Mythical Roman cave unearthed

'Mythical Roman cave' unearthed

Italian archaeologists say they have found the long-lost underground grotto where ancient Romans believed a female wolf suckled the city's twin founders.

義大利考古學家們表示，他們發現了一座失落已久的地下洞穴，古羅馬人深信母狼就是在這裡哺育了一對孿生子，也就是這座城市的創建者。

The cave believed to be the Lupercal was found near the ruins of Emperor Augustus' palace on the Palatine hill.

被認為是Lupercal的這座洞穴，被發現的地點是位於Palatine山丘上，一處由奧古斯都皇帝所建的宮殿廢墟附近。

The 8m (26ft) high cave decorated with shells, mosaics and marble was found during restoration work on the palace.

這座八公尺高的洞穴裡，有貝殼、馬賽克拼花圖案以及大理石做為裝飾，發現的時間正巧是在進行宮殿的修復工作。

According to mythology Romulus and Remus were nursed by a she-wolf after being left on the River Tiber's banks.

根據神話的記載，Romulus和Remus被遺棄在台伯河岸後，就由一匹母狼養育著。

The twin sons of the god Mars and priestess Rhea Silvia are said to have later founded Rome on the Palatine in 753 BC.

這對孿生兄弟正是戰神Mars與女祭司Rhea Silvia的兒子，傳說後來在西元前753年的時候，他們在Palatine山上建立了羅馬城。

The brothers ended up fighting over who should be in charge of the city, a power struggle which ended only after Romulus killed his brother.

這對兄弟為了這座城市的主宰權反目成仇，權力的鬥爭一直到Romulus殺了自己的兄弟之後才告終了。

In Roman times a popular festival called the Lupercalia was held annually on 15 February.

在羅馬時代，最受歡迎的節日是Lupercalia(牧神節)，節慶舉行的時間是在每年的二月十五日。

Young nobles called Luperci, taking their name from the place of the wolf (lupa), ran from the Lupercal around the bounds of the Palatine in what is believed to have been a purification ritual.

因為母狼(lupa)所在的地方而被稱為Luperci的年輕貴族們，從Lupercal沿著Palatine的邊界飛奔，這被認為是一種淨化的儀式。

Naked, except for the skins of goats that had been sacrificed that day, they would strike women they met on the hands with strips of sacrificial goatskin to promote fertility.

赤著身體裹在山羊皮裡，這是由節日當天所獻祭的羊身上剝下的，他們會以手中撕成條狀獻祭的羊皮，拍打在沿途上遇到的女人，借此增加她們的生育力。

'Astonishing history'

Presenting the discovery, Italian Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli said archaeologists were "reasonably certain" that the newly unearthed cave could be the Lupercal.

描述這項發現的義大利文化部長Francesco Rutelli說，考古學家們相當確定這個最新發現的洞穴可能就是Lupercal。

"This could reasonably be the place bearing witness to the myth of Rome, one of the most well-known cities in the world - the legendary cave where the she-wolf suckled Romulus and Remus, saving them from death," he said.

"這裡相當可能是個足以證明羅馬神話的地方，是幾個世上最著名的城市之一 – 這個充滿傳奇的洞穴，母狼在這裡哺育Romulus及Remus，使他們免於死亡。"他說。

"Italy and Rome never cease to astonish the world with continual archaeological and artistic discoveries, and it is incredible to think that we have finally found a mythical site which, by our doing so, has become a real place."

"義大利和羅馬頻頻有考古和藝術的發現，從不停歇的讓世界感到驚訝，而這次真是難以至信的，我們終於找到了這個神話中的地方，因為我們的努力，它竟然成真了。"

The ancient cave was found 16m (52ft) underground in a previously unexplored area during restoration work on the palace of Augustus, the first Roman emperor.

這個古老的洞穴位在地底下16公尺處，是個之前未探測的地方，它的發現是在對第一位羅馬皇帝奧古斯都的宮殿進行重建工程時，才被發現。

Exploration of the cavity was hampered, however, by fears that it might collapse and damage the foundations of the surrounding ruins.

然而，由於該洞穴可能有崩塌以及損毀周遭廢墟地基之虞，探勘工作目前暫時受到了阻礙。

Archaeologists therefore used endoscopes and laser scanners to study it, ascertaining that the circular structure was 8m (26ft) high and 7.5m (24ft) in diameter.

考古學家因而使用內視鏡及雷射掃瞄技術來進行研究，確定這個圓型的建築有8公尺高、直徑約有7.5公尺。

A camera probe later sent into the cave revealed a ceiling covered in shells, mosaics and coloured marble, with a white eagle at the centre.

稍後，將探針射影機伸入洞穴後，展現了整個頂篷是佈滿了貝殼、馬賽克拼花圖案以及色彩繽紛的大理石，中央有一隻白色的老鷹。

"You can imagine our amazement - we almost screamed," said Professor Giorgio Croci, the head of the archaeological team working on the restoration of the Palatine, told reporters.

"你可以想像我們有多麼的驚訝 – 我們幾乎要尖叫了，"負責率領整個考古團隊進行Palatine修復工程的Giorgio Croci教授這麼告訴記者。

"It is clear that Augustus... wanted his residence to be built in a place which was sacred for the city of Rome," he added.

"毫無疑問的，奧古斯都希望他把自己的官邸建築在羅馬城最神聖的地方，"他補充說道。

The Palatine hill is covered in palaces and other ancient monuments, from the 8th Century BC remains of Rome's first buildings to a mediaeval fortress and Renaissance villas.

