纪录片《美丽中国》 第48期 风雪塞外（8）（在线收听）

Jiayuguan fortress was considered

嘉峪关的城堡被认为是

to be the last outpost of Chinese civilization

中国文明最后的前哨

Beyond this point, lays utter desolation

从这一点往更远处 坐落着绝对的荒漠

China's largest desert, the Taklamakan lies out here

中国最大的沙漠——塔克拉玛干 坐落于此

Its name has been translated as

它的名字被翻译成

you go in, and you never come out

有去无回

This is a place of intense heat

这是一个酷热的地方

abrasive wind blown sand

烈风吹舞着狂沙

Totally hostile to life

完全与生命作对

Yet, there wasn't a route through the desert

虽然有足够勇敢的人们为之冒生命危险

for those brave enough to risk their lives for it

但至今仍然没有穿过沙漠的明确路线

People were lured into the horrors of the deserts

人们为沙漠的恐惧所诱惑

because the Chinese had a secret so powerful

是因为中国有一个如此强大的

that it changed the course of history

以至于可以改变历史历程的秘密

The key to that secret lies in the distant past

那个秘密的答案埋藏在遥远的过去

Legend has it

传说

at around 5000 years ago

在五千年前

a princess was walking in her garden

一位公主在她的花园中漫步

when something unusual fell into her teacup

突然有样不寻常的东西掉进茶杯中

A magical thread was extracted

一种神奇的纤维从中抽了出来

and it became more prized than gold or jade

它比黄金或珠宝更加贵重

The thread, was silk

这种纤维 就是丝

Incredibly, such a beautiful substance and all the history behind it

这些渺小虫子孕育了无数

come from a humble little insect

美丽丝线和引人入胜的传奇故事

the silkworm

它就是蚕

Silk moths lay several hundred eggs

蚕蛾每次产下数百个卵

and the tiny caterpillars that emerge

而孵化后的小蚁蚕

eat nothing but mulberry leaves

只以桑叶为食