<p class="ql-block"> 珍珠纪念碑，坐落在多哈滨海路。一只贝壳，里面有一颗硕大的珍珠，这是卡塔尔上镜率最多、极具标志性的地标之一。</p><p class="ql-block">The Pearl Monument is located on the coastal road of Doha. It is a shell with a huge pearl inside. This is one of the most photographed and highly iconic landmarks in Qatar.</p> <p class="ql-block"> 卡塔尔是世界上富有的国家之一。但你可能想象不到，在没有靠石油和天然气发家致富之前，这个国家主要的收入来源竟依赖于天然珍珠的采集。</p><p class="ql-block">Qatar is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. But you might not expect that before it became rich from oil and gas, the main source of income for this country relied on the collection of natural pearls.</p> <p class="ql-block"> 卡塔尔人採珍珠有7000多年的历史。今天，在多哈的传统博物馆，我们见到了当年採珠人艰辛而壮丽的历史。</p><p class="ql-block">The Qatari people have been collecting pearls for over 7,000 years. Today, at the traditional museum in Doha, we witnessed the arduous yet magnificent history of the pearl collectors back then.</p> <p class="ql-block"> 早年的採珍珠非常危险。因为採珠人要配重下到18米以下的深水区作业，採到贝壳后发出信号，船上的人要快速地将採珠人拉出水面，稍有不慎，就会危及生命。因此，合伙人一般都是父子或家人。</p><p class="ql-block">In the early days, pearl fishing was extremely dangerous. The pearl gatherers had to descend to depths of 18 meters or more in the deep waters to work. After collecting the shells, they would send out signals. The people on the boat would quickly pull the pearl gatherers out of the water. Any slight mistake could endanger their lives. Therefore, the partners were usually father-son pairs or family members.</p> <p class="ql-block"> 卡塔尔的王太后莫扎，酷爱珍珠，凭着她的商业头脑，她把她热爱的珍珠事业发展成为了卡特尔的支柱产业。</p><p class="ql-block">The empress mother of Qatar, Moza, had a great love for pearls. With her business acumen, she turned her passion for pearls into a pillar industry of the country's economy.</p> <p class="ql-block">END</p>