Palatine山丘佈滿了皇宮殿宇以及其它古代遺址，從西元前8世紀羅馬第一批建物遺存，一直到中世紀保壘及文藝復興時期的別墅。

After being closed for decades due to risk of collapse, parts of the hill will re-open to the public in February after a 12m-euro ($17.7m) restoration programme.

由於有崩塌之虞因而關閉了將近幾十年，進行了要價約一千兩百萬歐元的修復工程後，這座山丘的部份地區將再度在明年的二月對外開放。
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/7104330.stm
Published: 2007/11/20 20:20:39 GMT
© BBC MMVII

Togetherness: Bedouin family ties

Togetherness: Bedouin family ties
By Katya Adler
BBC News, Jordan

There's something other-worldly about parts of the Jordanian desert. A bit like stepping back in time.

在這個有幾分超脫塵世的部份約旦沙漠地區裡，令人感覺彷彿是一腳踏進了歷史的洪流之中。

Here in the wilderness, Bedouin families live as they have for centuries - tending sheep and goats, sleeping on the floor in tents, far from the national water or electricity grids.

貝都因人的幾個家族住在這片荒漠之中已經有好幾個世紀了 – 照料著綿羊和山羊，睡在帳棚裡硬硬的地上，遠在國家民生自來水及電力供應系統之外。

The al-Rimthal family is headed by matriarch Ilaya. Dressed in traditional black with fine tattoos on her cheeks, chin and forehead, her face and hands are thoroughly weather-beaten.

這個al-Rimthal家族由女族長Ilaya為首。她身著傳統的黑衣，臉頰、下巴和額頭都紋上了精緻的刺青，她飽經風霜的臉和雙手全部曬得黝黑。

She welcomes us to her home. A tent roughly half the size of a basketball court. There are small children everywhere, it seems.

她把我們迎進家門。這座帳棚約有半個籃球場這麼大。而且看起來到處都是年幼的孩童。

"My grandchildren," IIaya proudly announces. But when I ask her how many there are exactly, she has trouble remembering. During the course of the day, I counted at least 13. Ilaya's four daughters and four of her six sons live with her.

"我的孫子、孫女，"她得意地說。但是當我問起倒底有多少個時，她卻有點記不起來。一整天下來，我數了至少有13個。跟Ilaya同住的有她四個女兒，另外她六個兒子中也有四個是住在這裡。

Their tent is divided into two sections. The first is for receiving guests. Bedouin hospitality is legendary. The second is the family's communal kitchen, living, dining and bedroom.

他們的帳棚分成兩區。第一區是用來接待客人。貝都因人的好客是遠近馳名的。第二區則是自己家人共用的廚房、客廳、餐廳以及臥室。

There is no furniture but foam mattresses and blankets are stacked into a corner of the room during the day.

這裡面沒有什麼家俱，有的只是海綿墊以及毛毯，白天的時候這些都被整齊的疊在房間的一角。

"We eat, sleep, work and pray together, right here under one roof," Ilaya told me.

"我們在同一個屋簷下一起吃、睡、工作、祈禱，就在這裡，"Ilaya對我說。

"I wouldn't be able to live without my sons and daughters around. Our life is good because we're together. The men feed and milk the animals and fetch the water. My daughters and daughters-in-law share the chores, clean the tent, grind the coffee, cook the meals. And me? I bake the breakfast bread every morning."

"沒有我的子女在旁，我可能真的活不下去。我們活得很快樂是因為我們都在一起。男人們餵養牲口、擠牛奶和汲水。我女兒和女婿們分擔家務，清理帳棚、研磨咖啡，煮煮飯。而我呢?我則是每天為大家烤烤早餐吃的麵包。"

Fear of separation

Ilaya is baking as she chats to me. She sits on the floor behind a gas-lit oval, stone-like structure. She throws dough at it and we're invited to eat the piping hot flat bread with home-made goat's cheese.

當Ilaya和我閒聊時還一邊烤著麵包。她坐在地上一個燒著煤氣的橢圓石製設備前。她朝著這個設備把生麵團扔了過去，接著，便邀請我們一塊吃熱騰騰的扁平麵包，佐以自製的羊奶乾酪。

Her daughters are busy around us, looking after the smallest children, singing Bedouin folksongs to them about heroes galloping through the desert.

她的女兒們在我們周圍忙著照顧年幼的孩子們，還一邊對他們唱著貝都因人的民謠，那是講述在沙漠中騎著馬奔馳的英雄。

"This is the life we choose and that we've always known," says Ilaya. "We Bedouin don't like to be separated.

"這是我們選擇的生活方式，是我們一直以來所熟悉的，"Ilaya這樣說。"我們貝都因人不喜歡分開。"

"I want my family together always. In the modern world, elderly parents are left on their own. People carry their troubles by themselves on their shoulders. Not us."

"我想要我的家人永遠生活在一起。在現代世界裡，年長的父母孤力無助地被丟在一旁。人們各自扛著自己的問題。但我們不是這樣。"

Bedouin communities are an extreme example, but tightly-knit families are the norm across the Middle East. In fact, families aren't just close, they are a lifeline.

貝都因人的社群是個極端的例子，但是這種緊密團結的家庭正是中東地區的規範。事實上，家庭不緊只是親密，他們更是一串生命線。

People depend on their relatives, not the state, if they are poor, sick or unemployed.

當人們在窮困、病痛或失業中，他們依靠的是自己的親戚，而不是政府。

On its website, the Jordanian Department of Statistics describes the family as "the basic social unit for the individual because it represents the source of protection, food, shelter, income, reputation and honour".

