2007-10-11, Marrakesh - 马拉喀什

（单词翻译）

If you've ever wondered what makes the cobra dance, this is the place to find out. For Marrakesh's street performers, an ordinary afternoon means out of the ordinary entertainment.

Enchanted¹ serpents are just a small part of the action on Djemma el Fna square. Just inside Marrakesh's ancient ramparts, this is a cultural crossroads of a very theatrical² kind. It's Marrakesh's answer to the 3 ring circus and it's been show time here every day since the 11th century. Every afternoon, Djemma el-Fna transforms itself into a festival of sights and sounds.

It used to be that every city in Morocco had a place like this, a sort of entertainment free-for-all in the center of town. But the country has moved into the TV age and people are leaving the old ways behind. Now, Djemma el-Fna is the only one left.

W. T. works to protect this unique part of Marrakesh's culture as part of a grassroots organization dedicated³ to the square. It's essential because it's the memory of the city if you want to learn the history of this city, if you want to get to know its sensibilities, if you want to learn about its habits, its tastes, its desires, come to the square.


There's something for everyone. Street preachers give sermons on the Koran while fortune tellers⁴ read the stars. Public scribes write letters for the illiterate⁵ and herbal pharmacies⁶ dispense⁷ medicines and advice. But when Marrakeshes want to just sit back, relax and listen, they turn to the storytellers. L. is telling the story of the inheritance, the son of a rich merchant is advised by his dying father to live a virtuous⁸ life. But he falls victim to temptation and suffers the consequences. Old men and young boys gather around, hanging on his every word.