Chapter 29 - African Kingdoms / 第二十九章 - 非洲王国

Gold, Salt, and Ghana / 黄金、盐和加纳

Africa was a strange and mysterious place to most Europeans. Beneath the North African coast was the Sahara Desert, a wide, barren, oven-hot stretch of earth where a traveler could be lost in a sandstorm or die of thirst in the trackless, dry wilderness.

对大多数欧洲人来说，非洲是一个奇怪而神秘的地方。在北非海岸下方是撒哈拉沙漠，这是一片广阔、贫瘠、酷热的土地，旅行者可能在沙尘暴中迷路，或在无迹可循的干燥荒野中因干渴而死亡。

Few people crossed the Sahara Desert to find out what lay south of it! So hardly anyone knew what lay south of the desert. Because they had never seen the rest of Africa, Europeans called Africa the Dark Continent.

很少有人穿越撒哈拉沙漠去探索它南边有什么！所以几乎没人知道沙漠以南有什么。由于从未见过非洲的其他部分，欧洲人称非洲为黑暗大陆。

But if you look at your map, you'll see that the northern coast of Africa and the Sahara Desert are only two small parts of Africa. The center of Africa lies between two mountain ranges, so high that their tops are always covered with snow and ice.

但如果你看地图，你会发现非洲北部海岸和撒哈拉沙漠只是非洲的两个小部分。非洲中部位于两条山脉之间，如此高，山顶总是被雪和冰覆盖。

Between these mountains, tropical rain forests grew—hot, damp, tangled green jungle, for hundreds of miles. And further south, Africa has not only jungle, but open grasslands, wide rivers, and rolling hills.

在这些山脉之间，热带雨林生长着——炎热、潮湿、纠缠的绿色丛林，绵延数百英里。在更南的地方，非洲不仅有丛林，还有开阔的草原、宽阔的河流和起伏的丘陵。

[原书插图：西非王国边界近似图，显示加纳、马里和桑海帝国的位置]

In the Middle Ages, much of this land was home to nomadic tribes who roamed through the jungles and the fields, hunting and fishing, moving from place to place. These tribes did not write down their history in books, or build huge cities.

在中世纪，这片土地的大部分是游牧部落的家园，他们在丛林和田野中游荡，打猎和捕鱼，从一个地方迁移到另一个地方。这些部落不在书中记录他们的历史，也不建造巨大的城市。

But in West Africa, many Africans lived in kingdoms with houses, roads, palaces, and schools. Archaeologists can see the remains of these buildings today. And these kingdoms welcomed European visitors, who wrote descriptions of what they saw.

但在西非，许多非洲人生活在有房屋、道路、宫殿和学校的王国中。考古学家今天仍能看到这些建筑的遗迹。这些王国欢迎欧洲访客，访客们记录下了他们所见的一切。

In the Middle Ages, the three largest West African kingdoms were Ghana, Mali, and Songhay. Ghana lay in the "bulge" on Africa's western coast. The people of Ghana lived in houses made of red clay, dried as hard as cement and covered with roofs made out of reeds or straw.

在中世纪，三个最大的西非王国是加纳、马里和桑海。加纳位于非洲西海岸的"凸起"部分。加纳的人民住在用红色黏土制成的房屋中，晒得像水泥一样硬，屋顶用芦苇或稻草覆盖。

Most were farmers who grew rice, cotton, okra, pumpkins, watermelons, and sesame seeds. They kept chickens and hunted buffalo, antelope, and wild birds for meat. Each man had to serve in the army for one month out of every year.

大多数人是农民，种植稻米、棉花、秋葵、南瓜、西瓜和芝麻。他们养鸡，猎取水牛、羚羊和野鸟作为肉食。每个男人每年都要在军队中服役一个月。

Craftsmen made pots, cloth, copper jewelry, and iron tools. Ghanian iron-workers were treated like magicians. They kept their iron-working skills secret, so that no one knew exactly how the iron tools were made.