在約旦統計處的網站上對家庭的形容是"對個體來說，家庭是社會的基本單位，因為它扮演了保護、食物、庇護、名譽與榮耀的來源。"

Not just in the desert or rural communities either. More than 40% of Jordanians live in the capital, Amman.

不只是在沙漠裡，農村的社群也是這樣。大約有超過40%的約旦人住在首都安曼。

Financial help

One of the few members of the al-Rimthal clan who live in the city is Faris. He works on the Jordanian stock market, quite a contrast to his desert upbringing.

al-Rimthal氏族的少數幾個成員就住在城市裡，其中一個是Faris。他在約旦股市裡工作，這跟他在沙漠裡所得到的教養是多麼不同。

But his earnings are spent on the family. He visits them almost every day.

但是他所賺的錢都拿回家，而且他幾乎每天都會回家去探望他的親人。

We met Faris as he pulled up to his mother's tent in a shiny Mercedes, wearing a crisp white cotton robe, sporting a glitzy watch.

我們遇到Faris時他剛巧把一輛擦拭得光亮的Mercedes在他母親的帳棚前停了下來，他一身清爽的白色綿袍，還戴了一只誇張的手錶

"The family bond is an ancient tradition for us," he told me.

"家族關係密切，對我們來說是古老的傳統，"他告訴我。

"That's how we're brought up. Even when I'm working in Amman, my roots follow me there and always pull me back.

"我們的教養是這樣告訴我們的。即使我目前在安曼工作，我的祖先們好像也跟著我到那裡去，而且也總會把我給拉回來。"

"Modern life offers a lot in terms of material things but family always comes first. I've been helping to provide for them financially since my father died."

"現代生活提供許多物質方面的東西，但家人永遠是擺在第一位。從父親過世以來，我就一直在財務上支持他們。"

Later, watching from her tent as Faris and his nephews teased the family's camels, Ilaya wondered out loud: "We older people prefer to keep the family together.

稍晚，Ilaya從她的帳棚望去，Faris和他的姪子正在逗弄家裡養的駱駝，她大感納悶:"我們老人家寧可全家人都住在一起。"

"I think it's because of us that the family does stay together. Maybe if the young people were left on their own, they would live alone."

"我想大概是因為我們是全家人住一起。也許讓年輕人獨立自主，他們就會選擇獨居吧。"

Still, the trend across the Middle East is for continued close family ties among the old and the young. Religion and widespread traditional social values make it likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future.

儘管如此，中東各地的趨勢是繼續朝著使老人與年輕人之間家庭關係密切的方向走。在可預見的未來裡，宗教信仰以及普遍的社會價值觀使得這樣的趨勢更為可能。

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/7083696.stm
Published: 2007/11/08 11:27:19 GMT
© BBC MMVII

Romania's gold stays in the hills

Romania's gold stays in the hills
By Nick Thorpe
BBC News, Romania

A 10 year battle over a Romanian gold mine, which has divided the local community, has resulted in a Canadian company suing the Romanian state for blocking planning permission.

羅馬尼亞十年以來使得當地社區對立的金礦之爭，因而釀成加拿大一間公司對羅馬尼亞政府企圖凍結建築許可證提起了訴訟。

We were expecting gold, at least in the autumn leaves.

我們期待著看到黃澄澄的金子，不然至少也得看到在樹梢上轉為點點金黃的秋葉。

But when we arrived in the Apuseni Mountains the first snow of winter dusted the hilltops, and the beech woods on the steep slopes gave only a dull, red, distant glow.

但是，當我們抵達Apuseni(阿普塞尼)山脈時，冬季的第一場初雪已將山頂妝點得灰灰白白，陡峭山坡上的山毛櫸林隱約泛著微微的紅光。

Catalin Hosu and his team from the Rosia Montana Gold Corporation sweep us up a muddy track in their four-wheel drive.

一同來自Rosia Montana金礦公司的Catalin Hosu和他的團隊，用他們的四輪驅動車毫不費力的就把我們帶上了泥濘的小徑。

They are young and enthusiastic about the mine development, and they describe it as the best chance to tidy up the mess left by the past 2,000 years of mining here, and to bring prosperity to these valleys.

他們既年輕又對礦業的發展充滿熱情，他們形容這是個絕佳的契機，可一舉收拾過去兩千年來採礦所遺留下來的髒亂，並且為這些溪谷帶來繁榮。

"This project is definitely the only hope for this region," says Catalin's colleague, Horea Avram.

"這項工程對這個地區肯定是唯一的希望，" Catalin的同事Horea Avram說道。

In the failing grey afternoon light, we stand over a great brown-black pit. A few fir trees and an abandoned bulldozer perch forlornly around the fringes.

在愈趨暗淡的午後光線中，我們站在一大片泛著棕黑色的礦坑上方。幾株冷杉樹和一台棄置的推土機孤伶伶地棲身在礦坑的邊緣。

On the other side of the mountain, beneath an outcrop called the Raven's Beak, a dog barks somewhere near the church in the valley below.

在山的另一側是一處叫做Raven’s Beak的裸露礦脈，遠從其下方的溪谷接近教堂處，傳來陣陣狗叫聲。

All 380 homes and two churches in Corna village have to go, to make way for a tailings (residue) pond where waste from the mine, in a cyanide solution, will be stored.

這個名為Corna的村莊裡所有380幢住宅以及兩座教堂都必須要搬遷，空出地方好建一個尾礦池，用來存放經氰化液提煉剩下的廢棄物。

Heavy metal rivers

The first shock for any visitor here is the extent of the existing damage.

對任何一個造訪此地的遊客來說，頭一個令他們感到震驚的是目前遭到破壞的範圍。

The rivers run red with heavy metals: cadmium, zinc and iron already unlocked from these hills by the mines of the past.

