不爲浮誇不爲繁華 柬埔寨旅行遊記

At 4 AM on a November morning, my alarm goes off. I wake with excitement 1)brewing inside me. Today, I will visit the magnificent temples of Angkor.

十一月的一個早晨，我的鬧鐘四點就響了。我睜開眼睛，興奮之情頓時涌上心頭。今天，我將要探訪吳哥那些宏偉的寺廟。

At this hour, I would expect to wake to 2)tranquility, maybe even hear insects 3)buzzing in the distance. This, however, is not the case in Siem Reap.

此時此刻，我以爲會在一片寧謐中醒來，或許甚至能夠聽到遠處的昆蟲在嗡嗡作響。然而在暹粒市則是另一番景象。

The weather is dry and the temperature cool, which means Siem Reap"s tourism population is at its high. Like me, it seems every other tourist has also risen early in hopes of discovering Angkor Wat before the 4)onrush of other travelers.

這時此地氣候乾燥，溫度涼爽，這就意味着暹粒市正處於旅遊高峯期。和我一樣，似乎每一位遊客都早早動身，希望能趕在遊客大軍到來之前一探吳哥窟。

Located in northern Cambodia, approximately a 45-minute drive north of Siem Reap, Angkor is home to the remains of the famous temples that served several Khmer Empires注 from the 9th to 15th centuries.

吳哥位於柬埔寨北部，從暹粒市開車北行約45分鐘便可到達。它是衆多著名寺廟遺址的所在地。這些寺廟曾在公元9世紀至15世紀供許多代高棉帝國使用。

Known for their 5)architectural style, the temples' mysterious stone walls are decorated with 6)intricate carvings and sculptures of mythical figures and stories that scholars and researchers still work to 7)unravel.

這些寺廟以其獨特的建築風格聞名於世，其神祕的石牆上裝飾着紛繁複雜的雕刻以及神話人物和故事的雕塑，而學者和研究人員仍在努力解開當中的謎團。

I want to see the famous temples for myself, so traveling to Angkor is a must.

我想親眼見識這些著名的寺廟，因此吳哥之旅勢在必行。

Angkor Wat, the pride of many Khmers, is the only building to be displayed on any national flag. Built in the early 12th century, the wat (the Khmer word for temple) shares over 414 square kilometer of land with many other glorious ancient temples, such as the Bayon and Baphuon temples, as well as the famous Ta Prohm.

作爲許多代高棉王朝的驕傲之作，吳哥窟是唯一出現在國旗上的建築。吳哥窟(高棉語中的"寺廟")修建於12世紀早期，周圍還林立着許多輝煌的古代寺廟，譬如巴戎寺和巴芳寺，以及著名的塔普倫寺，佔地超過414平方公里。

I will soon realize that no professional photograph, no exchange in conversation and no detailed piece of writing could ever do these temples justice.

我很快發現，沒有任何專業攝影、交談對話或是細節描寫能夠真正詮釋出這些寺廟的美。

The sky of the early morning is 8)pitch-black. The lack of streetlights would have made it difficult to see the road if it weren't for the headlights from motorbikes, 9)tuk-tuks, cars and tour buses.

清晨的天空依然漆黑一片。因爲沒有路燈，假如沒有摩托車、摩托三輪車、小汽車和旅行大巴的頭燈照射，要看清路況很不容易。

My tuk-tuk driver, whom I booked the day before, waves me over as he stands to the side waiting.　

我前一天訂好的三輪摩托車的司機在向我招手。他正站在一旁等我。

I can hear sounds of engines 10)roaring and people chatting. My 11)adrenaline is going and the race toward Angkor is on! Other 12)vehicles are already passing as I 13)hop in the back of the tuk-tuk. My driver kick-starts his bike, 14)throws it into gear, and we are off.

我能夠聽到引擎的咆哮聲和人們的閒聊聲。我的腎上腺素在升高，奔向吳哥的競賽開始了!當我爬上三輪摩托車的後座時，其他車輛已經絕塵而去。我的司機狠蹬一腳，發動車輛，我們也出發了。

Dust flies into my face as we 15)whiz past competing vehicles. The dirt road tries its best to 16)withstand the 17)onslaught of tourists who are fighting to get to Angkor before sunrise. The sounds of motors running and horns 18)honking add to the already 19)chaotic morning.

