2016-07-14

【Aiden in English】

        In the UK, there are thousands of stone circles. Not to crush any dreams, but unfortunately, Stonehenge near London is not a one-of-a-kind weird stone structure built in a circle in England. In fact, it is quite common in the countryside for a farmer to uncover or settle next to mysterious pieces of rocks. Some say they are alien, or even supernatural, which gets many people to scratch their heads. We are going to see Stonehenge later on, but for now, we'll settle in the Heart of Neolithic Orkney located in the north of Scotland to have a close look at the Standing Stones of Stenness, the Ring of Brodgar, Skara Brae, and Maeshowe. 

        The Standing Stones of Stenness is a miniature Stonehenge in the sense that they have larger stones. Even so, it's designated as the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. However caveman-like that sounds in Skara Brae, it's true. Back in 3,000 BCE, the residents near Stonehenge probably bragged to the people of the Standing Stones of Stenness about their tiny stones, while the people of the Ring of Brodgar probably bragged that their stone circle was wider. Then Stonehenge would probably say that their popularity was much higher than the Stenness's, and the Ring of Brodgar would probably say that they were much more complete than Stonehenge was. The competition is close and competitive, so much that the face of the modern locals turns red at the mention of their rival. The Ring of Brodgar is indeed the most complete stone circle in the UK, having twenty-seven of its original sixty, which is relatively good. It also is way, way older than Stonehenge. 

        Here's a timeline. The Great Wall of China was built in 220 BCE. The Giza Pyramids of Egypt were built in 2,500 BCE. The Stonehenge of England was built in 3,000 BCE. Skara Brae was built in 3,100 BCE, which beats that Stonehenge. Truthfully, the conditions the rocks are in can't really distinguish any differences. Although a guy blew up a few stones with dynamite, the Ring of Brodgar is still fairly intact. I bet Stonehenge can't say that. But unfortunately, both Standing Stones of Stenness and Ring of Brodgar here really don't serve a known purpose. The sun does not strike it like a sundial, nor does it seem like a sacrificial area. One major event did set off some theories: in 1982, lightning struck a pillar. Although thank goodness, nothing exploded, people now believe that the stones are lightning rods, since the area is lacking in trees and tall objects. Still, a highly doubtful theory, if you ask me. The lack of evidence of anything, in particular, is quite something to work with. Therefore, every hypothesis sounds blatantly stupid. The stones have been under constant weathering, and the elements have taken a toll on the rocks. Chipping, holes, and bog have allowed grass and mold to grow directly on the stones, giving the rocks many unnecessary colors. In fact, the bog has allowed the stones to begin sinking into the ground, and so the area needs a bit of help. 

        In a few days, we'll be seeing Stonehenge, probably one of the world's most popular sights. Being nearly the face of ancient England, I'll have a great comparison between these two historic circles. Then again, they're only rocks...

【红霞译文】

        英国有成千上万个石圈，咱不想有意打碎任何美梦，但遗憾的是伦敦附近的英格兰石圈──巨石阵算不上稀奇古怪的玩艺，实际上，一位老农在乡下某个神秘地方随意发现或者信手拈来这样的石圈可以说家常便饭。有人推测这些不是外星人搞的名堂就是超自然神力再现，很多民众对之将信将疑。再有几天我们要去领略巨石阵，但眼下还是先到苏格兰北部近距离参观由斯丹尼斯立石、布罗德盖石圈、斯卡拉布雷村落以及梅肖韦古墓四部分组成的奥克尼新石器时代遗址。

        相对巨石阵的石块大小来说，斯丹尼斯立石真有点小巫见大巫，既便如此，它仍旧于1999年被联合国教科文组织列入《世界遗产名录》，不过这个听起来如同山顶洞人出没的斯卡拉布雷村落确实小得憋屈。追溯到公元前3,000年，居住在巨石阵的傻大个兴许会嘲笑斯卡拉布雷顶多是块弹丸之地，而穴居于此的矮矬子却吹嘘自己的布罗德盖石圈更加宽乎；傻大个似乎不以为然，扬言巨石阵名声在外，而矮矬子哪甘示弱，坚称布罗德盖石圈完整无比。双方争得面红耳赤难分仲伯，不过布罗德盖石圈的确是英国最全乎的石圈，至今60个立石当中有27个居然保留了下来。

        以下提供一个时间表：中国长城始建于公元前220年，埃及吉萨金字塔始建于公元前2,500年，巨石阵始建于公元前3,000年，而斯卡拉布雷村落始建于公元前3,100年，单凭年历，后者就比前者更加古老。说实话，两地立石本身并没有多大区别，尽管早先曾有坏蛋蓄意炸毁了几块石头，但布罗德盖石圈依旧保存完好，我敢打赌巨石阵肯定没法做到这一点。遗憾的是，无人清楚斯丹尼斯立石和布罗德盖石圈的用途所在，它们既不用作指示时间的日晷，也不当成祭祀神灵的地方，倒是因为后来发生的事情而引发出一些推论：1982年闪电击中了其中一根石柱，谢天谢地没有出现爆炸，然而人们开始相信这些石头莫非就是避雷针，因为周围缺少树林及高大建筑物。在我看来，该理论是否成立值得商榷，既然人们对某特殊事物缺乏足够的认识，就需要投注力量去探索研究，因此任何凭空想象的解释都是无稽之谈。立石经长年风吹雨打，结构已有改变，裂缝、窟窿、积水为青草生长霉菌繁衍提供了可乘之机，岩石因此而染上许多不必要的色彩。事实上，积水使得立石下沉并深入地面，所以说该地区亟待帮助。

        再过几天，我们将亲临知名度极其可观的巨石阵，那里堪称古代英格兰的象征，届时我将有资格比较两个石圈历史遗迹。话又说回来，它们毕竟就是一堆石头……