許多河流都被重金屬染成了紅色，鎘、鋅還有鐵從幾座過去採礦的山丘上漸漸釋放出來。

The corporation has even bottled some of it for their publicity campaign. Rosia Red they call it.

這間公司還曾將這些水裝在瓶中以做為他們的宣傳活動。他們稱之為Rosia的紅。

"What keeps Rosia Red?" asks the label on the back.

"什麼讓Rosia常是這樣的紅? "身後的標語道出了這樣的問題。

"Anti-mining activists who want to stop a new, modern mine designed to strict EU standards, that would actually clean up the rivers of Rosia!"

"反採礦行動主義者要求停止新式現代化的採礦，而這種為了嚴格的歐盟標準所設計的採礦方式才真的會淨化Rosia河!"

The second shock is the sheer extent of the Gold Corporation's plans to change the landscape.

金礦公司的方案對大地景觀改變的幅度則是第二個叫人感到吃驚的事。

Cetate Hill will disappear altogether, like a bad tooth plucked from the mouth of the Carpathians, to be pulverised along with three of its neighbours.

整座Cetate山丘將完全消失，像一顆齲齒從Carpathians(喀爾巴阡)山的口中被拔了出來，連帶鄰近三座山丘也將被徹底被摧毀。

In exchange, Romania has been promised more than £1bn ($2bn) in economic benefits.

對羅馬尼亞來說則是保證換得了超過十億英磅的經濟利益。

Ancient conquerors spoke of enough gold here to pave a road all the way to Rome. You can still find it in faraway museums, punched with Caesar's proud head.

古代的征服者論及此地豐富的金含量足以鋪滿每一條通往羅馬的道路。至今你仍可在遠方的博物館中看到這些金子雕琢在凱撒傲然昂揚的頭上。

Gold Corporation geologists admit that the main seams have already been carted away, but say 300 tonnes are left in low concentrations.

金礦公司的地質學家承認主要礦層已經被開採得差不多了，但剩餘零星分佈的量則有300公噸。

That is why they need to grind up whole hills - 13 million tonnes of rock a year - to make the operation worthwhile.

這也是為什麼他們需要磨平整座山，一年一千三百萬公噸的岩石，使得整件工程是值得的。

Homes belonging to opponents of the project are easily identifiable by their yellow "This property is NOT for sale" signs, among the green, more frequent plaques on homes already bought by the company: "Property of Rosia Montana Gold Corporation."

從那些鮮黃色"資產不出售"的標誌，要區分出那些對這項工程持反對意見者的家是非常容易的，他們夾雜在越來越常出現的綠色飾板中，上頭寫著"Rosia Montana金礦公司所屬資產"，這些住宅都已經被公司給買走了。

Project master plan

Remus Cernus is hammering and sandpapering a window-frame in his carpenter's workshop when we arrive.

當我們抵達時，Remus Cernus正在他的木匠工坊裡一邊敲敲打打還一邊用砂紙磨著一組窗框。

There is a picture of the Madonna and Child on the wall, and his home - like the Orthodox Church in the village - is panelled with cherry, pine and beech woods from his hard-working hands.

牆上掛著一幅聖母聖子圖，他的家如同村裡東正教教堂一樣，鑲嵌著櫻桃木、松木以及山毛櫸的木頭，全是出自他那雙勤勉的手。

According to the project master plan, his house and workshop will disappear under the deep base of the tailings pond.

按照工程的總體規劃來看，他的家和工作坊看來都將消失在深深的尾礦池底。

"I do not want everything I've done here, the traces of my parents, my forefathers on this earth, the very mountains which God created to disappear," he says slowly.

"我不要讓我所做的一切、我父母親以及我的祖先在這片土地上留下的點點滴滴、以及這幾座上帝創造的山就這樣消失無蹤，"他一字一句慢慢的說。

And he speaks sadly of close relatives who were persuaded by the company to sell.

而且他傷感地提到自己一位要好的親戚被說服了將房產賣給公司。

Divided communities

It is a common theme among opponents of the mine: the divisive effect the corporation's activities have had on local communities, with offers of money or re-housing... and the freeze placed on any plans to improve local facilities on the grounds that the company will do everything in the future.

在對採礦持反對意見的人當中普遍持著一種理論:公司對當地社區進行的活動已經產生了一些分裂效應，無論是出錢或協助移往新居...以及任何被凍結了的工程，只要是能改善地面設施，公司在未來都很樂意去做。

On the slopes of Orla Hill, where his frozen land too should be ground up for gold, Eugen David is defiant.

在Orla Hill山腰上，Eugen David結冰了的土地也可能因為金礦的開採而整片被碾平。他打算違抗這一切。

"There are thousands of villages in Romania which are developing without gold," says the leading light of Alburnus Maior, the main opposition group. "Why should this one be different?"

"幾千座羅馬尼亞的村莊沒有金礦也照樣發展，" 主要反對團體Alburnus Maior的靈魂人物這樣說著。"為什麼這裡要有所不同呢? "

And anyway: "It's the Romanian state's responsibility to rehabilitate the landscape, not some Barbados company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange!" he mocks the corporation.

但無論以何種角度來看，他嘲諷這間公司: "使大地恢復原來的樣子是羅馬尼亞政府的責任，可不是什麼多倫多證交所巴貝多上市公司的事! "

Later we sit in his kitchen, tasting his cheese, washed down with fiery plum spirit.

