and Mumtaz Mahal, beloved wife of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, is giving birth to their 14th child.

蒙兀兒帝國皇帝沙‧賈漢的愛妻── 慕塔芝‧瑪哈正在分娩他們的第十四個孩子。

A healthy girl is born, but not without difficulty.

她生下一個健康的女嬰，過程卻並不順利。

Shah Jahan rushes to Mumtaz's side, but he cannot save her.

沙‧賈漢奔向瑪哈身側，卻救不了她。

Sobbing uncontrollably, the emperor decides to build a tomb worthy of his queen:

在無法控制的啜泣中，皇帝決定要建造一座配得上他皇后的陵寢。

an earthly replica of Paradise to embody their perfect love and project the power of the Mughal Empire for all time.

一個人間天堂，以象徵他們完美的愛和蒙兀兒帝國的權勢。

Construction of the Taj Mahal began roughly seven months later.

泰姬瑪哈的工程在大約七個月後展開。

Royal architects worked to bring Shah Jahan's vision to life at a site chosen by the emperor in the bustling imperial city of Agra.

皇家建築師負責將沙‧賈漢的願景化為現實，而皇帝選擇的地點位於熙攘的帝國都市阿格拉。

The Yamuna riverfront was already dotted with exquisite residences, gardens, and mausoleums.

亞穆納河的水岸原先就有精緻大宅、花園及陵墓。

But when complete, the Taj Mahal would be the most magnificent structure of all.

但泰姬瑪哈一旦完工，必定是其中最宏偉的建築。

In addition to housing Mumtaz's mausoleum, the plans included a garden, mosque, bazaar, and several caravanserais to house visiting merchants and diplomats.

除了慕塔芝的陵墓， 工程還包含了花園、清真寺、市集及數間供外地商人及外交官使用的客棧。

Together, this complex would seamlessly blend Persian, Islamic, Indian, and European styles,

最終，這整個建築計畫會將波斯、伊斯蘭、印度及歐洲等不同風格完美地融合，

establishing the Taj Mahal as the culmination of Mughal architectural achievement.

將泰姬瑪哈推上蒙兀兒建築的巔峰。

The entire compound was laid out on a geometric grid, incorporating meticulously planned bilateral symmetry.

整個建築計畫以幾何格線鋪排，周密地規劃出完美的左右對稱。

To further establish an atmosphere of balance and harmony, the architects divided the complex into two spheres,

為了進一步打造出平衡及和諧的氛圍，建築師們把整個計畫分成兩區，

representing the spiritual and earthly domains.

分別代表靈界和塵世。

Most of the structures were made of brick and red sandstone, with white marble accents.

建築主要以磗塊及紅色的沙岩構成， 再以白色大理石裝飾。

This was a common motif in Mughal architecture, inspired by ancient Indian traditions associating white with spiritual purity and red with warriors and royalty.

這是當時常見的蒙兀兒建築風格，源於印度的傳統── 白色象徵著靈性的純潔， 紅色代表戰士及忠誠。

But the central mausoleum took more inspiration from the Islamic tradition.

但中央的陵墓卻更多是受伊斯蘭傳統啟發。

Framed by four minarets, the structure was covered entirely in white marble from quarries over 400 kilometers away.

周圍有著四座尖塔，覆蓋整座建築外表的白色大理石來自於四百公里外的採石場。

Its main dome towered above the skyline, and those within the cavernous chamber experienced an otherworldly echo, lasting almost 30 seconds.

主穹頂高聳於天際線上，站在其洞穴般的寬廣空間中的人能聽到長達三十秒之久、 超脫塵世的的回音。

Perfecting the Italian stone-working technique, pietra dura,

將義大利「彩色硬石鑲嵌」工藝在此發揮地淋漓盡致，

craftsmen used all manner of semi-precious stones to create intricate floral designs, representing the eternal gardens of Paradise.

