2015-06-21
【Aiden in English】 Imagine having a house up in the mountains that seems to hover in the air. Wow, imagine living in it. Imagine surviving without the internet, roads, or cars, and reaching any other civilization meant walking straight down. That came around about 400 years ago. Nowadays, roads allow tour buses to reach Meteora in Greece. Its spectacular landscape has been derived from extensive ongoing gravel deposits and has become the well-known "columns of the sky." Perched on remarkable pinnacles of sandstone rock are the Orthodox monasteries that functioned as a refuge to avoid Ottoman invasion and dangerous bandits during the medieval era. And just saying, the hermit monks went to extremes to build the wonder of the sheer cliffs high atop, where it was once virtually inaccessible. What are these things? There used to be 24 monasteries, but six smaller ones survived the churning tides of Egypt's pyramids, which were unbelievable to build, considering the weight of the stones. The Great Wall of China was incredible, just thinking about creating something that lasted for over three dynasties. The settlement of all monasteries was just as grueling and challenging to build as any other ancient great structure. The climb from the bottom is exhausting to even think about. At times, the mountain stood vertically, and a tower of the rock formation, known as stone pillars, jutted out from its sides. And for a quest for solitude and enlightenment, instead of setting up shop in the mountains like normal people, the monks 400 years ago decided to place their religious monuments on the rock towers. They traveled using rope ladders and a rope pulley system with a net basket. The rocks went straight up, so the monks still inside had to collect water daily. Yet, there are still some of them who face life's hardships. They prayed all day, but their chores changed over the years. With the help of technology, tourism has also provided the monastery with financial benefits. I wonder if landlords charge tax in this area. The isolation comes with gifts as well. The monks were blessed with a fantastic view of the surroundings. Four hundred years ago, this gift was used to scout enemies and keep a lookout. Tourism changed the gift into a flurry of amazing photographs. A small town of simple, triangular-roofed red houses began at the slope of the mountain. A ring of lush mountains surrounded the area, reminding me of a giant crater. However, the guide mentioned that it was once an enormous lake. Throughout the ages, earthquakes changed the geography of the land, and the water flowed away. What remained was Greece's most fertile agricultural land. Most of the land became farms, and the fields came with the freshest olives, cotton, and corn. One's loss was another's treasure, a saying that will survive forever. I would be happy to take the president's trash. I'm sure something valuable