後來，我們坐在他的廚房裡，嚐嚐他的乳酪、喝著非常烈的梅子酒。

Diana, his nine-year-old daughter, describes debates in school between "the Greenpeacers" - as some children call themselves - and the "Goldists".

Diana，他九歲的女兒形容在學校裡"綠色和平組織支持者"和"金礦主義者"間的爭論，一些孩子們這樣自稱。

And who is in the majority? "The Greenpeacers!" Diana says loyally, as her grandmother brings another pancake from the top of the wood-burning stove, and spreads it thickly with homemade rosehip jam.

而哪一邊是多數呢? "綠色和平組織支持者"Diana一臉忠誠地說，此時，她的祖母正替我們拿來另一盤薄煎餅，那是剛從燃燒著柴火的爐灶上取下來，並且還厚厚地塗上了一層自製的野玫瑰果醬。

Leaving Rosia Montana, we get our gold at last: a sudden flicker in the sky, where we were least expecting it, after sunset.

正當要離開Rosia Montana的時候，我們終於得到了我們的黃金，那是天空中乍現的落日餘暉，是我們在這裡最不期望能見到的。

It is -4C (25F) in the mountain pass above Ariesen. The snow is waist-deep among the fir trees at the roadside.

在Ariesen之上的登山步道目前只有零下四度。在路旁冷杉林中，積雪正及腰那麼深。

And there is proof of some non-mining investment in the area. The ski slope is preparing for its first visitors of the season.

滑雪坡道正準備迎接本季第一批觀光客，證明這個地區還是可以做無關礦業的投資。

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/default.stm
Published: 2007/11/10 11:29:24 GMT
© BBC MMVII

Albania's long-lost Roman city

Albania's long-lost Roman city
By Malcolm Billings
BBC News, Albania

Malcolm Billings visits Butrint on Albania's southern coast opposite the Greek island of Corfu - one of the best-kept secrets of the ancient Roman world until it was designated a national park with foreign help.

BBC的特派記者Malcolm Billings走訪了位在阿爾巴尼亞南海岸的Butrint，這個與希臘Corfu(科孚)島隔海相望的地方，蘊藏著一個曾是世上最密而不宣的古羅馬世界，一直到在外界的幫助下， 它被選定為國家公園。

Enver Hoxha, the Stalinist communist dictator of Albania until 1985, was proud of Butrint.

Enver Hoxha，這位在1985年逝世，信奉史達林共產主義的阿爾巴尼亞獨裁者，對擁有Butrint這個地方一直感到很自豪。

At the height of the Cold War in the 1960s he showed Nikita Khrushchev around. But only after the sites in the forest were sprayed with DDT and purged of snakes, wild animals and insects.

1960年代正值冷戰的高峰期，他曾領著赫魯雪夫到處參觀。卻單是在對這個隱沒於林中的遺址噴灑了DDT，驅除了蛇虺蚊蚋和野生動物之後。

Khrushchev was more interested in establishing a secret submarine base in the lake of Butrint - an idea that Hoxha did not follow up.

赫魯雪夫更感興趣是在Butrint的湖中建造一個秘密的水下基地。對於這個想法，Hoxha並沒有付諸實行。

Forest on the march

After the fall of communism, the site was plundered and the ruins reclaimed by the dense forest. Then, there were no planning or building regulations and a rash of half-finished houses and apartment buildings were creeping towards the archaeological site.

在共產主義垮臺後，這處遺址遭到掠奪，整座廢墟再度埋沒在稠密的森林中。接著，在缺乏規劃與建築規章使然，未完工的房舍與公寓大量激增，朝著這處考古遺址蔓延。

Lord Rothschild, banker and philanthropist, could see what was happening from his villa on the Greek Island of Corfu, little more than a mile across the water.

Rothschild閣下，是銀行家以及慈善家，從自己位在希臘Corfu(科孚)島上的別墅，隔著僅僅一哩的海域，可以望見Butrint上頭有什麼動靜。

"When the communist regime ended," he told me, "I sailed over to Butrint which I thought was one of the most beautiful and unspoilt places in the Mediterranean world."

"當時正值共產主義的政權瓦解，"他告訴我，"我駕船到Butrint，覺得那是地中海一帶一個最美麗、未受破壞的人間淨土。"

Another peer, Lord Sainsbury, who also took his holidays on Corfu, became interested. Together they set up the Butrint Foundation to protect the site and excavate more of its ruins.

另一位有著相同地位的Sainsbury閣下，也是因為到Corfu(科孚)島渡假後，對Butrint越來越關心。於是兩人一同創立Butrint基金會致力於遺址的保護並且對遺跡採取更進一步的挖絕。

The Albanian government welcomed the help at a time when Mafia style racketeering was rife and the country's reputation could not have been worse.

阿爾巴尼亞政府對這個援助欣然接受，特別是當時正值敲詐勒索的黑手黨作風四處蔓延，整個國家形象已經到了不能再糟的地步。

Richard Hodges, Professor of World Archaeology at the University of East Anglia, directed the first excavations in 1994.

東英吉利亞大學的世界考古學教授Richard Hodges，主持了1994年第一次的開挖。

"Food was scarce," he said. "There was nowhere to stay and the roads were almost impassable. The country was full of old stolen cars that took forever to travel just a few miles."

"食物很缺乏，"他說。"不僅沒地方住，路還不通。這個國家到處都是偷來的老舊贓車，短短僅幾哩的路像永遠也到不了似的。"

Thirteen years on, the English lords still support the work at Butrint, along with another multi-millionaire, David Packard of the Hewlett Packard computer fortune.

十三年間，除了英國貴族仍不斷支持在Butrint的挖掘工作外，另一個大富豪，惠普公司的David Packard也加入了他們的行列。

Between them about £500,000 is being spent on Butrint every year.

