ThesilentvillageInthismuch-travelledworld,therearestillthousandsofplaceswhichareinaccessibletotourists.Wealwaysassumethatvillagersinremoteplacesarefriendlyandhospitable.Butpeoplewhoarecutoffnotonlyfromforeigntourists,butevenfromtheirowncountrymencanbehostiletotravellers.Visitstoreallyremotevillagesareseldomenjoyable--asmywifeandIdiscoveredduringatourthroughtheBalkans.Wehadspentseveraldaysinasmalltownandvisitedanumberofoldchurchesinthevicinity.Theseattractedmanyvisitors,fortheywerenotonlyofgreatarchitecturalinterest,butcontainedalargenumberofbeautifullypreservedfrescoesaswell.Onthedaybeforeourdeparture,severalbusloadsoftouristsdescendedonthetown.Thiswasmorethanwecouldbear,sowedecidedtospendourlastdayexploringthecountryside.Takingapathwhichledoutofthetown,wecrossedafewfieldsuntilwecametoadensewood.Weexpectedthepathtoendabruptly,butwefoundthatittraceditswaythroughthetrees.Wetrampedthroughthewoodforovertwohoursuntilwearrivedatadeepstream.Wecouldseethatthepathcontinuedontheotherside,butwehadnoideahowwecouldgetacrossthestream.Suddenlymywifespottedaboatmooredtothebank.Inittherewasaboatmanfastasleep.Wegentlywokehimupandaskedhimtoferryustotheotherside.Thoughhewasreluctanttodosoatfirst,weeventuallypersuadedhimtotakeus.Thepathledtoatinyvillageperchedonthesteepsidesofamountain.Theplaceconsistedofastragglingunmaderoadwhichwaslinedoneithersidebysmallhouses.Evenunderaclearbluesky,thevillagelookedforbidding,asallthehouseswerebuiltofgreymudbricks.Thevillageseemeddeserted,theonlysignoflifebeinganugly-用心爱心专心lookingblackgoatonashortlengthofropetiedtoatreeinafieldnearby.Sittingdownonadilapidatedwoodenfencenearthefield,weopenedacoupleoftinsofsardinesandhadapicniclunch.Allatonce,Inoticedthatmywifeseemedtobefilledwithalarm.LookingupIsawthatweweresurroundedbychildreninragswhowerelookingatussilentlyasweate.Weofferedthemfoodandspoketothemkindly,buttheyremainedmotionless.Iconcludedthattheyweresimplyshyofstrangers.Whenwelaterwalkeddownthemainstreetofthevillager,wewerefollowedbyasilentprocessionofchildren.Thevillagewhichhadseemeddeserted,immediatelycametolife.Facesappearedatwindows.Meninshirtsleevesstoodoutsidetheirhousesandglaredatus.Oldwomeninblackshawlspeeredatusfromdoorways.Themostfrighteningthingofallwasthatnotasoundcouldbeheard.Therewasnodoubtthatwewereunwelcomevisitors.Weneedednofurtherwarning.Turningbackdownthemainstreet,wequickenedourpaceandmadeourwayrapidlytowardsthestreamwherewehopedtheboatmanwaswaiting.译文：沉默的村庄在这个旅游频繁的世界上，仍有成千上万个游人足迹未至的地方。人们总是以为偏僻的地方的村民们热情好客。但是，那些不但与外国旅游者隔绝，而且与本国同胞隔绝的人们有可能对游客抱有敌意。到真正偏僻的村庄去旅游并不是一件愉快的事情。我与妻子在一次周游巴尔干半岛时对此深有体会。我们在一座小镇上逗留了几天，参观了附近的许多古老的教堂。这些教堂吸引大量游客，不仅是因为建筑风格奇特，而且还有大量保存完好的壁画。我们离开小镇的前一天，镇上来了几辆满载游客的公共汽车。人多得使我们难以忍受，于是我们用心爱心专心决定利用最后一天去乡间一游。我们走上了一条出镇的小路，穿过几块农田，来到一片茂密的树林。我们原以为小路会到此突然终止。没想到它到树林中继续向前延伸。我们在树林中跋涉了两个多小时，到了一条深溪边。我们可以看到小路在深溪对岸继续向前伸展，但却不知如何越过这道深溪。突然，妻子发现岸边泊着一条小船，船上有一船夫在呼呼大睡。我们轻轻地把他唤醒，请他把我们摆渡过溪。一开始他很不愿意，但经劝说，终于同...
