一尊在澳大利亚路边被发现埋藏的500年历史的佛像已被归还中国，关于它如何到达该国的谜团仍在继续。
A 500-year-old Buddha statue that was found buried by a roadside in Australia has been returned to China, leaving an ongoing mystery about how it arrived in the country.
这尊15厘米（六英寸）高的青铜小雕像周二在鲨鱼湾沿海城镇德纳姆举行的仪式上，正式移交给中国领事馆代表，公共广播公司ABC报道称。
The 15cm (six-inch) bronze figurine was formally handed over to Chinese consular representatives during a ceremony in the coastal town of Denham in Shark Bay on Tuesday, the public broadcaster ABC reported.
它将被带往中国，以进一步评估其历史，随后将在北京的一家博物馆展出。
It will be taken to China for further evaluation to establish its history before being displayed at a museum in Beijing.
发现者莱昂·德尚和谢恩·汤姆森于2018年在该地区测试金属探测设备时挖出了这尊佛像。此后，他们一直表示，应将其作为善意的表示归还给中国。澳中友好协会西澳分会主席西蒙·吴将这次归还描述为极其慷慨。
Discoverers Leon Deschamps and Shayne Thomson unearthed the statue in 2018 while testing metal detecting equipment in the area. Since then, they have said it should be returned to China as a gesture of goodwill. Simon Wu, president of the Australia China Friendship Society Western Australia, described the return as extraordinarily generous.
“今天是一个例子，说明我们如何通过一件小物件让文化、国家和人民走在一起。它展示了尊重和善意，”吴在归还仪式上表示。
“Today is an example of how we can bring cultures, countries and people together through a small object. It is showing respect and goodwill,” Wu told the repatriation ceremony.
这尊小雕像——被认为是澳大利亚发现的最古老的中国文物——曾用于庆祝佛诞的仪式。在仪式中，信徒会在诵经的同时向佛像肩部浇水，以鼓励行善和慈悲之心。
The figurine – believed to be the oldest Chinese artefact ever found in Australia – was used in ceremonies celebrating the Buddha’s birthday. During the ritual, worshippers would pour water over the statue’s shoulders while chanting sutras to encourage good deeds and compassionate thoughts.
亚洲艺术专家李英将这尊佛像鉴定为明朝（1368-1644年）的真品，但它如何到达澳大利亚仍然是个谜。
Asian art specialist Lee Young authenticated the statue as a genuine piece from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), but how it ended up in Australia remains a mystery.
一些媒体报道声称，它可能曾随著名的15世纪航海家郑和的宝船携带——但没有证据表明郑和曾到达澳大利亚。
Some media reports have claimed that it may have been carried on the treasure ships of the celebrated 15th century seafarer Zheng He – but there is no evidence that he ever reached Australia.
一个更合理的理论是，这尊佛像随19世纪的中国采珠人和渔民到达。
A more plausible theory is that the statue arrived with Chinese pearlers and fishermen in the 19th century.
鲨鱼湾成为西澳大利亚采珠业的发源地，该行业在很大程度上依赖马来、中国和澳大利亚原住民劳工。
Shark Bay became the birthplace of Western Australia’s pearling industry, which relied heavily on Malay, Chinese and Indigenous Australian labourers.
根据西澳大利亚州博物馆的记录，1886年的一次人口普查显示，当时有超过200人从事当地的珍珠养殖业，其中包括60名欧洲人、102名华人和68名马来人。
According to Western Australian Museum records, an 1886 census showed that more than 200 people were working in the local pearling industry, including 60 Europeans, 102 Chinese and 68 Malays.
当年，该地区有68艘珍珠养殖船在作业，其中7艘为华人所有。然而，随后几年该行业出现衰退，当地当局对华人移民实施了一系列限制措施。
That year, 68 pearling vessels were operating in the area, seven of which were Chinese-owned. However, the industry declined in subsequent years and the local authorities imposed a series of restrictions on Chinese immigration.
澳大利亚广播公司报道称，佛像将连同鲨鱼湾的一些独特红土和一只金色珍珠贝壳一起被送回中国。
The ABC reported that the Buddha would be returned to China along with some of Shark Bay’s distinctive red earth and a golden pearl shell.
2023年，澳大利亚向中国归还了一批珍贵文物，其中包括海关查获的物品，以及澳大利亚国家美术馆和一名私人公民捐赠的文物。
In 2023, Australia returned a batch of valuable cultural relics to China, including items seized by customs, as well as pieces donated by the National Gallery of Australia and a private citizen.