他們每一年總共花在Butrint的錢就有五十萬英磅。

Ruined city

From the top of the unexcavated acropolis, I had a bird's eye view of the whole city. In places I could see sections of the wall almost hidden by the forest.

我從還未開挖的衛城高處俯瞰這整座失落的城市。我看到有好幾個地方的城牆都已經隱沒在森林中。

At the foot of the acropolis there is a well-preserved Greek temple with Roman additions.

衛城下方有一座由古羅馬人增建、保存良好的希臘神殿。

And alongside the massive walls of an early Christian church, I could make out the double circle of pillars of a Baptistery in the centre of a perfectly preserved intricate mosaic floor.

沿著早期基督教教堂高大厚實的砌牆邊上，我還能分辨出在保存得相當完整、複雜精美的馬賽克鑲嵌地板中央，靜靜的躺著一座洗禮池，周圍環繞佇立著兩圈石柱。

Beyond the walls, Butrint spills out onto the plain where archaeologists have found the remains of a palatial villa.

砌牆外，Butrint的遺址向著曠野漫了出去，考古學家在此處已發現了殘存的宮殿別墅。

"One of the most important things that we do is to train young Albanian archaeologists," Oliver Gilkes of the University of East Anglia explained, as we walked along forest paths that weave through the ruined city.

當我們沿著迂迴在這座傾頹城市的林間小徑上漫步時，東英吉利大學的Oliver Gilkes解釋說: "我們做的最重要的幾件事之一就是培訓一些年輕的阿爾巴尼亞的考古學家。"

We stopped at a deep trench where a section of the Roman forum was poking out from under three metres of earth and rubble.

我們在一條很深的溝渠前停了下來，那裡有部份古羅馬廣場在三呎下的泥土與碎石堆裡顯露了出來。

"I suspect there could still be statues under all that," Oliver told me, "but getting them out," he said, "is another matter. Some might weigh as much as one of our Land Rovers."

"我懷疑那下面可能還有一些雕像，" Oliver告訴我，"但是要取上來，" 他繼續說道: "那又是另一個麻煩事。有些雕像就跟我們一台Land Rover一樣重。"

Cultural tourism

In 1997, the Butrint Foundation, along with Unesco, encouraged the Albanian government to declare the whole site, and 30 square miles around it, as a national park.

1997年，在Butrint基金會與世界教科文組織的支持下，阿爾巴尼亞政府宣布整個遺址區，連同周遭30平方英里全部劃為國家公園。

Tourists began to arrive. Now there are about 80,000 a year, most of them coming for the day on ferries from Corfu.

遊客開始紛紛造訪。現在，每年約有八萬人，大部份的遊客都是從Corfu(科孚)島搭渡輪過來做一日遊。

More parks, modelled on Butrint, are being planned to boost cultural tourism.

越來越多的公園都仿造Butrint的模式，被規劃用來推廣文化之旅。

Because the park has preserved an almost pristine landscape, there is some remarkable historical continuity.

由於這樣的公園保存的是一個最為原始的風貌，因此就會有特別的歷史延續性。

There is a Venetian fort on the waterfront and another one closer to the sea that dates from Ottoman times in the 19th Century.

在濱水區還留有一座威尼斯人的堡壘，而靠近海邊的另一座堡壘則可以追溯到19世紀的鄂圖曼帝國那個時期。

Prison state

Oliver Gilkes took me to a cluster of gun emplacements just outside the site. They looked like huge grey concrete mushrooms.

Oliver Gilkes帶我去看遺址外的一群砲台。看起來像極了巨大的灰色混凝土製的蘑菇。

Hoxha surrounded Albania with 750,000 of them and like Butrint's ancient defences, the mushrooms are a part of Albania's cultural heritage.

Hoxha用了七十五萬座長得像這樣的砲台密密的把阿爾巴尼亞圍了起來，就如同Butrint古老的防禦工事，這大朵大朵蘑菇般的砲台也屬於阿爾巴尼亞文化遺產的一部份。

But Oliver Gilkes explained: "All over the country they are just being broken up. No-one in Albania wants to be reminded of the prison state in which they were incarcerated."

但Oliver Gilkes解釋: "佈滿在這個國家的一座座砲台正開始逐漸的崩壞。在阿爾巴尼亞，沒有人想因之憶起被這些砲台監禁時的狀態。"

"They used to try to swim across there," he said pointing to the headland closest to Corfu, "under the guns and searchlights of the army. A lot never made it."

他指著最靠近Corfu(科孚)島的一片陸岬說:"他們過去曾試圖在槍砲與探照燈下從那裡游過去。大部份的人都沒能成功。"

But the national park is a new concept. For some emergent Albanian oligarchs, the boundaries are just another challenge on the path to riches.

但國家公園是一個新的概念。對一些突然出現的阿爾巴尼亞寡頭來說，界限的存在僅是通往財富路徑上的另一個挑戰。

In the Butrint National Park, an entrepreneur has tried three times to build a discotheque on the coast facing Corfu. The so-called "construction police" have twice disabled it by demolishing the staircases. On their last visit they pushed the structure over on its side.

一位企業家三度嘗試在Butrint國家公園內朝著Corfu(科孚)島的海岸邊建一個小舞廳。所謂的"建設警察"已經兩次拆除樓梯迫使它停業。在最後一次視察時他們把整座建物給推倒在一旁。

But perhaps this story is not over yet. There are those who think that the thudding beat of so-called Albanian Turbo rock may yet be wafted on the sea breeze across the water to the terraces of Jacob Rothschild's villa on Corfu.

