第十站 不丹－塵世間最后的香格里拉

小編在搜羅2008年全球最具吸引力的國家時，有了“驚人的發現”！坐落在喜馬拉雅山上的不丹實在讓人“沉醉不知歸路”。這個亞洲小國迷你得連我們亞洲人也幾乎會將它忽略掉，但它的神秘和美麗卻早已享譽世界！

不丹與中國近在咫尺，卻是至今唯一未與中國建交的亞洲國家；它國弱民窮，卻是亞洲“最快樂的國家”；在今天許多窮國為發展經濟不惜破壞生態之時，它卻嚴禁國民砍伐和狩獵，并且限制每年入境游客的數量；它原是君主制國家，王室深受擁戴，國王卻決意還政于民，堅決推行民主制……最讓人費解的是，亞洲影帝梁朝偉的世紀婚禮竟然也選址于此舉行！種種不解，讓小編無法釋懷，于是一步步走向這個有著“世外桃源”、“人間仙境”、“香格里拉”等等美譽的國度……

1)Ensconced between Tibet and India lies a tiny，

2)Buddhist kingdom—a jewel in the crown of the

3)Himalayas known as “Bhutan”. Its people call it “Druk-Yul”， the Land of the Thunder Dragon. It is believed that protective gods and 4)vengeful demons make their homes in towering， virgin peaks which reach 7，500m into the sky.

Steep walls of glacial ice give way to alpine forests. Mountain streams cut through 5)gorges on their way to the warmer valleys and marshes in the heart of the kingdom.

Here， like ancient hanging gardens， one landscape drops into the next before transforming once again and finally descending to the untamed jungles and sun-kissed grasslands of the southern plains. Arctic cold and tropical heat almost 6)collide within a distance of just 160km.

Its richness and diversity combine with the teachings of an ancient religious philosophy to make Bhutan unique.

During the summer months， blue sheep called “7)Bharal” graze on the steep slopes to the north of the Kingdom. As a living Eden， the Bhutanese people strive to live in harmony with the elements and the wildlife which surrounds them.

Sacred shrines dot this rugged landscape as constant reminders of another realm beyond the present world. Even in the most remote corners of Bhutan， evidence of the Buddhist faith is ever present in isolated 8)monasteries， in places of pilgrimage and prayer and in shrines dedicated to the 9)sanctity of all life.

With over 5，000 different species of plants， Bhutan is like nature’s own greenhouse. The floral canvas may seem strangely similar to the 10)cultivated gardens of the West.

11)Botanists from the West have carried away different varieties of flowers since the 18th century. But here， the originals are on display in their natural setting. This is the 12)Himalayan blue poppy—the national flower of Bhutan. It has come to symbolize the 13)rarefied beauty of this Himalayan kingdom.

As the summer ends， the 14)nomads prepare to leave the colder corners of Bhutan and descend into the warmer， sheltered valleys below. Next spring they will return to the same stone shelter and fire ring. But for now， the valleys are left to the bharal.

As autumn comes to an end in Bhutan’s capital， Thimpu， the Kingdom’s monks begin their own 15)ritual departure. Each year they leave their summer monastery for winter quarters in the valley below. Sacred 16)relics accompany the procession as the 17)populace turns out to seek the blessings of Bhutan’s supreme religious leader， the Je Khenpo.

The date for this human migration is set according to a special， Buddhist calendar. And as if following the same calendar， black-necked cranes， which have summered high in Tibet， begin their own epic journey to the south.

Wherever they are found， cranes have always been a symbol of 18)longevity. The Bhutanese revere these elegant birds. In the Phobjikha valley as in all of Bhutan， the cranes are protected. Since pairs mate for life， the arrival of a solitary bird can be a sobering sight. In this peaceful community， the crane is held in the highest esteem.

Rains that fell during the monsoon are now channeled from all over the kingdom to form one of Bhutan’s most impressive rivers， the Manas. The Manas gives both its name and nature to the surrounding region.

19)Migratory birds like the 20)merganser duck join other refugees from the cold to enjoy the post-monsoon festivities. This is one of the last 21)strongholds of the pure-blood Asiatic buffalo. Indian otters take a short cut across 22)boulders washed down by the monsoon floods.

Bhutan is home to many 23)exotic creatures， including this rare golden 24)langur. These agile creatures hardly ever come down to the ground. They depend on an 25)aerial network of interlinking branches. Any break in forest cover cuts off their lofty highways and limits the langur’s movements.

Forests have special significance to Buddhists as places of retreat from the concerns of the world. It was in a forest sitting beneath the “Bo tree”， that Buddha gained enlightenment.

In addition to its forests of prayer flags， Bhutan boasts the highest tree cover of any Asian country. Nearly 75% of the kingdom has its original forest and it maintains one of the lowest rates of 26)deforestation in the world. The Buddha is quoted in one of the 27)Sutras as saying， “The forest is a unique organism and a source of great good to us. It makes no demands for its sustenance and extends protection to all sentient beings， giving shade even to the axe-man who destroys it.”

The axe-man and the chainsaw have， during our century， 28)decimated the Himalayan forests leaving Bhutan as a unique and 29)pristine oasis.

Its forests provide protection to the many beings which find 30)sanctuary within this Buddhist enclave. More than 700 species of birds are found in the kingdom， many of them endangered.

These Bhutanese forests are home to several species of hornbill， which is quite exceptional. That the forests of Bhutan still provide sanctuary to various hornbills， demonstrates the power and potential of Buddhism to protect and preserve the environment. Seemingly unconnected forms of plants and animal life give shape to the pyramid of interdependence which millions of years of evolution have cultivated.

