国家地理-河流与生命 #地理 #风景 #动物 #地球 #自然 #科学 #河流 #生物 #尼罗河

From the beginning of history, 从人类有历史以来 the Nile has been the lifeblood of one of the greatest civilisations on earth. 尼罗河向来都是地球 最伟大文明之一的命脉 Its waters have flowed at the feet of Cleopatra, Joseph and Moses, 河水流向克莉奥佩脱拉 约瑟、摩西 the Crusaders, and the pharaohs of ancient Egypt. 十字军和古埃及法老的脚下 All have bathed in this stream. 他们都曾经在这条河中沐浴过 The Egyptians have always believed 埃及人向来相信这条河 this river to be their own exclusive gift from the Gods 是上天赐给他们得天独厚的礼物 and up until recently, it was allowed to flow unhindered to their lands. 直到最近始终可以毫无阻拦地 流向他们的土地 But now, all this is set to change. 但如今这一切注定要改变 Upstream Ethiopia is busy building dams 上游的埃塞俄比亚正忙着建造水坝 which threaten to cut off Egypt's water supply at the source. 威胁要从源头切断埃及的水源 Many of the wars of the 20th century were about oil. 20世纪的许多战争都和石油有关 But wars of the 21st will be over water, 但21世纪的战争将是为了水 with the Nile, the longest river in the world, at the centre of the conflict. 全世界最长的尼罗河 正陷入如此的争端之中 Rivers and Life 《大河生命》 Nile 《尼罗河》 Fresh running water has always been the lifeblood of our world 流动的淡水向来是人类世界的命脉 but is now more precious than ever. 但如今水的珍贵更胜以往 Over the next 20 years, 在未来20年中 the amount of water available to everyone is expected to decrease by a third. 大家能使用的水量 预计将减少三分之一 But this story isn't just about water, 但这则故事的主题不只是水 it's about the Nile as an icon for deeply held beliefs 而是虔诚信仰象征的尼罗河 and about a sense of belonging which stretches back a thousand years. 以及可追溯到1千年前的归属感 This epic journey will follow the river back to its source in Ethiopia. 这波澜壮阔的旅程将随着河流 回到埃塞俄比亚的源头 And as the Nile winds its way back home, 尼罗河一路蜿蜒追本溯源 its waters will wash through the lives of people who cannot survive without it. 河水涤净了靠水过活之人的生命 The Nile flows from the heart of Africa in two main channels, 尼罗河从非洲中央分成两条 the White Nile which rises from Lake Victoria in Uganda 白尼罗河发源于 乌干达的维多利亚湖 and the Blue Nile which flows from the mountains of Ethiopia 青尼罗河发源于埃塞俄比亚的山脉 and which has nourished the growth of Egypt... 孕育了埃及的成长 and its capital, Cairo. 造成埃及首都开罗的诞生 Pounding traffic and pulsating crowds form the backdrop 车水马龙的交通和脉动的人潮 to an exhilarating mix of present and past. 形成现代与过去交织 令人振奋的背景 And right through it all, flows the river Nile, the lifeline and the heart of this city 开罗的生命线和重心 尼罗河流经这一切 Most of the citizens here take this river for granted. 大多数市民认为 尼罗河原本就属于他们 For them, it's a nice place to take a walk with the family, 这里是他们与家人散步的好去处 a great location for an apartment, 建造公寓的绝佳地点 or just a place for a bit of peace, away from the cacophony of the streets. 或者只是远离喧嚣的街道 寻求一点宁静的地方 They probably don't ever think 他们可能从来没想过 that without this river, 要是没有这条河流 they wouldn't even be here. 他们甚至不会在这里 In a country with hardly any rainfall, 在一个鲜少下雨的国家 the Nile gives the people water, work, food, life. 尼罗河提供给人们 水、工作、食物、生命 For some it also gives them a place to live, 对某些人来说 尼罗河也给他们居住的地方 like Abdullah and his family 例如阿杜拉和他的家人 who live on the Nile all year round. 终年住在尼罗河上 Of course life is hard, 生活当然不好过 especially when the weather is cold. 尤其天气很冷时 Some people live very comfortably 有些人生活很安逸 and others have a hard life like us. 其他人就像我们一样生活很苦 But we try not to aim too high. 可是我们尽量不把目标订得太高 Some people are born rich, 有些人天生富有 and we are poor and humble. 我们贫穷而卑微 Such is life. 生活就是这么回事 With 17 million inhabitants and still growing, 拥有1700万并且还在增加中的居民 Cairo itself has more than doubled in size over the past 50 years. 开罗本身过去50年来 面积已倍增两倍多 The city is now home to nearly the same number of people as in the whole of Australia - 如今在开罗住着 和全澳洲一样多的人口 all in one confined chaotic, sprawling city. 他们全挤在这混乱不堪 任意扩张的城市中 There's just not enough room here for everybody 大家的空间都不够 and so some people have been pushed off the land and onto the river. 因此有些人被迫离开陆地住在河上 I've been brought up on a boat with my father. 我在船上长大，和我父亲一起生活 I worked beside him and with him before he passed away and I got married. 在父亲过世和我结婚之前 我一直在他身边工作 My wife was from the village of El Monoufia. 我妻子来自艾尔玛努菲亚村 I told her that she could stay there with her parents 我告诉她可以和她父母留在当地 but she refused and said that we have to be together on the boat. 可是她拒绝了 说我们要在船上一起生活 Abdullah, Sabina and their young family, 阿杜拉、萨法和他们的小家庭 live in a small community, 住在一个小社区里 these small wooden boats are their homes. 这些小木船就是他们的家 They fish on them by day 他们白天在船上捕鱼 and sleep in them at night. 夜间在船上睡觉 They get all their water directly from the river, wash their clothes, bathe their babies in it. 