但或許這事還沒了結。總是有這樣的人認為這種所謂Albanian Turbo式搖滾悶悶的節奏會有那麼一天隨著海風飄洋吹送到Corfu(科孚)島Jacob Rothschild閣下的別墅陽台上。

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6278418.stm
Published: 2007/07/07 11:22:22 GMT

© BBC MMVII

Uzbekistan's best kept secret

Uzbekistan's best kept secret
By Monica Whitlock
BBC Correspondent, Uzbekistan

Kampyr-Tepe, in southern Uzbekistan, was built at the time of Alexander the Great's empire and occupied for about 500 years until it fell into decline.

位於烏茲別克南方的Kampyr-Tepe(tepe: 源自土耳其語，即山丘Hill之意)是建於亞歷山大大帝在位的帝國時期，前後總共被佔據了約有500年的時間，直到帝國逐漸勢微。

Since it was discovered, a generation ago, it has been closed to the public because it stands in a sensitive and tightly guarded military zone, right on the Afghan border.

Kampyr-Tepe的發現大約是在一個世代以前的事了，由於地處一個敏感及高度警戒的軍事區域，正巧就在阿富汗的邊界，因此目前已不對外開放。

The city perched on a high shelf of land - cut into clay walls that dropped sheer into the plains below.

這座切割成一道道黏土牆的城市，高高的盤踞在一塊突出地表的岩石上，垂直深入下方的平原。

Caught in the light of a winter afternoon, an entire city spread as far as we could see, the dun-coloured dust touched with gold.

冬日午後的光線照射下來，整座城市延伸至我們眼目所及之處，暗褐色的塵土綴上點點金黃。

It was here that Alexander raised his capital more than 2,000 years ago. This was the furthest conquest, then, of the Greeks in Asia.

這裡就是亞歷山大在兩千多年前所建立的都市。是當時希臘人在亞洲最遙遠的佔領地。

From our vantage point, we could see why. Far below, beneath a swirl of starlings, we could see the plains melt into those of Afghanistan, Alexander's route here from Persia.

從我們所在優越的地理位置來看，我們就可以理解為什麼選擇這樣一個地方。遠在歐掠鳥盤旋之處的下方，我們窺見平原逐漸隱沒融入遠方，最終變成阿富汗平原，那是亞歷山大從波斯來此的征服之路。

At our feet spread the whole of the south.

從我們的腳邊向整個南方的天際延伸。

Relics

There was not a sound but the birds flocking and turning across the precipice, wheeling and turning back.

除了鳥兒成群在絕壁間來回盤旋的聲音之外，四周一片寂寥。

The small houses were in the nearest part of the city. Square rooms opened on to a grid of narrow passages, criss-crossing to make streets.

矮小的房舍座落在離城市最近的一部份。方正的房間通往有如格子狀的狹小的通道，交織成密密的街道。

Stacks of pots and plates sat outside, as though the people of Kampyr-Tepe had left the washing up one evening after dinner.

被堆在門外的鍋碗瓢盆，彷彿是Kampyr-Tepe的人們在一個夜晚飽餐過後忘了洗滌似的。

Great round platters and bowls, made of the same ochre dust as the plain.

大大的圓形餐盤和碗，都是用與整座平原相同的赭土所製成。

At first we were amazed. Why had they not been taken off to some museum? Dated, labelled... or stolen even?

一開始我們非常訝異。為什麼這些東西沒有被移到某個博物館?定年、歸類...或甚至是被竊取?

But the more we looked, we realised there were just so many, they were ordinary, just part of the land.

但是當我們看多了，我們也就了解這樣的東西實在是太多了，而且平凡無奇，那不過是大地的一部份罷了。

When two boys - hard and tough as men - drove their handful of sheep through the city, they did not waste a glance on the pots. Why would they?

身段結實強壯有如男人的兩個男孩，趕著幾隻羊行經這座城市，他們對這些鍋碗瓢盆看也不看一眼。他們怎麼會想看呢?

Foreigners though, now that was interesting; they spend the rest of the day following shyly and smiling.

現在，還是那些遠到而來的外籍人士令他們感興趣；他們把剩餘的時間都用在羞怯怯地跟在後頭和微笑。

Security

Kampyr-Tepe was a fortified city in Alexander's time, and remains a military base to this day for a reason as old as the land - its special position at this crossing between central and south Asia.

Kampyr-Tepe在亞歷山大的時代是座構築有防禦工事的城市，至今還留有一座軍事基地，原因跟這片土地一樣古老 – 它介於中亞與南亞之間特殊的地理位置。

It is patrolled by the army of modern Uzbekistan.

現在，這裡有現代化的烏茲別克軍隊巡邏。

Special permission to visit can only be granted by the government in Tashkent.

唯有得到位於首都Tashkent(塔什干)政府所授予的特殊許可證才得已參觀。

The way in is through a military checkpoint, at the time specified.

進到此處要先通過一個軍事檢查站，而且有時間的限制。

Turn up late and the soldiers will bar the way and you will never see Kampyr-Tepe, just the plain around pitted with pill-boxes and fenced with barbed wire.

太晚到的話，士兵會將道路封鎖，你就看不到Kampyr-Tepe，只能看見被一座座碉堡佔據和鐵絲網圍住的平原。

The deep south of Central Asia has a feel all its own.

中亞的南方深處彷彿遺世獨立一般。

It has a special stillness and a scent of new bread from the intense sun beating on the straw, that, mixed with mud, is the building material used 1,000 years ago... and now.

