纪录片《美丽中国》 第50期 风雪塞外（10）（在线收听）

The wind brought other hazards to travellers in these deserts

风还会给沙漠中的商旅带来其他危险

Marco Polo wrote

马可·波罗写到

sometimes the stray travelers will hear the tramp and hum

有时迷途的商旅会听到远离正途处传来

of a great cavalcade of people away from the real line of march

宛如大型马队般嘈杂的行旅声

and taking this to be their own company

并误以为是他们的同伴

they will follow the sound

而跟随着声音的踪迹前去寻找

And when day breaks ,they find that a cheat has been put on them

当破晓降临 他们会发现一切不过是个骗局

and that they are in an ill plight

自己仍深陷困境

To this day

至今为止

no one knows what causes the sands in some parts of the desert

没有人知道缘何沙漠中的小片沙地会

to sink

意外下陷

No wonder travellers call this place

无怪乎商旅们称此地为

fury of God

神怒

and sea of death

与死海

But the most severe problem was lack of water

但最严重的问题莫过于水源匮乏

The reason this place is so intensely dry

这个地方如此干涸的原因

can best be appreciated from a satellite view

从卫星上得以一目了然

China's deserts are the farthest place on Earth from any ocean

中国的沙漠是地球上最为远离海洋的地方

This lack of water is what created the Taklamakan

水的缺乏造就了塔克拉玛干沙漠

an area the size of Germany covered in sand dunes through which the Silk Road traversed

这片几乎与德国等大的区域是世界上最大的流沙沙漠

This is the world's largest shifting sand desert

这里遍布沙丘 丝绸之路贯穿其中

Most living would die here

大多数生物在此难以存活

but the camel is uniquely equipped for desert survival

但骆驼却对适应沙漠环境得天独厚

Its nose humidifies the dry desert air as it breathe in

它的鼻子可在吸入时加湿

then dehumidifies it in the way out

呼出时除湿

conserving precious water

锁住珍贵水分

The camel's thick fur keeps it warm at night

浓密的驼毛在夜间可以保暖

while reflecting sunlight by day

在白天可以反射阳光

And its body temperature can rise by 6 degree Celsius

它的身体在增温6°以内

before it even begins to sweat

不会出汗

With these adaptations they can go for days without drinking

靠着这些调节 他们可以不喝水前行数日