一次偶遇，让外国小姐姐在新疆做了一天哈萨克族姑娘

电视剧《我的阿勒泰》热播，让人们对新疆哈萨克族牧民的生活产生了浓厚的兴趣和向往。这个夏天，神奇探索局来自俄罗斯的神探员，可爱的小姐姐梅丽莎就来到了新疆维吾尔自治区昭苏县。在这里她偶遇了哈萨克族青年叶尔安·努尔坡拉提，在他的邀请下，梅丽莎去他家品尝了地道的哈萨克族奶茶，听朋友们弹唱冬不拉，更是一起骑马去了仙境般的夏牧场，过了一天地道的哈萨克族牧民的生活。

“先学骑马再学走路”的民族

梅丽莎为观看第十二届全国少数民族传统体育运动会马上项目比赛而来到昭苏。在惊叹于各族选手精彩表现的同时，梅丽莎也了解到了昭苏人养马的传统以及他们对马的热爱。在昭苏，哈萨克族男孩在四五岁的时候都会得到一匹马作为礼物，他们甚至在不会走路的时候就会被放到马背上学习骑马。

In Zhaosu, every boy from the Kazak ethnic group receives a horse as a gift when they reach the age of four or five. They are taught how to ride horses before they can walk. 

这些新知识让梅丽莎更加希望能够深入了解当地哈萨克族牧民的生活。和20岁的叶尔安和他的马“小灰”在赛场的偶遇，让她的愿望得以实现。

在喝完奶茶一起骑马去他家在雪山脚下的牧场的路上，叶尔安告诉梅丽莎，骑马可以让他忘记一切烦恼。

When Yeran Nurborat rides the horse back to his family's summer pasture on a stretch of grassland at the foot of a snowcapped mountain, all his troubles go away, he said.   

由于只有走牧道可以通往牧场，人们只能骑马或者骑摩托车到达。正因如此，牧场的自然环境也得到了很好的保护。更重要的是，哈萨克族的传统生活方式在昭苏也得到了很好的传承。

The pasture is only accessible by horse or motorcycle via a steep, narrow path, allowing the 20-year-old herder of the Kazak ethnic group to retain a little oasis preserving his traditional roots.

在去往牧场三小时的路途中，人们会遇到马群自由的在山坡上吃草。随着海拔的升高，也会穿越成片的松树林。

Those that make the three-hour journey will pass herds of horses wondering freely on the slopes of the mountains and pass through forests of tall pine trees.

当到达牧场的时候，人们的视野会突然开阔起来。眼前出现的是雪山脚下连绵的洒满黄色小花的绿色草场。仙境般的景色让梅丽莎不停的说：“太美了！”

At the end of the uphill journey, the view opens up to reveal a vast green pasture spattered with yellow flowers and snowcapped mountains behind.

当叶尔安家养的几十匹伊犁马在山上的牧场上奔跑起来的时候，就好像它们脚下踩着白云。那一刻梅丽莎终于明白了，为什么伊犁哈萨克自治州昭苏县的马会被称为“天马”。

When the Ili horses - a special breed of horse found in Xinjiang - raised by Yeran's family gallop the pasture, it looks as if they are running on clouds. It's no wonder why horses in Zhaosu, Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture, are affectionately dubbed "heavenly horses".

在昭苏，像叶尔安这样希望能够尽自己的力量维护好人类、自然和民族文化之间牢不可破的关系的哈萨克族年轻人还有很多。借着近几年旅游业的发展和社交媒体的力量，这些爱马懂马的年轻人都希望能够有更多的人了解牧民的生活以及他们祖辈一代代传承下来的智慧。

Like Yeran, many young people from the Kazak ethnic group in Zhaosu are determined to retain the unbreakable bond they have connecting humans, nature and culture. In recent years, as tourism picks up and the power of social media takes off, these young people want others to learn about herders and what they have learned with each passing generation.

“哈萨克族有句老话说的是‘马是人们的翅膀’。我们把马看作是家庭成员，所以照顾他们是我们的职责。”叶尔安告诉梅丽莎。

"The Kazaks have an old saying that 'horses are the wings of man'. We see them as our family members so it's our duty to take care of them." Yeran said.

因为热爱养马，叶尔安决定像祖辈一样做个牧民。他认为这个职业在现代社会依然十分有魅力。

Yeran said because raising horses is his passion, he's decided to carry on the family tradition，which the modern world still has a place for. 

他说他并不羡慕城市里的生活，因为他认为在自然的怀抱中生活才能让人们身心健康。“我高兴的时候会骑马，不开心的时候也会骑马。当我骑马向雪山奔跑的时候，我就会立刻变得开心起来。”

He said he doesn't envy life in the cities, as spending time around nature allows people to stay healthy both physically and mentally. "I ride my horse when I feel happy. Also, whenever I feel down, I take my horse for a ride toward the mountain at full speed. My spirit is instantly lifted."

“我想在夏牧场开个牧家乐，这样人们就可以体验哈萨克族牧民真正的生活和文化。”叶尔安说。“我希望他们可以体验另一种不同的生活方式。”

"I want to open up a homestay on our summer pasture so people can experience the life of a Kazak nomad and learn about the Kazak culture," he said. "I hope I can offer them experiences of a different way of living."

“我们是多么优秀的骑手”

在马上项目的赛场，梅丽莎还认识了叶尔安的新朋友腊申·依巴萨。十八岁的腊申目前在昭苏天马旅游文化园工作，她每天都会参与文化园的马术表演。与此同时，她也在提升自己的马上技巧。

Lashan Yibasar, 18, is an equestrian performer at the Tianma tourism and cultural park, which also offers visitors equestrian shows put together by local residents. Besides taking part in daily performances, Lashan has been training hard to improving her skills in equestrian vaulting, which is described as gymnastics on horseback.

腊申告诉梅丽莎，她觉得这个工作唯一不好的地方是她无法每天见到她在家的马“黑眼睛”。“我和父母视频聊天的时候，会让他们去马厩里拍下‘黑眼睛’，因为我非常想它。”

The only downside of her job is that she cannot see her own horse "Black Eye", which is kept at her home, she said. "When I video call my parents, I often ask them to take the phone to the stable so I can see Black Eye and talk to him for a bit because I miss him a lot," she said.

“我十分热爱我的工作，因为我可以随时和马在一起。”腊申说。“更重要的是我想让人们看到昭苏的哈萨克族牧民是多么优秀的骑手。同时，通过表演可以让人们看到让我们十分骄傲的哈萨克族传统文化。”

"I do my job with joy, enthusiasm and happiness because I can be around horses all the time," Lashan said. "More important, I want the world to see that people from the Kazak ethnic group in Zhaosu are the best horse riders. It's also a good way to promote the traditional Kazak culture, which the young people are all very proud of."

这次探索，梅丽莎饱览了新疆独特风光，也体验了天山深处马背上的牧民生活，骑着马在山中肆意奔跑的时光，能够使人忘却一切烦恼。

下一期我们将会去哪个城市发现神奇呢？敬请期待！