扫描关注少儿英语微信

• 味觉挑战：8大奇葩口味冰淇淋
• 提高学习效率谨记清华学霸的4条铁律
• 4种疯狂早教行为 爸妈切勿这样做
• 幼儿超前教育好吗：超前教育和早教区别
• 万万没想到：小兔兔的真爱不是胡萝卜
• 8岁澳洲女孩网上教烹饪 月入超79万

马可·波罗的真正国籍

　　马可·波罗到底是哪国人？参加开馆仪式的克罗地亚前总统梅西表示，马可波罗出生地为科尔丘拉岛，虽然当时该岛处于威尼斯公国的统治之下，但如今地属克罗地亚境内，因此马可 波罗当属克罗地亚人。

　　对此，意大利方面表示强烈不满。意大利一家报纸称克罗地亚的此番说辞是歪曲历史事实，极为“荒谬”且具“挑衅”意味。该报纸指出，19世纪意大利的复苏运动英雄加里波第出生在法国尼斯，却从未有人声称他是法国人；同时指责意大利驻华外交官员忽视了一个在中国如此知名的人物，可能会使两国商务及旅游业交往受到影响。

　　Italians have reacted with fury to an attempt by Croatia toclaim the legendary explorer Marco Polo was one of their own。

　　The outcry came after a museum dedicated to the Venetianexplorer in the Chinese city of Yangzhou was opened not by Italiandignitaries but by a former president of Croatia, StjepanMesic。

　　The exact date and place of Marco Polo's birth are unknown butmost scholars believe he came from Venice. It has been argued bysome historians, however, that he was born on the island of Korculaon the Adriatic coast, in what is today Croatia。

　　According to this theory, his father was a merchant fromDalmatia named Maffeo Pilic, who Italianised his surname to Polowhen he established himself in Venice。

　　The museum was built in Yangzhou because Marco Polo was anofficial there from 1282 to 1284. Inaugurating the museum thismonth, Mr Mesic described Marco Polo as a "world explorer, born inCroatia, who opened up China to Europe"。

　　Italy's leading broadsheet newspaper, Corriere della Sera,described the Croatian claim to Marco Polo as "ridiculous" and a"provocation"。

　　"Attributing Croatian nationality to Marco Polo or anyone elseborn on the island at that time, just because it is now part ofCroatia, is stretching historical facts too far," the papersaid。

　　It pointed out that Garibaldi, the hero of the Risorgimentomovement to unite Italy in the 19th century, was born in Nice butwas never described as French。

　　The paper criticised Italian diplomats in China for allowing"someone as incredibly famous among the Chinese as (Marco Polo) toslip through their fingers, to the possible detriment of friendlyrelations, commerce and tourism"。

本文选自ddfffff_63244的博客，点击查看原文。