他们直接从河里取水 洗衣、为宝宝洗澡 They also earn a meagre living from it. 他们也从河里赚取一点微簿的生活费 Taking home between 10 and 20 dollars a day for their catch, 以一天的渔获赚10到20美元回家 Abdullah can only buy the bare necessities of life. 阿杜拉只能买生活基本必需品 They could never afford an apartment or a house. 永远也买不起公寓或房子 But in spite of their difficult living conditions, 但尽管生活困难 Abdullah still loves his life on the Nile. 阿杜拉还是热爱尼罗河上的生活 When my mother died 我母亲过世时 I remember her telling me 我记得她告诉我 how I was born on the boat before being taken to hospital. 我是船上出生的，然后才被送去医院 I am like a fish, 我就像鱼一样 you take me away from this river and I die. 要我离开这条河，我就会死 I love the Nile. 我爱尼罗河 This love affair with the Nile lies at the heart of the Egyptian psyche 对尼罗河的热爱深植在埃及人心中 and has existed since the age of the Pharaohs and their pyramids. 自法老和金字塔时代，便早已存在 These monumental structures are about an hours' drive away from the Nile, 这些不朽的建筑物 距离尼罗河大约1小时车程 in Giza, 位于吉萨 far enough through the pounding traffic and hot, messy Cairo suburbs 远离喧嚣的交通 和又热又乱的开罗市区 to seem completely divorced from the river and its concerns. 似乎完全与尼罗河以及问题毫无关联 But it wasn't always like this. 但并非向来如此 In ancient times, the Nile flowed right by here 在古早时期，尼罗河流经此地 because during the summer months, the river flooded and broke its banks, 因为在夏季期间河水泛滥突破河岸 with the flood waters reaching as far as Giza and beyond. 洪水涌至吉萨和更远处 This naturally recurring phenomenon 这种天然不断循环的现象 was the secret behind Egypt's success. 正是埃及国运昌盛背后的秘密 The life giving floods provided the pharaohs with a dynamic surge of water 这赋予生命的洪水 提供法老生机蓬勃的水 which allowed them to grow their crops and feed their people. 让他们种植农作物养活人民 It also allowed them to carry giant rocks 也让他们载运巨石 so that they could build their pyramids. 得以建造金字塔 The ancient Egyptians had no idea how the floods came to them during the hot summer, 古埃及人不明白 洪水如何在夏季来到 when other nations withered and died in the dry heat. 其他国家则在干旱暑热中枯萎死亡 But they gave their gods eternal thanks 但埃及人永远感谢他们的神明 for the miracle on which not just the pyramids, 不仅使他们建造了金字塔 but their whole nation was built. 也建立了国家 And to this day, even though the floods have dried up 时至今日，虽然洪水干涸 and their gods are long gone, 他们的神明早已离去 the monuments that were built in their honour remain, 为礼敬神明而建造的 历史遗迹还存在着 as testimony to Egypt's 'historic right' to own and control the Nile. 是埃及拥有和控制尼罗河 历史权益的声明 But ancient rights to the river 但拥有尼罗河的古代权益 don't always answer the needs of people today. 不一定呼应今日人民的需求 Shabramant, is a village on the outskirts of Giza 萨布拉满特是吉萨郊区的村庄 and right on the edge of the desert. 正位于沙漠边缘 Compared to some, 和某些人比起来 locals here are fairly well off 本地人生活相当优厚 but they still haven't got what they need most: 但还是没有他们最需要的东西 Fresh running water. 流动的淡水 Most of the homes here have a tap, 此地大多数家庭都有水龙头 but the murky stuff that comes out of it is just too dirty to drink. 但是从水龙头流出的水 太浑浊，无法饮用 And so the locals have to either carry their water from distant stand pipes 因此当地人不是从遥远的水管接水 or buy their water from private vendors, 就是从私人摊贩买水 at twice the rate for metered consumption. 价钱是自来水的两倍 The water from the taps is no good for drinking and cooking- 自来水不适合饮用和煮饭 you can use it for domestic tasks. 你可以用来做家事 But my water is good. 可是我的水不错 The villagers can use it for drinking and cooking as well. 村民可以用来饮用和煮饭 SaAid Mohamed Abdoh is the local water seller. 萨依默罕阿布多是当地的卖水小贩 He used to have a spice stall in the local souk 他过去在当地露天市集 拥有一个香料摊 but saw an opportunity to make more money selling something far more valuable than saffron. 但是他看见贩售比番红花更珍贵 东西来赚钱的机会 The recent population growth in Egypt 埃及最近的人口成长 hasn't been matched by a growth in the country's infrastructure 和国家基本建设的成长不成比例 and so for the people living on the outskirts, 到目前为止人们住在郊区 like here in Shabramant, 例如萨布拉满特 there's a desperate shortage of basic facilities. 极度短缺基本设施 It's easy to sympathise with Egypt's need for more water 不难理解埃及对水的需求甚大 and the government is now desperately trying to find new ways of stretching the Nile's supply 如今政府正尽力想找出 利用尼罗河资源的新方法 to satisfy the needs of its burgeoning millions. 满足迅速增长人口的需求 But some people say that the country is already using up more than its fair share. 但有些人说埃及已经超过正常用量 Its right to its own water supply 埃及使用水资源的权利 is now being challenged by a desperate and determined neighbour 如今受到情急而毅然 下定决心的邻国挑战 who is prepared to go to extreme lengths to secure its own stake in the Nile. 他们准备以极端手段 保卫自己在尼罗河的权利 The situation's never been so volatile 目前的情势已经到前所未有 一触即发的地步 and Egypt has been threatening war, 埃及威胁要开战 with Ethiopia set firmly in its sights. 