Alexander's Gulf outpost uncovered

Alexander's Gulf outpost uncovered

By Neil Arun BBC News

Alexander the Great's awe-inspiring conquest of Asia is drawing archaeologists to a desert island off the shores of Iraq.

亞歷山大大帝征服亞洲的豐功偉業吸引考古學家們前來伊拉克岸邊的荒島.

Greek government experts are going to Failaka - a Gulf outpost of Alexander's army, now governed by Kuwait.

希臘政府指派的專家們來到Failaka - 一個亞歷山大軍隊的海灣軍事基地,現由科威特所管理.

The island's bullet-holed buildings tell of a conflict still fresh in people's memories - Saddam Hussein's brief occupation of Kuwait in the early 1990s.

島上佈滿彈孔的建築物訴說著一段人們記憶猶新的衝突 - Saddam Hussein在1990年初短暫的佔據科威特.

Beneath the sun-baked sands of Failaka, archaeologists hope to unearth the secrets of an earlier conquest - a settlement established by Alexander's general, Nearchus, in the 4th Century BC.

在Failaka曬乾了的沙土下,考古學家們期盼能挖掘出更早期征服的秘密 - 一個由亞歷山大的將軍Nearchus在西元前400年時所建的殖民地.

The excavations will focus on the ruins of an ancient citadel and cemetery, the general secretary of the Greek culture ministry, Christos Zahopoulos, told the BBC News website.

挖掘工作主要的重點是古要塞及公墓的廢墟. 希臘文化部秘書長Christos Zahopoulos告訴BBC新聞網.

Earlier work by French archaeologists has uncovered the remnants of a temple to Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting, as well as several Greek coins and idols.

初期挖掘工作中,法國考古學家發現了希臘狩獵女神Artemis神殿的遺蹟,以及一些希臘的錢幣和偶像.

'The first globalisation'

According to Michael Wood, the author of a book on Alexander, the period after the conqueror's death saw Hellenistic culture take root across a broad swathe of land, from India to Egypt.

根據一本描寫亞歷山大之書的作者Michael Wood所說, 在這位偉大的征服者死後,希臘文化已經根植在橫跨印度到埃及的大片土地上.

He cites the example of Uruk, a site near Basra in southern Iraq, where inscriptions have been found bearing the names of the local ruling class.

他引用Uruk為例, 在接近伊拉克南邊靠近Basra一處地點,發現了刻有當地統治階層名字的碑文.

The names, Wood says, are a hybrid of ancient Babylonian and Greek titles - and they date to several hundred years after Alexander's death.

Wood說,這些名字是混雜著古巴比倫與希臘所使用的頭銜 - 他們是在亞歷山大死後幾百年的時間.

Alexander's conquest of Asia also accelerated commerce in his colonies, giving rise to what Wood describes as "the first globalisation".

亞歷山大征服亞洲也加速了他所建立殖民地間的交流, 引發了如同Wood所描述的"第一波的全球化".

Failaka's position, at the point where the Tigris and Euphrates pour into the Gulf, means it would have been ideally placed to exploit this economic boom.

Failaka的地理位置位於底格里斯河與幼發拉底河注入海灣之處, 意味著她定是一個可以利用其經濟繁榮來謀利的好地方.

Mr Wood says the Greek team's findings may reveal more of how the ancient civilisations of the Gulf thrived on trade with their contemporaries in Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley.

Mr Wood說, 希臘的團隊的發現可以揭露更多關於這個位於波斯灣的古老文明是如何成功的與當代美索不達米亞與印度河谷的人做買賣.

The Greek archaeologists will begin their excavations in November, Greece's culture ministry says.

希臘的文化部長表示,希臘考古學家將在11月開始進行他們此次的挖掘工作.

Much of the work will be centred around the site of the ancient town of Icarea.

大部份的工作會以Icarea這個古老的城鎮為中心開始進行.

According to Mr Zahopoulos, the team will also carry out restoration on artefacts and ruins that have already been unearthed.

據Zahopoulos所說, 這個團隊將會同時對已出土的藝術品及廢墟進行修復工作.

