Christian Fardel and His Love for China's Ancient Navigation Culture

By Han Xiaoling

The French version ofShipbuilding History of Ancient Chinamade its debut in the Hubei Pavilion at the 26thBeijing International Book Fair (BIBF) in August 2019. It was published by L'Ancre de Marine, a French publishing house who obtained copyright from the Wuhan University of Technology Press (WUTP).

The 90-year-old Professor Xi Longfei, the author of the book and a prominent Chinese shipbuilding historian, didn't show up to the ceremony but expressed his message via a video talk. He said excitedly, “The publishing of the book will further promote international academic exchanges and introduce China's ancient shipbuilding culture to more readers in the world.”

Christian Fardel, the French translator of the book, told us with a big smile, “Tomorrow is my 66th birthday. This book is a wonderful present for myself.”

Christian Fardel presents the book Histoire Des Navires Dans La Chine Ancienne to Wuhan University of Technology Press. (Photo by Han Xiaoling)馮克禮向武漢理工大學出版社贈書。（韓曉玲 攝）

Marveled by Zheng He's Expeditions

One year ago at the 25th BIBF, when Fardel was looking for books about China's ancient shipbuilding, someone introduced him to the booth of WUTP.

Fardel was once a seaman and pilot himself, and was very keen on navigation culture. With a love for Chinese culture, he came to China to learn Chinese. He was impressed by the story of Zheng He's great ocean voyages when he heard it for the first time in China. When he learned more about the techniques of ancient shipbuilding and navigation history in China, he was amazed to find that many Westerners, just like him, only knew Columbus and Magellan, and had no idea about the Chinese mariner Zheng He. He wanted to do something to change the situation.

今年8月，《中國古船圖說》法文版在第26屆北京國際圖書博覽會湖北展館亮相。該書由武漢理工大學出版社輸出版權，法國海之錨出版社出版。

該書作者、90歲高齡的著名造船史專家席龍飛教授未能來到現場，通過視頻表達激動心情：“法文版的出版發行，有助于推動國際學術交流，讓中國古代船文化在海外得到傳播?！?/p>

作為該書譯者，法國友人馮克禮欣慰地告訴記者：“明天是我66歲的生日，這本書就是最好的禮物。”

被鄭和下西洋的故事吸引

一年前，在第25屆北京圖博會上，馮克禮多方尋找中國古船方面的圖書。經人推薦，他來到武漢理工大學出版社的展位。

馮克禮當過遠洋海員，也當過飛行員，對航海文化很感興趣。喜愛中國文化的他來華學習漢語時，第一次聽說了鄭和下西洋的故事，非常震驚。隨著對中國古代造船技術和航海歷史了解越多，他就越發吃驚：許多西方人和他一樣，只知道航海家哥倫布、麥哲倫，不知道中國航海家鄭和。他希望能做點什么，來改變這種狀況。

當馮克禮看到武漢理工大學出版社出版的中英雙語版《中國古船圖說》，頓時被深深吸引?！吨袊糯瑘D說》以船為文化載體，介紹中國古代造船技術和航海文化，再現了中國古代東渡日本、遠使高麗、七下西洋等航海文明史上的壯舉，充分展示了中華民族悠久的船舶制造文化和航海文明。

馮克禮隨后專程赴武漢理工大學，與席龍飛教授見面，并參觀了該校古船博物館，所見所聞讓他很受震撼。

馮克禮下定決心，要把《中國古船圖說》介紹到西方，讓更多人了解中國航海文化。為此，他聯系了法方出版社，自己則不計報酬地成為法文版譯者。

中國古船“遠航”法國

對于《中國古船圖說》法文版，馮克禮與海之錨出版社負責人設計為中法雙語對照，還邀請席龍飛教授手書中文序言。因為在浪漫的法國人眼里，中文很美很神秘?！吨袊糯瑘D說》責任編輯陳軍東配合馮克禮，展開了繁重的翻譯工作。全書有40多萬字、100多個古代地名、40種古籍名稱、60多處引文，陳軍東對每個地點、每句古詩、每個細節都用英文進行仔細解釋，馮克禮再從英文翻譯成法文。

那段時間，馮克禮每天工作18個小時，陳軍東也全力配合。

5月，《中國古船圖說》法文版在法國面世。馮克禮與海之錨出版社通過電視臺、互聯網、社交媒體、大會發言等途徑，積極推介這本書。

次月在法國魯昂帆船節上，該書被擺放在圖書展臺的醒目位置，馮克禮還在條幅上用中文寫下“您送給您爸爸一本書吧”。他頗為得意地告訴記者，當時讀者只要買3本書，他就贈送一張這樣的手書中文條幅，很受歡迎。