埃塞俄比亚则一意孤行 The Nile in Egypt flows almost entirely through desert. 埃及的尼罗河几乎完全流经沙漠 Apart from the thin strips of green watered land which border the river on either side, 除了尼罗河两岸狭窄的绿色沼泽之外 the whole country is made up of inhospitable wasteland. 埃及全境都是不适合人类居住的荒漠 Since the Stone Age, 自从石器时代以来 most Egyptians have lived very close to the Nile, 大部分埃及人都住在靠近尼罗河处 dependent on it for everything. 一切都仰赖这条河 From the urban centres of Cairo and Giza, 从开罗和吉萨市中心 the Nile winds its way back through the flatlands of Egypt 尼罗河一路蜿蜒经过埃及平原 to the agricultural regions of the Nile valley, 到尼罗河河谷的农业区 where once again, the river plays a central role in society. 尼罗河在那里再度扮演社会的中心角色 Hamam and Mohamed are father and son farmers 哈曼与穆罕默德是农民父子 who own a small piece of land, in the Nile valley. 他们在尼罗河河谷拥有一小块土地 Mohamed however may be the last of a long line. 然而穆罕默德可能是 最后一位继承祖业的人 My dad is a farmer, 我父亲是农民 my grandparents and my great-grandparents were farmers 我祖父和曾祖父都是农民 and I am a farmer. 我也是农民 Hamam and Mohamed have worked together from dawn till dusk, 自从穆罕默德年纪够大 能扛起锄头开始 since Mohamed was old enough to carry a fas or a minjal. 哈曼与穆罕默德从 黎明到黄昏都在一起工作 The pace of life for them has an ancient rhythm 他们的生活步调有古代的节奏 and this scene could have been witnessed a thousand years ago. 此场景很可能与1千年前相同 They inherited their skills and their tools from their forefathers 他们从祖先那里承袭技术和工具 and use the same irrigation channels and canals, 使用相同的灌溉水道和沟渠 first commissioned by the pharaohs 最初是由法老下令挖掘的 to ensure that the Nile never fails to reach their crops. 为的是确保尼罗河 能流经他们的农作物 Mohamed and his ancestors 穆罕默德与他的祖先 have always played a crucial role in Egyptian life. 一直在埃及人生活中扮演重要角色 But their age old position is now under threat. 但如今他们由来已久的地位 正遭受威胁 The longevity of this ancient civilisation reflects more than anything else, 这种千秋万世的古老文明 再次反映出 the time honed skills of these farmers but also 这些农民历久弥新的农耕技术 the eternal fertility of its soil, 和此地土壤的肥沃 a power which is unparalleled in human history. 这是人类史上绝无仅有的力量 Where other civilisations withered and died as their soils were exhausted, 其他文明随着土壤被耗尽而凋零 Egypt's land was continuously replenished by the annual floods which inundated the country every year. 每年泛滥的洪水 则让埃及大地永保肥沃 These floods had allowed the Pharaohs to build their tombs 这些洪水使法老得以建造他们的坟墓 but far more importantly, they gave Egypt an annual deposit of rich and glorious mud 但更重要的是每年 给予埃及肥沃灿烂的淤泥 from which they could grow an abundance of food. 让埃及人种植充足的食物 The Nile is everything for the Egyptian farmer and everything for the land. 尼罗河是埃及农民和土地的一切 In the good old days 在古老美好的时代 the Nile stood flooded for three months so it softened the soil 尼罗河泛滥3个月使土壤软化 and then when the Nile waters subsided we could start cultivating. 尼罗河水退却时 我们就可以开始耕作 But times have changed. 但时代早已改变 Huge damming projects upstream 上游庞大的水坝工程 have been built to provide Egypt with a much needed supply of electricity. 提供了埃及极需的电力 But they also stemmed the flow of the river 但也斩断河水的流动 and wrecked the lives of the Egyptian farmers. 破坏埃及农民的生活 Egypt's used to have some of the best soil in the world 埃及过去拥有全世界最好的土壤 but the damming schemes destroyed the silting process 但水坝工程破坏数千年来 which had naturally enriched this land for thousands of years. 使土壤肥沃的淤泥堆积过程 Mohamed's fields now yield a very poor return. 如今穆罕默德的田地收成非常少 We used to grow our crop without chemicals 过去我们无须化学肥料 就能种植农作物 but now we have to use chemicals- 但如今我们必须使用化学肥料 without them we get a very poor harvest. 没有化学肥料，收成少得可怜 But the sprays are very expensive. 不过喷洒肥料非常昂贵 The artificial fertilizers simply aren't as effective as mother-nature 人工肥料就是不如大自然那样有效 and they're also a big drain on his profits. 同时也大量耗损他的利润 It's a bleak situation 情况毫无希望可言 and Ahmed no longer sees a future here for his sons. 穆罕默德在此地看不到儿子的未来 As a direct result of modern damming methods, 由于现代水坝的直接影响 Agriculture in Egypt is in decline for the first time in its history 埃及农业有史以来第一次衰退 and farmers are being forced out of a way of life that has supported this nation for thousands of years. 农民被迫放弃数千年来 埃及立国之本的生活方式 As the river journeys towards Egypt's Southernmost border, 随着河水流向埃及最南端的边界 it's hard to avoid the signs and signals that this is fast becoming a very modern nation, 很难不看到埃及迅速成为 现代化国家的象征 with tourism now replacing farming as the mainstay of the Egyptian economy 如今观光业取代农业 成为埃及经济的主流 and with the old ways gradually disappearing into the sand. 