History vs. Cleopatra - Alex Gendler

譯者: Regina Chu 審譯者: Ann Chen

"Order, order.

「秩序！秩序！

So who do we have here?"

今天的被告是誰？」

"Your Honor, this is Cleopatra,

「庭上，這位是埃及女王克麗奧佩脫拉

the Egyptian queen whose lurid affairs destroyed two of Rome's finest generals

她的艷事毀了二位出色的羅馬大將軍

and brought the end of the Republic."

也為共和國帶來滅亡」

"Your Honor, this is Cleopatra,

「庭上，這位是克麗奧佩脫拉

史上數一數二的強權女性

one of the most powerful women in history

whose reign brought Egypt nearly 22 years of stability and prosperity."

在她的統治之下 埃及經歷近 22 年的穩定及繁榮」

"Uh, why don't we even know what she looked like?"

「喔，為什麼我們甚至 不知道她長相如何？」

"Most of the art and descriptions came long after her lifetime

「對她的藝術及描繪 多在她離世許久後才出現

in the first century BCE,

即西元前一世紀

just like most of the things written about her."

提到她的文字也是這樣」

"So what do we actually know?

「那我們到底知道什麼？」

Cleopatra VII was the last of the Ptolemaic dynasty,

「克麗奧佩脫拉七世 是托勒密王朝的末代女王

a Macedonian Greek family that governed Egypt

原是馬其頓希臘家族

在亞歷山大大帝 征服埃及後統治其地

after its conquest by Alexander the Great.

She ruled jointly in Alexandria with her brother-

她在亞歷山卓城與弟弟共治

to whom she was also married-

她也嫁給他

until he had her exiled."

直到他放逐她為止」

"But what does all this have to do with Rome?"

「但是這跟羅馬有什麼關係？」

"Egypt had long been a Roman client state,

「埃及長久以來一直是羅馬的附庸國

and Cleopatra's father incurred large debts to the Republic.

克麗奧佩脫拉的父親 還欠了共和國一大筆債

龐培將軍在羅馬內戰被凱撒打敗後 逃到埃及尋求庇護

After being defeated by Julius Caesar in Rome's civil war,

the General Pompey sought refuge in Egypt

but was executed by Cleopatra's brother instead."

卻被克麗奧佩脫拉的弟弟處死」

"Caesar must have liked that."

「凱撒一定很喜歡這段」

"Actually, he found the murder unseemly and demanded repayment of Egypt's debt.

「實際上，他認為這場謀殺不成體統

還要求埃及還債

He could have annexed Egypt,

他其實可以併吞埃及

but Cleopatra convinced him to restore her to the throne instead."

但是克麗奧佩脫拉 卻說服他恢復她的王權」

"We hear she was quite convincing."

「我們聽說她還挺有說服力的」

"And why not? Cleopatra was a fascinating woman.

「當然！克麗奧佩脫拉 的確是位厲害的女性

She commanded armies at 21,

她 21 歲就指揮軍隊

spoke several languages,

會說好幾種語言

and was educated in a city with the world's finest library

她受教育的城市 擁有全世界最棒的圖書館

and some of the greatest scholars of the time."

及當代偉大的學者」

"Hmm."

「嗯」

"She kept Caesar lounging in Egypt for months when Rome needed him."

「她讓凱撒在埃及混了好幾個月 即使羅馬非常需要他」

"Caesar did more than lounge.

「凱撒不是只有打混吧！

He was fascinated by Egypt's culture and knowledge,

他著迷於埃及文化及知識

and he learned much during his time there.

他待在那裡的時候學了很多東西

When he returned to Rome, he reformed the calendar,

他回到羅馬後改革曆制

commissioned a census,

做人口普查

made plans for a public library,

計畫興建公共圖書館

and proposed many new infrastructure projects."

並提出許多新基礎建設項目」

"Yes, all very ambitious, exactly what got him assassinated."

「是的，全都非常雄心萬丈 而這正是他遭暗殺的理由」

"Don't blame the Queen for Rome's strange politics.

「不要把羅馬政治的奇形怪狀 都怪到女王頭上

Her job was ruling Egypt, and she did it well.

她的工作是統治埃及 而她做得很好

She stabilized the economy,

她穩定經濟

managed the vast bureaucracy,

管理龐大的官僚

and curbed corruption by priests and officials.

遏制祭司和官員的腐敗

When drought hit, she opened the granaries to the public

乾旱來襲，她打開糧倉給公眾

and passed a tax amnesty,

並通過稅務大赦

all while preserving her kingdom's stability and independence

還維持王國的穩定及獨立

with no revolts during the rest of her reign."

她在位期間都沒有反抗暴動」

"So what went wrong?"

「那後來哪裡出錯了？」

"After Caesar's death, this foreign Queen couldn't stop meddling in Roman matters."

「凱撒死後，這位外國女王 無法停止干涉羅馬政務」

"Actually, it was the Roman factions who came demanding her aid.

「其實，是羅馬的派系要求她幫助

And of course she had no choice but to support Octavian and Marc Antony

當然她沒有選擇 只能支持屋大維和馬克·安東尼

in avenging Caesar, if only for the sake of their son."

為凱撒復仇，也為了他們的兒子」

"And again, she provided her particular kind of support to Marc Antony."

「然後她故技重施，為馬克·安東尼 提供非常特別的支持」

"Why does that matter?

「為什麼這很重要？

Why doesn't anyone seem to care about

為什麼都沒有人在意

Caesar or Antony's countless other affairs?

凱撒或安東尼 其它數不盡的風流韻事？

Why do we assume she instigated the relationships?

為什麼我們想當然爾 認為她發動色誘？

And why are only powerful women defined by their sexuality?"

為什麼只有女強人才會因性行為 而被說成是怎樣的人？」

"Order."

「秩序！」

"Cleopatra and Antony were a disaster.

「克麗奧佩脫拉與安東尼 搞得一場混亂

They offended the Republic with their ridiculous celebrations

他們得罪了共和國 因為他們在荒唐無比的慶祝會上

sitting on golden thrones

不但坐在黃金寶座上

and dressing up as gods

還穿的像神一樣

until Octavian had all of Rome convinced of their megalomania."

直到屋大維讓全羅馬 都相信他們的狂妄為止」

"And yet Octavian was the one who attacked Antony,

「然而是屋大維攻擊了安東尼

annexed Egypt,

併吞了埃及

and declared himself Emperor.

並宣稱自己為皇帝

It was the Roman's fear of a woman in power that ended their Republic,

是羅馬人對女性執政的恐懼 終結了羅馬共和國

not the woman herself."

不是這個女人造成的」

"How ironic."

「多諷刺啊」

Cleopatra's story survived mainly in the accounts of her enemies in Rome,

克麗奧佩脫拉的故事 藉著她在羅馬的敵人流傳下來

and later writers filled the gaps with rumors and stereotypes.

其後的作家又添加了 許多謠言及成見

We may never know the full truth of her life and her reign,

我們可能永遠也不會知道 她的一生及統治的真相

but we can separate fact from rumor by putting history on trial.

但是我們可以藉歷史審判台 分辨事實與謠言