工匠制作陶罐、布料、铜首饰和铁制工具。加纳的铁匠被当作魔法师一样对待。他们将炼铁技能保持秘密，所以没人确切知道铁制工具是如何制作的。

But Ghana didn't become rich and powerful because of its iron and its pumpkins. It became rich by taxing the gold and salt that traveled through it. Europeans called Ghana the Land of Gold, but Ghana itself didn't have very much gold.

但加纳并不是因为铁和南瓜而变得富有和强大。它是通过对经过其境内的黄金和盐征税而致富的。欧洲人称加纳为黄金之地，但加纳本身并没有很多黄金。

Gold was found in the earth south of Ghana. The tribes who lived there washed grains of gold out of the soil of riverbeds and banks. They dug it out of the ground by chipping thousands of short shafts, or mine tunnels, into the hard earth. Each shaft might yield enough gold to make one small coin.

黄金在加纳南部的土地中被发现。住在那里的部落从河床和河岸的土壤中淘洗出金粒。他们通过在坚硬的土地上凿出数千个短竖井或矿道来挖掘黄金。每个竖井可能产出足够制作一枚小硬币的黄金。

In exchange for the gold, the Arab traders offered salt. In a hot country like Africa, the people needed to eat salt in order to stay healthy. But south of Ghana, there was very little salt in the ground. Most of Africa's salt was found in the Sahara Desert, up in the north.

作为黄金的交换，阿拉伯商人提供盐。在像非洲这样炎热的国家，人们需要吃盐来保持健康。但在加纳以南，地下几乎没有盐。非洲的大部分盐都在北部的撒哈拉沙漠中发现。

Slaves dug it out of the ground, working in hot, dry salt mines. These salt mines were terrible places to be! Everything was salty—the water, the food, and the ground. In the city of Taghaza, where the largest mines were located, even the houses and mosques were built out of blocks of salt.

奴隶在炎热干燥的盐矿中工作，从地下挖掘盐。这些盐矿是可怕的地方！一切都是咸的——水、食物和土地。在塔格哈扎城，最大的矿场所在地，甚至房屋和清真寺都是用盐块建造的。

The Arab traders brought their salt south to trade for gold. And the West African gold miners brought their gold north to trade for salt. Both the salt and the gold had to go through Ghana. So the king of Ghana charged a toll for every pound of gold and salt that went through his kingdom. Soon Ghana became very rich indeed.

阿拉伯商人将盐运到南方与黄金进行贸易。西非的金矿工人将黄金运到北方换取盐。盐和黄金都必须经过加纳。所以加纳的国王对经过他王国的每磅黄金和盐都收取通行费。很快加纳就变得非常富有了。

Mansa Musa of Mali / 马里的曼萨·穆萨

When Ghana began to crumble, the kingdom of Mali took over the gold and salt trade. Like Ghana, Mali lay between the gold mines of the south and the salt mines of the north. Like Ghana, Mali made money on the gold and salt that moved along its roads. But unlike Ghana, Mali was an Islamic kingdom.

当加纳开始衰落时，马里王国接管了黄金和盐的贸易。像加纳一样，马里位于南方的金矿和北方的盐矿之间。像加纳一样，马里从沿其道路运输的黄金和盐中赚取金钱。但与加纳不同，马里是一个伊斯兰王国。

Islam spread to the kingdoms of West Africa from the Muslim traders who brought salt down from the north. The kings of Mali built schools so that their people could learn to read the Koran. They built universities so that students could discuss the important ideas of their religion—along with ideas in mathematics, history, philosophy, and science.

伊斯兰教通过从北方运盐的穆斯林商人传播到西非王国。马里的国王建造了学校，让他们的人民学习阅读《古兰经》。他们建造了大学，让学生讨论宗教的重要思想——以及数学、历史、哲学和科学方面的思想。

The people of Mali had great respect for their kings. An Islamic adventurer named Ibn Battuta traveled to Mali in the Middle Ages. Anyone who is summoned to see the king takes off his good clothes, puts on rags and a dirty old hat, rolls his trousers up to his knees to show his humility.