古老生活方式逐渐消失在沙漠中 But no matter how much life changes along its banks, 但无论岸上的生活变化有多大 the Nile remains an eternal and constant presence in Egypt. 尼罗河一直是埃及永恒不变的存在 Whether people plough the land or relax in linen suits on the decks of cruise ships, 无论是农民还是衣冠楚楚的游客 the river is always close and ever present, 尼罗河一直是贴近人民，无所不在 the star attraction for locals and visitors alike. 是最能吸引当地人和游客的景点 In Aswan however, a city very close to Egypt's southern border, 然而在非常靠近 埃及南部边界的阿斯旺(Aswan) the river is upstaged by a colossus which took 10 years to complete 尼罗河被耗费10年才完工的 庞然巨物抢尽光彩 and used up enough building materials to have constructed 17 Great pyramids at Giza. 它所使用的建材 足以建造17座吉萨大金字塔 The Aswan dam. 那就是阿斯旺水坝 Hailed as Egypt's saviour when it was completed in 1970, 1970年完工时 被标榜为埃及的救星 The dam provided the country with electricity. 这座水坝提供埃及全国电力 But perhaps the most important reason for building this dam 但建造这座水坝最重要的理由 had nothing to do with generating power. 或许和发电无关 Egypt is the driest countries in the world. 埃及是全世界最干燥的国家 The Nile, although an almighty river, 尼罗河虽然是全能的大河 has sometimes revealed itself as an extremely vulnerable force. 但有时也显露出脆弱的一面 It is almost entirely dependent on upstream rains to feed and renew its flow. 尼罗河几乎完全仰赖上游雨水灌注 And in the past, when these failed, 过去雨水不来时 the Nile and the whole of Egypt also failed. 尼罗河和整个埃及也一蹶不振 One of the worst ever droughts happened during the times of the pharaohs 其中一次最严重的旱灾 发生在法老时期 and is recorded on this stone, 就记录在这块石头上 known as the famine stele. 称之为饥荒石碑 These hieroglyphs tell of a 7 year long drought 这些象形文字诉说7年之久的旱灾 when the rains did not come 当时雨水没有降临 and when the Nile was turned into a mud baked trench, 尼罗河变成一条被干涸的泥沟 as if dug out especially, to receive the dry corpses of the nation. 好似特别挖掘出来 容纳全国各地的干尸 But the Aswan Dam changed everything. 但阿斯旺水坝改变了一切 It allowed Egypt to store vast quantities of Nile water in Lake Nasser 它让埃及可在纳瑟湖 储存大量尼罗河河水 and gave the country direct control over its most precious resource. 使埃及得以直接控制最珍贵的资源 For over thirty years, 30多年来 the dam has supplied Egypt with enough electricity and water 水坝提供埃及足够的电力和水 to satisfy the needs of all its people. 满足所有人民的需求 During the 1980s 在1980年代 when Ethiopia suffered years of terrible drought and famine, 埃塞俄比亚连年遭受 可怕旱灾和饥荒时 Egypt was able to bask in the reserves held in Lake Nasser. 埃及得以安逸地享受 储存在纳瑟湖里的水 But not any more. 但好景不长 With 63 million inhabitants now filling up all the areas along the Nile 如今有6300万居民充塞在尼罗河沿岸 and with the population explosion set to continue, 人口又持续暴增 the Aswan Dam may not be enough to save Egypt from dying of thirst in the future. 阿斯旺水坝可能不足以 在未来拯救埃及的饥渴 The solution to this seemingly impossible situation, 这看似无解的状况 may be found in the most unlikely of places. 或许能在最不可能的地方找到答案 The Toshka project seeks to relieve population congestion 托希卡工程企图减轻人口拥挤的问题 and reclaim some 4000 square kilometres of land 以灌溉沙漠的方式 for agriculture, by irrigating the desert. 开垦约4千平方公里的土地作为农地 I've put water into the desert because I am certain of success. 我把水挹注到沙漠中 因为我确定一定能成功 The land will become fertile 土地将变得肥沃 and people will be able to live here. 人们将够在此地居住 The people will talk about this project 人们会谈论这个工程 as they talked about the pyramids, the Aswan Dam and the Pharoahs. 犹如谈论金字塔 阿斯旺水坝和法老一样 Irrigation secretary Ahmed Morsi is the government's representative in Toshka. 灌溉部长阿默得莫西 是托希卡的政府代表 He believes that by diverting water from the Nile and pumping it into the middle of the desert, 他相信转移尼罗河的水 灌注到沙漠中央 Egypt's future will be assured. 将能确保埃及的未来 But to turn Toshka from desert to settlement, 但是要将托希卡从沙漠变成绿洲 requires an extra 5 billion cubic litres of water every year. 每年都需要50亿立方公升的水 A situation which has greatly angered the other African nations. 这种状况使其他非洲国家相当愤慨 The 1929 Treaty between Egypt and Great Britain, 1929年，埃及和英国签订条约 whose empire at the time stretched over a great swathe of the Nile Basin, 当时大英帝国版图 横跨广大的尼罗河流域 gave Egypt a power of veto 英国给埃及否决权 to stop any upstream developments 能阻止上游开发计划 from affecting the amount of water reaching its lands. 避免影响到达埃及的水量 In return for cotton and an easy trade route to India, 为了换取棉花 和容易通往印度的贸易路线 the British gave Egypt full control of the river and a lion's share of its flow. 英国让埃及全权控制尼罗河 掌握大量河水 These rights are still maintained today. 如今这些权力还在 Whilst other nations are prevented from harnessing a single drop of the Nile, 其他国家则连一滴 尼罗河河水都无法运用 Egypt is now diverting even more of this precious river 现在埃及还转移更多珍贵河水 to grow crops in the middle of the desert. 