HOW TO EXPLAIN CONCISE THE 中国四大发明 IN ENGLISH

The Four Great Inventions of China refer to the four inventions of ancient China, generally referring to papermaking, the compass, gunpowder, and movable type printing. This statement was first proposed by the British sinologist Joseph Needham and later inherited by many Chinese historians. It is generally believed that these four inventions had a huge role in promoting the political, economic, and cultural development of ancient China, and these inventions passed through It spread to the West through various channels and had a great impact on the history of world civilization development.

In May 2017, young people from 20 countries along the "Belt and Road" selected "China's four new inventions": high-speed rail, scan-code payment, shared bicycles and online shopping. In fact, these four items were not invented by China. They are just promoted and applied more advancedly in China and have greater influence on foreign countries, so they are misrepresented.

中国四大发明是指古代中国的四种发明，一般是指造纸术、指南针、火药、活字印刷术。此一说法最早由英国汉学家李约瑟提出并为后来许多中国的历史学家所继承，普遍认为这四种发明对中国古代的政治、经济、文化的发展产生了巨大的推动作用，且这些发明经由各种途径传至西方，对世界文明发展史也产生了很大的影响。

2017年5月，来自“一带一路”沿线的20国青年评选出了“中国的新四大发明”：高铁、扫码支付、共享单车和网购。 事实上这四项并非由中国发明，只是在中国推广应用较为领先、对国外影响较大而误传。

The 4 main inventions of China are:
1. Papers - after papers were created by using tree's texture, it enables printing of texts and publication, so making knowledge sharing intensively and also enables trading and commerce activities widely by black and white documentation.
2. Gunpower - for explosive mixture to destroy building. Although it is used for making weapon for wars later by other countries, but initially, this invention is meant for doing things more effectively rather than for destructive purposes.
3. Compass - it promotes sailing activities and enables traveling from different continental exploration.
4. Publication - the first technology in printing texts was done in China by creating mould of words for languages and communication. This enables newspaper printing and promote sharing of information in community.

【中国现代的四大发明】
"中国现代的四大发明" 是指近现代中国在科技领域取得的四项重要创新，这些创新对于中国的现代化进程和全球科技发展产生了重要影响。这四大发明分别是高铁、支付宝、共享单车和网购。

1.高铁：
中国发展的高速铁路技术，在全球范围内引人瞩目。中国的高铁网络覆盖范围广泛，速度快，为人们提供了便捷的
交通方式。

2.支付宝：
阿里巴巴集团推出的移动支付平台，使人们能够通过手机进行电子支付、转账和消费。它在改变人们支付习惯、
促进金融科技创新方面具有重要作用。

3.共享单车：
共享单车改变了城市出行方式。人们可以随时租用自行车，解决了"最后一公里"的出行问题。

4.网购：
中国的电子商务市场蓬勃发展，淘宝、京东等平台使人们可以在线购买各种商品，促进了零售业的数字化转型。

【The Four Great Inventions of Modern China】
"The Four Modern Inventions of China" refer to four significant innovations in the field of technology achieved by contemporary China, which have had a substantial impact on China's modernization and global technological development. These four inventions are high-speed rail, Alipay, bike-sharing, and online shopping.

1．High-Speed Rail:
China's development of high-speed rail technology has gained global attention. China's extensive high-speed rail network provides fast and convenient transportation options.

2. Alipay:
A mobile payment platform introduced by Alibaba Group, enabling electronic payments, transfers, and transactions through smartphones. It has played a crucial role in changing payment habits and promoting financial technology innovation.

3.Bike-Sharing:
Shared bicycle services have transformed urban transportation. People can easily rent bicycles, addressing the "last-mile" transportation challenge.

4. Online Shopping:
China's e-commerce market has flourished, with platforms like Taobao and JD.com allowing people to purchase various goods online, driving the digital transformation of the retail industry.

【古代四大发明】
"中国四大发明" 是指中国古代的四项重要发明，它们对人类文明和科技进步产生了深远的影响。这四大发明分别是：造纸术、印刷术、指南针和火药。

1.造纸术：中国古代发明的一项重要技术，最早出现在东汉时期。通过将植物纤维加工成纸张，极大地促进了知识的传播和书写的发展。
2.印刷术：活字印刷术是由北宋时期的毕昇发明的。它使得书籍的印制更加高效，大大推动了文化的传播与普及。
3.指南针：中国古代发明的罗盘，最早用于指示方向。它在航海、导航和地理探索方面发挥了重要作用。
4.火药：古代中国发明的火药，最初用于军事和烟花爆竹。后来火药的应用不断扩展，影响了军事、矿山、医药等领域。


[Ancient Four Great Inventions]
"The Four Great Inventions of Ancient China" refer to four significant inventions from ancient China that had a profound impact on human civilization and technological progress. These four inventions are papermaking, printing, the compass, and gunpowder.

1. Papermaking: An important ancient Chinese technology that originated in the Eastern Han Dynasty. By processing plant fibers into paper, it greatly facilitated the dissemination of knowledge and the development of writing.
2.Printing: Movable-type printing was invented by Bi Sheng during the Northern Song Dynasty. It made book printing much more efficient, significantly promoting the spread and popularization of culture.
3.Compass: The ancient Chinese invention of the compass was initially used to indicate direction. It played a crucial role in navigation, maritime exploration, and geography.
4.Gunpowder: Ancient China's invention of gunpowder was initially used for military and fireworks. Later, the applications of gunpowder expanded to influence various fields such as military, mining, and medicine.

The four Chinese inventions not only had a significant impact on ancient China but also had a profound influence on the world and are still relevant today.

Papermaking: The invention of papermaking is credited to Cai Lun during the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). It enabled the mass production of books, making knowledge more widely available and contributing to the spread of literacy and education.

The compass: The compass was invented during the Han dynasty and greatly improved navigation and exploration. It was used to determine direction, particularly for sea travel, and allowed sailors to venture further from the coast and navigate more accurately.

Gunpowder: Gunpowder was first discovered during the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE), and its invention revolutionized warfare. It was used in cannons, firearms, and explosives, which changed the way battles were fought and contributed to the rise and fall of empires.

Printing: Printing with movable type was invented during the Song dynasty (960–1279 CE) by Bi Sheng. It greatly improved the speed and efficiency of printing, making books more widely available and affordable. This allowed for the dissemination of knowledge on a scale previously impossible and contributed to the development of education, literature, and other fields.

The Four Great Inventions of ancient China are:

Papermaking - The invention of paper revolutionized communication and education by allowing people to easily record and share information.

Compass - The compass allowed for accurate navigation, greatly improving travel and trade both on land and at sea.

Gunpowder - The invention of gunpowder not only led to the creation of weapons, but also had significant impacts on agriculture, medicine, and fireworks.

Printing - The movable type printing press made it easier and more efficient to produce written materials, leading to increased literacy rates and the spread of knowledge.

1。指南针 （magentic compass）- the earliest inventation among four great invention, invented in the Warrng States Period, invented by chinese ancient people.
2。造纸术（paper making）- the second one inventation, invented in East Han Period, invented by 蔡伦,
3。火药（gunpowder）- invented in Tang Period,
4。印刷术（painting）- invented in Tang Period.

中国：China
四：four
大：big, great
发明：an inventation
=>中国四大发明：China's Four Great Inventions