In the kingdom of the Thunder Dragon the morning sun rises over the icy， Himalayan home of the snow leopard. The same sun warms the high valleys of the black-necked crane before setting into the tropical jungles of the tiger. This extraordinary range of environments and a special reverence for life have combined to make Bhutan the last， earthly Shangri-La.

在中國西藏與印度之間，坐落著一個小小的佛教國度。這顆鑲在喜馬拉雅山皇冠上的寶石叫做不丹。不丹人稱自己的國家為“朱玉”，即“雷龍之地”。他們相信保護他們的神明和復仇心重的惡魔就安家于7500米高聳入天的處女峰上。

陡急的流動冰給高山林讓路，山澗溪流穿過峽谷流向更為溫暖的山谷和位于不丹中心的沼澤。

這里猶如古老的空中花園，地形綿延起伏、變化萬千，最后沒入南方平原上的原始叢林與陽光普照的草原中。近似北極的寒冷與熱帶的熾熱僅相隔160公里。

豐富而多樣化的自然環境，加上對古老宗教哲學的尊崇，令不丹獨一無二。

在夏日，稱為“巖羊”的藍羊在不丹北部的陡坡上吃草。這座人間伊甸園里，不丹人努力與自然環境及周遭的野生生物和睦相處。

這片崎嶇的大地上，神龕有如星羅棋布，不斷叫人想起還有一個超越現實的世界。即便在不丹最偏遠的角落，不丹人信仰佛教的痕跡也隨處可見，如獨自聳立的寺廟、民眾朝圣、祈禱的場所，還有為眾生祈福的神龕。

不丹擁有5000多種植物，有如大自然的溫室。這幅遍地鮮花的美景可能看上去像極了西方經過精心培育的花園。西方植物學家從18世紀起便從這帶走各種花卉，但在這兒，那些花卉的祖先仍在自己的自然景致中自由綻放。這是喜馬拉雅藍罌粟——不丹的國花。它象征這個喜馬拉雅國度的純凈之美。

夏季結束后，牧民準備離開不丹較寒冷的地帶，下山到風雪無法侵襲的溫暖山谷。下一年春天，他們會回到原來的石砌棲身處和火灶。眼下這片山谷就讓給巖羊了。

在不丹首都廷布，秋天結束后，這個王國的喇嘛便開始他們的離寺儀式。他們每年都會離開夏季寺廟，遷往位于谷底的冬季寺廟。喇嘛會帶著圣物隨行，民眾則會跟來請求不丹的最高宗教領袖尊者基堪布為他們祈福。

這趟人類遷徙的起程日子是依據一份特殊的佛教日歷而定的。在中國西藏度過夏季的黑頸鶴仿佛是遵從同一份日歷也開始大規模向南遷徙。

世界各地皆視鶴為長壽的象征。不丹人民尊崇這些高雅的鳥。在菩吉卡山谷和不丹全國各地一樣，鶴都受到保護。由于鶴會和伴侶終生廝守，有鶴形單影只地到來會令人感到悲戚。在這個寧靜的地區，人們對鶴的尊崇是最高的。

季風來襲期間，不丹各地降下的雨，如今匯集到該國最壯觀的河流——馬納斯河。馬納斯河不但使這個地區得名為馬納斯，還影響了該地的自然環境。

秋沙鴨等候鳥同其他避寒的生物一同歡慶季風離去后的歡悅。這里是純種野生亞洲水牛最后的棲息地之一。印度水獺抄后徑翻越遭季風洪水沖刷下來的巨礫。

不丹是許多珍稀動物的家，其中包括這種罕見的金毛葉猴。這種靈敏的動物很少到地面上來，它們是靠高處相互交錯的樹枝來移動。森林如果遭到破壞，葉猴高空的高速公路也會遭到阻斷，葉猴的活動范圍會因此而受到限制。

森林對佛教徒具有特殊意義。想擺脫紅塵煩惱時，他們都會到森林去。佛陀就是在森林里的菩提樹下得道的。

除了經幡密布，不丹還以擁有全亞洲最高森林覆蓋率而自豪。不丹將近75%的土地是原始森林，而且森林砍伐率也保持在世界最低的行列。佛經中記載了佛祖說過的一句話: “森林是獨有的機體，能為我們帶來極大益處。森林不但會做無求的布施，還會庇護眾生，甚至為破壞森林的樵夫遮蔭。”

樵夫和電鋸，在這個世紀中破壞了喜馬拉雅山區的大部分森林。惟有不丹仍保有獨特的原生綠土。

不丹的森林保護了許多到這片佛教凈土尋求庇護的生物。這個王國有700多種鳥類，其中許多已經瀕臨絕種。

不丹的森林是數種犀鳥的棲息地。這種情況很少見。這里的森林仍能為數種犀鳥提供棲身之所，證明佛教具有保護和保存當地環境的力量和潛能。看似毫不相干的各種動植物，形成了相互依存的金字塔結構。數百萬年來，萬物的演化便是朝這個方向發展的。

在雷龍的王國里，東升的旭日會照耀喜馬拉雅山雪豹的寒冷家園。同樣的陽光也會照射到黑頸鶴居住的高山峽谷，然后灑向老虎居住的熱帶叢林。這種與眾不同的自然環境，以及那份對生命獨特的尊重，渾然一體，令不丹成為塵世間最后一處——香格里拉（譯者注：源于藏語，意為“心中的日月”）。