来到这里，我们可以看到中西方造船方式的不同，西方采用的方式叫“船壳优先”，我们中国则喜欢“骨架优先”。这两种方式有什么区别呢？这么说吧，一艘船就像一个人，每条船最下方的中间部位，有一条类似于人的脊柱的大木条，叫做龙骨。龙骨两侧，都有类似于人的肋骨的横梁。龙骨和横梁，就构成了整艘船的骨架，剩下的船板，就是船的船壳。西方人造船，有了龙骨之后，喜欢先做船壳，再上横梁，所以是”船壳优先“，我们中国则喜欢先做横梁，完成一艘船的骨架，再做船壳，所以是”骨架优先“。骨架优先的方式，更有利于制作大型的船只。
Here, we might see differences between Chinese and foreign shipbuilding methods. The foreign method is called hull first while China preferred constructing the frame first. What are the differences between these two? Let me put it this way. A ship is like a person. In the middle of the hull bottom exists a large batten called a keel, a structure similar to human spine. On either side of the keel are beams that resemble human ribs. The keel and beams together form a ship’s frame and the remaining plates constitute the hull. Foreigners were inclined to build the hull first after the keel, and then mount the beams, so it is called the hull first method. China preferred to build the frame first, and then construct the hull, so it is called frame first. The frame-first method is more conducive to building large ships.
除了骨架优先之外，中国的船上还有一项黑科技，叫做水密隔舱。您可以来右边的展板上看一看这种技术。什么叫水密隔舱呢？简单说，就是把一个大船舱用木板分隔成很多个小隔舱，这样一来，万一船体漏水的时候，最多也就漏进一个小船舱，整个船是不会沉的。水密隔舱的技术早在唐朝就已经广泛使用了，但国外直到18世纪末才开始应用。
In addition to frame first, Chinese ships also applied a fascinating technology called watertight bulkhead, which is demonstrated in the right panel. What is watertight bulkhead exactly? To put it simply, it divides a large cabin into many small compartments with planks. This technology prevents the ship from sinking as water can only leak into one compartment in the event of a hull leak. Watertight bulkhead technology was widely used in China as early as in the Tang Dynasty and was not applied abroad until the end of the 18th century.
船是造好了，但是茫茫大海，一望无际，航海的人怎么知道如何去西方呢？我们去左边看看海上的天文导航技术。
Now that the ship is built, how do we navigate across the seas to Europe? Let’s go left and observe ancient celestial navigation technology.
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