Did the Amazons really exist? - Adrienne Mayor

翻译人员: Chien Yet Chong 校对人员: Ran Lan

由荷马时代开始，

Since the time of Homer,

ancient stories told of fierce warriors dwelling beyond the Mediterranean world,

就有古老的传说叙述一群 居住在地中海以外的彪悍勇士，

striking fear into the mightiest empires of antiquity.

他们所向无敌， 足以令古代强大的帝国惶恐不安。

Their exploits were recounted by many epic poets.

他们的战绩已被诗人们重述万遍。

They fought in the legendary Trojan War and their grand army invaded Athens.

他们曾参与著名的特洛伊战争， 他们庞大的军队也侵略过雅典。

Jason and the Argonauts passed by their shores,

伊阿宋和阿耳戈英雄们 经过他们的海岸线，

barely avoiding their deadly arrows.

还差点被他们致命的箭击伤。

These formidable fighters faced off against the greatest champions of myth:

这群令人惊悚的战士曾跟 神话里伟大的英雄对战：

Heracles,

赫拉克勒斯、

Theseus,

忒修斯

and Achilles.

以及阿喀琉斯。

And every single one of these warriors was a woman.

这群勇士每一位成员都是女的。

The war-loving Amazons, "the equals of men" in courage and skill,

好战的亚马逊人， 无论在勇气或战术方面都不让须眉，

were familiar to everyone in ancient Greece.

他们的名气是古希腊众所周知的。

Amazon battle scenes decorated the Parthenon on the Athenian Acropolis;

亚马逊人的战斗场面装饰着 帕特农神殿和雅典卫城；

paintings and statues of Amazons adorned temples and public spaces.

亚马逊人的画和雕像 点缀着庙宇和公共场所。

Little girls played with Amazon dolls,

小女孩们玩着亚马逊玩偶，

and Amazons were a favorite subject on Greek vase paintings.

他们也是古希腊瓶画首选的主题。

In Greek art and literature,

古希腊艺术和文学把

they were depicted as daring and desirable,

亚马逊人描述成英勇强悍和富有魅力，

but also terrifying and deadly,

但与此同时凛然生畏和致命非凡，

and doomed to die at the hands of Greek heroes.

并且注定死于古希腊英雄的手中。

Were Amazons merely figures of myth, or something more?

亚马逊人只是神话中的人物 抑或真有其人呢？

It was long assumed that they were imaginary,

很长一段时间，人们都认为他们 都是虚构的，

like the cyclops and centaurs.

跟单眼巨人和半人马无异。

But curiously enough, stories from ancient Egypt,

不过令人惊奇的是， 来自古埃及、

Persia,

波斯、

the Middle East,

中东、

Central Asia,

中亚、

India,

印度

and China

和中国

also featured Amazon-like warrior women.

的典故中都有跟亚马逊人类似的女战士。

And Amazons were described in ancient historical accounts, not just myths.

此外，亚马逊人不只在神话中出现， 也呈现于古代的历史记载中。

Writers like Herodotus, Plato, and Strabo never doubted their existence.

古代作者，如希罗多德、柏拉图 和斯特拉波，都不曾怀疑过他们的存在。

So who were the real women warriors known as Amazons?

那么，称为亚马逊人的女勇士 的真实身份是什么呢？

Ancient historians located the Amazon homeland in Scythia,

古代的历史学家都认为 亚马逊人的故乡位于斯基提亚，

the vast territory stretching from

这块广袤的地区

the Black Sea across the steppes of Central Asia.

位于黑海和中亚草原之间。

This immense region was populated by nomadic tribes

游牧民族居住在这块宽广的土地上，

whose lives centered on horses,

他们的生活围绕马匹、

archery,

箭术、

and warfare.

和战争为重心。

Their culture flourished for about 1,000 years beginning around 800 BC.

