纪录片《大英博物馆世界简史》 045阿拉伯青铜手(5)（在线收听）

Many monumental buildings survive, and along with them numerous inscriptions, which are evidence of a rich, sophisticated and in some measure literate society. Yemen at this point is no backwater; it dominates the entrance to the Red Sea, and with it the great trade route that linked Egypt and the rest of the Roman Empire to India. Writing in 79 AD, the Roman author Pliny the Elder explained why the Yemenis were so rich:

他们留下了无数的建筑以及铭文。而且有丰富的证据表明，在一定程度上这是复杂的社会文化。当时的也门绝非荒僻之地，它把守着红海人口，控制了从埃及与罗马帝国的其他地区通往印度的贸易路线。罗马作家老普林尼在公元79年曾提及也门为何如此富裕：

"The chief productions of Arabia are frankincense and myrrh... they are the richest nations in the world, seeing that such vast wealth flows in upon them from both the Roman and the Parthian empires; for they sell the produce of the sea or of their forests, while they purchase nothing whatever in return."

阿拉伯的主要特产是乳香和没药…他们是世界上最富有的国度，从罗马帝国与帕提亚帝国来的财富源源不断地流入。他们出售来自海洋与境内森林的物产，却从不购买任何别国的物品。

The "Incense Road" was in its way as important for the exchange of goods and ideas as the Silk Road. Frankincense was used by the Romans in absolutely vast quantities, and was the principal form of incense in the ancient world. The altar of every god in the Roman Empire, from Syria to Cirencester, burned with Yemeni incense.

“熏香之路”是一条曾与丝绸之路同样重要的物品与思想交流通道。罗马人大量使用乳香，它是古代世界最主要的香料。从叙利亚到赛伦塞斯特，罗马帝国的每一个神坛上都燃着来自也门的熏香。

Myrrh had various uses: as an antiseptic for dressing wounds, for embalming-it was essential for Egyptian mummification - and in perfume. Although it's not a strong fragrance, it has the longest life of any scent known. Indeed it was myrrh that lay behind "all the perfumes of Arabia" which could not sweeten Lady Macbeth's bloodstained hand, although they would certainly have washed and sweetened Wahab Ta'lab's.

没药用途广泛:包扎 伤口时可以杀菌，制作埃及木乃伊时用于涂抹尸体，还可以用于制作香水。虽然没药的香味并不浓烈，但它却是已知的香料中后味最持久的。莎士比亚曾形容麦克白夫人“用尽所有的阿拉伯香水”都不能使她沾过血的手变香。这些阿拉伯香水中的主要成分便是没药。它一定清洁过瓦哈·塔拉布的手，并为他增添香气。