Dugi svileni put

Davno su trgovci putovali vrlo dugim putem kroz Aziju. Ljudi ovu staru rutu zovu Put svile. Vodila je od Kine sve do Europe, preko visokih planina i suhih pustinja. Cijeli put bio je dulji od šest tisuća kilometara.

Long ago, traders made a very long journey across Asia. People call this old route the Silk Road. It went from China all the way to Europe, across high mountains and dry deserts. The whole road was more than six thousand kilometres long.

Trgovci su nosili svilu iz Kine na leđima deva i konja. Prodavali su i čaj, začine i prekrasno kamenje. Na povratku su u Kinu donosili staklo, konje i zlato. Putovanje je bilo sporo i teško, i moglo je trajati mnogo mjeseci.

Merchants carried silk from China on the backs of camels and horses. They also sold tea, spices, and beautiful stones. On the way back, they brought glass, horses, and gold to China. The trip was slow and hard, and it could take many months.

Put svile nije prenosio samo robu. Prenosio je i ideje, umjetnost i nove riječi između Istoka i Zapada. Ljudi u Rimu voljeli su svilu, ali nisu znali kako se izrađuje. Neki su čak mislili da svila raste na drveću poput lišća.

The Silk Road moved more than goods. It also moved ideas, art, and new words between East and West. People in Rome loved silk, but they did not know how it was made. Some of them even thought that silk grew on trees like leaves.