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Labyrinths have existed for well over 4,000 years.
螺旋形迷宫已经有4000多年的历史了。
Labyrinths and labyrinthine symbols have been found in regions as diverse as modern-day Turkey, Ireland, Greece, and India.
在今天的土耳其、爱尔兰、希腊和印度等不同地区都发现了螺旋形迷宫和与之相关的符号。
There are various designs of labyrinth but what they all have in common is a winding spiral path which leads to a central area.
螺旋形迷宫的设计多种多样，但它们的共同点是都有一条通向中心区域的蜿蜒的螺旋小路。
There is one starting point at the entrance and the goal is to reach the central area.
入口处有一个起点，行进的目的是到达中心区域。
Finding your way through a labyrinth involves many twists and turns, but it's not possible to get lost as there is only one single path.
要想在螺旋形迷宫中找到方向需要经历许多曲折，但因为只有一条路，所以不可能迷路。
In modern times, the word labyrinth has taken on a different meaning and is often used as a synonym for a maze.
在现代，labyrinth（螺旋形迷宫）这个词有了不同的含义，经常被用作maze（矩形迷宫）的同义词。
A maze is quite different as it is a kind of puzzle with an intricate network of paths.
矩形迷宫很不同，因为它有错综复杂的路径网络，令人迷惑。
Mazes became fashionable in the 15th and 16th centuries in Europe, and can still be found in the gardens of great houses and palaces.
矩形迷宫于15世纪和16世纪在欧洲流行起来，如今，在豪宅和宫殿的花园中仍可以看到这类迷宫。
The paths are usually surrounded by thick, high hedges so that it's not possible to see over them.
迷宫中的小路周围通常有又高又密的树篱，因此无法从上方看到外面。
Entering a maze usually involves getting lost a few times before using logic to work out the pattern and find your way to the centre and then out again.
进入矩形迷宫通常需要迷路几次，然后才能利用逻辑推算出迷宫的图案从而找到通往中心区域的路，再成功走出去。
There are lots of dead ends and paths which lead you back to where you started.
迷宫中有很多死胡同和小路会带你绕回起点。
The word 'maze' is believed to come from a Scandinavian word for a state of confusion.
maze（矩形迷宫）一词据信来自斯堪的纳维亚语，意为混乱状态。
This is where the word 'amazing' comes from.
这就是“amazing（惊人的）”一词的由来。
Labyrinths, on the other hand, have a very different function.
另一方面，螺旋形迷宫有着截然不同的功能。
Although people now often refer to things they find complicated as labyrinths, this is not how they were seen in the past.
虽然人们现在经常用labyrinths来形容复杂的事情，但在过去人们对螺旋形迷宫的看法却截然不同。
The winding spiral of the labyrinth has been used for centuries as a metaphor for life's journey.
几个世纪以来，人们用螺旋形迷宫蜿蜒的螺旋形小路暗喻生命旅程。
It served as a spiritual reminder that there is purpose and meaning to our lives and helped to give people a sense of direction.
作为一种精神提醒，它告知我们生活是有目的和意义的，并帮助人们找寻人生方向。
Labyrinths are thought to encourage a feeling of calm and have been used as a meditation and prayer tool in many cultures over many centuries.
人们认为螺旋形迷宫能够促使人们获得平静感，几个世纪以来，许多文化将其用作冥想和祈祷的工具。
The earliest examples of the labyrinth spiral pattern have been found carved into stone, from Sardinia to Scandinavia, from Arizona to India to Africa.
最早的螺旋形迷宫图案被刻在石头上，从撒丁岛到斯堪的纳维亚半岛，从亚利桑那州到印度，再到非洲都发现了它的痕迹。
In Europe, these spiral carvings date from the late Bronze Age.
在欧洲，这种螺旋形雕刻图案可以追溯到青铜时代晚期。
The Native American Pima tribe wove baskets with a circular labyrinth design that depicted their own cosmology.
美洲原住民皮马部落在编织篮子时加入螺旋形图案来描绘他们自己的宇宙观。
In Ancient Greece, the labyrinth spiral was used on coins around four thousand years ago.
大约在4000年前，古希腊将迷宫的螺旋形图案铸在硬币上。
Labyrinths made of mosaics were commonly found in bathhouses, villas and tombs throughout the Roman Empire.
在整个罗马帝国，由马赛克制成的螺旋形迷宫在浴室、别墅和坟墓中随处可见。
In Northern Europe, there were actual physical labyrinths designed for walking on.
在北欧，有专门为行走而设计的真正的螺旋形迷宫。
These were cut into the turf or grass, usually in a circular pattern.
这些通常是圆形的草坪迷宫。
The origin of these walking labyrinths remains unclear, but they were probably used for fertility rites which may date back thousands of years.
这些供行走的螺旋形迷宫的起源尚不清楚，但它们可能与数千年前的生育仪式有关。
Eleven examples of turf labyrinths survive today, including the largest one at Saffron Walden, England, which used to have a large tree in the middle of it.
有11个螺旋形草坪迷宫被保留至今，其中最大的一个位于英国的萨弗伦沃尔登，迷宫的中间曾经有一棵大树。
