Run, sail, or hide? How to survive the destruction of Pompeii - Gary Devore

翻译人员: 校对人员: Helen Chang

It’s a bustling day in Pompeii.

这是庞贝城忙碌的一天。

Fabia visits the Temple of Venus and offers a sacrificial dove to the goddess,

法比娅来到维纳斯神殿 并为女神送来一只鸽子作为祭品，

asking her to bless her brother’s upcoming wedding.

祈求女神祝福她兄弟即将到来的婚礼。

After a quick visit to the market,

在市场的一次短暂停留后，

she spots her brothers, Lucius and Marcus, crossing the Forum.

她看到她的兄弟们， 路西斯和马库斯，从集会区穿过。

They’re off to relax at the public baths.

他们要去公共浴场放松。

Marcus spent the morning helping a master craftsman lay a grand mosaic floor

马库斯早上帮一位工匠老师傅 铺了一片气派的马赛克地板，

while Lucius worked in the brickyard.

同时路西斯则在砖厂里干活。

It’s been 17 years since an earthquake hit Pompeii and its neighbor Herculaneum,

离上次庞贝和它的邻城赫库兰尼姆 发生地震已经十七年了，

and there’s still construction and repair work to do.

仍有很多维修工作要做。

Fabia and her brothers discuss the recent tremors everyone’s been feeling.

法比娅和她的兄弟们讨论了 大家最近都有感觉到的小震动。

Lucius jokes that there’ll always be work for men who rebuild walls in Pompeii.

路西斯开玩笑说，在庞贝， 修墙人总会有活干。

He tells them how eager he is to bind hands with his sponsa, or bride-to-be.

他告诉两人自己有多等不及 来牵起自己未婚妻的手。

The siblings begin discussing tomorrow’s wedding—

兄弟姐妹开始谈论明天的婚礼 —

but a deafening boom interrupts them.

但是一声震耳欲聋的巨响打断了他们。

They watch Vesuvius spew smoke, ash, and rock high into the air—

他们看到维苏威火山向天空 高高地喷出了浓烟、灰烬和岩石，

and realize they've been living in the shadow of a volcano.

意识到他们一直住在火山阴影下。

They embrace and pray to Venus for protection and Vulcan for mercy.

他们向维纳斯祈求庇护 并向火神祈求宽恕。

Each must now choose how to survive.

每人现在必须选择如何求生。

They have three options: seek shelter, escape to the south on foot,

他们有三个选择：寻找庇护所， 向南步行逃跑，

or flee to the west by sea.

或者向西从海上逃脱。

Lucius rushes home but can’t find his sponsa.

路西斯冲回家里 却找不到他的未婚妻。

He decides to wait for her and lights an oil lamp.

他决定在家等她，并点了一盏油灯。

Ash and pumice begin raining over Pompeii.

火山灰和浮岩开始洒落在庞贝城上。

Fabia shelters with her husband, Claudius, and their daughters.

法比娅和丈夫克劳迪亚斯 以及女儿们躲在一起。

But after a few hours, their roof groans under the weight of volcanic debris,

但是几小时后，他们的屋顶 在火山碎屑的重压下嘎吱作响，

and they realize they can't stay.

他们意识到他们不能留在那。

They decide to travel southeast, away from the volcano.

他们决定往东南方走，远离火山。

The family joins swarms of people wading through hot ash on the cardo maximus

一家人加入了大批在中心大街上 踏着热灰前行的人们

and begins navigating towards one of Pompeii’s southern gates.

开始向着庞贝的南方大门之一前进。

Marcus finally reaches his home in Herculaneum

马库斯终于到达 他位于赫库兰尼姆的家

and gathers his wife and children.

并找到了他的妻儿。

They decide to escape by sea.

他们决定从海上逃脱。

But as they approach the docks,

但是当他们走近港口，

they discover waves brimming with volcanic matter,

他们发现海浪上满是火山碎屑，

making it impossible for boats to navigate close enough to shore.

