Den lange silkevej

For længe siden foretog handelsfolk en meget lang rejse gennem Asien. Folk kalder denne gamle rute for Silkevejen. Den gik fra Kina helt til Europa, over høje bjerge og tørre ørkener. Hele vejen var mere end seks tusind kilometer lang.

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.

Købmænd bar silke fra Kina på ryggen af kameler og heste. De solgte også te, krydderier og smukke sten. På vej tilbage bragte de glas, heste og guld til Kina. Turen var langsom og hård, og den kunne tage mange måneder.

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.

Silkevejen flyttede mere end varer. Den flyttede også ideer, kunst og nye ord mellem øst og vest. Folk i Rom elskede silke, men de vidste ikke, hvordan den blev lavet. Nogle af dem troede endda, at silke voksede på træer som blade.

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.