Carved stone turtle unearthed from Angkor reservoir site吴哥水库遗址出土雕刻石龟Cambodian archaeologists have unearthed a large centuries-old statue of a turtle at the Angkor temple complex.

柬埔寨考古学家在吴哥寺发掘出一座有数百年历史的大型海龟雕像。

The 56-by-93 centimeter (22-by-37 inch) carved stone turtle believed to date from the 10th century was discovered Wednesday during digging at what was the site of a small temple that had been built on Srah Srang, one of Angkor’s several reservoirs.

这只56×93厘米(22×37英寸)的石龟可以追溯到10世纪，是在周三挖掘吴哥窟的几个水库之一的Srah Srang上建造的一座小寺庙的遗址时发现的。

Researchers pinpointed where the temple had been and workers drained water off to enable the dig, which began March 16, said Mao Sokny, head of the excavation team of the Apsara Authority, a government agency that oversees the Angkor archaeological site.

负责监管吴哥窟考古遗址的政府机构仙女管理局(Apsara Authority)发掘小组组长毛索克尼(Mao Sokny)说，研究人员查明了寺庙的位置，将水排干后开始挖掘，这项工作于3月16日开始。

The bottom half of the turtle remained buried Thursday while preparations were being made to lift it out without damaging it.

周四，海龟的下半部分仍然被掩埋，工作人员正准备在不损坏海龟的情况下把它抬出来。

Angkor was strongly influenced by Hindu culture, and as a result, when a temple or other important structure was built, sacred objects would often be buried in the ground underneath as a gesture to ensure safety and good fortune.

In several Asian cultures, turtles are seen as symbols of longevity and prosperity.

吴哥窟深受印度文化的影响，因此，在修建寺庙或其他重要建筑时，为了确保安全和好运，通常会将神圣的物品埋在地下。

在一些亚洲文化中，海龟被视为长寿和繁荣的象征。

The dig also discovered some other rare artifacts, including two metal tridents and a carved head of a naga, a mythical creature.

挖掘还发现了一些其他的稀有文物，包括两个金属三叉戟和一个神话人物纳迦的雕刻头。

The Angkor complex is Cambodia’s biggest tourist attraction, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is included in the Cambodian flag.

吴哥窟是柬埔寨最大的旅游景点，也是联合国教科文组织的世界遗产，被列入柬埔寨国旗。

Mao Sokny said discoveries of such artifacts help Cambodians take pride in their heritage.

毛索克尼说，这些文物的发现有助于柬埔寨人为自己的遗产感到自豪。

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