Tulum Mayan Ruins, Mexico(墨西哥黎明城玛雅遗址)-儿歌荟萃-万维博客-万维读者网（电脑版）

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		Tulum Mayan Ruins, Mexico(墨西哥黎明城玛雅遗址)	2020-04-13 16:09:44

2014-11-04

【Aiden in English】

To understand a culture, you must understand people's way of life. How do people survive from day to day? That is certainly the question for the residents who used to live in Tulum. Why? Because the nearest freshwater is 5 miles/8 km away. Geographically, Tulum is sandwiched between a swamp and the Caribbean Sea. Both have water but aren't drinkable. To find clean and fresh water, one must travel 5 miles on foot through the swampland. The limestone underground has purified the rivers that flow. If that wasn't hard enough, the houses were made out of stones and trees. The problem is that Tulum is flat, lacking enough natural resources to build a whole city. That might have been the explanation for why Tulum was abandoned like many other Mayan villages and cities.

The only thing different, or I should say, unique about Tulum compared to the other Mayan ruins are the walls. Tulum wasn't as big as the cities would be. It was a trading post because of its location next to the beach. There was a coral cliff farther out into the Caribbean Sea. It naturally effectively shielded them from the pounding waves and became an ideal place for canoes. The town also had walls that surrounded it, which held to its name. Tulum means "surrounded by walls" in Spanish. The walls provided protection from invaders with small doors that forced people to enter in a single file. It was the perfect defense.

Wherever I go, I find the ocean is a magnet. It sucks every person in the area toward it. Today was no different. People flocked to the beach, forgetting every bit of information they learned during the tour. But not me, I remembered it and also had fun. However, I didn't prepare to go swimming in the Caribbean Sea. So Mom and I came to the beach just for pictures. The scenery looked stunning. The sand appeared as white as paper and glittered like diamonds. The blue ocean had a faint tinge of green, which increased its amazingness. I wondered whether this would be like heaven. If so, I wouldn't be very surprised. Mom dragged me around, taking pictures from crazy angles, obviously trying to capture every moment with her trusty and slightly annoying camera. But I think the best way to remember this scene wouldn't be with the camera, but in my head for the rest of my years.

【红霞译文】

若想了解一种文化，你不能不过问衣食住行，平民百姓靠什么过活度日？对居住在黎明城的玛雅人来说，这个问题为什么至关重要呢？因为离他们最近的食用水源远在五英里／八公里开外，从地理上来看，黎明城介于沼泽地和加勒比海之间，本身并不缺水，但两地的水都无法饮用；为找到清洁的泉水，人们一定得步行五英里穿过沼泽，那里由石灰石构成的地下岩层能将河水过滤干净。如果说这种困难算不了什么的话，那么石料匮乏木材短缺，连蜗居都成问题才叫人大伤脑筋，关键在于黎明城地势平坦，没有充足的自然资源用来修建社区，这就是为什么黎明城像其它玛雅城镇一样摆脱不了衰败的命运，最终被彻底遗弃。

与其它玛雅遗址相比，这里唯一不同的或者说独特的地方非围墙莫属，黎明城尚无都市规模，因为靠近海滨，所以充其量只能算作贸易场所。珊瑚礁石峭壁陡直伸入加勒比海，有效地屏障惊涛骇浪，非常适于独木舟水上交通，小镇如同围城，其名字源于西班牙语“禁城围墙”，城门很小，每次只能进出一人，以之来防御外来者入侵，真正起到保护自我的作用，因此值得称道。

无论我身在何方宝地，总感觉大海极富魅力，人人心向往之，今天同样也不例外，游客们蜂拥海滩，很快将刚刚听到的游览介绍置之脑后；然而我却兼收并蓄，既牢记方才学到的有关古城风土旧貌的背景知识，同时还捕捉到当地各种美轮美奂，不过事先我并未打算下海游泳，这样可以陪同妈妈一起漫步沙滩，趁机拍些照片回去留作纪念。黎明城景色秀美天成，海滩洁白如纸，沙砾晶莹透亮，洋面湛蓝并泛出青翠的妩媚，叫人陶醉得难以自拔，不知黎明城是否可以称作人间天堂，假如果真如此，我绝对毫无异议，难怪妈妈拽着我变换各种角度，扫射般把我定格在世外桃源之中。对我而言，刻骨铭心的记忆不是瞬间捕捉的景色，而是启迪人生的思想。