Since ancient times, Samarkand has been a center of spiritual, economic, cultural and scientific exchange among the peoples living in the space from East Asia to North Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Самарқанд қадим-қадимдан Шарқий Осиёдан то Шимолий Африка, Яқин Шарқ ва Европагача бўлган маконда яшайдиган халқлар ўртасида маънавий, иқтисодий, маданий ва илмий алмашувларнинг маркази бўлиб келган.

"The great Sisler's father was never poor and he, the father, was playing in the Big Leagues when he was my age."

"When I was your age I was before the mast on a square rigged ship that ran to Africa and I have seen lions on the beaches in the evening."

"I know. You told me."

— Улуғ Сайзлернинг отаси ҳеч қачон камбағал бўлган эмас. Менинг ёшимда у чинакам командада ўйнар экан.

— Мен бўлсам сенинг ёшингда елканли кемада юнга бўлиб, Африка қирғоқларига сузиб борганман. Кечқурунлари йўлбарсларнинг қирғоққа чиқишини кўрганман.

— Бир гапириб берувдинг.

"Should we talk about Africa or about baseball?"

"Baseball I think," the boy said. 'Tell me about the great John J . McGraw."

— Хўш, биз нима ҳақда гаплашмоқчимиз ўзи — Африка тўғрисидами ёки бейсбол ҳақидами?

— Яхшиси бейсбол ҳақида. Менга буюк Джон Мак-Гроу ҳақида гапириб бер.

The boy went out. They had eaten with no light on the table and the old man took off his trousers and went to bed in the dark. He rolled his trousers up to make a pillow, putting the newspaper inside them. He rolled himself in the blanket and slept on the other old newspapers that covered the springs of the bed. He was asleep in a short time and he dreamed of Africa when he was a boy and the long golden beaches and the white beaches, so white they hurt your eyes, and the high capes and the great brown mountains. He lived along that coast now every night and in his dreams he heard the surf roar and saw the native boats come riding through it. He smelled the tar and oakum of the deck as he slept and he smelled the smell of Africa that the land breeze brought at morning.

Бола кетди. Улар чироқ ёқмасдан овқатланишганидан, чол қоронғида ечиниб ётди. У кийимларига газетани ҳам қўшиб ўраб, ёстиқ ўрнига бошига қўйди. Чол одеялига бурканиб, каравотнинг қуруқ пружиналарига ташлаб қўйилган эски газеталар устига чўзилди. У ётди-ю, ухлаб қолди. Уйқусида ёшлик чоғлари ўтган Африка, унинг узун, олтин қирғоқлари ва кўзни қамаштиргудек оппоқ саёзликлар, юксак қоя ва ҳай-батли қўнғир тоғлар тушига кирди. Энди у яна ҳар кеча уйқусида шу қирғоқларга қўнар, уввос билан отилган тўлқинларнинг шовқинини эшитар ва ерлилар тушган қайиқни тўлқин қирғоққа қандай суриб бораётганини кўриб турарди. Тушида у ҳамон палубадан чиқаётган лос ва смола исини туяр, димоғига эрталабки шамол қирғоқдан олиб келган Африка нафаси уриларди.