Civilian flight

Alexander was born in 356BC to the king of Macedon, in northern Greece.

亞歷山大出生於西元前356年,是希臘北部馬其頓的國王.

By his early thirties, he had conquered much of the ancient world, from Egypt to India.

在他30歲的時候, 就已經征服了大部份的舊世界, 從埃及一直到印度.

He died at the age of 33 of a high fever in Babylon, in what is now Iraq.

他在33歲的時候因為高燒死在巴比倫, 就是現在的伊拉克.

Failaka's name is thought to descend from the Greek word for outpost - "fylakio".

Failaka這個名字被認為是源於希臘字"fylakio",就是前哨基地的意思.

Before the Greeks arrived, the island had been inhabited by the Bronze Age Dilmun civilisation.

在希臘人來到之前, 青銅器時代的Dilmun文明就已經存在這個島上.

By the time Saddam Hussein's troops invaded in 1990, the island had become the longest continually-inhabited site in Kuwait.

一直到1990年Saddam Hussein的軍隊入侵, 這個島已經成為科威特時間最長的反覆棲息地.

Most of the civilian population fled for the mainland during the Iraqi occupation. Few have returned.

為了躲避伊拉克的入侵,大部份居民都逃到大陸去. 幾乎沒什麼人回來.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6930285.stm
Published: 2007/08/07 09:58:47 GMT
© BBC MMVII
註:Dilmun,為古代兩河流域和巴林沿海一帶青銅器時代的古文明,時間約為西元前 3000 多年.

Under Montserrat's volcano

Under Montserrat's volcano

By Orin Gordon BBC News, Montserrat

Twelve years ago, after lying dormant for centuries, the volcano on the island of Montserrat erupted. Two years later, two-thirds of the island was devastated by a further eruption. Now, over half of the population has left and those who remain still have much work to do to restore their country.

十二年前, 蒙特塞拉特島上的火山經幾個世紀的休眠後爆發了. 兩年後, 三分之二的島嶼在後續的幾次火山爆發下幾近荒蕪. 現在,超過一半已上的人口已經離去, 留下來企圖重建家園的居民們仍有許許多多的工作要做.

As the small propeller aircraft descended towards Montserrat's airstrip, Jasmine, sitting next to me, closed her eyes tightly and appeared to be saying a silent prayer. The plane touched down, none too gently, and immediately the pilot started braking because the runway - even for an aircraft that seats 19 people - is not that long.

正當螺旋槳小飛機朝著蒙特塞拉特的臨時飛機跑道準備降落時, 坐在我身旁的Jasmine緊閉著雙眼, 看起來似乎在禱告. 飛機笨重的著陸, 駕駛立即開始煞車, 因為這條跑道即使對19人座的小飛機而言,還是不夠長.

A few days later I was looking down on the airport from one of Montserrat's highest hills. I had been taken there by the head of the local government, chief minister Lowell Lewis, who also puts in time as a medical doctor.

幾天後, 我從蒙特塞拉特最高的幾個山丘之一俯瞰整座機場. 當地政府首長(首席部長)Lowell Lewis把我帶上去, 他同時也是位醫生.

Dr Lewis does not do fancy chauffer-driven cars. He himself wrestled his old Toyota up the boulder-strewn road to the top of the hill. From there, a perfect view of the north, but also a full appreciation of the size of the task rebuilding the country.

Dr. Lewis並不想要一輛配有司機的豪華禮車. 他使勁的將他那輛老舊的Toyota從佈滿鵝卵石的路開上山頂. 從這裡不僅可以飽覽整個北邊,也可看出家園重建工程是有多麼的浩大.

There is on Montserrat an airport that would serve the island's needs perfectly. The problem is that it sits abandoned near the volcano in the evacuated zone in the south.

蒙特塞拉特有座機場能完全滿足島上的需求. 問題是它現在被擱置在南邊接近火山的疏散區裡.

What was once the main harbour in the old capital Plymouth also lies deserted under volcanic dust and other debris.