will be hiding there. Over the years, this area has grown increasingly famous. Incidentally, the quality of places is also viewed as time flies by. Meteora's monasteries were built four centuries ago, and time has transformed this area into a priceless work of art that is stunning to anyone who appreciates treasure hunting. Why? It is the very land that is a treasure itself. And imagine that the motivation gave impetus to do it. Religion can be a driving force in the workforce at the time. Four hundred years ago, a group of monasteries was built by hand, the supplies were carried back, and the experience was filled with sweat and tears. Four hundred years later, who would know that a young boy is writing about the effort spent to make this marvel what it is today? IT’S ME, IF YOU DON’T KNOW! 【紅霞譯】
試想一下，群山峻岭之巔高懸空中樓閣；哇噻，設想一下棲身於此每天的日常起居；再細想一下，生活在沒有互聯網、沒有道路、沒有汽車、惟有萬仞峭壁與外界相通的世界。
上述場景定格在400多年前，如今旅遊大巴浩浩蕩蕩開進希臘被譽為“懸空”的邁泰奧拉，大自然鬼斧神工，逐漸將這一帶砂岩地貌打造得怪石突兀嶙峋、峰林層巒疊嶂。位於石柱頂尖，具有中世紀遺風的東正教修道院巍然聳立，當時為了躲避奧斯曼入侵遠離匪徒騷擾，隱士僧人無畏艱辛困苦，勇敢地挑戰自身極限，在人跡罕至的懸崖壁上創出奇蹟，隨着時光推移歲月磨蝕，原本廿四所修道院中僅剩下規模較小的六所得以倖存。古埃及巧奪天工，用巨大無比的石頭修建金字塔，令人嘆為觀止；中華民族氣吞山河，三個朝代前仆後繼築起萬里長城，名聲傳遍天下；古希臘別具匠心，愣把宗教精神寄託到遙不可及的淨土樂園裡，別說爬了，就是從底部抬頭朝頂部望去，心中頓感慌恐不安。有時山勢陡峭垂直，石柱從側面凸起，400年前苦行僧們非同凡人，既耐得住孤寂又幹得出大事，打定主意一定要在半空懸柱上開闢新天地。他們把繩索做成梯子，並將滑輪綁上筐子當作交通運輸工具；儘管岩石直起直落，可住在石柱頂上面的人每天都要下來取水，生活的艱辛由此可略見一斑。僧人們終日祈禱，一年四季輪流打理不同事務。新技術的出現以及遊客的饋贈，使得修道院的生活條件得到改善，但我心存好奇，不知道地主是否從中抽利。
與世隔絕的地方定有獨到之處，身居其中的隱士有幸飽覽周圍壯麗山色，而這些奇觀異景從前均被用作瞭望台來觀察敵人動向，到此一游的朋友無不以此為快，噼哩啪啦按下快門。山坡下面的小鎮三角形紅色房頂耀眼奪目，鬱鬱蔥蔥的群山環抱山谷，令我禁不住聯想起巨型火山口，不過據導遊介紹，很久以前這裡一片汪洋，多年來地震改變了地質形態，從此河床從視線中消失，結果遺留下來的土地成為希臘最肥沃的農業基地，該地區大部分土地被用來開墾農田，主要農作物有橄欖、棉花、玉米和小麥，失之東隅收之桑榆，古諺說得千真萬確，保不齊我也樂意給總統當差，沒準能發掘意外收穫。碰巧的是，越是古老的寶地越發受人矚目；無疑，具有四百年歷史的懸空修道院堪比一件藝術珍品，尤其對那些愛好尋古探幽的人來說，為什麼呢？無非淵於自然景觀，其潛在的動機無不打動來訪者內心深處，當時的宗教思想激發人們鬥志飽滿。 400年前的昨日，建造修道院群完全用手搭靠背扛，勤勞的汗水和辛酸的眼淚交織在一起；400年後的今天，有誰想得出一位風華少年正揮筆記錄自己的所見所聞，如果你不認識他，那麼讓我來告訴你，正是本人！ Today in History(歷史上的今天): 2014: Baltimore Natl Aquarium, MD(馬里蘭州巴爾的摩國家水族館) 2012: Descriptive─Memoir(應用文─回憶錄) 2010: 甜言蜜語(Sweet Nothings) 2009: 童聲合唱(Children Choir)  Castle in the Sky, the Backdrop of 007's For Your Eyes Only
(天空之城·電影《007·最高機密》取景地)  Rock Formation (岩層)
 Immense Natural Pillars & Hill-like Rounded Boulders
(大型天然石柱和山丘狀圓形巨石)  Doupiani Rock, the 1st Monastery of the Meteora Region Founded as the Skete of the Holy Virgin of Dupiani
(杜皮亞尼“雙宮綢”岩·梅特奧拉地區首座修道院，最初作為“杜皮亞尼聖母隱修院”而建立)
 Adrachti Tower @ 630-m/1,890-ft
(630米/1,890英尺高的大聖岩)  Rock Towers (岩塔)
 Rock Pylon (岩門 06-21-2015)
 Meteora Valley (梅特奧拉谷 06-21-2015)
 Holy Monastery of Great Meteoron the Beginning of Organized Monasticism for Meteora w/ Hermit Monk
(大邁泰奧拉聖修道院·與隱修僧一起於邁泰奧拉有組織修道生活的起點)
 Rock Pillars (岩柱)
 Trees on the Cliffs (懸崖上的樹木)
 Twiggy Mullein (虎尾鞭)
 Scarf Cavern (圍巾洞穴)
 Close-up of Scarf Cavern (圍巾洞穴近觀)
 Quarry (採石場)
 Theopetra Rock (天父石灰岩)
 Rock Pillar Weathered by Water, Wind, & Extremes of Temperature on the Vertical Faults
(水風和垂直斷層上極端溫度風化形成的岩柱)  Precipitously Built Complexes of the 6 Remaining Monasteries
