ABSTRACT The small island Marsela, one of the Babar islands of Maluku province in eastern Indonesia, has long been of little interest to central authorities given its location at the edge of their spheres of influence and its presumed economic insignificance. Even after lasting contact with western civilisation was established in the first decades of the 20th century, it remained a rather forgotten island. This article aims to show that, despite its remoteness, Marsela’s relationship with the outer world is considered vital by its population. An insightful way to look at this relationship is to examine trade. Hence it discusses the bartering systems in which the Marsela have been engaged for centuries to obtain (luxury) consumer goods from neighbouring islands, and from Banda, India, and the Netherlands. Its message is that a focus on the outside is embedded in Marsela culture. It is given concrete expression in rituals and myths and sets society in motion. Recent plans to exploit an enormous gas-field off the coast of Marsela add an unforeseen factor to this picture.

中文翻译：

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运动中的马塞拉

摘要 马塞拉小岛是印度尼西亚东部马鲁古省巴巴尔岛之一，长期以来一直不受中央当局的关注，因为它位于其势力范围的边缘，而且其经济意义被推定为微不足道。即使在 20 世纪的头几十年与西方文明建立了持久的联系，它仍然是一个相当被遗忘的岛屿。本文旨在表明，尽管马塞拉地处偏远，但其居民认为与外部世界的关系至关重要。看待这种关系的一种有见地的方法是考察贸易。因此，它讨论了马塞拉人几个世纪以来一直从事的易货交易系统，以从邻近岛屿以及班达、印度和荷兰获得（奢侈品）消费品。它传达的信息是，对外部的关注已深深植根于马塞拉文化中。它在仪式和神话中得到具体表达，并使社会运转起来。最近在马塞拉海岸开发一个巨大气田的计划为这幅画增添了一个不可预见的因素。