曾經是舊都Plymouth的主要港口也因為火山灰及碎石殘礫而遭棄置.

The rough waters of the north make docking ships a tricky and even dangerous business and the ferry service from the nearby island of Antigua, which had been a lifeline with the patchy air service, no longer operates.

北邊洶湧的海水使得船隻要停靠碼頭都變得非常不容易,甚至是危險. 與往返於Antigua的鄰近島嶼間的渡輪也不再營運, 這一直以來都是輔助航空服務的主要航線.

Flat land is scarce and the new airport is built on a low hill, the top of which has been flattened. But its size restricts the number of tourists, goods and material that can be brought into Montserrat.

由於缺乏平坦的地勢, 新的機場是建於較矮的山丘上, 山頭目前已經被剷平了. 到蒙特塞拉特的遊客人數及貨物商品則都受限於它的規模.

The only way to lengthen the airstrip would be to build an elevated runway across a valley. That would take a lot of money. As would carving out a proper harbour in the safe zone.

在山谷上興建高架跑道是唯一個可以加長機場的方法. 但是所貲不斐. 就如同在安全區域開拓出一個適合的港口.

Moving away

Before the eruption, Montserrat had been doing fine financially, the majority of its income coming from tourism.

在火山爆發前, 蒙特塞拉特的財政狀況良好, 最主要的收入來自觀光業.

At that time most islanders lived in the south, which had tremendous views of one of the Caribbean's natural wonders, the Soufriere Hills volcano. But those majestic views came at a price. The steepness of it became clear once the sleeping giant awoke.

當時大部份的島民們都住在南邊, 在那裡有一個加勒比海的天然奇觀 - Soufriere Hills 火山. 但雄偉的奇景是要付出代價的. 無疑的這個沉睡的巨人曾經甦醒過, 造就了它的險峻.

After the eruption most of the original population left for Britain, the United States and other parts of the Caribbean. Those who remained had to uproot families and livelihoods, and restart in the part of the island designated safe for habitation.

火山爆發後, 大部份原有的居民都已前往英國,美國, 還有其它加勒比海國家. 留下來的人則必須將他們的家庭與生計全部遷離, 並在島上其它標定為安全棲息的地方重新開始.

Daniel used to be a windsurfing instructor at one of Montserrat's upmarket hotels. Today he runs a restaurant with his English wife Margaret in the safe zone.

Daniel過去曾在蒙特塞拉特的高價飯店擔任風帆衝浪教練. 現在他和他英國的妻子Margaret在安全區域開了一間餐廳.

The restaurant is in their living room. Danny is a prize fisherman and the sea is in his blood. If he is unhappy about not being on the beach, he does not show it.

他們把起居室挪出來當做餐廳. Danny是一流的漁夫,海就在他的血液裡流動著. 即使對無法待在海灘上感到不高興, 他也不會表現出來.

He is chatty and full of stories about the famous people he taught to windsurf in the old days.

他很饒舌,而且講得大部份都是往昔他教名人風帆衝浪的種種事蹟.

He and his wife have had to move several times, when there have been flows from the volcano, so he understands the deep frustration others feel about having to start all over again.

他和他的妻子搬遷了好幾回, 每次都是因為火山的溶岩流, 所以他很清楚知道其他人對於必須一再重新開始那種深受挫折的感覺.

Overseas aid

Many people in Montserrat think that the authorities are too strict in interpreting the data that the scientists give to them and are far too cautious in deciding how much of the island should be designated unsafe.

許多在蒙特塞拉特的人認為當局對科學家給的資料所做的詮釋太過嚴格, 對判定島上有多少是不安全的地方太過小心.

We have been living with this volcano for many years, they tell me, and there is no way - and here they mention one of the areas just inside the unsafe zone - there is no way that place is in danger.

我們跟這座火山一起生活了許多年, 他們告訴我, 並且談到一個劃定在非安全區內一點也不危險的地方.

Jasmine, whom I met on the plane, has taken advantage of her British citizenship to come to live in the UK.

