The history of marriage - Alex Gendler

婚姻的歷史 - 艾力克斯．甘德勒

譯者: Wenbo Li 審譯者: Adrienne Lin

There have been many different things

有許多不同的事情

written and said about marriage.

書面或口述有關婚姻的事

From the sweetly inspirational

從甜甜地鼓舞人心

to the hilariously cynical.

到可笑地憤世嫉俗。

But what many of them have in common

但其中的共同點是

is that they sound like they express

它們聽起來像在表達

a universal and timeless truth,

世界皆同和永恆的真理。

when in fact nearly everything about marriage,

但事實上 幾乎所有關於婚姻的事，

from its main purpose

從它的主要目的、

to the kinds of relationships it covers

它涉及到的多種關係、

to the rights and responsibilities involved,

到參與的權利和責任，

has varied greatly between different eras,

在不同時代、

cultures and social classes.

文化和社會階層間有很大差異

So, let's take a quick look at

所以，讓我們來看看

the evolution of marriage.

婚姻的演變

Pair bonding and raising children

配偶結合和撫養子女

is as old as humanity itself.

與人類歷史一樣古老。

With the rise of sedentary agricultural societies

定居農業社會的興起時

about 10,000 years ago,

大約在一萬年前

marriage was also a way

婚姻也是種獲得

of securing rights to land and property

土地權和財富的方式

by designating children born under certain circumstances

可指定在某些情況下出生的兒童

as rightful heirs.

作為合法的繼承人。

As these societies became larger and more complex,

隨著這些社會變得更大、 更複雜

marriage became not just a matter

婚姻變得不只是

between individuals and families,

個人和家庭間的問題

but also an official institution

也變成了一種正式的制度

governed by religious and civil authorities.

由管理宗教和公民權的當局負責。

And it was already well established by 2100 B.C.

在西元前 2100 年 就建立好了這種制度

when the earliest surviving written laws

目前所存最早的條例文本

in the Mesopotamian Code of Ur-Nammu

是漢摩拉比法典中的烏爾納木條例

provided many specifics governing marriage,

它記載了許多關於婚姻的細節

from punishments for adultery

大至從對通姦的懲罰

to the legal status of children born to slaves.

小到規定奴隸所生的小孩之法律地位。

Many ancient civilizations allowed some form of

在某種形式上，許多古文明允許

multiple simultaneous marriage.

多重婚姻。

And even today, less than a quarter of the world's

時至今日，世上數以百計的文化中 僅有少於四分之一禁止。

hundreds of different cultures prohibit it.

But just because something was allowed

但允許歸允許

doesn't mean it was always possible.

這並不代表它永遠可行。

Demographic realities,

人口的變化

as well as the link between marriage and wealth,

以及婚姻和財富之間的關係

meant that even though rulers and elites

説明了即使是統治者和上流階級，

in Ancient Mesopotamia,

在古代美索不達米亞、 埃及和以色列的這些人

Egypt and Israel

had multiple concubines or wives,

可以有眾多妻妾

most commoners could only afford one or two

但大多數平民可能 只會有一個或兩個妻子

tending towards monogamy in practice.

因此社會逐漸走向一夫一妻制。

In other places, the tables were turned,

但其他地方就完全不同

and a woman could have multiple husbands

那裡實行一妻多夫制度

as in the Himalayan Mountains

在喜馬拉雅山脈

where all brothers in a family

一家中的所有兄弟

marrying the same woman

都會娶同一個女人

kept the small amount of fertile land

如此才能保留 家族擁有的小塊沃土

from being constantly divided into new households.

以免因不斷分家而土地減少。

Marriages could vary

婚姻可能會發生變化

not only in the number of people they involved

不只是婚姻涉及到人數

but the types of people as well.

還有人的性別。

Although the names and laws for such arrangements

雖然這些律法和名字 在不同時期會有不同

may have differed,

publicly recognized same-sex unions

但公開承認同性結合的例子

have popped up

在各種文明中都曾出現。

in various civilizations throughout history.

Mesopotamian prayers included blessings for such couples,

美索不達米亞的祈禱者 會為這類夫婦祈禱

while Native American Two-Spirit individuals

而北美洲原住民的「雙靈」

had relationships with both sexes.

會和男女都有伴侶關係。

The first instances of such arrangements

第一個同性伴侶關係

actually being called "Marriage"

被稱為「婚姻」的例子

come from Rome,

來自羅馬，

where the Emperors Nero and Elagabalus

尼祿和埃拉伽巴路斯兩位皇帝，

both married men in public ceremonies

都曾在公開儀式下與男性結婚

with the practice being explictly banned

在西元 342 年當時 是被公然禁止的。

in 342 A.D.

But similar traditions survived

但類似傳統卻倖存下來

well into the Christian era,

甚至到基督教時代，

such as Adelphopoiesis,

有所謂的 Adelphopoiesis （意為「結為兄弟」）

or "brother-making" in Orthodox churches,

或東正教中稱作 "brother-making" 儀式

and even an actual marriage between two men

兩個男人間的婚姻

recorded in 1061 at a small chapel in Spain.

甚至在 1061年， 西班牙一個小教堂中就有記錄。

Nor was marriage even necessarily

而婚姻也不一定只是

between two living people.

兩個活生生的人。

Ghost marriages,

冥婚

where either the bride or groom were deceased,

也就是新娘或新郎已逝世

were conducted in China

在中國被用來延續家系

to continue family lineages

or appease restless spirits.

或者安撫不安分的靈魂。

And some tribes in Sudan maintain similar practices.

在蘇丹的一些部落裡也有類似做法

Despite all these differences,

儘管有這些差異

a lot of marriages throughout history

很多在歷史上的婚姻

did have one thing in common.

都有一個共同點

With crucial matters

在關鍵時刻

like property and reproduction at stake,

像攸關財產或 後代繼承的危機時

they were way too important

因其太過重要

to depend on young love.

他們會依靠年輕的愛。

Especially among the upperclasses,

尤其是在上層階級

matches were often made by families or rulers.

家庭或統治者往往會決定一切

But even for commoners, who had some degree of choice,

平民雖有某種程度的選擇權

the main concern was practicality.

也會依情勢所逼做出決定。

The modern idea of marriage

婚姻的現代觀念

as being mainly about love and companionship

也就是以愛情和陪伴為主的觀念

only emerged in the last couple of centuries.

僅在過去幾個世紀出現。

With industrialization,

隨著工業化、

urbanization

城市化

and the growth of the middle class

與中產階層的成長

more people became independent

越來越多的人

from large extended families

從大家庭獨立出來

and were able to support

他們能夠支撐

a new household on their own.

他們自己的新家庭。

Encouraged by new ideas

受到新觀念的鼓舞

from the Enlightenment,

從啟蒙運動時期

people began to focus

人們開始專注在

on individual happiness and pursuits,

追求個人的幸福

rather than familial duty or wealth and status,

而非家庭責任或財富和地位

at least some of the time.

至少有時是如此。

And this focus on individual happiness

這種個人幸福的追求

soon led to other transformations,

很快導致其他的轉變

such as easing restrictions on divorce

例如放寬對離婚的限制

and more people marrying at a later age.

及有更多的人晚婚。

So, as we continue to debate the role and definition

所以，我們在爭論婚姻 在現代社會的角色及定義時

of marriage in the modern world,

it might help to keep in mind

可能要牢記

that marriage has always been shaped by society,

婚姻總是由社會所塑造

and as a society's

隨著社會的結構、 價值和目標

structure, values and goals

change over time,

隨時間改變

its ideas of marriage will continue to change along with them.

婚姻的觀念將會持續改變。