Ten Things You Didn’t Know about Turkey 关于土耳其的十件事

⊙ By Anonymous ⊙ 翻译：T Boy

Ten Things You Didn’t Know about Turkey 关于土耳其的十件事

⊙ By Anonymous ⊙ 翻译：T Boy

我们对土耳其这个国家似乎并不陌生，但我们究竟对它有多少了解呢？它的政治、经济？它的宗教、饮食？细细想来，其实我们知道的并不多。既然知之不多，就一起来了解一些基本事实吧。

1. Whirling Dervish[土耳其回旋舞]

The turmoiling[吵闹的]dance actually refers to Turkish dancers who follow the mystic[神秘的]Rumi注. They spin during their religious meditative[冥想的]whirling ceremony,known as the “Sema,” which represents the spiritual ascent[上升]of man.

2. Soup before Every Meal

A soup before a meal is very common,even before for breakfast. No matter what time of day it is, Turks love soup. Breakfast is a very important meal, often consisting of meats, cheeses and breads, but it’s always begun with soup.

3. Grand Bazaar[大巴扎集市]

Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar may be the world’s largest outdoor market with 64 streets, 4,000 shops and 25,000 workers. It also may be one of the oldest, having been built in the 15th century on the order of the Ottoman Emperor.

4. World Wonders

Turkey is home to two of the seven wonders[奇迹]of the ancient world. We often assume that the ancient wonders will mainly be in Egypt and Greece, but Turkey has its fair share. The Temple of Artemis is dedicated[献给……的]to the Greek goddess of hunting and childbirth, also known as Diana in ancient Rome. The Mausoleum[陵墓]of Halicarnassus was a burial chamber[墓室]built in 353 BC and was carved by four Greek sculptors.

5. Grease Wrestling[橄榄油摔跤]

Turkey is home to the world’s oldest sporting event, grease wrestling, which is also its national sport. Wrestlers cover themselves with olive oil and attempt to either pin[使不动]their opponents[对手]on the ground or lift them up and walk three steps. The first grease wrestling game was hosted in 1362. Held during the summer months, wrestlers are not allowed to stop for breaks[休息]or even drink water.

6. Women Equality

The women of Turkey won the right to vote before most European countries. It’s easy for us to assume that a predominately[占优势地]Muslim country would be slow on the uptake[领会]when it comes to equal rights for women,but that’s not necessarily the case. Women in Turkey won the right to vote in 1930,before France, Portugal, Belgium, Greece and Switzerland.

注：鲁米是伊斯兰教苏菲派神秘主义诗人、法学家，他创立了苏菲派莫拉维教派。

◆ Ottoman Empire 奥斯曼帝国：历史上一个跨亚欧非的军事封建帝国。奥斯曼帝国在1299年由突厥人建立，日渐兴盛，极盛时势力达亚欧非三大洲，占有南欧、巴尔干半岛、中东及北非的大部分领土。奥斯曼帝国于1453年消灭东罗马帝国后，定都君士坦丁堡，并以东罗马帝国的继承人自居。奥斯曼帝国位处东西文明交汇处，并掌握东西文明的陆上交通线长达六个世纪之久，其对西方文明的影响举足轻重。19世纪初，奥斯曼帝国境内的巴尔干半岛多国先后独立，第一次世界大战后，帝国遭列强宰割。1919年，凯末尔领导起义，并于1923年建立土耳其共和国，奥斯曼帝国至此灭亡。

7. Endemic[地方特色的] Species

One third of the 9,000 plant species found in Turkey are endemic. That means that they grow only in that country and nowhere else. Turkey is also home to 5 unique mammal species, 13 reptile species and 52 freshwater[淡水的]fish species not found anywhere else on earth.

8. Surnames[姓氏]

Many Turkish people didn’t have surnames until 1934. A surname law was introduced in 1934, requiring all Turkish citizens to have a surname. Before that,people would take their father’s name and add “son of” or “oğlu.” Since 1934, citizens have used a similar system to many other countries where children take their father’s surname. As of 2013, the most common surname in the country was Yılmaz.