我在飛機上遇到的Jasmine, 她拿著英國公民的身份住到英國去.

But when it comes to the question of how much the mother country is doing to help, many of those back in Montserrat feel that Britain can do far more than they have done so far.

但是當被問及英國給予多少援助時, 許多回到蒙特塞拉特的人都感到英國其實應該可以做得更多.

"Montserrat can pay its own way," Dr Lewis told me. But first they need the money to pay for the things - a bigger airport and a new harbour for a start - that will give them a fighting chance. It will cost about $200m (£100m).

"蒙特塞拉特是可以靠自己賺錢的," Dr. Lewis 告訴我. 但首先他們須要經費以支付一個較大的機場及新港口,這樣他們才有成功的機會. 這個費用高達200萬元(100萬英磅).

Debra Barnes Jones, who has just finished her tour of duty as governor, told me much of that money will have to come from private sector investment.

Debra Barnes Jones, 她剛結束了總督的任期, 告訴我大部份的援助都來自於私人機構的投資.

Britain cannot fund it in full. "Not even the chief minister expects that," she said.

英國沒辦法提供全部的資助. "就連首長也不抱什麼希望" 她說.

More disruption

The whole thing was brought home to me as I prepared to leave.

正當我準備要離去時, 整件事深深的衝擊到我.

Normal service had been disrupted and a smaller plane, with only seven seats, had been despatched to do the job.

正常的航班被打亂了, 換成一個七人座的小飛機來執行這項航務.

The pilot took one look at my equipment case and ordered it off the plane. I asked him why.

駕駛朝我的器材箱看了一眼並指定這個不能上飛機. 我問他原因.

"Every kilo counts," he said. "We have a short distance to get this up and if we don't..."

"每一公斤都要算得很清楚,",他說. "我們在這麼短的距離就得升空,如果我們不..."

"We go into the sea?" I asked him softly. "No," he said "we slam into another hill."

"我們會栽到海裡頭去?" 我輕聲的問. "不," 他說 "我們會撞上另一座山."

I saw the look on the other passengers' faces and shut up for duration of the half-hour hop to Antigua.

我看著其他乘客們臉上的表情, 然後閉上我的嘴巴開始朝著約莫30分鐘航程的Antigua出發.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6924215.stm Published: 2007/08/01 08:16:41 GMT © BBC MMVII
註:蒙特塞拉特或蒙瑟拉特島（Montserrat）是加勒比海之中的島，由哥倫布在1493年以西班牙內同名的山命名。蒙特塞拉特是英國海外領地。

Steep rise of Italy's Cinque Terre

Steep rise of Italy's Cinque Terre
By Christian Fraser

BBC News, Italy

The Cinque Terre, on the coast between Genoa and La Spezia, is one of Italy's most scenic stretches of coastline and its fortunes have been transformed since the area was accorded National Park status.

座落在Genoa及La Spezia沿岸間的Cinque Terre, 她綿延的海岸線是義大利最秀麗的幾個景觀之一. 自從升格為國家公園後, 她也變富有了.

The slopes of the Cinque Terre rise in such dizzying fashion, that in Riomaggiore you can take a lift up to the second level of town.

由於Cinque Terre 的坡度極為陡峭, 所以你可以在Riomaggiore搭電梯(在車站旁)直達這個城鎮的更上層.

Some of the vineyards around the region are on hillsides so steep and so close to the sea, that the grapes have to be harvested by boat.

有些栽植於山坡邊上的葡萄園由於地勢過於陡峭以及鄰海, 以致必須靠船隻來採收葡萄.

Since Roman times the farmers here have been conjuring small miracles from these slopes.

從羅馬帝國的時代, 農民們就已經在這片山坡上製造出小小的奇蹟.

Their sweet dessert wine was so popular that amphorae bearing their insignia were found during excavations in Pompeii, hundreds of miles to the south.

他們的飯後甜酒十分受歡迎, 甚至在南方幾百哩外的龐貝城, 我們到現在仍可發掘出標有他們記號的雙耳陶瓶.

Yet this has always been one of the poorest regions in Italy.

