罗去中国遥远的西部和南部考察，还派了很多士兵和随从和他一同前往。
马可波罗在中国看到了中国人的造纸文化，还看到中国人已经发现了如何用纸印刷，他们印了很多书，甚至还用上了纸币。中国人烧一种黑色的小石块取暖，后来这种岩石被称作煤。
三年后，马可波罗根据他的旅行经历写了一本书。很多欧洲人看后，并不相信他的话，但多年之后，世界终于认可马可波罗确实发现了一个伟大的东方之国。