马里人民对他们的国王怀有极大的尊敬。一位名叫伊本·白图泰的伊斯兰冒险家在中世纪时期前往马里。任何被召见国王的人都要脱下好衣服，穿上破烂衣服和脏旧帽子，将裤子卷到膝盖以示谦卑。

All Mali kings were treated with this kind of reverence! But the most famous of all Mali kings was respected, not just by his own people, but by the rest of the world. His name was Mansa Musa.

所有马里国王都受到这种敬仰！但所有马里国王中最著名的一位不仅受到自己人民的尊敬，也受到整个世界的尊敬。他的名字是曼萨·穆萨。

When Mansa Musa came to the throne of Mali, he gathered the largest army in all of West Africa. He commanded over a hundred thousand archers, cavalrymen, and foot soldiers. He conquered neighboring kingdoms and expanded the kingdom of Mali until (as he boasted) a traveler would need a year to travel from one end of Mali to the other!

当曼萨·穆萨登上马里王位时，他聚集了全西非最大的军队。他指挥着十万多名弓箭手、骑兵和步兵。他征服了邻近的王国，扩张马里王国，直到（如他自豪地说）一个旅行者需要一年的时间才能从马里的一端走到另一端！

[原书插图：曼萨·穆萨，最著名的马里国王]

Mansa Musa was famous in West Africa. But he attracted the attention of the world when he decided to make a pilgrimage, or hajj, to Mecca, the holy city of the Muslim faith. Every good Muslim was supposed to visit Mecca at least once during his life. But the journey all the way from West Africa to Mecca and back again would take over a year.

曼萨·穆萨在西非很有名。但当他决定进行朝圣，即前往穆斯林信仰圣城麦加的朝觐时，他吸引了全世界的注意。每个虔诚的穆斯林一生中至少应该访问麦加一次。但从西非一路到麦加再返回的旅程需要一年多的时间。

He decided to take his wife with him—and not just his wife, but his children, sisters, brothers, cousins, nieces, and uncles. And also his cooks, servants, bodyguards, palace advisors, soldiers, and holy men. One medieval writer claims that sixty thousand people traveled to Mecca with Mansa Musa.

他决定带上他的妻子——不仅是他的妻子，还有他的孩子、姐妹、兄弟、表亲、侄女和叔叔。还有他的厨师、仆人、保镖、宫廷顾问、士兵和圣人。一位中世纪作家声称，有六万人与曼萨·穆萨一起前往麦加。

As the caravan wound its way towards Mecca, Mansa Musa himself rode in the center of the column. Five hundred slaves walked in front of him, wearing robes of silk and carrying walking sticks of pure, heavy gold. A hundred camels followed behind, hauling three thousand pounds of gold.

当商队蜿蜒前往麦加时，曼萨·穆萨本人骑在队伍中央。五百名奴隶走在他前面，穿着丝绸长袍，手持纯金制成的沉重手杖。一百头骆驼跟在后面，拖着三千磅黄金。

When he passed through Egypt, he gave away so much gold that the price of gold plummeted. There was so much gold in Egypt that it wasn't worth as much any more. Twelve years later, the price of gold in Egypt was still low because Mansa Musa had given so much gold away to the Egyptians as he traveled through.

当他经过埃及时，他送出了如此多的黄金，以至于黄金价格暴跌。埃及有太多黄金，价值不再那么高了。十二年后，埃及的黄金价格仍然很低，因为曼萨·穆萨在经过时给埃及人送出了太多黄金。

The Songhay Empire / 桑海帝国

The West African empire of Ghana grew rich and powerful, but then began to fade away. Then Mali became the richest and most powerful West African empire. But Mali too began to shrink after the death of the great Mansa Musa. And soon it too was replaced by a new empire: the Songhay.