而這裡卻一直以來都是義大利幾個最窮的區域之一.

There is still only a single road that connects the five villages of the Cinque Terre - and access is largely by boat or by train. But the last few years have seen the local economy booming.

只有一條道路連結著Cinque Terre的五個村莊. 而且進出大部份還是得搭船或者火車. 不過,近年來,本地的經濟有顯著的成長.

Dream lifestyle

In fact so successful is it becoming, that in recent years the residents of Riomaggiore and the other hamlets strung out along the Ligurian coast have been enjoying a lifestyle their predecessors could only have dreamed of.

近年來Cinque Terre有如此的成就,讓Riomaggiore及其他沿著Ligurian岸邊小村莊的居民們享有的是他們的先人作夢都沒想過的好生活.

Courtesy of the National Park, they now receive free natural medicine, massage treatments and health screenings.

出於國家公園的好意, 他們享有免費天然的醫療, 按摩及健康檢查.

There is a free shopping service for elderly residents and subsidised child care for working parents. Cars are banned - replaced by electric buses.

他們的年長者享有免費的購物服務, 在工作的家長們有托育照顧的福利. 在這裡,禁止車輛進入並以電車取代.

It has become a farming utopia; a place where tourists and others from outside are in the front line of conservation.

這裡儼然就是一個務農者的烏托邦;一個遊客與其他外地人都會站在最前線守護它的地方.

The driving force behind these changes is Franco Bonanini, the former mayor, and now head of the National Park.

這些轉變的驅動力來自前市長Franco Bonanini, 現為國家公園首長.

Generations of his family have farmed this land, but like most people in Riomaggiore, Franco grew up in poverty.

他們一家世世代代都在這片土地上耕作, 但也如同大部份Riomaggiore的居民, Franco 自貧窮中長大.

"When I was little," he told me, "the worst two weeks of the year were when the wine speculators arrived. It was always a painful process," he said.

"當我還是小孩子," 他告訴我,"一年中最糟的兩個星期是投機的酒商來到時, 整個過程總是痛苦的"

"The merchants would taste my father's wine and spit it out in disgust. They would tell him the wine was no good. And then they'd carry it off at half price. It was the saddest night of the year!"

"商人會試喝我父親釀的酒, 然後厭惡的把它吐掉. 他們會告訴他這個酒不夠好. 然後再以半價買走. 這是一整年中最令人感到悲傷的夜晚."

So when the Cinque Terre achieved its National Park status and the first property speculators arrived, Franco and his team swore that this time, the Cinque Terre would not be cheated.

所以當Cinque Terre成功升格為國家公園的同時也來了第一批投機的房地產商人,Franco和他的團隊則誓言決不使Cinque Terre被哄騙.

The Park began to buy up the cottages in the villages as they became available.

於是公園處開始買進村莊裡空下來的農舍.

Prospective buyers have to cultivate at least 3,000 square metres of vines, fruit trees or vegetables before they are allowed to settle.

期望的買家必須先在這裡耕種至少3000平方公呎的葡萄樹,果樹或者蔬菜才可准許住下來.

Defies gravity

British expat Paula Pecunia has been living in the Cinque Terre for 31 years with husband Mauro. They live in the house in which he was born.

英國旅居的Paula Pecunia和她的先生已經在Cinque Terre住了31年. 他們住在他先生出生時所在的房子.

They farm their land, coaxing vines, lemons, olives and basil out of a plot that defies gravity. It towers over the sea on such a steep gradient, I wonder how anything grows.

他們耕地,從挑戰萬有引力的一小片土地上,耐心的栽種出葡萄樹,檸檬,橄欖及羅勒. 它以陡峭的坡度屹立在海面上, 我很納悶這些是如何生長的.

"Over the years I have done it all," she says.

"幾年的時間, 我已將把這些都做完了",她說.

"Stamped the grapes, plucked the basil and carried these heavy baskets down the slopes."

"把葡萄搗碎,摘取羅勒,以及把這些沉重的籃子搬下坡去"

"People who come here," she says, "may come with a dream of the good life, but they quickly realise how much hard work is involved."

