More than two dozen horsemen raced across the finish line in Mongolia this month after a test of endurance that would have impressed even legendary conqueror Genghis Khan.

20多位騎士本月在蒙古衝過終點線，完成連傳奇性征服者成吉思汗也會留下深刻印象的耐力考驗。

The international group of riders pounded1 860 kilometres across the Asian country's vast grasslands in the 10-day Mongol Derby, which organisers call the world's longest horse race.

這批來自各國的騎士在為期10天的蒙古大賽馬中，穿越這個亞洲國家的廣大草原，奔馳了860公里，主辦單位把這次比賽稱為全球距離最長的賽馬。

South African architect Charles van Wyk, 28, tied for first with local rider Shiravsambuu Galbadrakh, leading home a field from 10 countries including Argentina, Australia, Britain, New Zealand, Spain and the United States.

共有阿根廷、澳洲、英國、紐西蘭、西班牙、美國等十國選手參賽，28歲的南非建築師范維克與蒙古騎士賈巴德拉克共享第一名。

The Adventurists, a Britain-based organisation that dreamed up2 the derby, designed the race as a way to promote Mongolian tradition and culture -- while raising money for charity.

設計出這項比賽的英國「冒險家」組織舉辦這場賽馬，目的是推廣蒙古傳統和文化，並籌募善款。

Participants changed steeds every 40 kilometres or so at urtuus -- horse relay stations patterned on those used during Genghis Khan's time to deliver post across the Mongol Empire.

選手每40公里左右在換馬站換馬。換馬站模仿成吉思汗時代橫越蒙古大帝國傳送文書的驛站。

"Modern life is changing the steppes but that does not mean they are all coming to the city," Van Wyk told AFP. "In fact the quality of life is quite good on the steppes and even the foreign riders longed to go back after we returned to the city."

「現代生活正在改變草原風貌，但並不表示他們都搬到城裡，」范維克告訴法新社：「事實上，草原的生活品質相當不錯，連我們這些外國騎士返回城裡後都渴望回去。」

Nomads in traditional gers manned each station, providing riders with boiled mutton and fermented mare's milk. But on some nights, they slept in the open.

每站都有住在傳統蒙古包的牧民進駐，提供水煮羊肉和酸馬奶給騎士。但也有幾個晚上騎士露天而眠。

"Having been in Mongolia for the past seven years we came to understand how important horses are to the local culture," said The Adventurists' director Tom Morgan. "There is nowhere else in the world with so many horses and so much space, so it seemed like the perfect place to do it."

「冒險家」會長莫根說：「在蒙古待了7年後，我們開始了解馬對本地文化有多重要。世界上沒有其他任何地方有這麼多馬和這麼大的空間，所以蒙古似乎是辦這項比賽的理想場所。」

The riders emerged relatively unscathed3 from the marathon ride, with only a few scrapes and bruises, and one minor concussion.

騎士完成這項馬拉松比賽幾乎都毫髮無傷，只有少數擦傷和瘀青，外加一件輕微腦震盪。

Every competitor was handed a special tablet modelled after those used by ancient urtuu riders, which allowed them free access across the empire.

每位選手都獲頒一面特製符牌，符牌模仿古代驛站騎士所用的令牌，可在帝國各地自由通行。

But modern forms of communication were never far out of reach of the riders, with herders using mobile phones and with satellite dishes affixed to some of their gers. （AFP）

但現代通訊設備並未遠離騎士接觸範圍，牧民使用手機，一些蒙古包也安裝衛星天線。

詞解

1.pound亰重重奔馳

2.dream up：設計出、

發明

3.unscathed：未受損

傷的