西非的加纳帝国变得富有而强大，但随后开始衰落。然后马里成为最富有、最强大的西非帝国。但马里也在伟大的曼萨·穆萨死后开始萎缩。很快它也被一个新的帝国取代：桑海。

Ghana was known for salt and gold and Mali was known for its great Islamic kings, but Songhay became known for its size. It grew and grew until it covered much of the land that had belonged to both Ghana and Mali. Its cities were filled with great mosques, strong-walled palaces and mansions, famous universities, and busy marketplaces.

加纳以盐和黄金闻名，马里以其伟大的伊斯兰国王闻名，但桑海以其规模而闻名。它不断扩张，直到覆盖了原本属于加纳和马里的大部分土地。它的城市里满是宏伟的清真寺、坚固的宫殿和宅邸、著名的大学和繁忙的市场。

Songhay's best-known city, Timbuktu, had eighty thousand inhabitants—and almost two hundred schools. The medieval traveler Leo Africanus explored the land of the Songhay and wrote about his adventures. When he grew up, Leo decided to travel from North Africa, down through the Sahara Desert, into the kingdom of the Songhay.

桑海最著名的城市廷巴克图有八万居民——和近两百所学校。中世纪旅行家利奥·阿非利加努斯探索了桑海的土地并记录了他的冒险经历。长大后，利奥决定从北非出发，穿过撒哈拉沙漠，进入桑海王国。

The trip through the desert was a harsh one. Many who travel through this desert die because they cannot find water. Their carcasses lie around on the sand, scorched by the sun's heat. Others become so thirsty that they kill their camels and squeeze water out of the camel intestines and drink it!

穿越沙漠的旅程是艰苦的。许多穿越这片沙漠的人因为找不到水而死亡。他们的尸体躺在沙地上，被太阳的热量烤焦。其他人渴得厉害，杀死他们的骆驼，从骆驼肠子里挤出水来喝！

Leo Africanus made it through the Sahara Desert without having to drink water from a camel's insides! Once he arrived in the Songhay Empire, he traveled from city to city, finally arriving at Timbuktu. The houses are made out of clay, with thatched roof. But the temple and the king's palace at the center of the city are built of stone.

利奥·阿非利加努斯成功穿越了撒哈拉沙漠，没有喝骆驼内脏里的水！一旦到达桑海帝国，他从城市到城市旅行，最终到达廷巴克图。房屋由黏土建成，屋顶是茅草的。但城市中心的神庙和国王宫殿是用石头建造的。

The king also honors learning and books greatly. Timbuktu is full of doctors, priests, judges, and scholars! And the king pays salaries to learned men so that they can study and teach. Books are the most valuable possession of all; they sell for more money than any other kind of goods.

国王也非常尊重学习和书籍。廷巴克图满是医生、祭司、法官和学者！国王给有学问的人发薪水，让他们能够学习和教学。书籍是最宝贵的财产；它们比任何其他商品都卖得更多钱。

When Leo Africanus published his book in 1526, more Europeans found out about the kingdoms of West Africa. The continent was not quite so "dark" any more! Europeans were startled to find out that great cities and empires existed south of the Sahara.

当利奥·阿非利加努斯在1526年出版他的书时，更多欧洲人了解了西非的王国。这个大陆不再那么"黑暗"了！欧洲人惊讶地发现撒哈拉以南存在着伟大的城市和帝国。

Eventually, the Songhay Empire was destroyed by invaders who wanted to seize the salt and gold mines of the Songhay for their own. The sultan of Morocco, in northern Africa, sent an army of three thousand men across the desert. These Moroccan soldiers had cannons and guns—and the Songhay warriors had only spears and bows.

最终，桑海帝国被想要夺取桑海盐矿和金矿的入侵者摧毁。北非摩洛哥的苏丹派遣了三千人的军队穿越沙漠。这些摩洛哥士兵有大炮和枪支——而桑海战士只有长矛和弓箭。

Finally, after more than ten years of fighting, the sultan of Morocco gave up on trying to find the gold mines. But the war had already torn the Songhay kingdom apart. The largest West African empire of the Middle Ages had come to an end.