他们的文化始于公元前800年， 并持续繁荣昌盛长达一千年。

Feared by Greeks, Persians, and the Chinese, the Scythians left

斯基提亚人令希腊人，波斯人和中国人 闻风丧胆，但他们并没

no written records. But we can find clues in how

留下任何文字记录。 虽然如此，我们仍然可以

their neighbors described them, as well as in archaeology.

通过邻国的记载和 考古学来一窥他们。

Scythians' ancestors were the first to ride horses

斯基提亚人的祖先是 第一群懂得驾驭马群的人类，

and they invented the recurve bow.

他们也发明了反曲弓。

And, because a female mounted archer could be as fast and as deadly as a male,

因为女弓骑兵可以有男人 一样的速度和杀伤力，

all children were trained to ride and shoot.

所有孩童都接受 骑马和射击训练。

Women hunted and fought alongside men, using the same weapons.

女人使用的兵器跟男的一样， 并且和男人并肩作战。

The harsh landscape and their nomadic lifestyle

严酷的环境和他们的游牧生活习惯

created its own form of equality.

造就了这种独特的男女平等。

This amazed the ancient Greeks, whose women led restricted indoor lives.

这种社会现象令古希腊人十分惊奇， 因为他们的女人都过着三步不出门的生活。

The earliest stories of the Scythians, and Amazons,

最早期跟斯基提亚人和亚马逊人的故事

may have been exaggerated rumors.

很大可能都是被夸大的传闻。

But as the Greeks began to trade around the Black Sea and further east,

不过当古希腊人开始在黑海周围以及 远东地区通商时，

their portrayals became more realistic.

有关他们的描述更加真实了。

Early depictions of Amazons showed them with Greek weapons and armor.

早期有关亚马逊人的图画都显示他们 使用古希腊人的武器和铠甲。

But in later representations,

但是后期的图画显示

they wielded bows and battle-axes,

他们手持弓箭和战斧，

rode horses,

骑着骏马，

and wore pointed caps and patterned trousers

以及头戴尖顶帽 和身穿花纹裤子，

characteristic of steppe nomads.

也就是草原游牧民族的典型服装。

Until recently, no one was sure how strong the links were

直到近期，没有人可以确定 斯基提亚人跟古希腊神话里的

between Scythians and the Amazons of Greek myth.

亚马逊人有多大的关联。

But recent archaeological discoveries have provided ample evidence.

但是近期的考古发现已提供了 足够的证据。

More than 1,000 ancient Scythian kurgans, or burial mounds, have been excavated,

超过一千个古斯基提亚古冢已被挖掘出来，

containing skeletons and weapons.

里面埋有骨骸和兵器。

Archaeologists had previously assumed

以前，考古学家认为

that weapons could only belong to male warriors.

那些兵器只属于男性战士。

But modern DNA analysis so far

但是现代脱氧核糖核酸检验

has revealed that about 300 skeletons buried with weapons

显示超过三百副跟兵器一起 下葬的骨骸

belong to females ranging in age from 10 to 45,

都属于女性， 年龄介于10至45岁。

and more are being found every year.

每年有更多类似的骨骸被发现。

The women's skeletons show battle injuries:

这些女性骨骸带着战伤：

ribs slashed by swords,

有的肋骨被剑砍伤，

skulls bashed by battle-axes,

有的头颅骨被战斧击碎，

and arrows embedded in bones.

也有的骨头中还嵌着箭。

In classical art and writings,

在古典艺术和文学中，

the fearsome Amazons were always portrayed as brave and heroic.

令人畏惧的亚马逊人通常都被 描绘成英勇的战士。

In male-dominated classical Greece, however,

不过，在男权至上的古希腊社会里，

the very idea of strong women who gloried in freedom and war aroused mixed feelings.

想象在在自由和战争中闪耀的强大女性 会引发矛盾的情绪。

And yet, the Greeks were also drawn to egalitarian ideals.

虽然如此，希腊人仍然深爱 平均主义的理想。

Is it possible that the mythic realm of thrilling Amazon tales

有没有可能，扣人心弦的亚马逊人的神秘国度

was a way to imagine women and men as equal companions?

其实是想象着男女平等相处的一种方法？