The Nile River snakes over 6,800 kilometers from Lake Victoria in Tanzania to the Mediterranean Sea. 尼羅河從坦尚尼亞的維多利亞湖蜿蜒六千八百多公里流入地中海。
But, it's here in Egypt that witnessed the rise of the mightiest empire along its banks. 不過，見證了尼羅河沿岸最強大帝國興起的地方卻是在埃及這裡。
We start our journey in Luxor. You might know it by its ancient name, Thebes. 我們從路克索展開旅程。你也許知道這個地方的古名：底比斯。
Present day, it's one of Egypt's main tourist hubs. 如今，這裡是埃及主要的觀光重鎮之一。
Luxor is the city of palaces. 路克索是一座宮殿城市。
This was the heart, the capital of the ancient Egyptian world, and Karnak Temple here is large. 這裡是古埃及世界的核心與首都，此處的卡納克神廟非常大。
It's massive. It's impressive. 這座神廟非常宏偉，令人嘆為觀止。
But, I know nothing about it, so I'm gonna meet someone who does. 但我對它一無所知，所以我要和一個瞭解這座神廟的人會面。
You are in Karnak. This is the largest religious complex of the ancient world. 你身在卡納克神廟，這是古代世界最大的宗教建築群。
This was like a blank piece of paper, where every king who ruled Egypt from the 11th Dynasty to the [30th] or 31st Dynasty marked his name on it one way [or another]. 這裡就像是一張白紙，從第十一王朝到第三十、三十一王朝統治埃及的每一位國王都以某種方式在此處留名。
Egypt's ancient history plays out on the temple walls, telling stories of glory and betrayal. 埃及自古以來的歷史都呈現在神廟的牆壁上，訴說著光榮與背叛的故事。
Walking in here today, I saw a construction crane doing some restoration work. 我今天走進這裡時看見一具施工起重機，正在進行整修工作。
They didn't have cranes thousands of years ago. How would they [have] built something this massive? 幾千年前的人沒有起重機，他們要怎麼建造這麼巨大的建築物？
Ramps and... yeah, ramps made out of mud brick and rubble. 坡道……沒錯，由泥磚與碎石構成的坡道。
This was the way they [lifted] up these giant blocks of [stone] all the way up to the high heights. 他們就是以這種方式將這些巨大石塊一路搬運到高處。
It's the crown jewel of Luxor and a melting pot of languages, as tourists from around the world flock here to uncover the secrets of the pharaohs. 這裡是路克索最珍貴的景點，也是語言大熔爐，世界各地的遊客都蜂擁到這裡來發掘法老的祕密。
Doctoral student of Egyptology Andrew Schilling from the University of Memphis in the United States carefully records the descriptions and colors while checking for damage -- 美國曼菲斯大學埃及古物學博士生安德魯．席林一面仔細記錄圖形內容與顏色，同時也檢查損壞情況——
painstaking but important work. 這是極費力但非常重要的工作。
Not all the damage is recent. 損壞不完全是近代造成的。
Take this part of the wall, for example. 以這面牆的這個部分為例。
It depicts one of the world's oldest family feuds. 這裡描繪了世上數一數二最古老的家族鬥爭。
An angry son and rightful heir to the throne overthrew his pharaoh mother and ordered her hieroglyphic removed. 一名憤怒的兒子是王位的合法繼承人，他推翻了身為法老的母親，並且下令清除她的象形文字。
Ancient Egyptians believed images on these walls are going to come alive with certain magical spells in the afterlife, 古埃及人相信這些牆上的圖像用死後世界的特定魔咒會復活，
and erasing her like that means that she will never be able to come back again. 因此抹除她的圖像意謂著她再也不可能復活。
Untimely deaths are a theme in ancient Egypt, 死於非命是古埃及的一個主題，
as we find out across the river at Medinet Habu, or the mortuary temple of Ramses III. 我們在河對岸的梅迪涅特哈布神殿——也就是拉美西斯三世的陵廟——得知了這一點。
This pharaoh wore his problems on his sleeves, or rather, walls. 這位法老對自己的問題相當坦白，或者說是都書寫在牆上昭告世人。
They tell of constant war with the sea people. 這些牆上的記錄講述了與海上民族持續不斷的戰爭。
And what happened to the prisoners would make anyone think twice about invading Egypt. 戰俘受到的待遇，會讓想要侵略埃及的人三思。
The reliefs served as the pharaoh's propaganda to the people, and even maybe a bit of a warning. 這些浮雕是法老對人民的宣傳，甚至可能也帶有點警告意味。
Despite being over 3,000 years old, much of the vibrant colors remain. 儘管歷史已經超過三千年，大部分鮮豔的顏色都還保留著。
While Ramses III's temple brags about his might, it wouldn't save him from an assassination plot. 拉美西斯三世的陵廟雖然吹噓他的強權，卻無法讓他逃過一椿暗殺陰謀。
His royal harem who lived here, including one of his wives, killed the pharaoh to put her son on the throne. 住在這裡的後宮妻妾，包括他其中一名妻子，其中一人殺死了這位法老好讓自己的兒子登上王位。
Killing a god-king doesn't go over well, and everyone involved was put to death. 殺害神王的行為不受認同，結果涉及其中的人士全都被處死。
When pharaohs died, they took up residency in the Valley of the Kings. 法老死了之後，就會移居到帝王谷。
More than 60 pharaohs that we know of call this place home. 我們所知的法老有超過六十位都以此地為歸屬。
In the Valley of the Kings, this tomb belonging to Ramses VI is considered one of the most beautiful. 在帝王谷，這座屬於拉美西斯六世的陵墓被認為是最美麗的一座。
Unfortunately, tomb robbers got here before Egyptologists. 不幸的是，盜墓者比埃及古物學者更早來到這裡。
We end our time in Luxor at, well, fittingly named Luxor Temple. 我們的路克索之旅在正好同名的路克索神殿畫下句點。
Today the site is sanctified by an early Christian church and a centuries-old mosque. 如今這個地點受到早期基督教會的聖化，也矗立著一座擁有數百年歷史的清真寺。
But, back in the Pharaoh's day, Ramses III kept his harem here too and made regular visits. 不過，在法老的時代，拉美西斯三世的後宮也位於此處，所以他經常到這裡來。