越來越多的法國讀者知道了《中國古船圖說》，熱情地表達著喜愛之情：“這本書帶著我又旅行了一次。”“我將把這本書介紹給更多的人?！薄八雌饋矸浅Ｓ腥??！薄斑@是一個很棒的項目。這個話題很有趣，還沒有被探索過?！薄拔移炔患按叵胧盏竭@本漂亮的書。我對中國及其古老的船只很感興趣?！?/p>

He was attracted to the bilingual version ofShipbuilding History of Ancient China (Chinese and English)at the booth of WUTP. In it, the shipbuilding techniques and navigation culture of ancient China were vividly elaborated, and the milestones in China's navigation history were narrated with great detail, including the expeditions to Japan during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), to ancient Korea in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and Zheng He's seven expeditionary voyages across the Indian Ocean in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Such expeditions described in the book, as a carrier of culture, provided an overview of the time-honored history of China's shipbuilding culture and navigation.

Fardel then paid a visit to Wuhan University of Technology where he met Professor Xi Longfei and toured the ancient ship museum located on campus. He was shocked by what he saw and heard.

Fardel then made up his mind to introduce the book to more Westerners and help them understand Chinese navigation culture. He contacted a French publishing house and began to translate the book voluntarily.

Debut in France

As Chinese is a beautiful and mysterious language in the eyes of a Frenchmen, Fardel and the president of the L'Ancre de Marine decided that they'd like to publish a Chinese-French version. Professor Xi Longfei was invited to write the Chinese preface. Chen Jundong, editor-in-chief of the English version, assisted Fardel in the translation. There are over 400,000 Chinese characters in total, including more than 100 ancient place names, 40 ancient book titles, and over 60 quotations. Chen Jundong provided detailed notes on every place, poem and every quotation in English to facilitate Fardel's French translation.

Fardel worked nearly 18 hours a day during the translation, and Chen Jundong provided all the necessary help.

The French version of the book was finally released in France in May of 2019. Fardel and the L'Ancre de Marine promoted the book through such channels as TV, internet, social media, and seminars.

In the L'Armada Festival held in June of 2019, the book was well-placed at the book exhibition booth. On the top of the booth hung a slogan banner in Chinese “Buy a book for your dad,” written by Fardel.

More and more French readers got to know the book and gave positive comments. They said: “It brings me to China again.” “I will introduce it to more friends around me.” “It was an interesting book.” “A fantastic book. An interesting topic that has not been explored.” “I can't wait to get this beautiful book. I am so interested in China and its ancient ships.”

A Lover of Chinese Culture

Fardel's daughter once studied in China, and when she came back home, he was deeply impressed by his daughter's stories about China.

Therefore, he decided to spend two years learning Chinese in China at the age of sixty. For it, he even gave up the opportunity of becoming a pilot coach in the US. “I've mastered 4 languages before coming to China. I thought it would be an easy task to learn Chinese.” Fardel said. He didn't expect it would be so difficult, but he loved Chinese and Chinese culture.

He showed the pictures in his phone to us. There were nautical charts of Zheng He's expeditions, pictures of Fardel promoting the book in France, and Chinese paintings he drew. He also made a detailed comparison diagram through which he hoped Westerners would better understand that China had advanced shipbuilding techniques and a splendid navigation culture long ago.

Fardel brought a ship journal published in France recently to the BIBF. He was excited to find one article about Zheng He's expeditions in it, with detailed illustrations and graphics.

Fardel said that he would remain committed to the promotion of Chinese culture around the world for the rest of his life.

Hao Zhensheng, President of China Redactological Society, highly appreciated the Frenchversion of Shipbuilding History of Ancient China, commenting that, “Chinese culture does need to go out and get into foreigners' hearts.” (Translation: Li Li)

花甲之年致力推廣中國文化

馮克禮的女兒曾在中國留學，回國后講述留學見聞，深深打動了他。

于是，他在花甲之年來到中國，用兩年時間學習漢語。一扇新的文化窗口在他眼前開啟，他還為此放棄了去美國當飛行教練的機會?！皝碇袊?，我會4種語言，以為學漢語也會比較容易。”馮克禮笑言，沒想到學漢語非常難，但是他喜歡漢語，喜歡中國文化。

他向記者展示了手機相冊，其中既有鄭和下西洋航海圖，也有他在法國推介《中國古船圖說》的照片，還有他學畫的中國畫。他還專門制作了長長的對比示意圖，希望讓西方人能直觀地了解到：中國在很早很早以前，就有高超的造船技術和輝煌的航海文化。

此次前來北京圖博會，馮克禮帶來了法國前不久出版的一期船舶雜志，其中一篇文章以較大篇幅，圖文并茂地介紹了鄭和下西洋的故事。這讓他非常驚喜。

馮克禮高興地說，自己將繼續推動中國文化在海外傳播。

中國編輯學會會長郝振省得知《中國古船圖說》法文版出版前后的故事后，為之點贊，深有感觸地說：“中國文化不僅要‘走出去’，更要‘走進去’?！?/p>