Record of Journey in the East--Translation Series of Famous Works on Eurasian History and Culture

Author: [British] H. Yule, revised by [French] H. Cordier, translated by Zhang Xushan
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2002-05-01
Features: The two volumes of The Journey to the East were published in 1866. This was the second work compiled by Sir Henry Yule for the Hakluyt Society. Several years ago (1863), Yule had translated and annotated the Wonderful Things of the East by Brother Jordanus. These two works had long been out of print. Copies of The Journey to the East occasionally appeared in the catalogs of booksellers, fetching exorbitant prices. For a long time, it had been the handy reference manual for all engaged in ancient and medieval East Asian studies, and for such a book, I need not add further praise. It is universally acknowledged that The Journey to the East is an essential guide for anyone interested in Chinese, Central Asian historical geography, or the broader historical geography of Asia. When it was published, it nearly encompassed all the knowledge then known about Eastern history, though this learned compiler modestly titled it A Collection of Voyages and Travels in Middle Ages China. Since 1866, with the discovery of new regions and travels in countries still insufficiently studied, science, particularly geography, has advanced rapidly. In his new edition of the Travels of Marco Polo, published in early 1871, Yule himself incorporated a wealth of new material but did not supplement The Journey to the East. Therefore, it is necessary to publish a new edition of The Journey to the East, incorporating all newly discovered materials. I was the editor of the third edition of the Travels of Marco Polo and considered myself uniquely qualified to undertake this new task. My dear, learned President of the Hakluyt Society, Sir Maccormack, asked me to take on the revision of The Journey to the East, and I happily accepted this proposal, using the opportunity to express my admiration for Yule as a person and my respect for this geographer of great renown. Here I can reiterate what I said in the preface to the third edition of the Travels of Marco Polo: "I have made almost no deletions from Sir Henry Yule’s notes, merely making a few minor changes. I have only done so when recent evidence has shown him to be in error. I have supplemented Yule’s notes, hoping that these additions will prove to be useful new material." In revising The Journey to the East, I have strived to adhere to these principles as much as possible. However, in addition to adding numerous notes, a new chapter on Central Asia, based on recent research, has been added to the preface, along with a few supplementary notes, which are considered necessary. The opening sections of the chapter on the Chinese knowledge of the Roman Empire have been entirely rewritten. The newly added material has significantly expanded the volume, so it has been decided to publish it in four rather than two volumes [1]. In the preface to the Travels of Marco Polo, we mentioned some works, but in addition, we should also mention Sir Aurel Stein’s accounts of his travels and discoveries in Central Asia, my colleague and friend, Professor Chavannes, whose scholarly works on Western Turks are highly valuable, and the brilliant young scholar, Professor Pelliot, who provided me with many highly valuable notes. I could mention many other works, but these will be found in the notes or the bibliography at the end of the fourth volume. Regarding Ibn Battuta, like John Bunyan’s Latin translation, "my translation is based on the Arabic text"; but not on the abridged version used by Li, but rather on the unexpurgated travels of Defrémery and Sanguinetti. Although the translation draws on their versions, the notes are not borrowed from them; and I firmly believe that my comments will offer some new insights into this curious traveler. Among the other authors cited in this book, John de Marignolli stands out—he is arrogant, noisy, yet somewhat honest. His works are occasionally cited by Sir Emerson Tenantr. For Sir Emerson Tenantr, few things escape his sharp gaze. Had it not been for Sir Emerson Tenantr’s attention, Marignolli might never have been known in Britain. Each author included in this book will have their background and experiences introduced in the appropriate place before telling their stories, so there is no need to dwell on them individually here. I need not justify the repetitions in the text. In an anthology rather than a selection, repetition is inevitable. But repetitions in the notes would be terrible. I beg your indulgence for this. My residence is far from the printing office, and due to objective circumstances, I had to submit the earlier drafts for printing first, with the later parts completed only after several months. As a result, I could not revise the entire work comprehensively. Some kind friends, without hesitation, provided me with reference materials or answered questions related to this book. I am deeply grateful to them; but here I will only mention the names of Major Major and Mr. Maccormack. Thanks to their kindness, they successively reviewed the second proofs of the printed text.