The magical Kingdom of Nepal has occupied a prosperous and often dangerous location between the mighty powers of India and China. The 1)backbone of the country is the Himalayas, and the highest point in the world, Mount Everest.
坐落于印度和中国两个大国之间，魔幻国度尼泊尔占据着一个繁华而又危险的位置。这个国家的脊梁是喜马拉雅山脉，以及世界最高点的珠穆朗玛峰。
Kathmandu and Timbuktu, both cities most people have heard of but know nothing about. You can read all the guide books, you can ask travellers who’ve been to Kathmandu, but you still won’t get a good idea of what the city’s like. They’ll tell you it’s noisy and polluted—both true—or they’ll tell you it’s a charming step back in time. I think I’ll agree with the latter.
很多人都听说过加德满都和廷巴克图，但却对这两个城市一无所知。即使你读遍所有的旅游指南，或请教去过加德满都旅游的人，你仍然无法很好地了解到这个城市的真实样貌。他们会告诉你，那儿又吵又脏——这都是真的，或者他们会告诉你去到那里就像享受了一次美妙的时光倒流之旅。我倒是比较赞同后者的说法。
Nepal’s intriguing combination of unexplored territory and 2)exotic culture 3)spawned the birth of the adventure-travel industry back in the 1950s. The capital city, Kathmandu, has been a 4)mecca for backpackers, mountaineers and truth seekers from around the globe ever since.
尼泊尔那些未经探索的地区和异地文化散发着独特的魅力，因此在1950年代催生了冒险旅游业。首都加德满都一直是世界各地背包客、登山族和探索者的圣地。
The historic centre of town is the Durbar Square, where the compulsory cluster of temples oversees the bustle of modern-day Kathmandu. This is a good place to rent a 5)rickshaw and tour the old section of the city. We wound our way through the maze of alleys that are the heart of Kathmandu, passing 6)ornate buildings, small neighbourhood 7)shrines, fruit stands and spice markets. Our trip ended in the crowded streets of Thamel, a 8)sprawling area crammed with budget hotels, shops, restaurants and travel agencies catering to the thousands of adventurers that pass through Kathmandu each year.
城里的历史中心是杜巴广场。那些被强制集中起来的寺庙，俯瞰着现代喧嚣的加德满都。这里是租辆黄包车，然后游览城中那些古老地段的绝佳地点。我们在加德满都中心如迷宫般的街巷中穿梭，经过华美的建筑，小型的社区神坛，水果摊和香料市场。我们的旅程最后在拥挤的泰美尔街道结束，廉价的旅馆，商店，餐厅和旅行社在这杂乱的地区到处可见，他们都是为每年数以千计经过加德满都的冒险者而设的。
Everyone enjoys bringing home interesting mementos from their travels, and Thamel is certainly the place to find bargains on all kinds of great stuff.
人人都喜欢从旅行中带回有趣的纪念品，而在泰美尔就能买到各种各样便宜的好东西。
The dining selection here is varied and includes hamburgers and spaghetti. Our guide, Tommy, suggested the Thamel House for traditional Nepali atmosphere and food, and an introduction to the local 9)schnapps made from rice and very strong.
这里的饮食很多元化，包括汉堡包和意大利粉。导游汤米建议我们去泰美尔屋，在那儿能享受传统的尼泊尔气氛和食物并喝喝本地的烈酒，这种酒是用米酿制的，非常浓烈。
Of the many elements drawing travellers to Nepal, perhaps the most intriguing are the colourful religious practices. Amazing temples are found throughout the cities and the devotion of the people can be witnessed around every corner.
吸引游客到尼泊尔的众多原因里，最有意思的大概是多姿多彩的宗教习俗。整个城市到处都是神奇的庙宇，每个角落都能看到虔诚的信徒。
Nepal is officially a Hindu country, but through the centuries Buddhism and Hinduism have become 10)entwined to form a rather confusing mix of gods and rituals. You can easily occupy yourself for more than a week checking out the temples in the Kathmandu area.
尼泊尔的国教是印度教，但历经多个世纪，佛教和印度教已经渐渐融合，形成了更复杂的神祗和仪式。光是参观加德满都的庙宇就可以花上你一整个星期的时间。
At Pashu Patinath devout Hindus bathe in the sacred waters and deliver offerings to the shrines. 11)Sadhus, or Holy men, position themselves in front of the temples to meditate and collect 12)alms.
在帕斯帕提纳寺，虔诚的印度教徒们在圣水中沐浴，并向神坛献祭。苦行僧，或被称为圣人，会在庙宇前打坐冥想或接受布施。
On the 13)outskirts of Kathmandu is one of the world’s largest Buddhist stupas, Boudhanath. The structure marks the location of one of the ancient trading routes between Lhasa and Kathmandu. Boudhanath is surrounded by giant prayer wheels used to 14)disperse believers’ 15)invocations to the heavens. In the evening Kathmandu’s sizable Tibetan population comes out to stroll around the temple and send off their prayers. I could easily have spent the entire afternoon here watching people and photographing the interesting faces.
宝达佛塔位于加德满都郊外，是世界上最大的佛塔之一。佛塔标志了拉萨和加德满都最古老的贸易路线之一的所在。宝达佛塔四周围绕着巨型的祈祷轮，信徒们会通过它们把自己的祈愿送到天上。傍晚时分，大量在加德满都的藏民都会来绕着寺庙边走边祈祷。我随随便便可以在这儿观察人们，并拍摄那些有趣的面孔，度过一下午。
Night life in Kathmandu is pretty limited. One of the best ways to spend an evening is to take in one of the many cultural shows offered by local hotels and restaurants. At Bhojan Griha, an old home has been 16)meticulously restored to create an 17)authentic venue for Nepali folk music, dance and traditional cuisine.
加德满都没什么夜生活，晚上最好的节目就是观赏当地酒店和餐厅提供的文化表演。波真格里夏是一座经过精心修复的老房子，现在已经成为表演尼泊尔歌舞的场所，在这里还可以吃到一些传统的地道菜。
Kathmandu is the kind of place I could hang out for a while. The entire area is a living museum. The ancient buildings stand 18)intact right alongside a lifestyle that remains unchanged and, hopefully, will survive another few centuries.
加德满都是那种值得我逗留一阵子的地方，整个地区就如同一个活博物馆。古老的建筑仍完好无缺，人们的生活方式也没改变，真希望这些还能再保留几个世纪。