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More amazing still,
更令人驚訝的是
this place was built by people who were nomads
建造此地的人在公元前四世紀(jì)
when they first arrived here in the fourth century before Christ.
首次來到這里時(shí)還是游牧民族
The Nabataeans were goat herders,
納巴泰人畜牧羊群
camel riders, dwellers in tents.
駕馭駱駝 住于帳篷之中
But flocks and herds weren't going to produce this.
但游牧民族不會(huì)建起這樣的地方
Petra was built on trade in incense.
佩特拉立于熏香貿(mào)易之上
2,000 years ago,
兩千年前
aromatic frankincense and myrrh were essential
乳香和沒藥在滲透進(jìn)日常生活的
for the ceremonies and rituals which punctuated daily life.
慶典和儀式中非常重要
The nondescript little chunks and granules of dried tree resin
小塊干燥不起眼的樹脂
produced these clouds of fragrant incense smoke,
卻能產(chǎn)生這些彌漫的香霧
and they became the hottest trade between Africa and Persia.
它們成了非洲和波斯貿(mào)易中最火的商品
And here's the thing, the trees that produce the resin
然而 生產(chǎn)這種樹脂的樹
only grow in a particular part of Arabia,
只生長在阿拉伯的特定地區(qū)
and who knew that desert mile by stony mile,
而誰又能比納巴泰人更了解那里的
oasis by oasis, better than the Nabataeans?
一沙一石 一草一木呢
No-one.
沒有人