這裡有種特殊的靜謐，混著泥土的稻草，是自一千年至今都被當成建築的材料，在炙熱的陽光照射下，散發出新鮮麵包的芳香。

Buried treasure

It wears its past casually. Kampyr-Tepe is just one of its treasures.

一如往昔的，Kampyr-Tepe還是老樣子，Kampyr-Tepe只是這裡其中一項寶藏。

There are sights here, in this quiet and private place, that almost anywhere in the world would have bus-loads of visitors trooping to and fro, buying souvenirs and cups of tea.

在這個僻靜的地方有好幾處景點，換成世上任何像這樣的地方一定會有一車車的觀光客成群結隊地來來去去，買買紀念品或者幾杯茶。

"You see that big pit there," said an old farmer, Hamrah Baba, living on the plains to the north of Kampyr-Tepe.

"你看那座坑，" Hamrah Baba，住在Kampyr-Tepe北邊平原的老農夫說。

"When I was a boy, we used to lower each other down there in turns, hanging on a rope. We did not think it was special.

"小時候，我們常用繩子輪流把對方垂吊下去。我們從來不認為它有什麼特別。"

"Then, these men came from Tashkent and found all sorts of things. They found gold and those chessmen."

"接著，這些從Tashkent來的人發現各式各樣的東西。他們找到了黃金和那些棋子。"

The gold was 35kg of solid gold jewellery, set with turquoises. The chess pieces may be the oldest on earth.

黃金是重達35公斤的純金首飾，上面鑲嵌著綠松石。而那一組棋子可能是世上最古老的。

The pit where Hamrah Baba once played is in the citadel of Dalverzin-Tepe. Capital of the Kushan empire, it was one of the richest on the planet.

Hamrah Baba昔日玩耍的這座坑正位在Dalverzin-Tepe的堡壘內。這個Kushan帝國的首都，曾擁有全世界最傲人的財富。

There was not a sound but the starlings, wheeling and flocking, wheeling and turning over the edge of Afghanistan.

那裡一點聲音也沒有，只有歐掠鳥成群在阿富汗邊際來來回回盤旋。

Unearthed

There are secrets buried with the past... long dead secrets, and recent political secrets.

有許多秘密和古老的過去被一同深深的埋藏著......逝去已久的秘密，以及近代政治上的機密。

One night in the Soviet time, archaeologists got a call at their dig at a sunken palace right on the Afghan frontier by the river Amu, that some people call Oxus.

在前蘇聯統治時期的一個夜裡，考古學家們接到一個命令，當時他們正在Amu河畔的阿富汗邊陲地帶，挖掘一處陷落的宮殿，一些人稱這裡為Oxus。

It was an urgent order from Moscow. "Move fast," they said. "Get the stuff out, now."

這是來自莫斯科當局下的緊急命令。"趕快離開，"他們說。"現在就把東西帶走。"

They dug as fast as they could, grabbing from the ground a frieze of marble musicians, and a hoard of daggers - relics of an army that had once passed that way.

他們盡所能的趕快挖掘，匆匆從土裡攫取刻有樂師的大理石橫飾帶、還有一大堆的匕首 – 大概是昔日某個曾行經此處的軍隊所遺留下來的。

They were right to feel that something was up.

他們的預感是正確的，有大事要發生了。

It was the winter of 1979 and a few days later, Soviet tanks rolled into Afghanistan, across the palace, crunching what was left.

1979年的冬天，也就是在幾天之後，前蘇聯的坦克開進了阿富汗，穿越了宮殿，碾過了被遺留在當地的一切。

Inhabitants

Long before the Arabs came here with their new religion of Islam, Buddhist monks lived in Central Asia, the conduit through which Buddhism travelled from India to the East.

早在阿拉伯人帶著他們新的伊斯蘭信仰來此處之前，佛教的僧侶就已經居住在中亞，成了佛教由印度傳到東方的通道。

The giant Buddha statues at Bamian in Afghanistan lay on the same road.

阿富汗巴米安巨大的佛像躺臥在相同的道路上。

They have been destroyed, but a wonderful sleeping Buddha, 16m long, still lies peacefully in Tajikistan.

這些佛像現在已經遭到毀壞，但是有一尊16公尺長保存極好的臥佛像仍安詳地平放在塔吉克。

And near Kampyr-Tepe, we were invited to the site of a Buddhist lamasery, where the mendicant monks lived underground in a labyrinth, to protect them from the terrible heat and cold of the plain.

鄰近Kampyr-Tepe的地方，我們受邀走訪一處佛教的喇嘛寺，托缽的僧侶曾經住在一座地下的迷宮中，以保護他們免受平原的炙熱與嚴寒之苦。

One could almost feel their soft steps in their sunken corridors and imagine them rinsing their begged rice at the stone bowl that still stands in their kitchen.

任何來到此地的人都似乎可以感受到他們在陷落的迴廊中踩著輕柔的步伐，以及想像他們用石製的大碗清洗他們托缽來的米，那石碗至今仍佇立在他們廚房裡。

They left no gardens, no orchards, no grand palaces.

他們沒有留下任何的花園、果園或是宏偉的宮殿。

What they left was something simpler.

他們留下了更為單純的東西。

"They left some very special papers," said our guide excitedly. "We found them in sealed jars."

"他們留了一些非常特殊的文件，" 我們的嚮導興高彩烈的說。"我們是在幾個密封的罐子裡找到的。"

"What did they say?" I asked.

"裡面講述些什麼呢?" 我好奇的問他。

"Oh they said that we too lived here."

"喔~他們說他們還住在這裡。"

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/3630167.stm
Published: 2004/04/18 05:02:38 GMT
© BBC MMVII