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Research shows that the climate in western Tibet has been steadily changing over the past millenium, and that man has been on the losing end of an age old battle with nature.
研究顯示西藏氣候過去經歷大改變在與大自然長期對抗中，人類是落敗的一方。
Areas that were once moist and relatively lush are now dry and have become deserts, and in Guge this process is all the more intensified,
這里一度是多雨又富庶的地方，但如今卻變成干燥的沙漠，這對古格來說形成相當強烈的對比，
it's because it's located in the range shadow of Asia's greatest mountain ranges.
因為古格王朝位在亞洲最大山脈的背側。
Evidence of this ongoing force known as desertification comes from satellite photographs of once arable fields now abandoned,
從衛星照片可以看出沙漠化曾是耕地的地方，如今棄置荒廢，
but not all of them moved away, in the middle of desert like conditions that surround modern Tsaparang, there are still a few places with enough moisture to grow barley, the fall of the Guge kingdom might not have been triggered by just one major military campaign,
但并非所有地方都改變，在現代札布讓周圍的，沙漠類似地區中仍有幾處地方可種植青稞，引發古格王朝消失的原因可能不是拉達克人的侵略。
but rather from a long term sustained assault from mother nature herself,
而是長期的自然變遷，
even today 400 years after the fall of the citadel, nature is still battling with the remaining few farmers struggling to eke out an existence from the land,
即使是今天，在古格王朝投降后的四百年大自然仍然在打擊這片土地上寥寥無幾的農人。
the farmers explained to John that they have been trying to grow barley in these fields, during the time the Guge kingdom they said the water levels much higher than it is now,
農人向約翰說，他們想在這些田地內種植青棵，在古格王朝時代水位比現在高很多。
but the lack of water has now driven them to the lower areas right next to the river, the demise of the Guge kingdom was the end of line of Tibetan monarchs that stretch from 1630 back to 200 years AD,
缺水問題已經擴及象泉河附近的低洼地區，古格王朝滅亡后1630年起存續兩百年的西藏王族亦告結束。
but the legacy of Guge lives on in festivities like this annual horse fair, as they would centuries ago,
但古格王朝的傳承活在今日札布讓的年度賽馬盛會之中，仿照幾世紀以前。
Buddhist monks are on hand to bless the jockeys, wishing them a successful and safe endeavour, participants dipped their fingers into beer and flicked it heavenward, a sign of gratitude and an offering to the divine.
佛教僧侶出席賽馬會祝福賽馬勇士希望他們平安成功，參賽者依照儀式用手指沾取啤酒，往天空輕彈，顯示他們的感激，以酒祭拜天神。
But it is when the races begin, that we are reminded of the lenient of these hardy men.
賽馬開始后我們回想到這些強壯男兒的家族。
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