9. Turkish Bath

The Turkish baths were an export of the Roman Empire to Turkey in the 7th century,derived[源自]in part from Greek-Roman and Byzantine bathing or purification[净化]traditions.

10. Cash-Only Luxurious[豪华的] Restaurant

One of Istanbul’s most expensive restaurants only accepts cash. Kanaat Restaurant is a 360 degree[度数]restaurant in Istanbul that offers a stunning[惊人的]view of the surrounding areas. They serve traditional Turkish and Ottoman food in a modern minimalist[极简的]setting. But they only accept cash. This is common in Turkish restaurants no matter how luxurious.

1. 土耳其回旋舞

这种吵闹的舞蹈实际上是指那些追随神秘诗人鲁米的土耳其舞者。他们在名为“萨玛”的冥想宗教仪式上不停地转圈，这个动作代表他们在精神上的升华。

2. 餐前汤

在餐前喝一份汤是很常见的做法，即使在吃早餐时也不例外。不管是在一天当中的什么时候，土耳其人都酷爱喝汤。早餐是一天中非常重要的一餐，常常有肉、奶酪和面包，但它肯定是从一碗汤开始的。

3. 大巴扎集市

伊斯坦布尔的大巴扎集市可能是世界上最大的户外集市，共有64条街巷、四千家商铺和两万五千名从业者。同时，它也可能是世界上历史最悠久的集市之一，因为它是在15世纪奉奥斯曼国王之命建造的。

4. 世界奇迹

在人类古代文明的七大奇迹中，就有两处在土耳其境内。我们常常会以为古代奇迹主要在埃及和希腊，但这其中也少不了土耳其的一份。阿尔忒弥斯神庙是为古希腊的狩猎和接生女神所建，而罗马神话则称阿尔忒弥斯为狄安娜。哈利卡纳苏斯陵墓建于公元前353年，由四位古希腊雕刻工匠雕刻而成。

5. 橄榄油摔跤

橄榄油摔跤是世界上最古老的体育赛事，源自土耳其，它同时也是土耳其的国家体育项目。摔跤选手全身涂满橄榄油，在比赛中要把对手按倒在地，或者把对手举起走三步才能获胜。第一次橄榄油摔跤比赛在1362年举行。比赛通常在夏季举行，选手在比赛时不能休息，甚至不能喝水。

6. 女性平等权利

土耳其女性获得选举权的时间早于大多数欧洲国家的女性。我们很容易会下这样的结论：一个伊斯兰教占主导地位的国家在赋予妇女平等权利方面的觉醒会来得晚些，但这并不是必然的。土耳其女性在1930年就赢得了选举权，比法国、葡萄牙、比利时、希腊和瑞士都要早。

7. 特有物种

生长在土耳其的九千多种植物中，有三分之一是土耳其特有物种，也就是说，只有在土耳其才能找到它们。只生长在土耳其的特有生物还包括5种哺乳动物、13种爬行动物和52种淡水鱼。

8. 姓氏

在1934年以前，许多土耳其人并没有自己的姓氏。1934年，土耳其实施了姓氏法，要求所有土耳其公民都必须有自己的姓氏。在此之前，人们取名时会采用父亲的名字，在后面加上“之子”就行。1934年后，与许多其他国家一样，土耳其孩子会采用父亲的姓氏。在2013年，最常见的姓氏是伊尔马兹。

9. 土耳其浴

土耳其浴是古罗马帝国在七世纪向土耳其出口的，在某种程度上，它起源于古希腊、古罗马和拜占庭时期的洗浴习惯，或者说是净身的传统习俗。

10. 只收现金的豪华饭店

伊斯坦布尔最贵的一家饭店只收现金。卡纳特饭店是伊斯坦布尔一家有360度景观的饭店，在这里用餐可以看到四周的惊人景色。饭店的装饰采用极简的现代风格，为客人奉上传统的土耳其和奥斯曼美食，但他们只收现金。其实，这种做法在土耳其很常见，不管饭店有多豪华。