The incredible history of China's terracotta warriors - Megan Campisi and Pen-Pen Chen

兵马俑的传奇历史 - Megan Campisi and Pen-Pen Chen

翻译人员: Sanqiang Xiao 校对人员: Cissy Yun

What happens after death?

死后会发生什么？

Is there a restful paradise?

真的有宁静的天堂吗?

An eternal torment?

还是永恒的煎熬？

A rebirth?

还是重生？

Or maybe just nothingness?

还是化为虚无？

Well, one Chinese emperor thought that whatever the hereafter was,

有一个中国皇帝认为不论是什么，

he better bring an army.

最好带上一支军队

We know that because in 1974,

在1974年，

farmers digging a well near their small village

几个农民在他们的小镇旁挖井时，

stumbled upon one of the most important finds in archeological history:

偶然揭开了考古历史上最重要的发现之一：

vast underground chambers surrounding that emperor's tomb,

庞大的地下墓室，环绕在皇陵旁边

and containing more than 8,000 life-size clay soldiers ready for battle.

里面有至少8,000个真人大小，全副武装的兵马俑

The story of the subterranean army begins with Ying Zheng,

地下军队的故事源于嬴政

who came to power as the king of the Qin state at the age of 13

他13岁就成为了秦国的国王

in 246 BCE.

那是公元前246年

Ambitious and ruthless,

他野心勃勃而冷酷无情

he would go on to become Qin Shi Huangdi,

在统一了七个交战不断的国家后

the first emperor of China after uniting its seven warring kingdoms.

他成为了中国第一个皇帝，秦始皇

His 36 year reign saw many historic accomplishments,

他36年的统治间实现了许多历史成就

including a universal system of weights and measures,

包括统一了度量衡

a single standardized writing script for all of China,

统一了文字

and a defensive barrier that would later come to be known as the Great Wall.

建立了防守城墙，也就是后来的长城

But perhaps Qin Shi Huangdi dedicated so much effort

但也许秦始皇做出如此大的贡献，

to securing his historical legacy

以确保他历史上的传奇地位，

because he was obsessed with his mortality.

是因为他对死亡的纠结

He spent his last years desperately employing alchemists

在他的最后一年，他拼命地雇佣炼金师

and deploying expeditions in search of elixirs of life

并派出探险队搜查长生不老药

that would help him achieve immortality.

以使他永生

And as early as the first year of his reign,

早在他统治的第一年

he began the construction of a massive underground necropolis

他就开始建造庞大的地下墓地

filled with monuments, artifacts,

填满了各种文物古器

and an army to accompany him into the next world

还有一支军队陪伴他进入另一个世界

and continue his rule.

延续他的统治

This magnificent army is still standing in precise battle formation

这支宏伟的军队仍然精确地保持战备姿态

and is split across several pits.

分布在几个坑中

One contains a main force of 6,000 soldiers,

一个包含了6000士兵的主力部队

each weighing several hundred pounds,

每个重几百磅

a second has more than 130 war chariots and over 600 horses,

另一个有130辆战车，及超过600匹战马

and a third houses the high command.

第三个坑存放高级统帅

An empty fourth pit suggests that the grand project

空的第四号坑说明这个巨大的工程

could not be finished before the emperor's death.

可能在皇帝驾崩时还没有完成

In addition, nearby chambers contain figures of musicians and acrobats,

此外，邻近的墓穴放了乐师、杂技演员、

workers and government officials,

工人及官员的陶俑

and various exotic animals,

及不同稀奇动物

indicating that Emperor Qin had more plans for the afterlife

显示秦始皇对死后生活有更多的打算

than simply waging war.

而不限于战争

All the figurines are sculpted from terracotta, or baked earth,

所有的人俑都由陶土及烤过的泥土造成

a type of reddish brown clay.

那是一种泛红的棕色粘土

To construct them, multiple workshops and reportedly over 720,000 laborers

为了建造他们，许多工坊及据称超720,000个工匠

were commandeered by the emperor,

被皇帝征召

including groups of artisans who molded each body part separately

包括许多技工，他们将陶俑的分成许多模块

to construct statues as individual as the real warriors in the emperor's army.

逐一雕塑皇帝的每个战士

They stand according to rank

他们依序排列

and feature different weapons and uniforms,

都有不同的武器和制服

distinct hairstyles and expressions,

不同的发型及表情

and even unique ears.

甚至不同的耳朵

Originally, each warrior was painted in bright colors,

最初，每个战士都被涂明亮的颜色

but their exposure to air caused the paint to dry and flake,

但暴露在空气中使得涂料褪色

leaving only the terracotta base.

只剩下陶俑本身

It is for this very reason that another chamber less than a mile away

也是因为这个原因，在一英里之内的另一个墓穴

has not been excavated.

尚未被挖掘

This is the actual tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi,

这是真正的秦始皇陵

reported to contain palaces, precious stones and artifacts,

据称含有宫殿，珍贵的石头及工艺品

and even rivers of mercury flowing through mountains of bronze.

甚至有水银做成的河

But until a way can be found to expose it without damaging the treasures inside,

但除非能发现一种可以打开陵墓并不损坏宝藏的方法

the tomb remains sealed.

陵墓仍然被密封

Emperor Qin was not alone in wanting company for his final destination.

秦始皇不是唯一的希望人们陪他走到最后的人

Ancient Egyptian tombs contain clay models representing the ideal afterlife,

古埃及陵墓包含着象征着理想死后生活的泥俑

the dead of Japan's Kofun period were buried

日本古坟时代人死后

with sculptures of horses and houses,

与马和房屋的雕塑一起埋葬

and the graves of the Jaina island off the Mexican coast

墨西哥海岸附件的耆那岛的洞穴中

are full of ceramic figurines.

充满了陶瓷俑

Fortunately, as ruthless as he was,

幸运的是，虽然秦始皇十分冷酷无情

Emperor Qin chose to have servants and soldiers built for this purpose,

他却选择建造仆人和士兵人俑陪葬

rather than sacrificing living ones to accompany him,

而不是牺牲真正的人来殉葬

as had been practiced in Egypt, West Africa, Anatolia,

在埃及、西非、安纳托利亚及北美部分地区

parts of North America

真人殉葬都被使用

and even China during the previous Shang and Zhou dynasties.

甚至存在于中国的商周朝时期

And today, people travel from all over the world to see these stoic soldiers

今天， 人们从世界各地赶来参观这些守望的士兵

silently awaiting their battle orders for centuries to come.

他们已经在这等待出征的号角已经几个世纪了