用来在沙漠中央种植农作物 Ahmed however is promising faithfully 然而阿默得信誓旦旦地承诺 to offset the use of extra water here 为了补偿此地多挪用的水 by limiting consumption elsewhere in Egypt. 将限制埃及其他地方的用水 But critics say that Egypt will soon be demanding an even greater share of the Nile 但评论家表示不久后 埃及对尼罗河河水的需求 than its getting already. 一定会比现在更大 With the other Nile nations fed up of taking a back seat 其他尼罗河国家受够了总是被忽略 and now claiming their right to the river, 如今他们主张对尼罗河也拥有所有权 water wars could soon become a very real and potent danger. 水战争很可能即将一触即发 With Ethiopia a country on the front line. 埃塞俄比亚就位于战火的最前线 From Egypt, the Nile snakes back through the deserts of the Sudan 尼罗河从埃及蜿蜒经过苏丹沙漠 before splitting into two separate streams. 然后才分成两条小支流 From this point, the Nile becomes two rivers, 尼罗河从这里分为两条河 the white Nile with its source in Uganda 白尼罗河起源于乌干达 and the more powerful blue Nile 更强大的青尼罗河 which now takes us to the source of our story: Ethiopia. 带我们回到故事的源头 埃塞俄比亚 The Ethiopia we expect to see is a parched and barren country, 我们以为埃塞俄比亚 是干枯贫瘠的国家 ravaged by dictatorship and civil war 饱受独裁和内战之苦 and left to rot in the midday sun. 在烈日下腐败坠落 But this isn't the whole picture. 但这并非全景 Ethiopia is an incredible country of immense beauty, 埃塞俄比亚是风景非常优美的国家 with an abundance of one of the most precious natural resources in the world: 拥有大量全世界最珍贵的天然资源之一 Water. 那就是水 This is the country which provides Egypt with 90% of its water supply 埃塞俄比亚供应埃及90%的水资源 and is the source of the Nile itself. 同时也是尼罗河的源头 But despite its apparent water wealth, 但尽管水资源丰富 Ethiopia's problem has always been a crippling inability to use the vast percentage of it. 埃塞俄比亚的问题在于 无法利用大部分的水 As the Nile flows through a lush but almost impenetrable valley named the Blue Nile Gorge 尼罗河流经苍翠 但人迹罕至的青尼罗河峡谷 it becomes clear that this is a country 埃塞俄比亚与尼罗河的关系 with a very different relationship to the one that Egypt has with the river. 显然和埃及与尼罗河的关系截然不同 Far from being ever present and ever close, the Nile in Ethiopia 埃塞俄比亚的尼罗河 并非永远存在容易亲近 is often trapped by terrain, 往往受到地形限制 making it impossible for the river to seep out and irrigate the surrounding lands. 河流不可能渗漏出来灌溉周围的土地 It seems almost to be swallowed up by the landscape, 它看似几乎被大地吞没 consumed by some dark force. 被黑暗势力吞没 Superstition has long held that the Blue Nile Gorge which stretches for 400 kilometres 延伸400公里穿越埃塞俄比亚 中心地带的青尼罗河峡谷 right through the heart of Ethiopia, is an evil place populated by dangerous spirits. 长久以来有迷信传言 是恶灵聚居的邪恶之地 This along with its extremely harsh geography 加上极端险峻的地形 has always been a serious obstacle not only in accessing the Nile 不仅使人们无法接近尼罗河 but also in the search for its source. 同时也很难探索其源头 The ancient Egyptians probably travelled upstream as far as this point 古埃及人可能上溯源头到此地 but weren't able to penetrate any further. 但无法继续前进 It was only in 1968 that the gorge was finally navigated. 直到1968年，峡谷终于有人进入 Until this day, 时至今日 rumours of deathly rapids, 还有关于致命湍流 huge crocodiles and ruthless bandits deter would be travellers. 巨大鳄鱼和无情盗贼的传闻 让旅人裹足不前 The cruel paradox for locals, 对当地人而言，残酷而矛盾的是 is that even though this is the country which feeds the Nile, 埃塞俄比亚虽然是尼罗河的发源地 Ethiopia has never been able to use it to feed itself. 却从来无法利用尼罗河为生 As this journey to the river's source continues through to the farming heartland of Ethiopia, 随着溯源的行程 经过埃塞俄比亚的农耕心脏地区 it becomes difficult to grasp why this fruitful country 越来越难理解这土地肥沃的国家 should still be dependent on food aid for its survival. 为何要靠粮食援助才能生存 But Enyew Temesgen knows only too well why this is still the case. 但是艾纽谭莫根非常了解问题所在 He and his wife Wubit 他和妻子巫比 own a small farm just at the end of blue Nile gorge, 在埃塞俄比亚丘陵下的 青尼罗河峡谷尽头 in the foothills of Ethiopia; 拥有一个小农场 and even though the Nile here finally breaks free of its confines 虽然此地的尼罗河终于挣脱束缚 to flow right through their fields, 直接流经他们的田地 Enyewe can hardly use a single drop of it. 艾纽却连一滴河水也几乎没有使用过 The Nile is far for me. 尼罗河距离很远 I cannot afford a motor pump 我买不起马达水泵 and I cannot fetch it with my bare hands 也不能用手去取水 so only my cattle drink from it. 只有我的牛才喝得到河水 If I could 如果可以的话 I would be very happy to bring the Nile to my land 我会很高兴把尼罗河引到我的土地上 but it is beyond our ability. 可是我们办不到 Enyew used to be a builder's labourer with nothing to his name 艾纽从前是建筑工人 名下没有财产 but he worked hard 可是他工作非常努力 and saved up his meagre wages to buy a small plot of land and get married. 将微簿的薪水存下来 买了一小块土地然后结婚 His family now work together on the farm. 现在他的家人在农场上一起工作 The days are long and hard 日子过得漫长而艰辛 with each one of them contributing not just to their livelihood but to their survival. 