指南針的發明促進了中國航海事業的發展。中國人結合對潮汐和季風（monsoon）的觀察，在航國海中創造了一套實用性很強的導航技術。正是憑借這樣的導航技術，才出現了像鄭和下西洋那樣的海上壯舉，將中國人的航海事業推進到了一個新時代。就世界范圍來說，指南針在航海上的應用促成了以后哥倫布（Columbus）對美洲大陸的發現和麥哲倫（Magellan）的環球航行。這加速了世界經濟發展的進程，為資本主義（capitalism）的發展提供了必不可少的前提（precondition）。
The invention of the compass promoted the development of China’s navigation. Combining the observation of the tide and monsoon, Chinese people created a set of very practical navigation technologies in their sailing. It was with such navigation technologies that feats at sea such as Zheng He’s voyage to the West happened, which promoted Chinese navigation to a new era. In the range of the world, the application of the compass in sailing facilitated Columbus’ discovery of the American Continent and Magellan’s voyage around the world afterwards, accelerating the development of the global economy and providing a necessary precondition for the development of world civilization.
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