Four sisters in Ancient Rome - Ray Laurence

古罗马四姐妹 - Ray Laurence

Translator: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Jessica Ruby

翻译人员: Catherine Gu 校对人员: Binglei Shea

Today, we're going to look at the world of Rome

今天我们要从一个小女孩的眼里

through the eyes of a young girl.

来看古罗马。

Here she is, drawing a picture of herself

这就是她，在她父亲巨大房子的中庭里

in the atrium of her father's enormous house.

给自己画了一张像。

Her name is Domitia,

她的名字叫Domitia，

and she is just 5 years old.

只有五岁。

She has an older brother who is fourteen,

她有个十四岁的哥哥，

Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus,

Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus ，

named after her dad.

取名于她父亲的名字。

Girls don't get these long names that boys have.

女孩没有男孩那么长的名字。

What is worse is that Dad insists

糟糕的是其父坚持

on calling all his daughters Domitia.

叫他所有的女儿Domitia。

"Domitia!"

"Domitia!"

His call to Domitia drawing on the column,

他喊在柱子上画画的Domitia，

Domitia III.

Domitia III。

She has an older sister, Domitia II, who is 7 years old.

她有个姐姐，Domitia II ，七岁。

And then there's Domitia I, who is ten.

还有Domitia I，十岁。

There would have been a Domitia IV,

本来还有个Domitia IV ，

but mom died trying to give birth to her three years ago.

但在三年前妈妈生她时去世了。

Confused?

糊涂了吧？

The Romans were too.

罗马人都这样。

They could work out ancestry through the male line

他们通过好听的三名法取名

with the nice, tripartite names

从男性的关系找寻祖先。

such as Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus.

例如，Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus。

But they got in a real mess

但是当他们要记录

over which Domitia was married to whom

Domitia和谁结婚了

and was either the great aunt

是姑婆和谁结婚了

or the great stepmother and so on to whom

还是继母的妈和谁结婚了

when they came to write it down.

他们真是搞不清了。

Domitia III is not just drawing on the pillar,

Domitia III 不只是在柱子上画画，

she's also watching the action.

还观察行动。

You see, it's early,

你看，时候还早，

in the time of day when all her dad's clients and friends

白天的时候所有她爸爸的客户和朋友

come to see him at home to pay their respects.

来她家看他表示尊敬。

Lucius Popidius Secundus, a 17 year old,

Lucius Popidius Secundus,十七岁。

he wants to marry Domitia II

他想在今后五到七年里

within the next five to seven years,

娶Domitia II，

has come as well.

也来了。

He seems to be wooing not his future wife,

他似乎不是在向他未来的妻子求爱，

but her dad.

而是她的父亲。

Poor Lucius, he does not know that Domitia's dad

可怜的 Lucius，他不知道 Domitia的爸爸

thinks he and his family are wealthy

认为他和他家是有钱，

but still scumbags from the Subura.

但却是来自Subura的人渣。

Afterall, it is the part of Rome

但毕竟这是罗马的一个区

full of barbers and prostitutes.

即使充斥着底层理发师和妓女。

Suddenly, all the men are leaving with Dad.

突然所有人随爸爸离开。

It's the second hour

现在是两点

and time for him to be in court

到了该去大讲堂的时候

with a sturdy audience of clients

有一大群客户观众

to applaud his rhetoric

给他的讲话鼓掌，

and hiss at his opponent.

给他的对手起哄发唏嘘声。

The house is now quieter.

现在房间里安静些了。

The men won't return for seven hours,

这些男人们走了有七小时，

not until dinner time.

直到吃晚饭的时候才回来。

But what happens in the house for those seven hours?

但这七小时里家里发生了什么？

What do Domitia, Domitia, and Domitia do all day?

Domitia， Domitia and Domitia一天都干什么了？

Not an easy question!

这可不是个容易的问题！

Everything written down by the Romans

今天我们能看到的关于罗马人的所有记载

that we have today was written by men.

都是男人写的。

This makes constructing the lives of women difficult.

这使得构建妇女的生活十分困难。

However, we can't have a history of just Roman men,

可是我们不能只有罗马男人的历史

so here it goes.

这里有了。

We can begin in the atrium.

我们可以从中庭开始。

There is a massive loom,

有一个超大织机，

on which Dad's latest wife is working on a new toga.

