15世纪初叶的郑和远航是人类航海史上的空前壮举。惟其惊世骇俗,对其动因极易引起不同解释;加之永乐帝乃“篡位”之君,又为其涂抹上神秘色彩。而对远航动因的不同理解, 又直接关系对其历史价值和意义的评价。对这一问题的研究虽已有一些成果,但仍存歧意, 因此很有进一步加以辨析的必要。 Zheng He voyage in the early 15th century is an unprecedented feat in the history of human navigation. However, its shock can lead to different interpretations of its motivation. In addition, it is the monarch of the “usurper of the usurpation”, which is also magnified by the Emperor Yongle. However, the different comprehension of the voyage motivation is directly related to the evaluation of its historical value and significance. Although some achievements have been made in the study of this issue, there are still some inconsistencies and there is a need for further analysis.