马可波罗来到中国之后，看到了很多来自西域的东西，而且这些东西已经渗透到了我们生活的方方面面，比如我们平常说的“第一把交椅”中的“交椅”，就是丝绸之路带过来的。

　　After his arrival in China, Marco Polo found that many foreign elements had penetrated into every aspect of Chinese people’s lives. For example, the jiaoyi chair (a folding chair) mentioned in the phase “first jiaoyi chair (at a higher position)” was taken to China via the Silk Road.

　　在这里，您可以看到两个凳子。左边这个马扎，很可能就是东汉时期，从西域传进来的胡床。在胡床上加上靠背，就变成了右边的交椅。胡床的传入极大地改变了中国人的日常生活，因为在这之前，中国人都是坐在地上或者跪在地上的，胡床传入之后，我们才逐渐离开了地面，坐到高脚的家具上。交椅大量出现的时间呢，是在宋朝，可能还是身份和地位的象征。所以，谁要是能坐上“第一把交椅”，谁就是身份地位最高的人。

　　Here are two stools. The folding stool on the left is probably huchuang that came to China from the Western Regions during the Eastern Han Dynasty. By adding a backrest to the huchuang, it became a jiaoyi chair on the right. The introduction of the huchuang greatly changed the lives of the Chinese people. After its introduction, we Chinese gradually abandoned our tradition of sitting or kneeling on the ground and embraced a new lifestyle of sitting on leg-high chairs. The jiaoyi started to be produced in large numbers during the Song Dynasty and perhaps served to symbolize identity and status, that is to say, the person who sat on the “first jiaoyi chair” is sitting at a higher position, literally and figuratively.

　　除了可以坐到椅子，马可波罗还能听到西域的音乐。因为很多乐器也随着丝绸之路进入了中国，其中最典型的就是左边展板上的琵琶了。

　　In addition to being able to sit in a chair, Marco Polo might also have had the chance to appreciate music from the Western Regions, as many foreign instruments also entered China via the Silk Road, which is best exemplified by the pipa shown in the left display panel.

　　琵琶这两个字，原来不是乐器的名字，而是弹奏的手法，琵是右手往前弹，琶是右手往后挑。后来才成为了一种的乐器的专称呼。我们现在所说的琵琶，是汉代传入我国的，在唐朝的时候，琵琶是应用最广泛的宫廷乐器之一。在古代，琵琶还通过中国，流传到了日本、朝鲜、越南等地区，在现代，琵琶依然有“中国民族乐器之王”的美称，可以说，琵琶是所有西域传入的乐器中，影响最广泛、最深远的乐器之一。

　　The word pipa originally referred to a technique of playing an instrument. Pi is to pluck a string forward with the right hand, and pa is to pluck a string backward with the right hand. It was not until later that it became an established name for a musical instrument. The pipa was introduced into China during the Han Dynasty and became one of the most widely used instruments in Tang Dynasty courts. In ancient times, the pipa was exported to Japan, North Korea, Vietnam, and more regions through China. Today, the pipa still enjoys the title King of National Musical Instruments of China. It can be said that the pipa is one of the most influential and far-reaching musical instruments among all instruments introduced to China.

　　除了琵琶，马可波罗还能听到唢呐、箜篌、胡笛等乐器的声音，这些乐器都是从西域流传进来的。

　　Besides the pipa, Marco Polo might also have heard music produced by other instruments introduced from the Western Regions, such as the suona horn, konghou, and hu flute.

　　接下来我们去下一个单元，看看马可波罗来到中国之后，都能见识到哪些影响世界的中国商品。

　　Now, let’s move on to the next unit to find out what Chinese commodities influenced the world Marco Polo saw during his stay in China.