爸爸的最新妻子正在织一件新长袍，

Domitia, Domitia, and Domitia are tasked

Domitia, Domitia, and Domitia正在

with spinning the wool

纺线

that will be used to weave this mighty garment,

来织这件

30 or more feet long and elliptical in shape.

三十多英尺长的椭圆形的大衣服。

Romans loved the idea

罗马人喜欢让妻子们干针线活

that their wives work wool.

这个主意。

We know that because it's written

我们知道是因为这被记在

on the gravestones of so many Roman women.

众多的罗马妇女的墓碑上。

Unlike women in Greece,

不像希腊妇女，

Roman women go out the house

罗马妇女走出家门

and move about the city.

在城里活动。

They go to the baths in the morning to avoid the men

她们早上去洗澡，为了避免与男人接触

or to separate baths that are for women only.

只去单独的妇女的浴室。

Some do go in for the latest fad of the AD 70s:

公元七十年代最新的时尚确实有人这样做：

nude bathing with men present.

裸体与男性一起洗澡。

Where they have no place

她们没有地位

is where the men are:

在任何男人在的地方：

in the Forum,

论坛上，

in the Law Court,

法院上，

or in the Senate House.

或参众两院上。

Their place in public is in the porticos

公众场合她们呆的地方只有门廊

with gardens,

花园下、

with sculpture,

雕像旁

and with pathways for walking in.

和用来走路的通道里。

When Domitia, Domitia, and Domitia want

当Domitia, Domitia, 和 Domitia想

to leave the house to go somewhere,

离开家到什么地方去时，

like the Portico of Livia,

例如利维娅的门廊，

they must get ready.

她们必须做好准备。

Domitia II and Domitia III are ready,

Domitia II 和Domitia III准备好了，

but Domitia I, who is betrothed to be married

但Domitia I被许配两年后

in two years to darling Philatus,

要和亲爱的Philatus结婚，

isn't ready.

没准备好。

She's not slow, she just has more to do.

她不是慢，只是有更多的事要做。

Being betrothed means she wears the insignia of betrothal:

订婚了意味着她要戴订婚的标志

engagement rings

订婚戒指

and all the gifts Pilatus has given her -

和所有Philatus送她的礼物 -

jewels,

珠宝、

earrings,

耳环、

necklaces,

项链、

and the pendants.

和吊坠。

She may even wear her myrtle crown.

她甚至会戴她的紫薇冠。

All this bling shouts,

所有这些首饰明示着，

"I'm getting married to that 19 year old

“我要和那个十九岁的人结婚了

who gave me all this stuff I'm wearing!"

我戴的所有这些东西是他给的！“

While as they wait, Domitia II and Domitia III play with their dolls

等的时候Domitia II 和 Domitia III在玩她们的娃娃

that mirror the image of their sister

娃娃是照着她们的姐姐

decked out to be married.

要出嫁的样子做的。

One day, these dolls will be dedicated

总有一天这些娃娃将蔼诚为

to the household gods on the day of their wedding.

结婚当天家里的神像。

Okay, we're ready.

我们准备好了。

The girls step into litters carried by some burly slaves.

女孩们走进由几个身材魁梧的奴隶扛着的轿子。

They also have a chaperone with them

她们也有一个和她们一起的陪伴，

and will be meeting an aunt at the Porticus of Livia.

在利维娅的门廊将会见到一个姨妈。

Carried high on the shoulders of these slaves,

被这些奴隶高高地扛在肩上，

the girls look out through the curtains

女孩们透过帘子向外张望，

to see the crowded streets below them.

看到她们下面拥挤的街道。

They traverse the city, pass the Coliseum,

她们穿过城市，通过体育馆，

but then turn off to climb up the hill

然后拐弯向山上爬去

to the Porticus of Livia.

直到利维娅的门廊。

It was built by Livia, the wife of the first emperor Augustus,

它是由第一位国王Augustus的妻子利维亚建造的，

on the site of the house of Vedius Pollio.

就在骑士Vedius Pollio的房子附近。

He wasn't such a great guy.

Vedius Pollio不是什么好人，

He once tried to feed a slave

曾差点把一个奴隶

to the eels in his fish pond

喂了他鱼塘里的鳗鱼，

for simply dropping a dish.

只因这奴隶掉了一个盘子。

Luckily, the emperor was at the dinner

幸亏国王也在这顿晚宴上

and tamed his temper.

