在明朝万历二十八年间,也就是公元1600年,万历皇帝收到一件贡品:这是个长方形箱子,有72根金属弦,还有一排排键盘,键盘连着一根根削尖了的鸟毛管,一按键盘,鸟毛管尖就拨动金属弦,发出了动听的声音。献上这件贡品的人是意大利一个叫利玛窦的学者。他说这件乐器叫“庆巴罗”。当时的中国人把它叫做“西琴”。 During the twenty-eight years of the Ming Dynasty, that is, 1600 CE, the Wanli Emperor received a tribute: it was a rectangular box with 72 metal strings and a row of keyboards with a sharpened keyboard Bird hair, a keyboard, bird’s hair toggle on the metal strings, made a pleasant sound. The man who contributed this tribute was an Italian scholar called Ricci. He said this instrument is called “Qingbaro.” The Chinese at that time called it “Xiqin.”