每个人都要干活才得以生存 Unlike Egypt, 和埃及不同的是 there are hardly any irrigation or water storage systems in Ethiopia 埃塞俄比亚几乎没有 任何灌溉或储水系统 and so farmers here are entirely dependent on the annual rainy season to grow their crops. 所以此地的农民完全仰赖 一年一度的雨季种植农作物 When there's rain, there's plenty of food 下雨时，食物很多 but for nine months of the year not a drop more will fall from the skies, 但一年中有9个月没有下一滴雨水 then this place will become a dry and barren dustbowl. 此地将成为干旱的不毛之地 The most frustrating thing for Enyew 艾纽最感到沮丧的是 is that since a little tributary of the Nile flows through his land, 尼罗河的一条小支流流经他的土地 he could potentially irrigate their fields all year round. 他原本很有可能整年灌溉田地 But instead all they can do is carry little quantities of it in plastic jerry cans. 但他们只能用塑胶油罐取少量的水 This is Wubit's job. 这是巫比的工作 She has to make this trip four or five times a day 她一天要走4、5趟 to provide just enough water to cook, clean and wash. 取到的水只够煮饭、清洁和冲洗 Enyew's dream is to some day be able to afford a water pump 艾纽的梦想是希望将来买得起水泵 so that Wubit won't have to do this back breaking work 巫比就不用如此辛苦 and so that he will be able to properly irrigate their fields. 他也就能够好好的灌溉他们的田地 Then our country will be like a flower. 我们的国家就会像花一样 Hand labour will be replaced by machines 手工会被机械取代 and water will be used for development. 水可以用来开发 If the Nile is given to the farmer, 假如尼罗河可以被赐给农民 the farmland will be so big... 农地将是很大一片 oh if I get that I will be a rich man. 要是这样的话 我就可以成为有钱人 All this should be possible. 这一切应该都有可能 This vast country 这个面积广大的国家 has an estimated 37 thousand square kilometres of good farmland, 估计拥有3万7千平方公里的肥沃农地 an area larger than Belgium, 面积比比利时还要大 that if properly irrigated 要是好好灌溉的话 could feed all its people all year round. 终年都可以养活所有人民 To do so however would reduce the river's flow to Egypt dramatically 然而如此做会大量减少流到埃及的水量 and result in almost certain conflict between the two nations. 必定会引起两国的纷争 It's a political stalemate 这是一场政治僵局 and in the meantime, nothing is being done to help the starving people 此刻埃塞俄比亚饥饿的人民 和奋力求生的农民 and struggling farmers of Ethiopia. 依然得不到援助 Enyew and his family just have to make the most of the summer rains 艾纽和他的家人 只能尽量利用夏季雨水 and hope for a better future 把希望寄托于更美好的未来 when Ethiopia will be able to realize its potential 期待埃塞俄比亚能发挥潜力 and blossom into a fully developed nation. 发展成已开发国家 But, for now, the unavoidable truth that this is a country still struggling to provide its people 但目前埃塞俄比亚仍勉强 提供人民基本生活所需 with the bare essentials to survive 这无可避免的事实 is still as glaringly clear as the bright Ethiopian sun. 仍和耀眼的埃塞俄比亚太阳一样 显而易见 In a place where human beings are so entirely at the mercy of nature 在人类任由大自然力量 and its forces, on good soil and good rains, 肥沃土壤和雨水宰割的地方 with hunger and thirst their old companions, 饥渴是他们的老同伴 it's hardly surprising that some people here still cling 所以此地某些人仍有赖于古老信仰慰藉 to the comfort of ancient beliefs. 一点也不令人惊讶 It's not uncommon throughout this country 这种情景在全国各地都很常见 but especially in the areas closest to the Nile 但尤其是最靠近尼罗河的地区 to find small groups of people huddled by the river, 有一小群人聚集在河畔 quietly chanting verses and throwing offerings into the water, 安静地唱诵诗歌，把祭品投入水里 a piece of bread, a cup of coffee 一片面包、一杯咖啡 or sometimes a live sacrifice 有时是活体献祭 to give thanks or perhaps appease the great river. 感谢或安抚这条伟大河川 The Woito tribe is one of the oldest in Africa 魏托族是非洲最古老的种族之一 and their way of life has not changed for thousands of years. 他们的生活方式数千年来从未改变 They live on one of the Nile's tributaries 他们在尼罗河其中一条支流生活 only 30 kilometres away from its source, 距离发源地只有30公里 and still make boats out of papyrus 仍然使用纸莎草造船 reminiscent of those that would have been used in ancient Egypt. 令人联想起古埃及使用过的材料 Gebre Semachew is one of the tribe's elders. 吉伯塞马丘是部落的长老之一 It is known that the life of the Woito tribe is on the water, 我们知道魏托族在水上生活 poverty is a big problem for us more than ever. 对我们来说，贫穷这个问题更胜以往 The fish harvest is disappearing 渔获正在消失中 and papyrus is not found near as before. 纸莎草不像以前那样常见 It is a difficult life. 生活非常艰苦 These people are utterly dependent on the Nile for everything, 这些人的一切完全仰赖尼罗河 their food and their faith. 包括食物和信仰 Apart from the little money they make by selling baskets in the local market, 除了在当地市场贩卖篮子 赚取一点小钱之外 they live a hand to mouth existence 他们只能勉强糊口 with no land to farm 没有土地可耕种 and no animals to rear. 也没有动物可饲养 Their relationship with the river is one of complete respect, 他们非常尊敬尼罗河 believing that the Nile is an awesome force, 相信尼罗河是伟大的力量 there to serve the needs all the people 能供应人民所需 but belonging to none. 