Angkor Wat.

小吳哥城

This huge temple site was once completely surrounded by water filled ditches

這巨大的寺廟群，曾完全被充滿水的護城河環繞

that protected the sanctuary from the noise of the once busy city of Angkor.

保護聖城，不受曾經繁華的吳哥城喧擾

Today, only the stone temple's one of the largest sites remains.

今日，這裡只剩下巨大的石製寺廟群

The wooden houses of the Khmer had been lost forever.

高棉帝國的木製建築已永遠消失

However, for sandstone of buildings has survived

但砂石建築猶在

and the noble symbol of metropolis that even heyday covered an area as large as Manhattan.

在全盛時期，這城市的神聖象徵，面積與曼哈頓一樣大

To date 1700 artistic relics has been counted in Angkor Wat.

至今，在小吳哥城中，發現1700件藝術遺產

Most of them contain religious illustration derived from Indian mythology

大都是由印度神話衍伸而來的宗教繪畫

Interestingly, the historic figure of god like king - Suryavarman the second

有趣的是，國王蘇利耶跋摩二世的雕塑形象

appears to combine with Hindu God Vishnu

似乎有參考印度教的神明－毗濕奴

Between the 9th and 15th centuries,

9到15世紀之間

various generations of Khmer king regards as in connection of Vishnu.

各代的高棉國王都被視為毗濕奴化身

Khmer culture was strongly influenced by numerous Indian tribes

高棉文化受到眾多印度部落及移民的影響

and peoples who were immigrated to Cambodia in the 1st millennium.

西元一千世紀時，許多人口移入柬埔寨

Liberation from the long domination of the Chinese influence Funan Empire

受中國影響的扶南國，長久統治此地區

made the Khmer stronger and created their first period of prosperity.

脫離扶南國之後，高棉更加強大，開始第一個盛世

Various artistic relives still managed to reflect the former splendor of the dancing Apsaras.

許多藝術品仍試著重現當年阿帕撒拉舞者的風采

The strict geometrical layout of Angkor Wat is a vast proportion.

小吳哥城幅員十分廣闊

Its external walls surround a totally area of nearly 2 square kilometers.

外牆圍起的區域將近有2平方公里

The smoke mark on some of the buildings indicate that the Khmer kings and their temples met a violent damed.

寺廟牆上的煙硝痕跡，見證了各代高棉國王經歷過的猛烈戰火

Only a few but nevertheless impressive remains of Angkor of picturesque be reflected in the water of the surrounding ditches

吳哥建築雖所剩無幾，但仍在護城河水面上留下如畫倒影

Between 1113 and 1150, the Empire of Khmer king Suryavarman ii reached its cultural climax.

西元1113~1150年，是高棉國王蘇利耶跋摩二世的文化高峰期

Construction of the Angkor Wat temple, dates back to his reign.

在他統治時期，建造了小吳哥城

Indeed, the century became the final resting place of the story of Suryavarman the second.

不意外，這裡成為這位國王的最終安息處

Several similar sites of dead Khmer king surround the legendary old capitle.

其他高棉國王的陵墓圍繞著這傳說中的首都

but none of them measure up to the dimensions of this magnificent temple

但沒有一個規模比得上這座壯觀寺廟

The sculptures architecture and wonderful relives of the century

精彩的建築石雕重現當年輝煌

have made it one of the most significant cultural monuments in southeast asia.

讓小吳哥城成為東南亞最重要的文化遺產之一

But in the course of time, the temple was destroyed.

但，隨著時間過去，寺廟遭受破壞

Since its founding, the city of Angkor was destroyed a total of 3 times.

建城以來，吳哥共被摧毀了三次

In the maze of corridors, 50 meter long relives depict both religious and non-religious things and historical events

50公尺長的廊道，展示了宗教、生活等各種事物及歷史事件

The illustrations of the military conflicts of the Khmer were over glorified

描繪軍事衝突的畫作，有些誇大其實

and therefore not a true depiction of actual event

由此可見，描繪的不是真實事件

To defect of the Khmer by the Siamese army in the 15th century

15世紀，暹羅入侵高棉，首都遷離吳哥

lead to the inevitable decline of their once powerful empire

曾盛極一時的王朝，無可避免地走向衰敗

With the congress of the city of Angkor by the Siamese,

暹羅進駐吳哥，建立議會

Buddhism was also introduced into this Hindu center.

佛教傳入原為印度教中心的吳哥

But the buildings and temples of the former capital lay in ruins from 1431 and were almost completely forgotten

1431年後，這個前任首都完全被遺忘，建築寺廟成為廢墟

Today the mausoleum in temples are the most powerful Khmer king, Suryavarman the second, around the Buddhist controlled

高棉史上最強國王是蘇利耶跋摩二世，今日，他的陵墓四周都是佛教徒

These remarkable monuments along with the amazing cultural heritage of Cambodia

這些偉大的建築，以及豐富的緬甸文化遺產

were discovered in 1850 by a French man - Henri Mouhot

在1850年，被法國人Henri Mouhot發現

Based on his sensational discovery, archaeologists have been able to shed further light on this remarkable location

這個發現轟動了世界，考古學家得以更進一步了解吳哥

This is led to even greater knowledge in both the legendary mythological images and inhabitants of the Khmer epok.

更深入研究傳說神話圖像及緬甸居民

Each evening, a dramatic spectacle takes place in Angkor Wat.

每晚，小吳哥都上演著驚人奇觀

When the bygone splendor of this architectural treasures that once seems to be lost forever in the Cambodian jungle

這古老的建築至寶，曾可能永遠埋沒在柬埔寨叢林中

is once again brought back to life

現在，浴火重生