那条漫长的丝绸之路

很久以前，商人们穿越亚洲，走过一段非常漫长的旅程。人们把这条古老的路线称为丝绸之路。它从中国一直通到欧洲，穿过高山，也穿过干旱的沙漠。整条路超过六千公里长。

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.

商人们用骆驼和马把丝绸从中国运出去。他们也卖茶叶、香料和美丽的宝石。回程的路上，他们把玻璃、马匹和黄金带回中国。旅途缓慢又艰辛，有时要花上好几个月。

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.

丝绸之路运送的不只是货物，还带来了东西方之间的思想、艺术和新词汇。罗马人非常喜爱丝绸，却不知道它是怎么做出来的。有些人甚至以为丝绸像树叶一样长在树上。

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.