(24座中6座倖存下來懸浮的修道院 06-21-2015)
 Monastery of the Holy Trinity, Built in 1475
(1475年建造的三一修道院)  Monastery of the Holy Trinity, Filmed in the James Bond Movie For Your Eyes Only
(三一修道院——詹姆斯·邦德電影《最高機密》拍攝地 06-21-2015)  Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Dramatic Seclusion
(三一修道院·極度隱居 06-21-2015)  Frescoes @ Monastery of the Holy Trinity
(聖三一修道院·壁畫)  Monastery of Rousanou (Barbara), a Convent in 1988 & Currently Housing More Than 15 Sister Nuns
(聖魯薩努“芭芭拉”修道院· 1988年成為尼姑庵，目前有至少15名修女)
 Monastery of Rousanou (Barbara), Devoted the Old Monastery of Roussanou to St Barbara
(聖魯薩努修道院·將魯薩努老修道院獻給聖芭芭拉)  Interior of the Monastery of Rousanou (Barbara)
(聖魯薩努修道院·內景) 
Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas, the 1st Monastery Open to the Public on the Way to Meteora from Kastraki Village (聖尼古拉斯·阿納帕薩斯修道院——從卡斯特拉基“小城堡”村前往邁泰奧拉途中第一座向公眾開放的修道院)  Monastery of Great Meteoron, the Biggest & Oldest of the Meteora Monasteries
(大邁泰奧拉“高空”修道院·邁泰奧拉修道院群中規模最宏大、歷史最悠久 06-21-2015)  Monastery of Great Meteoron, the Beginning of Organized Monasticism for Meteora
(大邁泰奧拉修道院·整個邁泰奧拉修道制度的開端 06-21-2015)  Interior of the Monastery of Great Meteoron
(大邁泰奧拉修道院·內景)  Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas
(聖尼古拉斯·阿納帕薩斯“人民的勝利·休憩之所”修道院 06-21-2015)  Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas, a Serene Symbolizing Spiritual Refuge & Hospitality for Travelers
(聖尼古拉斯·阿納帕薩斯修道院——象徵着旅行者的精神庇護和熱情好客的避風港 06-21-2015)  Interior of the Monastery of St. Nicholas Anapausas
(聖尼古拉斯·阿納帕薩斯修道院——內景) 
Monastery of Varlaam, Located Atop a Rock Formation (瓦拉姆“獨居”修道院·位於岩層頂部 06-21-2015)  Monastery of Varlaam, the 2nd Largest Monastery in Meteora
(瓦拉姆修道院·第二大的聖徒修道院 06-21-2015)  Interior of Varlaam Monastery (瓦拉姆修道院·內景)
 Monastery of St. Stephen, the Backdrop of 007's For Your Eyes Only
(聖斯蒂芬“皇冠”修道院·電影《007·最高機密》取景地)
 Monastery of St. Stephen in Combination of Byzantine and Gothic Styles
(聖斯蒂芬修道院·融合了拜占庭和哥特式風格 06-21-2015)  16th-Century Post-Byzantine Icons @ Monastery of St. Stephen
(聖斯蒂芬修道院·16世紀後拜占庭“東羅馬”式聖像)  Holy Monastery of St. Stephen Converted into a Nunnery in 1961
(聖斯蒂芬修道院·於1961年改建為尼姑庵)  Town of Kalambaka， Viewed from Meteora
(從邁泰奧拉俯瞰首府所在地——卡拉巴卡“堡壘”鎮)  Meteora Looked up from the Town of Kalambaka
(從卡拉巴卡鎮仰視邁泰奧拉城)  Meteora Valley (邁泰奧拉山谷)
 Countryside of Larissa (拉里薩“要塞”城·鄉下)
 Larissa Barns (拉里薩農倉)
 Volos, the Newest of the Greek Port Cities
(沃洛斯“牛神”·希臘最新的港口城市)  Church of Agios Nikolaos Almiros
(阿吉奧斯尼古拉斯·阿爾米羅斯““聖尼古拉斯·鹹水”教堂)  Holy Metropolitan Church of Saint Achillius
(聖阿基利烏斯“痛苦”大都會教堂)  Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
(聖母升天教堂)  Saint Onuphrius Orthodox Church
(聖奧努弗里烏斯“和平的捍衛者”東正教堂)  Saint Charalampus Orthodox Church
(聖哈拉蘭普斯“喜悅”東正教堂)  Boticelli Dining Rm of Emerald Princess
(“公主·翡翠”號遊輪——波提切利“小酒桶”餐廳 06-21-2015)  晚餐：杏脯鴨罐頭肉牛肝菌蘑菇褐色湯、肉餡餃子燉小牛膝湯、韭菜汁燴多寶魚片、藍莓雞尾酒冰糕配蜜餞檸檬
 肉餡餃子燉小牛膝湯、花椒牛肉柳扒、小點心、三色冰激凌·荔枝、褐色椰香酒與香草巧克力
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