工匠使用各式各樣的半寶石，做出繁複細緻的花卉設計，象徵天堂的永恆花園。

Calligraphers covered the walls with Quranic inscriptions.

書法家在牆上刻滿可蘭經文。

And because the Islamic depiction of Paradise has eight gates, the mausoleum's rooms were designed to be octagonal.

也由於伊斯蘭教的描述中，天堂有八道門，陵墓的房間設計成八角形。

The garden in front of the mausoleum was split into four parts in the Persian style,

陵墓前的花園以波斯風格分成了四個部分，

but its flora reflected the Mughals' nomadic Central Asian heritage.

其中的花卉反映出蒙兀兒的中亞遊牧傳統。

Flowers and trees were carefully selected to add color, sweet scents, and fresh fruit to be sold in the bazaar.

精挑細選的花草樹木除了增添色彩、香氣， 還為市集提供新鮮水果。

Masons built intersecting walkways, pools, and channels of water to weave through the lush greenery.

石匠鋪設縱橫交錯的步道、建造水池及渠道，迂迴穿梭於蒼翠蔥鬱的植物間。

Even before its completion,

早在完工前，

Shah Jahan used the Taj to host the annual commemoration of Mumtaz's death, celebrating her reunification with the Divine.

沙‧賈漢就已在泰姬瑪哈舉行慕塔芝的忌日悼念儀式，慶祝她重回天神懷抱。

Directly across the river, Shah Jahan built another sprawling garden with a central pool that perfectly reflected the mausoleum.

在河的正對面，沙‧賈漢建了另一個廣闊的花園，正中央有個完美倒映出陵墓的水池。

Building this intricate complex took 12 years and employed thousands of skilled craftsmen and artisans,

打造這個精細繁雜的建築花了十二年的時間，僱用了數千名技術精良的工匠和技工，

from masons and bricklayers to masters of pietra dura and calligraphy.

從石匠、泥水匠、硬石鑲嵌到書法大師都有。

After the Taj was completed in 1643,

1643 年，泰姬陵完工，

Shah Jahan retained some of these craftsmen for routine repairs,

沙‧賈漢留下一些工匠做例行性的維修，

and hired Quran reciters, caretakers, and other staff to maintain the complex.

也僱用了可蘭經吟誦者、看守人等負責建築維護。

He paid these workers by establishing a vast endowment for the Taj—

他設了一個龐大的基金，用以支付工人薪水，

a system which remained in place until the early 19th century.

那套系統一直沿用到十九世紀初。

Since its completion, Shah Jahan's grand memorial has drawn travelers from around the world.

完工以來，沙‧賈漢的宏偉建築吸引了來自世界各地的旅客。

And every time a visitor is awed by the mausoleum, the emperor's goal is achieved anew.

每次，每名訪客見到陵墓後的震撼，都再次肯定皇帝當年的目標。

Unfortunately, after 15 years of presiding over Mumtaz's memorial,

不幸的是，在花了十五年主持慕塔芝的紀念碑工程後，沙‧賈漢病倒了，

Shah Jahan fell ill and a war of succession broke out between his sons.

他的兒子們間爆發了一場繼承之戰。

While Shah Jahan eventually recovered, his son, Aurangzeb, had already emerged as the new emperor.

雖然沙‧賈漢最終康復了，但他的兒子奧朗則布早已繼位成王。

For the last eight years of his life, Shah Jahan lived under house arrest in Agra's Fort,

在他在世的最後八年，沙‧賈漢被軟禁在阿格拉堡，

where he could see the Taj glimmering in the distance.

從那裡他只能遠眺泰姬陵閃爍的微光。

When he died in 1666, he was buried next to Mumtaz,

而 1666 年，沙‧賈漢過世，他被埋葬在慕塔芝旁邊，

his grave breaking the complex's symmetry so that his wife could remain at the Taj's center for all eternity.

他的墳墓雖不符合建築原有的對稱性，卻能讓其妻子永遠長眠在泰姬陵的正中心。