纪录片《文明》 第29期 创世纪的第二个瞬间（29）（在线收听）

So the Nabataeans started as navigators and pilots, if you like,

为了这种珍货 纳巴泰人

for this precious cargo,

首先开始担任向导

went on to be full-service providers,

然后提供全方位的服务

and then thought, "Well,

后来他们又想

why don't we trade it ourselves directly?"

"为什么我们不自己直接开展贸易呢"

Pretty soon they were monopolists of the incense trade,

很快他们便垄断了熏香贸易

the emperors of aromatics.

成了芳香之王

But a civilisation here was inconceivable

但如果没有一种比乳香更宝贵的东西

without the one thing more precious than frankincense -

此地就无法孕育文明

water.

水

The Nabataeans engineered systems

纳巴泰人设计了能够

to trap the rains which came in winter

收集冬天雨水的系统

and their desert hydraulics made this place not so much rose red,

他们的沙漠水利工程让这里不再红似旱漠

as bright green.

而是青如绿洲

A garden city of fountains, swimming pools,

带有喷泉 游泳池的花园城市

groves and orchards.

还有树林和果园

And the water which made all that possible

是水让那一切成为了可能

also made it possible to feed a city of 30,000 people,

也是水滋养了一座三万人口的城市

many of whom were immigrants from all over the region.

许多人都来自各个不同的地方

There were Egyptians and Syrians

埃及人 叙利亚人

and Judeans and Greeks and Romans,

犹太人 希腊人 罗马人

and they were all coming to Petra

他们都来到佩特拉

to enjoy what the Persians called a pairi daiza,

欣赏波斯人口中的"天堂公园"

a pleasure resort, a little bit of heaven on Earth.

也就是度假胜地 有点"人间天堂"的意思