但不属于任何人 The Nile is the earth's resource, 尼罗河是地球的资源 it belongs to the earth. 属于地球 As it goes on its travels on earth it belongs to no-one. 它继续在地球上流动，不属于任何人 Once in a while, a sheep is bought to be sacrificed 他们偶尔用羊当作祭品 but today a chicken seems to suffice. 但今天似乎一只鸡就足够 The animal's blood will be poured into the water, 动物的血会被倒入河水中 making sure that not a single drop touches the earth. 确保没有一滴血碰触到大地 If it did, 假如碰触到的话 the Nile's wrath would be incurred 会引起尼罗河的愤怒 and then who knows what might happen? 接下来谁知道会发生什么事？ The Nile is our caretaker and we sacrifice for it. 尼罗河看顾着是我们 我们为它奉献祭品 It supports us. 它支持我们 When we were kids and swam in it, 我们小时候在河里游泳 it did not harm us. 它没有伤害我们 This is because we sacrifice for it. 这是因为我们为它献上祭品 Over recent years, the village elders seem worried that their sacrifices 近年来 村中长老似乎担心他们的奉献 aren't working as well as they used to. 不像过去那样有效 The Nile and its environments are changing, they say, 他们说尼罗河和周边环境正在改变 and they don't know what to do about it. 他们也不知道该怎么办 As the sun sets on the Woito village, 随着魏托村太阳西下 we can but ponder on Gebre Semachew's words. 我们只能深思吉伯塞马丘的话 The Nile belongs to all and yet to none. 尼罗河属于大家，却又不属于任何人 Wise words that a wise world would choose to hear. 睿智的世界应聆听这段充满智慧的话 For 6,700 kilometres, 尼罗河蜿蜒6700公里 the Nile snakes through forests, 流经森林 slashes through gorges 切割过峡谷 and floats through deserts, 流过沙漠 offering some of the most graceful sights in Africa. 提供非洲最优美的风景 It journeys past monuments and mountains, 它经过古代遗迹和山脉 through lush fields and urban expanse, 经过苍翠的田地和广大的市区 but its home is here in Lake Tana, 但是它的家在塔纳湖 the source of the Nile. 也就是尼罗河的发源地 Over 60 small rivers run into this vast inland sea. 60多条小河川流入这广大的内海 But only one flows out: 但只有一条河川流出去 the Blue Nile. 那就是青尼罗河 It's here, hidden in ancient texts, 就在古籍当中 that we will unlock the secret of why Ethiopia 我们将解开埃塞俄比亚 has never been able to unleash the power of its river. 从来无法释放尼罗河力量的原因 The Ethiopian or Coptic church, 埃塞俄比亚或哥普特教会 is among the world's oldest Christian denomination. 是全世界最古老的基督教教派之一 Christianity here goes back to the 4th century, 此地的基督教可上溯到第四世纪 with the ark of the covenant said to be hidden somewhere in these mountains. 据说约柜就藏在这里的山脉某处 One of the most important sites is Lake Tana itself, 最重要的地点之一就是塔纳湖 with many ancient monasteries, founded on Tana's 37 islands, 许多古老修道院 建立在塔纳湖的37个岛屿上 One of the most celebrated and revered is Kebran Gabriel, 其中最著名最受尊崇的是 基布兰盖伯尔修道院 which still houses a small community of monks, 这里仍住着一小群修道士 all of whom are entirely dependent on the lake and the Nile 他们都仰赖塔纳湖和尼罗河 for their spiritual and daily needs. 满足精神和日常的需求 Lake Tana is important because of the monasteries 塔纳湖的重要性来自修道院 but more so because the Abbay or Nile flows right through it. 更因为尼罗河流经此地 It's a place that's mentioned in the Bible 这里是圣经提到过的地方 and is one of our most precious resources. 也是我们最珍贵的资源之一 Religion is extremely important here 宗教在此地非常重要 with politics and faith always closely intertwined. 政治与宗教总是密不可分 Ethiopia's spiritual make up 埃塞俄比亚的精神信仰 has been one of the main reasons why the country has not been able to utilise the sacred Nile. 一直是无法利用神圣尼罗河的主因 To understand more, 为了更加了解 we have to follow Abba Mariam into the monastery's old scriptorium, 我们跟着马利安教长 进入修道院的老藏经阁 where they keep priceless religious artefacts and ancient texts. 这里收藏着无价的宗教文物和古籍 In this book from the early middle ages, 在这本中世纪早期的书籍中 there's a note referring to an Abun or archbishop being sent from Egypt to Ethiopia. 提到一位大主教 从埃及被派到埃塞俄比亚 In the crucial area of religion, 身为宗教重地 Ethiopia was for centuries under the rule of the Egyptian church. 埃塞俄比亚数世纪以来 都被埃及教会管辖 Even their Archbishop, their Abun was sent to them from Egyptian HQ. 就连他们的大主教 也都是从埃及总部被派遣过来 With that kind of dependency on Egypt for their spiritual health, 由于精神健康上深深依赖埃及 Ethiopia was always kept under their yoke, 埃塞俄比亚向来都受到束缚 afraid that if they ever dared interfere with Egypt's lifeline, 深恐要是干预埃及的命脉 then they would lose their archbishop and their own religious heartbeat. 他们就会失去大主教 和自己的宗教动脉 But then in 1959, 但是到了1959年 in an act which expressed a growing national self confidence, 在传达日渐增长的 国家自信的法案当中 the Ethiopians broke away from the Egyptian church. 埃塞俄比亚脱离埃及教会 By so doing they released themselves of any spiritual dependency 如此一来 他们从精神依赖当中释放 and set the stage for what could be a conflict of Apocalyptic proportions. 