當我們颼颼地掠過你爭我搶的車輛時，灰塵撲面而來。塵土飛揚的公路向遊客們的全面進攻發起了奮勇的抗爭，而遊客們都決心要在天亮之前趕到吳哥。摩托車的飛馳聲和喇叭的轟鳴聲使得已經混亂不堪的清晨更顯雜亂。

I hold my breath to avoid 20)inhaling the thick dust. I can feel tiny dirt 21)particles building up in my hair. Nevertheless, I am excited and more awake now.

爲了不吸入厚厚的塵土，我屏住呼吸。我能夠感覺到細小的塵埃在我的頭髮上聚集成堆。儘管如此，我依然興奮不已，現在更加清醒了。

Suddenly, my tuk-tuk driver stops in the middle of what seems to be a large dirt field. He points to my right where I can 22)make out a large, dark shadow in the distance. It is still dark outside, but I can see other tourists hurrying in that direction. I thank my driver and head off.

突然，我的三輪摩托車司機在一大片類似泥地的中間停了車。他指向我的右方，在那邊我能辨認出遠方的一大片黑暗的陰影。外面依然漆黑一片，但我看見其他遊客正朝那個方向趕去。我謝過司機，然後繼續前進。

Along with hundreds of other tourists, I rush up the stone walkway toward the magnificent shadow ahead of me. I am on the grounds of Angkor Wat where local monks from hundreds of years ago once prayed.

和成百上千的遊客一起，我匆匆衝上通往前面那片壯麗陰影的石頭通道。我現在站在了吳哥窟的土地上。在千百年前，當地的僧侶們曾在這裏祈禱。

I feel a sense of 23)intimidation washing over me as I walk past large shadows of unknown shapes. I can vaguely make out the temple's 24)silhouette, as the sky above slowly turns blue.

當我走過形狀不明的巨大陰影時，我感到一股敬畏之情席捲全身。天空漸漸變藍，我能模糊地分辨出寺廟的輪廓。

People from all over the world 25)scurry about the temple grounds, calling to fellow travelers to join them once the perfect viewpoint is claimed. I find my spot on a cool stone 26)banister, and wait for what is to come.

從世界各地前來的人們在寺廟的場地上匆匆奔跑，一發現最佳視角就呼喚同行的遊客一起欣賞。我在一個涼爽的石欄杆上佔好位置，等待即將發生的一幕。

As the sun begins to rise, the intimidating shadows around us slowly disappear. The sun's rays introduce us to one of the most beautiful masterpieces in Southeast Asia—Angkor Wat. The temple is 27)overwhelming in size, and even from a distance I can make out the 28)unfathomable detail on the five towers rising above the entryways.

太陽開始升起，我們周圍那些令人畏懼的陰影漸漸消散。陽光將東南亞最美的一處傑作——吳哥窟——帶到我們面前。這座寺廟的宏大無可比擬，即使在很遠的距離之外，我也能分辨出在入口處高聳的五座塔樓上那些高深莫測的細節。

The shadows around me have now become the shapes of mythical creatures. Below the stone walkway to my left is a large pond of water that reflects the image of Angkor Wat under the glowing sun.

現在，我四周的影子變成了神話生物的形象，在我左邊的石頭通道下方是一個巨大的水池，映照出灼灼陽光下吳哥窟的絢麗倒影。

The chaotic buzz begins to disappear and I am suddenly surrounded by silence. We have all finished the race, and our prize is right in front of us.

雜亂的嗡嗡聲開始遠去，我突然被寂靜包圍。所有人都已經結束了競賽，我們的獎勵就在眼前。

I sit, admiring the magnificent buildings in tranquility and calmness. In the distance, I can finally hear those insects buzzing.

我坐下來，在靜謐和安寧中欣賞着這些宏偉的建築。我終於能夠聽見昆蟲在遠處嗡嗡而鳴。

The leaves 29)rustle in the 30)breeze. As I gaze at the scenery around me, I think, "This is exactly what I wanted to wake up to."

樹蔭在一絲微風下沙沙作響。我凝視着周圍的風景，心想："這正是我想要在醒來時見到的景緻。"