2015-06-22

【Aiden in English】

        The island of Khios is a part of a huge ancient empire stretching back to 7,000 B.C. So it’s safe to say that not all villages have survived, but the few that had still stand, well, don’t seem as if they were built before the year. 

        The semi-fortified medieval village of Anavatos becomes the oldest quaint ruin on Khios. It’s sadly affected by Turks’ slaughter and has been abandoned ever since like a ghost town. The winding cobbled streets were lined with ancient stone houses. The builders used cement filling between the stones. This village-like many other settlements in Greece is on a mountain. The stones that made up basically every house was mined locally, which saved a little work. The narrow streets of cobble zigzagged into an open area, and the wind blew in gusts so high up. However, the town wasn’t exactly in the best shape. Time still took a toll, yet it made the surrounding even more mystically fun. I climbed up a broken wall, and from there I could see over any steals that blocked my field of vision. At the point, there were no people around for miles and miles but small shrubs popping up here and there, and nothing in between. Hey! It sounds like a riddle due to a forest fire a few years ago that wiped out the vegetation for so many mountains. The sight of such destruction has a kind of beauty as well to itself. 

        Another medieval settlement is Avgonima, a historical village where only 15 old people live nowadays after the Massacre of 1822. It is built on a rock with steep slopes, leaving only access from the north side, and probably used to control the western shores of the marauding pirates and corsairs. It is well preserved with two-story longhouses and walls, compared to Anavatos. The incredible views of the Aegean Sea looked amazing against the steep slopes on the hillside. Hopping around, the Aegean Sea showed itself, sandwiched between two mountains. Avgonima is a pretty village with a disadvantage, though. Its brutal sunlight makes me feel like a little crazy. By the time you pour the water, the pot has burnt!

        Greece is full of mountains, and approximately 80% of its land consists of mountains or hills, making Greece one of the most mountainous countries of Europe. Interestingly, all Greek towns are set up next to a sea. Because the rocky sides of mountains aren’t suitable for farming, the locals rely on the sea for food. Nearly all the settlements of Greece were on or near the coast, which also protected them a bit from northern invaders over the centuries of the Greek history. One is fueled by fear and driven by faith. The mountain is the country as the water is the sea.

【红霞译文】

        希俄斯岛历史渊源可追溯到公元前七千年，我敢肯定地说，并不是所有村落都能保留至今，幸存的恐怕寥寥无几，而且绝非年前刚刚建造的。

        带有防御性质的中世纪“灯火之乡”堪称希俄斯岛最古朴的乡村遗址，曾因惨遭突厥族血腥镇压而成为现在的幽灵之城。古老的巨砾门厥沿着鹅卵石山径甬道蜿蜒而去，当年泥瓦匠使用胶合物质将石块固定在一起的房屋清稀可见，犹如希腊其它地区，“灯火之乡”同样离不开高山峻岭，用来建造房舍的石方土块基本来自当地，稍微给施工提供便利条件。街道狭窄弯曲，前方视野逐渐开阔，那儿地势偏高风力也大。小镇时过境迁，早已物是人非，历史遗迹承载了世间沧桑，让人倍感妙趣横生。我爬上断墙极目远眺，方圆几里地人烟荒芜，灌木丛犹如雨后春笋般繁茂生长，除此而外，其它什么也没有。嘿！听起来跟捉迷藏差不多，原来几年前这里发生过山林大火，烧毁了不少植被，不过即便如此，这里依然风景如画。

        离“灯火之乡”不远座落着另一处中世纪古镇“阿夫格尼马”，自1822年灭绝人性的屠杀至今，只剩下十五位老年人在此居住。小镇依山而建，唯有北侧设一入口与外界相通，据说当时被用作瞭望站来观察西部海岸海盗及其船队动向。比起“灯火之乡”，阿夫格尼马镇两层楼建筑与城墙保存完好，路端陡峭的山坡紧紧依偎在爱琴海畔，我禁不住四处悠荡，周围的景致美如琼浆玉液。当然，小镇并非样样都好，骄阳似火实在叫人抓狂，你倒水的功夫，锅已被太阳烤焦！

        希腊群山密布，大约80%的土地由高山丘陵组成，成为欧洲当之无愧的山国之一。极为有趣的是，举国上下大多依山傍海，山区无法农耕，民众只能靠渔业为生，因此几乎所有的名城古镇临海而建，同时在其成百上千年历史上起到抵御北部入侵者的作用。残酷的现实促使希腊人增强信念，山河依在，国土安好。