Zhang Qian(?——114 B. C.)，born in Chenggu(present-day Chenggu county，Shaanxi Province)，was a famous explorer and imperial diplomat¹ during the period referred to as the Western Han Dynasty.

张骞（?~前114)，西汉成固(今陕西城固)人，汉武帝时期著名的探险家、外交家。

双语阅读之中国历史名人:张骞

In 139 B. C.，Zhang Qian was dispatched by Emperor Wudi to the Western Regions to seek a military alliance with the Greater Yuezhi (modern Tajikistan)，with the intent to execute a cooperative attack against the Xiongnu tribes. It took Zhang Qian 13 years to reach the Gui River where the people of the Greater Yuezhi lived.

公元前139年，汉武帝与大月氏相约联合夹攻匈奴，派张骞西去联络。张骞抵达大月氏所居妫水(今中亚阿姆河), 13年已经过去了。

On route he was captured twice by the Xiongnu and detained for over ten years. During his detention² he married a Xiongnu woman and with her had a son，but his loyalty³ to the Han emperor never wavered.

张骞两次被匈奴扣留民达十多年，还娶妻生子，但他一直“持汉节不失”。

When Zhang Qian finally reached the Yuezhi lands，he found that the population too satisfied by their status and would not wage a war against the Xiongnu.

张寒最终抵达大月氏时，他发现当地的居民安于现状，无心与匈奴作战。

Although the main objective of his expedition⁴ was not achieved，he documented the cultures and lifestyles of the peoples of the Western Regions，and for the first time，the Chinese emperor was informed about India，the Middle East and even some European countries.

尽管此次出使西域的主要目的并未完成，但是张骞充分了解了西域各地的风土人情，第一次给中国皇帝带回一了关于印度、中东以及欧洲诸国的消息。

In 123 B. C.，Zhang Qian followed General Wei Qing in a major military raid against the Xiongnu. His guidance led to a number of victories，which succeeded in ending the harassment⁵ by the Xiongnu of the Han Dynasty. Zhang Qian was therefore conferred the title of Marquis of Bowang.

公元前123年，张骞随大将军卫青出征匈奴，在他的引导下，平息了多年来北方匈奴对汉王朝的骚扰，张骞因此被封为博望侯。

In 119 B. C.，he led a second expedition to the Western Regions and returned triumphantly⁶ with western envoys⁷ four years later. Zhang Qian's unprecedented⁸ expeditions heralded⁹ the establishment of the “Silk Road"，which fostered the commercial and cultural exchanges between the East and the West.

公元前119年，张骞再次出使西域。4年后，张骞带着乌孙等国几十名使者回到长安(今西安)，完成了通西域的空前壮举。张骞经过的路线，大体也就是著名的古代中西商业与文化交流通道 “丝绸之路”。