(单词翻译:单击)
You survived the Mayan apocalypse, or at least transitioned to the next baktun, number 14 according to the Mayan calendar. But what real lessons does this ancient culture hold?
玛雅人的末日预言没有实现，你活了下来。根据玛雅历法，我们现在正处于第14个白克顿周期。然而这个古老文化留给我们什么教训呢？
First and foremost, the Maya are a case study in adaptation. Their complex civilization of powerful city-states collapsed, and the jungle retook those urban centers. But the Mayan people endured, today being the principle ethnic population of parts of Mexico, Guatemala and Belize.
首先，玛雅是关于适应性的个案研究。他们鼎盛一时、错综复杂的城邦文明瓦解了，丛林再次占领了城市中心。但是玛雅人所承受的一切都由部分位于墨西哥、危地马拉和伯利兹的少数民族人群在承担。
European invaders did not end the era of the Mayan city-state. Although it was descendants of those Europeans who came up with this apocalypse mumbo-jumbo.
欧洲入侵者并没有结束玛雅的城邦时代。尽管是这些欧洲人的后代想出了这种胡编乱造的末日预言。
Research shows that what laid low Mayan society was something more insidious: climate change. A subtle shift in weather patterns brought less rain and the Mayan civilization was simply unable to cope with a prolonged dry period punctuated by several severe droughts.
研究显示令玛雅社会毁灭的原因是气候变化，这更令人感到不安。气候模式的微小变化会导致降雨量减少，玛雅文明的毁灭就是因为无法应对几次严重的干旱以及随之而来的持久的干燥天气。
Given that our highly complex civilization is also facing climate change, it might make sense to look back to the Maya for a glimpse of our future. Today much of the former Mayan city-states are nature preserves, dotted by ruins. Will we do better when faced with crippling and long-lasting drought in this, the 14th baktun?
鉴于我们高度发达的文明也正经受着气候变化的考验，也许回顾一下玛雅的历史，看一眼我们的将来人类就会明白。如今，玛雅的大多数城邦都已变成自然保护区，周围散布着零星的废墟。面对严重、持久的干旱，处在第14白克顿周期的我们会做得更好吗？
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