尼泊爾奇幻旅程 Magic Tour to Nepal

The magical Kingdom of Nepal has occupied a prosperous and often dangerous location between the mighty powers of India and China. The 1)backbone of the country is the Himalayas, and the highest point in the world, Mount Everest.
坐落於印度和中國兩個大國之間，魔幻國度尼泊爾佔據着一個繁華而又危險的位置。這個國家的脊樑是喜馬拉雅山脈，以及世界最高點的珠穆朗瑪峯。

Kathmandu and Timbuktu, both cities most people have heard of but know nothing about. You can read all the guide books, you can ask travellers who’ve been to Kathmandu, but you still won’t get a good idea of what the city’s like. They’ll tell you it’s noisy and polluted—both true—or they’ll tell you it’s a charming step back in time. I think I’ll agree with the latter.
很多人都聽說過加德滿都和廷巴克圖，但卻對這兩個城市一無所知。即使你讀遍所有的旅遊指南，或請教去過加德滿都旅遊的人，你仍然無法很好地瞭解到這個城市的真實樣貌。他們會告訴你，那兒又吵又髒——這都是真的，或者他們會告訴你去到那裏就像享受了一次美妙的時光倒流之旅。我倒是比較贊同後者的說法。

Nepal’s intriguing combination of unexplored territory and 2)exotic culture 3)spawned the birth of the adventure-travel industry back in the 1950s. The capital city, Kathmandu, has been a 4)mecca for backpackers, mountaineers and truth seekers from around the globe ever since.
尼泊爾那些未經探索的地區和異地文化散發着獨特的魅力，因此在1950年代催生了冒險旅遊業。首都加德滿都一直是世界各地揹包客、登山族和探索者的聖地。

The historic centre of town is the Durbar Square, where the compulsory cluster of temples oversees the bustle of modern-day Kathmandu. This is a good place to rent a 5)rickshaw and tour the old section of the city. We wound our way through the maze of alleys that are the heart of Kathmandu, passing 6)ornate buildings, small neighbourhood 7)shrines, fruit stands and spice markets. Our trip ended in the crowded streets of Thamel, a 8)sprawling area crammed with budget hotels, shops, restaurants and travel agencies catering to the thousands of adventurers that pass through Kathmandu each year.
城裏的歷史中心是杜巴廣場。那些被強制集中起來的寺廟，俯瞰着現代喧囂的加德滿都。這裏是租輛黃包車，然後遊覽城中那些古老地段的絕佳地點。我們在加德滿都中心如迷宮般的街巷中穿梭，經過華美的建築，小型的社區神壇，水果攤和香料市場。我們的旅程最後在擁擠的泰美爾街道結束，廉價的旅館，商店，餐廳和旅行社在這雜亂的地區到處可見，他們都是爲每年數以千計經過加德滿都的冒險者而設的。

Everyone enjoys bringing home interesting mementos from their travels, and Thamel is certainly the place to find bargains on all kinds of great stuff.
人人都喜歡從旅行中帶回有趣的紀念品，而在泰美爾就能買到各種各樣便宜的好東西。

The dining selection here is varied and includes hamburgers and spaghetti. Our guide, Tommy, suggested the Thamel House for traditional Nepali atmosphere and food, and an introduction to the local 9)schnapps made from rice and very strong.
這裏的飲食很多元化，包括漢堡包和意大利粉。導遊湯米建議我們去泰美爾屋，在那兒能享受傳統的尼泊爾氣氛和食物並喝喝本地的烈酒，這種酒是用米釀製的，非常濃烈。Of the many elements drawing travellers to Nepal, perhaps the most intriguing are the colourful religious practices. Amazing temples are found throughout the cities and the devotion of the people can be witnessed around every corner.
吸引遊客到尼泊爾的衆多原因裏，最有意思的大概是多姿多彩的宗教習俗。整個城市到處都是神奇的廟宇，每個角落都能看到虔誠的信徒。

Nepal is officially a Hindu country, but through the centuries Buddhism and Hinduism have become 10)entwined to form a rather confusing mix of gods and rituals. You can easily occupy yourself for more than a week checking out the temples in the Kathmandu area.
尼泊爾的國教是印度教，但歷經多個世紀，佛教和印度教已經漸漸融合，形成了更復雜的神祗和儀式。光是參觀加德滿都的廟宇就可以花上你一整個星期的時間。

At Pashu Patinath devout Hindus bathe in the sacred waters and deliver offerings to the shrines. 11)Sadhus, or Holy men, position themselves in front of the temples to meditate and collect 12)alms.
在帕斯帕提納寺，虔誠的印度教徒們在聖水中沐浴，並向神壇獻祭。苦行僧，或被稱爲聖人，會在廟宇前打坐冥想或接受佈施。

On the 13)outskirts of Kathmandu is one of the world’s largest Buddhist stupas, Boudhanath. The structure marks the location of one of the ancient trading routes between Lhasa and Kathmandu. Boudhanath is surrounded by giant prayer wheels used to 14)disperse believers’ 15)invocations to the heavens. In the evening Kathmandu’s sizable Tibetan population comes out to stroll around the temple and send off their prayers. I could easily have spent the entire afternoon here watching people and photographing the interesting faces.
寶達佛塔位於加德滿都郊外，是世界上最大的佛塔之一。佛塔標誌了拉薩和加德滿都最古老的貿易路線之一的所在。寶達佛塔四周圍繞着巨型的祈禱輪，信徒們會通過它們把自己的祈願送到天上。傍晚時分，大量在加德滿都的藏民都會來繞着寺廟邊走邊祈禱。我隨隨便便可以在這兒觀察人們，並拍攝那些有趣的面孔，度過一下午。

Night life in Kathmandu is pretty limited. One of the best ways to spend an evening is to take in one of the many cultural shows offered by local hotels and restaurants. At Bhojan Griha, an old home has been 16)meticulously restored to create an 17)authentic venue for Nepali folk music, dance and traditional cuisine.
加德滿都沒什麼夜生活，晚上最好的節目就是觀賞當地酒店和餐廳提供的文化表演。波真格里夏是一座經過精心修復的老房子，現在已經成爲表演尼泊爾歌舞的場所，在這裏還可以吃到一些傳統的地道菜。

Kathmandu is the kind of place I could hang out for a while. The entire area is a living museum. The ancient buildings stand 18)intact right alongside a lifestyle that remains unchanged and, hopefully, will survive another few centuries.
加德滿都是那種值得我逗留一陣子的地方，整個地區就如同一個活博物館。古老的建築仍完好無缺，人們的生活方式也沒改變，真希望這些還能再保留幾個世紀。