止住了他的脾气。

The litters are placed on the ground

轿子放到了地上，

and the girls get out

女孩们出来了，

and arm in arm, two by two,

两人手拉着手，

they ascend the steps

走上台阶

into the enclosed garden with many columns.

进了带许多柱子的封闭花园。

Domitia III shot off and is drawing on a column.

Domitia III跑出去，正在往一个柱子上画画。

Domitia II joins her

Domitia II过来找她

but seeks to read the graffiti higher up on the column.

但只想看在柱子高处乱画的东西。

She spots a drawing of gladiators

她看到了一幅角斗士的画

and tries to imagine seeing them fighting,

并设法想象在看他们打，

something she will never be permitted to do,

这是永远不会允许她去做的事，

except from the very rear of the Coliseum.

除非从体育馆的很后面。

From there, she will have a good view

从那里她才能看见

of the 50,000 spectators

50,000观众

but will see little by way of blood and gore.

但几乎看不到血腥。

If she really wanted a decent view,

如果她真想看到不错的景像，

she could become a vestal virgin

她可以成为一个维斯塔贞女

and would sit right down the front.

就坐在前边。

But a career tending the sacred flame of Vesta

但是守护维斯塔的圣火

is not to everybody's taste.

不是人人都喜欢做的事。

Domitia I has met another ten year old

Domitia I遇见了另一个十岁的孩子

also decked out in the insignia of betrothal.

也戴着订婚的标志。

Home time.

回家的时间到了。

When they get there after the eighth hour,

八小时后她们到那里时，

something is up.

出事了。

A smashed dish lies on the floor.

一个碎盘子躺在地板上。

All the slaves are being gathered together in the atrium

所有的奴隶都被聚集在中庭

and await the arrival of their master.

等着主人的到来。

Dad is going to go mad.

爸爸要发疯的。

He will not hit his children,

他不会打他的孩子，

but like many other Romans,

但像许多罗马人一样，

he believes that slaves have to be punished.

他相信奴隶必须受惩罚。

The whip lies ready for his arrival.

鞭子准备好了等他回来。

No one knows who smashed the dish,

谁也不知道是谁打碎了盘子。

but Dad will call the undertaker

但爸爸要叫管事人

to torture it out of them, if he must.

来折磨他们，如果他需要的话。

The doorkeeper opens the front door to the house.

守门人打开了房子的前门。

A hush comes over the anxious slaves.

嘘声叫过来焦急的奴隶们。

In walks not their master

走进来的不是他们的主人

but, instead, a pregnant teenager.

而是一个怀孕少女。

It is the master's eldest daughter, age 15,

是主人的大女儿， 15 岁，

who is already a veteran of marriage and child birth.

已是一个婚姻和生孩子的老手。

Guess what her name is.

猜猜她的名字。

There is a five to ten percent chance

有5%到10% 的可能性

she won't survive giving birth to her child,

她将无法活着生下她的孩子。

but, for now, she has come to dinner with her family.

但现在她来和她的家人共进晚餐。

As a teenage mother,

作为一个十几岁的母亲，

she has proved that she is a successful wife

她已证明是一个成功的妻子，

by bringing children and descendants for her husband,

为丈夫抚养孩子和后代，

who will carry on his name in the future.

替他以后传宗接代。

The family head off to the dining room

全家人来到餐厅

and are served dinner.

享用晚餐。

It would seem Dad has had an invite to dinner elsewhere.

似乎爸爸有邀请去别的地方吃饭了。

With dinner concluded, the girls crossed the atrium

晚餐结束后，女孩们穿过中庭

to bid farewell to their older sister

和她们的姐姐告别，

who is carried home in a litter,

姐姐坐轿子回家，

escorted by some of Dad's bodyguards.

由爸爸的一些保镖护送。

Returning to the house,

回到房里，

the girls cross the atrium.

女孩们穿过中庭。

The slaves, young and old,

奴隶们，无论年轻的还是年老的，

male and female,

男人还是女人，

await the return of their owner.

都等着主人回来。

When he returns, he may exact vengeance,

当他回来时，有可能施暴，

ensuring his power over the slaves

他对奴隶的权力

is maintained through violence and terror,

是通过暴力和恐怖来维持的，

to which any slave could be subjected.

任何奴隶都有可能被控制。

But, for the girls, they head upstairs for the night,

但是对于女孩们， 她们上楼过夜，

ready for bed.

准备睡觉。