这使得船只不可能靠近海岸。

Trying to keep calm for their children, they huddle underneath covered boat docks.

马库斯和妻子为了孩子试着保持镇定， 他们蜷缩在船坞的屋顶下。

Now, the deadliest phase of the disaster begins.

此时这场灾难最致命的阶段开始了。

At this point, the force throwing the volcanic material, or tephra,

这时候，将火山物质（火山灰）

into the air diminishes, and it comes crashing down.

抛向天空的力量减弱，灰烬猛然落下。

Hot ash and noxious gas billow out in a wave known as a pyroclastic surge.

炙热的灰烬和有毒的气体

以一种被叫做火山碎屑流的波浪形式 从火山里滚滚而出。

This first surge engulfs Herculaneum.

第一道奔涌吞噬了赫库兰尼姆城。

One hour later, another three times as strong

一小时后，另一道三倍强度的碎屑波

collapses the town’s remaining structures.

摧毁了城里剩下的建筑。

These have yet to reach Pompeii,

这些还没波及到庞贝城，

but buildings are ablaze in the hot, sulfurous air.

但是房屋已在滚烫 且充满硫磺味的空气中猛烈燃烧。

Lucius climbs out of his closet and tries his front door,

路西斯从他的衣柜里爬了出来 并试着打开他家前门，

but a deep blanket of ash and stone won’t let it budge.

但是厚厚的灰烬和岩石让门纹丝不动。

His lamp flickers and dies.

他的油灯摇曳着熄灭了。

After more than 14 hours, at times walking through ash up to their chests,

超过十四小时后， 走在及胸口深的灰烬里，

Fabia, her family, and the others who left early enough,

法比娅、他的家人 还有其他走得足够早的人

climb the southern Latarri mountains.

爬上了南边的拉塔里山脉。

They reach a peak and pause to look back.

他们爬上了一座高峰 并停下回头看了看。

Another pyroclastic surge rushes across the valley, crashes into Pompei,

又一道火山碎屑流冲过了山谷， 撞进了庞贝城，

and sheers off the upper levels of the town’s buildings.

削去了城里建筑的上半部分。

Fighting back tears, Fabia continues to push her family on towards safety,

强忍着泪水，法比娅继续 带着家人向安全的地方前进，

praying for her brothers and fellow townspeople.

并为她的兄弟们还有其他居民祈祷。

According to modern analysis, the eruption may have lasted days or weeks.

根据现代分析，这次爆发 可能持续了几天或是几星期。

When it was over, almost 300 square kilometers were decimated,

灾后将近三百平方公里的土地 被严重破坏，

and Pompeii and Herculaneum lay under up to 65 feet of tephra.

而庞贝和赫库兰尼姆古城 被埋在深达65英尺的火山灰下。

Despite some disorganized looting and digging,

尽管有些无组织的盗掘，

these towns remained buried until official excavations began in the mid-1800s.

这些城镇在十九世纪中期的 官方挖掘开始前一直被埋着。

Archaeologists have since analyzed skeletal evidence and volcanic deposits

考古学家自那以后 分析骸骨取证和火山沉积

to reconstruct a timeline of Herculaneum and Pompeii’s final moments.

来为庞贝和赫库兰尼姆古城的 最后时刻重建一条时间线。

They've revealed a poignant glimpse at the experiences of the eruption's victims.

他们揭示了这次喷发遇害者 所经历的令人心酸的景象。

Much of our understanding of ancient Roman life—

我们对古罗马生活的很多理解 —

from food and furniture to architecture and economics—

从食物到家具再到建筑和经济 —

comes from these ruins.

来自这些遗迹。

In their time, they were simply provincial towns in the Bay of Naples.

当时它们只是那不勒斯湾的 两座省级城镇。

But their rediscovery has given us an unparalleled view into the ancient world

但是它们的重新发现给与我们 无与伦比的机会来看向古代世界

and the lives that were devastated by disaster.

和受到灾难摧残的生命。