并埋下一场大浩劫的种子 With hardly any contact with the outside world, 马利安教长和外界几乎没有接触 Abba Mariam and his small community on Lake Tana, 他和塔纳湖上的小社区 seem unaware that the future of the Nile may now hang in the balance. 似乎不知道尼罗河的未来 可能悬而未决 200 kilometres from Lake Tana, 距离塔纳湖200公里处 on one of the main distributaries of the Nile, 在尼罗河其中一条主要支流上 looms a huge concrete structure 隐约出现巨大的水泥结构 which could change the Nile basin for ever! 将可能永远改变尼罗河流域 When completed the Tekeze dam, 塔克兹水坝完工之后 will be one of the largest in Africa. 将会是非洲最大的水坝之一 Although the plan at the moment is to use it to generate hydro-electricity 虽然目前的计划是用来作为水力发电 it has the potential to retain a vast amount of water for irrigation, 水坝有可能储存大量的水用来灌溉 blocking much of its flow to Egypt. 阻挡大部分水量流入埃及 If the Tekeze scheme is successful, 假如塔克兹工程成功 Ethiopia plans to build many more dams just like it 埃塞俄比亚计划建造更多类似的水坝 and if this happens, 假如计划成真 some experts say that Egypt's water supply could be reduced by 40% or more. 有些专家说 埃及的供水量将减少40%以上 The Ethiopian government's first goal is to change the life of the poor, 埃塞俄比亚政府的首要目标 是改变穷人的生活 give them power. 给他们力量 Build dams to provide drinking water. 建造水坝提供饮用水 There are some people who have to walk six to seven hours to fetch water. 有些人必须走6到7小时去取水 The priority here is our people. 此地优先考虑的是我们的人民 Asfaw Shirga is the Ethiopian Site Manager 亚斯法席加是埃塞俄比亚工地经理 and has been working on this project for 6 years. 他已进行工程6年之久 He hardly ever sees his family who live in the capital Addis Ababa 他很少见到住在首都 亚的斯亚贝巴(Addis Ababa)的家人 but all the effort and sacrifice he says will be worth it. 但是他说他的努力和牺牲是值得的 His children were very young during the famine of the 80s 他的孩子在1980年代饥荒时期年纪还小 and he says that he never wants to live through a period like that again. 他说他再也不想经历那样的日子 Ethiopia in the past had a lot of problems. 过去埃塞俄比亚有很多问题 And first our problem was that we were not able to use our natural resources, 我们最大的问题是无法使用天然资源 especially unable to use the cheap resources- the rivers. 尤其是无法使用便宜的资源 也就是河川 Hence there was big famine in our country. 因此我们的国家发生严重饥荒 Now is the time to eradicate that famine. 现在正是消除饥荒的时候 The Tekeze project was on the drawing board for many years 塔克兹工程计划了好几年 but potential Western investors such as the World Bank 但潜在西方投资者，例如世界银行 were always scared off by belligerent noises from the Egyptian capital. 总是被来自埃及首都好战的杂音吓退 So Ethiopia went East in search of help 因此埃塞俄比亚向东方求助 and in 2002 found a Chinese backer for this project. 2002年找到一位中国赞助者 赞助这项计划 The Tekeze marks a definite turning point in Ethiopia's history 塔克兹绝对是埃塞俄比亚 历史上的转折点 and in its potential to harness the Nile. 也有潜力驾驭尼罗河 It also marks the realisation of many of Egypt's fears. 同时也实现埃及的众多恐惧 After thousands of years of just letting it slip through their fingers, 数千年来让尼罗河从指缝间流失 Ethiopia's new determination and ability to utilise the Blue Nile 埃塞俄比亚的新决心 和利用青尼罗河的能力 is likely to put it on a collision course with Egypt, 很可能因此和埃及爆发冲突 the country which makes most use of the water downstream. 因为埃及是最会利用 下游水资源的国家 Conflict has been threatened by both sides 双方都曾经威胁要动武 but Asfaw believes that all this doesn't have to lead to war. 但亚斯法相信 这一切无须导致战争 When we take such measures to feed our people, 我们利用此方法养活人民时 Egypt, our neighbour and brother should not be nervous and should never be. 我们的邻国和兄弟埃及应该无须紧张 Before there was not much understanding between us. 从前我们之间不互相了解 Now we know each other very well. 现在我们对彼此了若指掌 For the first time in history, 历史上第一次 all 10 Nile basin states are meeting around one table, 尼罗河流域所有10个国家坐下来开会 to discuss how best to share the river. 讨论分享尼罗河的最佳方式 Despite Asfaw's optimism, 尽管亚斯法很乐观 relations are still tense 国家关系仍然很紧张 and agreement between the countries is a long way off. 国家之间要达成协议 还有很长一段路要走 There is hope however, with Ethiopia and Egypt now starting to work together 然而还是希望埃塞俄比亚 和埃及开始合作 to face realities and find a solution to their conflicting demands. 面对现实 找出解决需求冲突的方式 One thing is certain, 有一件事是确定的 to avert disaster, 为了避免灾难发生 there will have to be compromise on both sides. 双方都必须妥协 War can only be avoided 假如每个国家都开始 if every county begins to see the river as a gift for all 将尼罗河视为大家的礼物 而不是专属某人的奖品 but a prize for none. 如此才能避免战争发生 The Nile, more than any other river in the world 尼罗河比世界上任何一条河 evokes a feeling of continuum and everlasting presence. 更能唤起绵延不绝的感受 From Aristotle and Moses through to present day politics 从亚里斯多德、摩西，到现代政治 the Nile flows through the world's consciousness and its history. 尼罗河流过全世界的意识和历史 Now is the time to make sure that it flows through its future. 如今我们应该确保 尼罗河也能继续流向未来 www.MVGroup.org