A day in the life of a teenager in medieval Baghdad - Birte Kristiansen and Petra Sijpesteijn

譯者: 穎君 紀 審譯者: Helen Chang

As the morning sun shines on the Golden Gate Palace,

晨曦灑上黃金拱門宮殿，

brother and sister Hisham and Asma prepare for the journey of a lifetime.

希珊和阿斯瑪這對兄妹 準備踏上他們生命中最棒的旅行。

It is 791 CE, and the Abbasid Caliphate is at the height of its power,

現在是西元 791 年， 正值阿拔斯帝國的國勢巔峰，

stretching from India to North Africa.

權力範圍從印度延伸至北非。

With over half a million inhabitants,

擁有超過 50 萬人的住民，

its capital city of Madinat al-Salaam, also known as Baghdad,

首都馬地納・薩拉姆，又名巴格達，

is the largest in the Islamic Empire, possibly the world.

是伊斯蘭帝國最大的首都， 甚至可能是世界最大，

And it's only 30 years old.

它只有三十年歷史。

Asma and Hisham will leave at sunset for the hajj,

希珊和阿斯瑪在日落時出發去朝聖，

the holy pilgrimage to Mecca.

也就是前往麥加的神聖旅程。

Most people make the journey when they’re older and wealthier,

許多人在自己更老更富裕時才會出發，

but Hisham and Asma have wanted to make this journey together

但希珊和阿斯瑪想在他們還年輕時 一起踏上這趟旅程。

since they were children.

They intend to travel with the big hajj caravan

他們計畫要與朝聖的旅行隊一起出發，

that is protected by the caliph soldiers.

旅行隊有著哈里發軍人保護。

The caliph Al-Rashid himself is also traveling with the caravan this year.

當時的哈里發，哈倫・拉希德， 也跟著這批旅行隊。

The hajj caravan is like a massive mobile city,

朝聖旅行隊就像一座巨大的移動城市，

with soldiers, cooks, doctors and merchants, servants and enslaved people.

有軍人、廚師、醫生、 商人、傭人和奴隸。

The journey is long, with dangers like disease, robbery, and dehydration.

朝聖的旅途漫長， 伴隨疾病、搶劫、脫水等危險。

Because of these perils, Hisham and Asma want to travel with the larger group—

因為這些風險因子，希珊和阿斯瑪 想要與規模更大的旅行隊一同出發，

but a last-minute mishap threatens to undo months of careful planning.

但一場不幸的災難打亂了他們 精心計劃好幾個月的旅程規劃——

When the siblings visit the market to check on the supplies they’ve purchased,

兩人造訪市集，確認採買好的用品時，

the merchant tells them one of their camels has fallen ill,

商人告訴他們有一隻駱駝生病了，

and he doesn't have any replacements.

也沒有其他隻駱駝能替代牠。

Without the camel, the siblings won't be able to depart with the caravan.

沒了那隻駱駝，兩人就無法和 旅行隊一同踏上旅途。

They search the marketplace,

他們找遍整座市集，

bustling with people from different ethnic backgrounds,

和各式各樣背景的人交流，

such as Persians, Arabs, Turks, Africans, and Indians,

如波斯人、阿拉伯人、非洲人、印度人，

and following different religions like Islam, Judaism,

信各種教，如伊斯蘭教、猶太教、

Christianity, and Zoroastrianism.

基督教和祆教。

The market sells everything from locally made pottery, Egyptian glass,

這座市集的商品琳琅滿目， 有當地製作的陶器、埃及的玻璃，

and paper from Samarkand, to Chinese silk, gold from Africa,

撒馬爾罕的紙、 中國的絲綢、非洲的黃金，

and fox fur from the distant north.

和來自遠北端的狐狸毛。

But with the caravan leaving tonight, no one has a camel available.

但旅行隊出發的今晚， 沒人有駱駝可以出借。

Though the hajj is primarily a religious journey,

雖然朝聖是宗教性的活動，

the siblings have other, personal hopes for it.

但兩人對朝聖參雜個人的期望。

Hisham and Asma come from a wealthy family and both had tutors as children.

希珊和阿斯瑪來自富裕的家庭， 兩人從小就有家庭教師。

Hisham is studying to become a scholar,

希珊以後想要成為學者，

progressing from Arabic grammar to Islamic law and Persian love poetry,

從阿拉伯文文法學 到伊斯蘭法律，和波斯情詩，

then to Indian-inspired mathematics and Greek philosophy and medicine.

還學了印度的數學、 希臘的哲學與藥學。

With scholars from all over the empire traveling to Mecca

由於各地的學者都朝向麥加

and important intellectual centers on the way,

和其他知識重鎮前進，

the hajj is a great learning opportunity.

朝聖之旅也是一次學習機會。

Asma, meanwhile, has literary ambitions.

阿斯瑪則對文學有無比熱情。

As a woman, a life of formal scholarship is not available to her.

身為女性，阿斯瑪無緣於 正式的學者身份，

Instead, she is honing her skills as a poet.

所以，她專心精進自己寫詩的技巧。

She hopes to compose poetry about the journey

她希望能寫出關於這趟旅程的詩

that will catch the attention of important women in the city,

引起城裡女性重要人物的注意，

and maybe even Queen Zubayda.

甚至是祖拜達女王的注意。

The siblings split up to search for a camel.

兩人分頭尋找駱駝，

Hisham heads toward the library complex to ask the scholars’ advice.

希珊前往圖書館尋求學者建議，

An elderly scholar studying Galen and Hippocrates

有位年長的學者 研究蓋倫和希波克拉底，

tells him how to treat a wound.

他告訴希珊如何處理傷口。

An Aramaic translator from Damascus shares a list of useful herbs

有位來自大馬士革的亞蘭語譯者 向希珊分享實用的藥草清單，

for upset stomach on the road.

治療旅途中的胃痛。

A Persian poet wants to share his latest poetry,

有位波斯詩人想唸剛寫好的詩給他聽，

but Hisham doesn’t see how that will get him the camel for tonight,

但希珊不覺得這會幫助他找到駱駝，

so he kindly refuses.

所以他婉拒了詩人。

As he says goodbye, they give him the names of important theology scholars

告別時，他們給希珊一張 有名的神學學者名單，

to visit in Medina, on the way to Mecca.

讓他在前往麥加的途中 於麥地那見見他們。

But to get there, he’ll need a camel.

但他需要一隻駱駝才能到達目的地。

Meanwhile, Asma visits an older, married cousin.

另一邊，阿斯瑪造訪已婚的親戚，

An enslaved girl opens the door, and takes Asma to the women’s quarters,

被奴役的女孩幫她開門， 帶領阿斯瑪來到女性特區，

where men cannot enter.

男性禁止進入。

Her cousin wants to hear Asma’s latest poetry,

她的親戚想聽阿斯瑪剛寫好的詩，

but Asma tells her she’s in a hurry and explains their predicament.

但阿斯瑪澄清說她在趕時間， 並解釋了她現處的困難。

She’s in luck— her cousin’s husband has a camel to offer them.

幸運地，她親屬的丈夫 有隻駱駝能借她。

With their arrangements secure at last, they make their final preparations.

安排終於完成，接下來 他們開始做最終的準備。

At the designated times for men and women,

在指定時段，

each performs a ritual ablution at one of Baghdad’s many public bathhouses.

男性和女性各自在 巴格達的澡堂裡淨身。

As the sun sets, the city’s criers announce the caravan’s departure,

太陽西下，街上的傳令官 宣布旅行隊伍開拔，

and the townspeople flock to watch the pilgrims leave.

鎮裡的人群聚目送朝聖隊伍出發。