在中国悠久的历史长河中，出现了一些极其重要的发明，指南针(compass)是其中最重要的发明之一。根据古书记载，远古的人们在生产和斗争中利用天然磁体来指示方向。在战国时期(the Warring States Period)出现了最早的指南针——司南[sinan(a south.pointingladle)]。司南由刻有24个方位的“地盘(brass plate)”和一个由整块天然磁石制成的“(1adle)”两部分组成。到宋朝，沈括在《梦溪笔谈》(Dream Pool Essays)中对水浮式(floating)指南针作了介绍。这使得指南针能够首次应用于航海。指南针的发明促进了航海业的发展，不久经阿拉伯传入欧洲。

　　参考译文：

　　China's long history has witnessed some extremely important inventions, among which the compass is one of them. According to ancient records, people in remote antiquity employed natural magnet as direction-finding device in their production and struggle efforts. During the Warring States Period, there appeared the earliest form of compass---sinan (a south-pointing ladle), consisting of a brass plate on which 24 directions were careed and a ladle made from a single piece of natural magnet. In the Song Dynasty, Shen Kuo described in his book Dream Pool Essays the floating compass, which enabled the compass to be applied in navigation for the first time. The invention of the compass promoted the development of maritime undertakings, and it was soon introduced to Europe via Arab.

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