双语有声阅读:Following un Ancient Footsteps 长相"丝"守

Following un Ancient Footsteps 长相"丝"守：丝绸之路话从头

One of the world's most ancient and historically important trade routes, the Silk Road conjures¹ up exotic images of camel caravans², windswept deserts, and such legendary³ figures as Genghis Khan and Marco Polo. Extending as far as the Indian kingdoms in the west, to present-day Xian in China in the east, the Silk Road was already a crossroads of Asia by the third century B.C.

Skirting the edges of the harsh and inhospitable Taklimakan desert, the Silk Road actually had several different branches, each passing through different oases⁴. All roads began in Changan (Xian). The northern route wound its way through places such as Turfan and Kuqa before finally ending at Kashgar. The southern route followed the lower fringes of the Taklimakan to eventually end up at the same destination. Numerous other routes were also plied⁵ throughout the ages, reaching all the way to Samarkand, Tashkent, India, and the .htmian Sea.

Silk was not the only commodity traveling the Silk Road. Other goods such as exotic animals, ivory, and gold were also transported along the route. It was silk, though, which fascinated the Romans. Agents were sent from Rome to explore the route and to obtain the material at a lower price. The Romans, however, did not give the Silk Road its name. The term was actually coined by the 19th-century German scholar Baron⁶ Ferdinand von Richthofen.

In spite of its name, silk was not the most important commodity traversing the Silk Road. That honor fell to religion. Along the northern branch of the route, Buddhism⁷ made its way from India to China in the fourth and fifth centuries. Christianity also made an appearance in the seventh century, when merchants carried the faith from northern Iran to Changan.

Not long after the Tang era (618-907), when trade along the Silk Road had reached its height, the fearsome Genghis Khan and his Mongol armies conquered a vast area spanning much of Central Asia. Accordingly, the Silk Road became an important communication route between different parts of the Mongol Empire. During the rule of Kublai Khan, more Europeans began venturing towards China along the Silk Road. The most famous of these travelers was Marco Polo, whose thoughts and adventures were later recorded and embellished⁸ by an Italian romance writer.

During the 14th century, with the disintegration⁹ of the Mongol Empire, the isolationist policies of the Ming Dynasty, and the development of the silk route by sea, the Silk Road was forced into decline. Renewed interest in it emerged only among Western scholars near the end of the 19th century. The existence of ancient cities excited them, and an archaeological free-for-all began. These days, those seeking out treasures of the Silk Road can find what they are looking for in such far-flung places as London, Delhi, and Berlin.

世界上最古老，历史上最重要的贸易路线之一──丝绸之路，总给人一种富有异国情调的印象：骆驼商队、狂风肆虐的沙漠，还有诸如成吉思汗和马可波罗等传奇人物。丝绸之路绵亘远长，西至印度王国，东到中国现在的西安，早在公元前三世纪，丝绸之路就已经成为了亚洲交通的十字路口。

丝绸之路其实有数条支线，它们分别沿着环境恶劣、不适合人类居住的塔克拉玛干沙漠外缘，穿越不同的绿洲。所有的路线都是始于长安（西安）：北线蜿蜒经过了吐鲁番、库车，最后到达喀什格尔??南线沿着塔克拉玛干下缘前行，到达同一终点。其它的许多支线也是历代都通行的，通往撒玛尔罕、塔什干、印度， 及里海等地。

丝绸并不是丝绸之路上运送的唯一商品。其它货物如奇珍异兽、象牙，及黄金等也通过丝绸之路运输。 不过格外令罗马人着迷的还是丝绸。罗马派遣代理商探测这条路线，并以较低的价格购得丝绸。然而，“丝 绸之路”的名称并不是罗马人起的。这个名称是19世纪时一名叫Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen的德国学者首创的。

虽然名为“丝绸之路”，丝绸却并不是穿过该路线运送的最重要的“商品”。这项荣誉应归于宗教。 公元第四、五世纪时，佛教沿着路线的北支从印度传入中国。基督教也在公元七世纪时，由商人从伊朗北 部传到长安，首次在中土出现。

唐代是丝绸之路沿途贸易活动的鼎盛时期，在唐代王朝灭亡后不久，令人闻风丧胆的成吉思汗及其蒙古大军征服了横跨中亚大部分地区的广阔领土。丝绸之路于是成为蒙古帝国各部落间重要的交通线路。忽必烈统治期间，更多的欧洲人冒险沿着丝绸之路来到中国。这些旅行者中最出名的就是马可波罗，他的所见所闻后来被一位意大利传奇小说家记载下来，并加以润色。

14世纪时，蒙古帝国瓦解、明朝实行闭关政策，加上“海上丝路”的发展，丝绸之路被迫走向没落。 直到近19世纪末，才有西方学者重新燃起了对丝绸之路的兴趣。古城的存在让他们兴奋不已，于是掀起了一阵考古热潮。现在，想在丝绸之路寻宝的人们，在伦敦、德里、柏林等许多地方，都可以找到他们想要的东西
 

1 conjures   

用魔术变出( conjure的第三人称单数 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现

参考例句：

• The word 'birthday' conjures up images of presents and parties. “生日”这个词使人想起礼物和聚会的情景。
• The name Sahara conjures up images of a desert of aridity. "撒哈拉"这个名字使人想起干旱的沙漠情景。

2 caravans   

（可供居住的）拖车（通常由机动车拖行）( caravan的名词复数 )； 篷车； （穿过沙漠地带的）旅行队（如商队）

参考例句：

• Old-fashioned gypsy caravans are painted wooden vehicles that are pulled by horses. 旧式的吉卜赛大篷车是由马拉的涂了颜色的木质车辆。
• Old-fashioned gypsy caravans are painted wooden vehicles. 旧时的吉普赛大篷车是涂了颜色的木质车辆。

3 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

4 oases   

n.（沙漠中的）绿洲( oasis的名词复数 )；（困苦中）令人快慰的地方（或时刻）；乐土；乐事

参考例句：

• There was a hundred miles between the two oases. 这两片绿洲间有一百英里。 来自辞典例句
• Where underground water comes to the surface, there are oases. 地下水流到地表的地方，就成为了绿洲。 来自互联网

5 plied   

v.使用（工具）( ply的过去式和过去分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意

参考例句：

• They plied me with questions about my visit to England. 他们不断地询问我的英国之行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They plied us with tea and cakes. 他们一个劲儿地让我们喝茶、吃糕饼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 baron   

n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王

参考例句：

• Henry Ford was an automobile baron.亨利·福特是一位汽车业巨头。
• The baron lived in a strong castle.男爵住在一座坚固的城堡中。

7 Buddhism   

n.佛教（教义）

参考例句：

• Buddhism was introduced into China about 67 AD.佛教是在公元67年左右传入中国的。
• Many people willingly converted to Buddhism.很多人情愿皈依佛教。

8 embellished   

v.美化( embellish的过去式和过去分词 )；装饰；修饰；润色

参考例句：

• The door of the old church was embellished with decorations. 老教堂的门是用雕饰美化的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The stern was embellished with carvings in red and blue. 船尾饰有红色和蓝色的雕刻图案。 来自辞典例句

9 disintegration   

n.分散，解体

参考例句：

• This defeat led to the disintegration of the empire.这次战败道致了帝国的瓦解。
• The incident has hastened the disintegration of the club.这一事件加速了该俱乐部的解体。