"人們到這裡來," 她說, "期盼著夢想中的完美生活, 但是他們很快就了解到, 還有許多繁重的工作要處理."

"The rules for new buyers are essential," she says.

"這些規定對新的買主是必要的," 她說.

"Without the land you have no home. This is not natural farmland. It has been chiselled from the cliffs and if it was left, it would quickly disappear."

"沒有土地就沒有家. 這不是片適於耕作的農地. 她是自峭壁鑿出的, 一旦被棄置, 這一切很快都會消失."

The farms of the Cinque Terre are propped up by hundreds of miles of dry stone walls.

Cinque Terre的農地是由幾百哩乾燥的石砌牆所支撐著.

The locals boast that the work that has gone into maintaining this steep terracing is comparable to the building of the Great Wall of China.

當地的人對維護這些陡峭臺地的工作很自豪, 並且拿來與中國的萬里長城相比.

Those farms abandoned in the 1980s have either collapsed down the hillside or disappeared under the wild alpine vegetation. But now some of them are being reclaimed and repaired by outsiders.

1980年代所棄置的農地不是倒塌在山坡下,就是被覆蓋在高山的野生植物下消失無蹤. 但是部份已被外來客重新開墾與修復.

I met students from Australia and Germany who, in return for free lodging and food, are rebuilding hillsides.

我遇到幾個來自澳洲及德國的學生, 他們正在山坡上進行重建以換取免費的食宿.

Lucrative sideline

With their help, the co-operative farmers are growing basil, garlic and pine nuts for a local factory which makes pesto sauce for pasta.

在他們的幫助下, 合作社的農民為當地一間工廠種植羅勒,大蒜及松子, 這些都是用來製作義大利麵的香蒜醬.

And they have all sorts of wild herbs to work with including saffron, still by weight the most expensive spice in the world. And in time, with a bit of encouragement, this could provide a further lucrative sideline for the ambitious Cinque Terre.

他們還栽種了各種野生草本植物,包括仍被視為世上最昂貴香料的番紅花.同時也為具有雄心壯志的Cinque Terre提供了一個賺錢的副業.

The money from this organic produce, and from the visitors who pay to walk the coastal paths, means there is now virtually no unemployment and for the residents of these five small communities, no end of opportunity.

從有機產品賺來的錢,以及觀光客為了要在沿岸小徑上散步所付的錢, 意味著Cinque Terre幾乎為零的失業率,並且為這五個小社區的居民帶來了無窮盡的商機.

As I sailed away from the harbour of Riomaggiore, looking back at those impossible steep terraces behind me, I marvelled at what Franco and his team have achieved in such a short space of time.

正當我逐漸駛離Riomaggiore的港口時,回頭望了一下身後的陡峭臺地, 我驚歎Franco和他的團隊能在這麼短的時間完成目標.

Yet this is a land that also stands testament to the iron will of his predecessors, the farmers back through the generations.

然而,同樣也是這片土地,見證了他的先人們,幾個世代以前的農民們剛強的意志.

And I am guessing, that if they were here today, they would be well satisfied that so many people have come from so far to help protect the place which they once worked so hard to cultivate.

我猜想,如果今天他們還活著的話, 想必他們一定會很高興有這麼多來自遠方的人守護著他們曾經辛勤耕作的地方.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6234553.stm
Published: 2007/01/06 12:02:28 GMT

Israelis from Iraq remember Babylon

Israelis from Iraq remember Babylon

By Lipika Pelham, Jerusalem

"During the Shia festival of Muharram we would take part in the procession and along with our Arab friends, beat our chests to remember the epic battle of Karbala," said Yakov Reuveni, remembering his youth in 1940s Iraq.

沉浸在1940年伊拉克年少時期的回憶裡,Yakov Reuveni說 : "在什葉穆哈拉姆月的節日裡,我們會跟著我們的阿拉伯朋友一起參加遊行,垂胸以紀念史詩般的卡爾巴拉戰役."

