吴哥是神秘的，连王家卫也把《花样年华》的最后一幕安排在那里——梁朝伟饰演的周慕云在吴哥废墟中对着一个荒芜的小洞诉说内心的隐秘，眼神忧郁而黯淡。
别忘了吴哥也曾吸引过《古墓丽影》的劳拉。
每年，络绎不绝的游客前往这片圣地一探究竟。本文作者就单人匹马去到吴哥，更与其他游客上演了一场与时间的竞赛！
At 4 AM on a November morning, my alarm goes off. I wake with excitement 1)brewing inside me. Today, I will visit the magnificent temples of Angkor.
十一月的一个早晨，我的闹钟四点就响了。我睁开眼睛，兴奋之情顿时涌上心头。今天，我将要探访吴哥那些宏伟的寺庙。
At this hour, I would expect to wake to 2)tranquility, maybe even hear insects 3)buzzing in the distance. This, however, is not the case in Siem Reap.
此时此刻，我以为会在一片宁谧中醒来，或许甚至能够听到远处的昆虫在嗡嗡作响。然而在暹粒市则是另一番景象。
The weather is dry and the temperature cool, which means Siem Reap's tourism population is at its high. Like me, it seems every other tourist has also risen early in hopes of discovering Angkor Wat before the 4)onrush of other travelers.
这时此地气候干燥，温度凉爽，这就意味着暹粒市正处于旅游高峰期。和我一样，似乎每一位游客都早早动身，希望能赶在游客大军到来之前一探吴哥窟。
Located in northern Cambodia, approximately a 45-minute drive north of Siem Reap, Angkor is home to the remains of the famous temples that served several Khmer Empires注 from the 9th to 15th centuries.
吴哥位于柬埔寨北部，从暹粒市开车北行约45分钟便可到达。它是众多著名寺庙遗址的所在地。这些寺庙曾在公元9世纪至15世纪供许多代高棉帝国使用。
Known for their 5)architectural style, the temples' mysterious stone walls are decorated with 6)intricate carvings and sculptures of mythical figures and stories that scholars and researchers still work to 7)unravel.
这些寺庙以其独特的建筑风格闻名于世，其神秘的石墙上装饰着纷繁复杂的雕刻以及神话人物和故事的雕塑，而学者和研究人员仍在努力解开当中的谜团。
I want to see the famous temples for myself, so traveling to Angkor is a must.
我想亲眼见识这些著名的寺庙，因此吴哥之旅势在必行。
Angkor Wat, the pride of many Khmers, is the only building to be displayed on any national flag. Built in the early 12th century, the wat (the Khmer word for temple) shares over 414 square kilometer of land with many other glorious ancient temples, such as the Bayon and Baphuon temples, as well as the famous Ta Prohm.
作为许多代高棉王朝的骄傲之作，吴哥窟是唯一出现在国旗上的建筑。吴哥窟（高棉语中的“寺庙”）修建于12世纪早期，周围还林立着许多辉煌的古代寺庙，譬如巴戎寺和巴芳寺，以及著名的塔普伦寺，占地超过414平方公里。
I will soon realize that no professional photograph, no exchange in conversation and no detailed piece of writing could ever do these temples justice.
我很快发现，没有任何专业摄影、交谈对话或是细节描写能够真正诠释出这些寺庙的美。
The sky of the early morning is 8)pitch-black. The lack of streetlights would have made it difficult to see the road if it weren't for the headlights from motorbikes, 9)tuk-tuks, cars and tour buses.
清晨的天空依然漆黑一片。因为没有路灯，假如没有摩托车、摩托三轮车、小汽车和旅行大巴的头灯照射，要看清路况很不容易。
My tuk-tuk driver, whom I booked the day before, waves me over as he stands to the side waiting.
我前一天订好的三轮摩托车的司机在向我招手。他正站在一旁等我。
I can hear sounds of engines 10)roaring and people chatting. My 11)adrenaline is going and the race toward Angkor is on! Other 12)vehicles are already passing as I 13)hop in the back of the tuk-tuk. My driver kick-starts his bike, 14)throws it into gear, and we are off.
