2017苜蓿筆記4

4. 下面的文字簡介苜蓿東傳中國的歷史：

Interest came from the East too. The 2nd-century BC Han emperor Wu, keen to consolidate his territorial gains, sought the famed horses of the Ferghana valley (eastern Uzbekistan), and their food. The route from the Han capital Xi’an through Ferghana led on to the Black Sea and became the northernmost of the Silk Roads.

這段文字介紹的就是《史記》與《漢書》等文獻記載的漢武帝引進汗血馬與苜蓿的歷史，英文提到漢武帝引進苜蓿與汗血馬的動機：強化與鞏固開拓的疆土 (to consolidate his territorial gains)，是軍事動機、也是政治考量。此外，汗血馬源自Ferghana，今日烏茲別克東部，是「絲綢之路」的中間點。