"My best friend was the son of the mayor of Ammara. After school we would go out to the date palm grove with the freshly caught fish from the river Hidekel, which we would barbeque in the fields over an open fire."

"我最好的朋友是Ammara市市長的兒子.放學後,我們總是會帶著我們從HideKel河抓來的魚到棗椰林,在野地裡生火烤魚."

The river Hidekel, Hebrew for the Tigris, runs through his home province, Ammara, 380km (236 miles) south-east of Baghdad.

HideKel河,也就是希伯來人說的底格里斯河,流經了他居住的省份, Ammara, 位於巴格達東南方380公里處.

Among his most cherished memories, says Yakov, is the after-school stroll along the riverbank with his Arab friend.

Yakov說他最珍視的回憶之一,就是放學後和他的阿拉伯朋友到河堤溜達.

He grew up in a moderately well-to-do Jewish home with his parents, four siblings and grandparents.

他生長在一個還算富裕的猶太家庭, 家裡有父母親,四個兄弟姊妹及祖父母.

His father had a clothing store in the heart of Ammara's central market.

他的父親在Ammarar的中央市集開了一間服飾店.

Nostalgia

It was an easy, happy life. Jews shared almost all aspects of life with their Arab neighbours, reminisces Yakov.

那是個安逸快樂的生活. 猶太人跟他們的阿拉伯鄰居們分享生活中的一切.

He was 17 years old in 1951, when his family emigrated to Jerusalem.

1951年,當他們舉家遷移到耶路撒冷時,他只有17歲.

For the Jews of Middle Eastern origins, like their European co-religionists, coming to Israel was the culmination of a religious journey - it was the fulfilment of the centuries-old dream to live in the Promised Land.

對那些來自中東的猶太人, 如同那些在歐洲信奉猶太教的人來說, 到以色列去, 是整個朝聖的最終目標 - 即是實現了幾個世紀以來居住在應許之地的夢想.

But many who came over to Israel as part of the mass migration that followed the creation of the Jewish state in 1948, look back with nostalgia and fondness for the life that they had left behind.

但是許多跟著大遷徙從遠方來以色列的人, 在緊接著1948年猶太國的建立後, 卻都沉浸在鄉愁裡,並且喜愛他們以往的生活方式.

Israel has a vibrant Iraqi Jewish community who arrived throughout the 1950s. Many Iraqi Jews settled in the area known as Mahane Yehuda in the heart of west Jerusalem.

以色列有一個色彩鮮明、自1950年代移入的伊拉克籍猶太人社群.許多伊拉克籍猶太人居住在西耶路撒冷的中心地帶,也就是所知Mahane Yehuda地區.

It is a famous market with alleyways lined with grocery shops: rows after rows of shops laden with colourful fruit and vegetables, fresh fish, dried fruit, sweets, different kinds of bread, cheese, traditional salted fish.

它是一個著名的市集, 有著許多狹小的巷道, 裡面一間間全是雜貨店:一排又一排的商店塞滿了各種顏色的水果和蔬菜, 新鮮的魚貨, 乾果,糖果, 各種麵包,起司, 傳統的鹹魚.

These stores are still mostly owned by the descendants of the Iraqi and Kurdish Jewish immigrants.

這些商店大部份都是由伊拉克籍猶太人和庫德族猶太人移民的後代子孫所有.

Fish feast

"The most memorable taste was the fish called maskuf, from the river Hidekel," says Yakov.

"最令人懷念的美味是產於Hidekel河,叫做maskuf的魚." Yakov 說.

"After the Sabbath, we would wander off to the fields and have a feast with fish cooked on the spit, Iraqi pita and arak."

"安息日過後,我們總會漫步到野外, 享受一頓有著烤魚,伊拉克圓麵餅,亞力酒的盛宴."

After maskuf and arak, a strong aniseed flavoured local alcoholic drink, the boys would go to Ammara's club to watch belly dancing.

享用完maskuf和當地一種調有茴香的酒精飲料arak,男孩子們就到Ammara的一間俱樂部欣賞肚皮舞.

