特拉蒙塔纳山脉的橄榄园, 马略卡岛, 巴利阿里群岛, 西班牙 Olive orchard in the Serra de Tramuntana, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain (© cinoby/Getty Images)

特拉蒙塔纳山脉的橄榄园, 马略卡岛, 巴利阿里群岛, 西班牙 Olive orchard in the Serra de Tramuntana, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain (© cinoby/Getty Images)

让树叶诉说历史 'Leaf' it to history

世界橄榄树日

古老而充满生机，扭曲却坚韧不拔，橄榄树可以存活超过一千年。即便树干伤痕累累、内部中空，它们依然年复一年抽出新叶，成为记录风霜、旱灾与烈火的生命见证。2019年，联合国教科文组织将11月26日定为世界橄榄树日，以纪念这种自约公元前6000年起就被人类栽培的树种。橄榄自古以来不仅承载着实用价值，也蕴含着深刻的象征意义：橄榄油被用于涂抹仪式、医药与日常食用；橄榄叶编织的花环曾加冕奥运冠军；而橄榄枝，更成为延续至今的和平象征。

位于巴利阿里海中的西班牙马略卡岛，正是这段悠久历史的缩影。岛上遍布如今日图片中特拉蒙塔纳山脉般的古老橄榄林，其中一些树木的年岁甚至早于岛上的中世纪大教堂。这里的橄榄被轻柔采摘、数小时内压榨成油，因其果香、杏仁香与草本香而备受珍视。每一场收获都延续着千年的传承：果实滋养生命，木材燃起炉火，根系稳固山坡。跨越千年，橄榄树作为人类文明的见证者，与我们一同走过岁月：始终坚韧、持久，且绿意盎然。

World Olive Tree Day

Ancient yet vibrant, twisted yet resilient, olive trees can live for over a thousand years. Even when scarred or hollowed, their trunks still send out fresh leaves each season—a living record of survival through drought, wind, and fire. In 2019, UNESCO established November 26 as World Olive Tree Day, recognizing these trees that have been cultivated by humans since about 6,000 BCE. Olives have carried both practical and symbolic weight through the ages: their oil was pressed for anointing, medicine, and daily sustenance; crowns of their leaves graced Olympic victors; and their branches became a lasting emblem of peace.

Nestled in the Balearic Sea, the Spanish island of Mallorca embodies this long story, flourishing with groves like those in the Serra de Tramuntana, photographed here. Some trees across the island are older than its medieval cathedrals. Here, olives are gently picked, pressed within hours, and transformed into an oil prized for its fruity, almond, and herbal notes. Each harvest continues a legacy: the fruit nourishes, the wood fuels fires, and the roots stabilize steep slopes. Across millennia, these companions of civilization have witnessed our progress as we witness their endurance—remaining unyielding, persistent, and remarkably green.