最终，经过十多年的战斗后，摩洛哥苏丹放弃了寻找金矿的尝试。但战争已经把桑海王国撕裂了。中世纪最大的西非帝国走向了终结。

📚 Chapter Vocabulary / 本章词汇表

基础生活词汇 / Basic Life Vocabulary

people

/ˈpiːpəl/

中文：人们
定义：Human beings in general or considered collectively
例句：The people of Ghana lived in houses made of red clay.

houses

/ˈhaʊzəz/

中文：房屋
定义：Buildings for human habitation
例句：They lived in houses made of red clay, dried as hard as cement.

water

/ˈwɔːtər/

中文：水
定义：A colorless, transparent liquid essential for life
例句：Many travelers die because they cannot find water in the desert.

food

/fuːd/

中文：食物
定义：Any nutritious substance that people eat or drink
例句：Everything was salty—the water, the food, and the ground.

money

/ˈmʌni/

中文：金钱
定义：A medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes
例句：Mali made money on the gold and salt that moved along its roads.

small

/smɔːl/

中文：小的
定义：Of a size that is less than normal or usual
例句：Each shaft might yield enough gold to make one small coin.

历史专业词汇 / Historical Terms

kingdoms

/ˈkɪŋdəmz/

中文：王国
定义：Countries ruled by a king or queen
例句：In West Africa, many Africans lived in kingdoms with houses, roads, and palaces.

empire

/ˈempaɪər/

中文：帝国
定义：An extensive group of states or countries under a single supreme authority
例句：Soon it too was replaced by a new empire: the Songhay.

pilgrimage

/ˈpɪlɡrəmɪdʒ/

中文：朝圣
定义：A journey to a sacred place for religious reasons
例句：He decided to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, the holy city of the Muslim faith.

slaves

/sleɪvz/

中文：奴隶
定义：People who are owned by another person and forced to work
例句：Slaves dug salt out of the ground, working in hot, dry salt mines.

trade

/treɪd/

中文：贸易
定义：The action of buying and selling goods and services
例句：The Arab traders brought their salt south to trade for gold.

war

/wɔːr/

中文：战争
定义：A state of armed conflict between different nations or states
例句：But the war had already torn the Songhay kingdom apart.

地理相关词汇 / Geography Vocabulary

Africa

/ˈæfrɪkə/

中文：非洲
定义：The second largest continent in the world
例句：Africa was a strange and mysterious place to most Europeans.

desert

/ˈdezərt/

中文：沙漠
定义：A barren area of landscape with little precipitation
例句：Few people crossed the Sahara Desert to find out what lay south of it.

mountains

/ˈmaʊntənz/

中文：山脉
定义：Large natural elevations of the earth's surface
例句：Between these mountains, tropical rain forests grew.

rivers

/ˈrɪvərz/

中文：河流
定义：Large natural streams of water flowing in channels
例句：Africa has not only jungle, but open grasslands, wide rivers, and rolling hills.

学习教育词汇 / Education Vocabulary

schools

/skuːlz/

中文：学校
定义：Institutions for educating children or adults
例句：The kings of Mali built schools so that their people could learn to read the Koran.

universities

/ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːrsətiz/

中文：大学
定义：High-level educational institutions offering courses of study
例句：They built universities so that students could discuss important ideas.

books

/bʊks/

中文：书籍
定义：Written or printed works consisting of pages bound together
例句：Books are the most valuable possession of all in Timbuktu.

scholars

/ˈskɑːlərz/

中文：学者
定义：Specialists in a particular branch of study
例句：Timbuktu is full of doctors, priests, judges, and scholars!

📊 Processing Statistics / 处理统计

总段落数 / Total Paragraphs: 25
标注词汇数 / Annotated Vocabulary: 68个关键词
词汇表收录 / Vocabulary Cards: 20个核心词汇
专有名词 / Proper Nouns: Ghana, Mali, Songhay, Mansa Musa, Timbuktu
时间标记 / Time Markers: Middle Ages, 1526
特殊元素 / Special Elements: 2个插图标记