Yakov recalls, with vivid, powerful details, the life that he had once led, a life that was changed overnight by the political realities of the time. "We used to eat with them, sleep with them, go to school with them, the Arabs and the Jews went to the same high school. "

Yakov 鮮明且鉅細彌遺的記得他之前過的生活, 而這樣的生活在一夕之間就被當時的政治現實所改變."我們過去時常吃,睡,上課都跟他們在一起,阿拉伯人跟猶太人上同一所高中"

"We never thought of who was Jewish and who was Arab, until 1947. It all suddenly changed. The people that you knew as good people turned into bad people for you and you became bad for them. It was very sad."

"1947年一前,我們從未考慮誰是猶太人,誰是阿拉伯人. 突然間一切都變了. 以前你所認識的那些良善的人, 卻變成了壞人. 你也成了他們眼中的壞人. 實在是糟透了."

Anti-Jewish sentiment flared up after the creation of Israel and the subsequent Arab-Israeli war in 1948-49.

反猶太的情結在以色列建國後被激起,隨之而起的是1948-49年阿拉伯與以色列的戰爭

This led to the departure of most of Iraq's ancient Jewish community. By 1952, 120,000 Jews had left Iraq for Israel.

結果導致許多伊拉克籍古老猶太社群的出走. 到1952年, 總共有十二萬猶太人離開伊拉克前往以色列.

Thinking in Arabic

In the heart of the Mahane Yehuda market is Cafe Mizrakhi, which specialises in certain traditional delicacies from Iraq. The word Mizrakhi means Oriental Jews.

在Mahane Yehuda市集的中心,是一間咖啡店Mizrakhi,專門賣一些伊拉克傳統的美食. Mizrakhi這個字的意思是東方的猶太人.

It is owned by Eli Mizrakhi, whose family came from northern Iraq, or what is now known as Iraqi Kurdistan.

這間店的店東是Eli Mizrakhi,他的家族來自伊拉克北部, 也就是現在的伊拉克庫德斯坦.

""Most of us still feel connected to the country where we or our ancestors came from. Our parents and our grandparents still remember many things from their Iraqi past and they bring them to us, with food, music, language."

"我們當中有許多人仍舊對我們或我們先人來自的地方有著密不可分的感覺. 我們的父母親及祖父母仍舊記得過去在伊拉克許許多多的事, 以及他們帶給我們的食物,音樂以及語言.

Both Eli and Yakov agree that despite having gone through the process of assimilation into Israel, they keep alive many aspects of their previous lives, in particular, Iraqi food and speaking Arabic.

Eli和Yakov都承認,儘管經歷過與以色列同化的過程, 他們仍保有他們之前生活的樣子, 特別是伊拉克的食物以及說阿拉伯語.

"We used to eat kubbeh and bamia, or okra. The kubbeh, made with minced lamb, was the national food for the Jews all over Iraq. Thursday was the day of khitchri - it's a dish cooked with rice and lentils."

"我們過去常吃Kubbeh,bamia(羊角豆),或okra(秋葵).Kubbeh,碎羊肉做成,是所有在伊拉克猶太人的傳統食物. 星期四一定是吃Khitchri, 這是用米和扁豆烹調的一道菜."

."I still think in Arabic, still I can't string together all my thoughts in Hebrew. You have to understand, my mother tongue is Arabic," says Yakov.

"我仍然用阿拉伯文的方式思考, 到現在,我仍然沒有辦法用希伯來文的方式將思緒串接在一起. 你必須了解到我的母語是阿拉伯文." Yakov 說

Now living in a small cottage with his wife in south Jerusalem, Yakov keeps himself busy recreating sweet pickled orange from his youth, while longing to someday return to Babylon.

現在,Yakov和他的妻子住在南耶路撒冷的一間小屋裡,讓自己忙著做糖醃柳橙, 是他自年輕時的消遣, 同時渴望著有朝一日能回到巴比倫.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/6611667.stm
Published: 2007/05/07 19:37:33 GMT
© BBC MMVII