2014-10-04

【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 swamp land. The limestone underground has purified the rivers that flow. If that wasn't hard enough, the houses were mad 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 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 magnet. It sucks every person in the area towards it. Today was no different. People flocked 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 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？对居住在图卢姆的玛雅人来说，这个问题至关重要。为什么呢？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，图卢姆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，图卢姆地势平坦，没有充足的自然资源用来修建社区，这就是为什么图卢姆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。图卢姆尚无城市规模，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，以此来防御外来者入侵，真正起到保护自我的作用，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，今天同样如此。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，因此陪同妈妈一起漫步沙滩，拍些照片回去留作纪念。这里的景色秀美天成，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。不知图卢姆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，用她那瞎积极乱起哄的摄像镜头疯狂地把我定格在世外桃源之中。对我而言，刻骨铭心的记忆不是应时拍摄的相片，而是启迪精神的东西，会令我终生难忘。