我能够听到引擎的咆哮声和人们的闲聊声。我的肾上腺素在升高，奔向吴哥的竞赛开始了！当我爬上三轮摩托车的后座时，其他车辆已经绝尘而去。我的司机狠蹬一脚，发动车辆，我们也出发了。
Dust flies into my face as we 15)whiz past competing vehicles. The dirt road tries its best to 16)withstand the 17)onslaught of tourists who are fighting to get to Angkor before sunrise. The sounds of motors running and horns 18)honking add to the already 19)chaotic morning.
当我们飕飕地掠过你争我抢的车辆时，灰尘扑面而来。尘土飞扬的公路向游客们的全面进攻发起了奋勇的抗争，而游客们都决心要在天亮之前赶到吴哥。摩托车的飞驰声和喇叭的轰鸣声使得已经混乱不堪的清晨更显杂乱。
I hold my breath to avoid 20)inhaling the thick dust. I can feel tiny dirt 21)particles building up in my hair. Nevertheless, I am excited and more awake now.
为了不吸入厚厚的尘土，我屏住呼吸。我能够感觉到细小的尘埃在我的头发上聚集成堆。尽管如此，我依然兴奋不已，现在更加清醒了。
Suddenly, my tuk-tuk driver stops in the middle of what seems to be a large dirt field. He points to my right where I can 22)make out a large, dark shadow in the distance. It is still dark outside, but I can see other tourists hurrying in that direction. I thank my driver and head off.
突然，我的三轮摩托车司机在一大片类似泥地的中间停了车。他指向我的右方，在那边我能辨认出远方的一大片黑暗的阴影。外面依然漆黑一片，但我看见其他游客正朝那个方向赶去。我谢过司机，然后继续前进。
Along with hundreds of other tourists, I rush up the stone walkway toward the magnificent shadow ahead of me. I am on the grounds of Angkor Wat where local monks from hundreds of years ago once prayed.
和成百上千的游客一起，我匆匆冲上通往前面那片壮丽阴影的石头通道。我现在站在了吴哥窟的土地上。在千百年前，当地的僧侣们曾在这里祈祷。
I feel a sense of 23)intimidation washing over me as I walk past large shadows of unknown shapes. I can vaguely make out the temple's 24)silhouette, as the sky above slowly turns blue.
当我走过形状不明的巨大阴影时，我感到一股敬畏之情席卷全身。天空渐渐变蓝，我能模糊地分辨出寺庙的轮廓。
People from all over the world 25)scurry about the temple grounds, calling to fellow travelers to join them once the perfect viewpoint is claimed. I find my spot on a cool stone 26)banister, and wait for what is to come.
从世界各地前来的人们在寺庙的场地上匆匆奔跑，一发现最佳视角就呼唤同行的游客一起欣赏。我在一个凉爽的石栏杆上占好位置，等待即将发生的一幕。
As the sun begins to rise, the intimidating shadows around us slowly disappear. The sun's rays introduce us to one of the most beautiful masterpieces in Southeast Asia—Angkor Wat. The temple is 27)overwhelming in size, and even from a distance I can make out the 28)unfathomable detail on the five towers rising above the entryways.
太阳开始升起，我们周围那些令人畏惧的阴影渐渐消散。阳光将东南亚最美的一处杰作——吴哥窟——带到我们面前。这座寺庙的宏大无可比拟，即使在很远的距离之外，我也能分辨出在入口处高耸的五座塔楼上那些高深莫测的细节。
The shadows around me have now become the shapes of mythical creatures. Below the stone walkway to my left is a large pond of water that reflects the image of Angkor Wat under the glowing sun.
现在，我四周的影子变成了神话生物的形象，在我左边的石头通道下方是一个巨大的水池，映照出灼灼阳光下吴哥窟的绚丽倒影。
The chaotic buzz begins to disappear and I am suddenly surrounded by silence. We have all finished the race, and our prize is right in front of us.
杂乱的嗡嗡声开始远去，我突然被寂静包围。所有人都已经结束了竞赛，我们的奖励就在眼前。
I sit, admiring the magnificent buildings in tranquility and calmness. In the distance, I can finally hear those insects buzzing.
我坐下来，在静谧和安宁中欣赏着这些宏伟的建筑。我终于能够听见昆虫在远处嗡嗡而鸣。
The leaves 29)rustle in the 30)breeze. As I gaze at the scenery around me, I think, “This is exactly what I wanted to wake up to.”
树荫在一丝微风下沙沙作响。我凝视着周围的风景，心想：“这正是我想要在醒来时见到的景致。”
