文化的十字路口(An island crossroad of culture)

数千年来，加那利群岛一直是许多文化的国际十字路口。早在公元前40年，这群火山岛就引起了罗马人的兴趣，公元999年，阿拉伯商人也对其感兴趣。几个世纪以来，热那亚人、马略卡人、葡萄牙和法国的航海家都找到了前往这些岛屿的路。这里的农业长期繁荣，香蕉、西红柿和土豆是最主要的作物。如今，加那利群岛距离非洲大陆仅107公里，是西班牙的一部分。当第一批旅行者来寻找贸易机会时，今天的游客来探索许多美丽的国家公园，并在海滩上放松身心，比如在壮观的日落中看到的Fuertaventura岛上的Playa del Matorral。
原文：
For thousands of years, the Canary Islands have served as an international crossroads for many cultures. As far back as 40 BCE, this group of volcanic islands drew interest from the Romans, followed by Arab traders in 999 AD. Through the centuries, Genoese, Majorcan, Portuguese and French navigators found their way to the islands. Agriculture has long flourished here, with bananas, tomatoes and potatoes being tops in crops. Today, the Canary Islands, just about 107 kilometres off the African mainland, are part of Spain. While the first voyagers came in search of trade opportunities, today's visitors come to explore the many beautiful national parks and relax on beaches like the Playa del Matorral on Fuertaventura Island, seen here during a spectacular sunset.
《© Gavin Hellier/Getty Images》