古巴雪茄传奇亚雷汉德罗·罗柏纳逝世

Cuba's most famous cigar maker¹, Alejandro Robaina, has died aged² 91.

古巴最著名的雪茄制作者，亚雷汉德罗·罗柏纳日前逝世，享年91岁。

Alejandro Robaina

Mr Robaina, the only person to have a brand of Cuban cigars named after him, had been a roving ambassador（巡回大使） for the country's state-run cigar industry.

But more typically, he could be found on his small farm in the Vuelta Abajo region of western Cuba, tending（照顾，保养） his beloved（心爱的，挚爱的） tobacco plants.

He was famous for their quality and always told visitors: you have to love the land and care for it.

If Cuba's hugely profitable state-run cigar industry had a face in recent years, it was that of Don Alejandro Robaina, says the BBC's Danny Aeberhard.

Veils of cotton

And what a face this venerable（庄严的，值得尊敬的） gentleman had - bronzed and deeply wrinkled（有皱纹的） , like one of his prized, dried tobacco leaves, he adds.

Although he met kings and celebrities³, this modest man was perhaps more comfortable greeting visitors to his smallholding（小农场，小块田地） in Vuelta Abajo.

There he would show people how to nurture⁴ the plants, protecting them from the fierce glare（耀眼的光，刺眼） of the Cuban sun with veils of cotton cloth.

Their quality was legendary⁵. When the tobacco grows, he said, it talks to you, telling you what it needs - and you must listen.