四大发明 · The Four Great Inventions

造纸术、zàozhǐ shù印刷术、yìnshuā shù火药huǒyào和hé指南针,zhǐnánzhēn被bèi称为chēng wéi中国Zhōngguó"四大sì dà发明"。fāmíng

Papermaking, printing, gunpowder, and the compass are called China's "Four Great Inventions."

这些zhèxiē发明fāmíng不仅bùjǐn深shēn刻kè地de改变gǎibiàn了le中国,Zhōngguó也yě改变gǎibiàn了le世界。shìjiè

These inventions deeply changed not only China but also the world.

东汉Dōng Hàn的de蔡伦Cài Lún改进gǎijìn了le造纸术,zàozhǐ shù使shǐ书写shūxiě变得biànde廉价liánjià普及。pǔjí

Cai Lun improved papermaking in the Eastern Han, making writing cheap and widespread.

毕昇Bì Shēng的de活字huózì印刷yìnshuā则zé进一步jìn yí bù加速jiāsù了le知识zhīshi的de传播。chuánbō

Bi Sheng's movable-type printing further accelerated the spread of knowledge.

火药huǒyào最初zuìchū是shì炼丹术liàndān shù的de副产品,fù chǎnpǐn后来hòulái彻底chèdǐ改变gǎibiàn了le战争zhànzhēng的de形态。xíngtài

Gunpowder, originally a byproduct of alchemy, eventually transformed warfare.

指南针zhǐnánzhēn让ràng远yuǎn洋yáng航海hánghǎi成为chéng wéi可能。kěnéng

The compass made long-distance ocean navigation possible.

如果rúguǒ没有méiyǒu这些zhèxiē发明,fāmíng世界shìjiè史shǐ将jiāng完全wánquán不同。bùtóng

Without these inventions, world history would be completely different.

在zài纸zhǐ出现chūxiàn以前,yǐqián中国人Zhōngguó rén在zài竹简上zhújiǎn shàng写字。xiě zì

Before paper appeared, Chinese people wrote on bamboo slips.

一部书yí bù shū可能kěnéng要yào用yòng几十斤重jǐshí jīn zhòng的de竹片。zhúpiàn

A single book might take tens of catties' weight of bamboo strips.

据说jùshuō秦始皇Qín Shǐhuáng每天měitiān要yào看kàn一百二十斤yì bǎi èrshí jīn的de奏章。zòuzhāng

The First Emperor is said to have read a hundred and twenty catties of memorials daily.

蔡伦Cài Lún用yòng树皮、shùpí麻布mábù和hé渔网yúwǎng造出zào chū了le便宜piányi的de纸。zhǐ

Cai Lun made cheap paper out of bark, hemp cloth and fishing nets.

从此cóngcǐ知识zhīshi不再bú zài只zhǐ属于shǔyú贵族。guìzú

From then on, knowledge no longer belonged to the aristocracy alone.

毕昇Bì Shēng的de活字huózì是shì用yòng胶泥jiāoní做zuò的,de一个字yí ge zì一个印。yí ge yìn

Bi Sheng's movable type was made of clay, one character to a piece.

排好版pái hǎo bǎn印完yìn wán以后,yǐhòu字zì还hái可以kěyǐ拆下来chāi xiàlái再用。zài yòng

Once the page was set and printed, the characters could be taken apart and used again.

火药huǒyào本来běnlái是shì道士dàoshi炼liàn长生不老药chángshēng bù lǎo yào时shí发现fāxiàn的。de

Gunpowder was originally found by Daoists brewing an elixir of immortality.

他们tāmen想xiǎng求qiú长生,chángshēng却què造出zào chū了le最zuì致命zhìmìng的de东西。dōngxi

They sought long life and produced the deadliest thing of all.

指南针zhǐnánzhēn最早zuì zǎo叫jiào司南,sīnán样子yàngzi像xiàng一把yì bǎ勺子。sháozi

The earliest compass was called the sinan and looked like a spoon.

这四样zhè sì yàng东西dōngxi传到chuán dào欧洲Ōuzhōu后,hòu推动tuīdòng了le那里nàlǐ的de巨大jùdà变革。biàngé

After these four things reached Europe, they drove enormous change there.