A glimpse of teenage life in ancient Rome - Ray Laurence

窺見古羅馬時代年輕人的生活 - Ray Laurence

Translator: tom carter Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar

譯者: Jephian Lin 審譯者: Coco Shen

It's March the 17th in A.D. 73.

現在是公元 73 年的三月十七日。

We're visiting ancient Rome to watch the Liberalia,

我們到古羅馬來參加酒神節（Liberalia），

an annual festival that celebrates the liberty of Rome's citizens.

這一年一度的慶典是用來 慶祝羅馬市民的自由。

We're looking in at a 17-year-old named Lucius Popidius Secundus.

我們的主角是一個十七歲的少年， 他叫作 Lucius Popidius Secundus。

He's not from a poor family, but he lives in the region known as the Subura,

他的家境並不貧困， 但他住在一個叫作 Subura 的地方。

a poorer neighborhood in Rome, yet close to the center of the city.

那是一個較貧窮的地區， 不過卻離市中心很近。

(Gong)

The tenants of these apartments are crammed in,

那裡的公寓很擁擠，

(Grunting)

which poses considerable risk.

而住戶常面臨許多危險。

Fires are frequent and the smell of ash and smoke in the morning is not uncommon.

火災時常發生， 早上聞到煙灰味是很平常的事。

Lucius, who awoke at dawn, has family duties to perform today.

Lucius 在黎明時起床， 他今天要參加家庭活動。

(Cheering)

他十五歲的弟弟要成年了。

His 15-year-old brother is coming of age.

Half the children in ancient Rome die before they reach adulthood,

在羅馬，有一半的小孩活不到成年，

so this is a particularly important milestone.

所以這是一個重要的里程碑。

Lucius watches his brother stand in his new toga

Lucius 看著他的弟弟身穿新長袍 站在家族守護神龕前，

before the household shrine with its protective deities,

as he places his bulla, a protective amulet,

之後把他的 bulla，也就是護身符， 放在神龕裡，並祝禱以表示感謝。

in the shrine with a prayer of thanks.

The bulla had worked. It had protected him.

這護身符發揮了它的作用， 它保護他成長。

Unlike many others, he had survived to become an adult.

他存活下來，長大成人。

At 17, Lucius has almost completed his education.

在十七歲的時候， Lucius 已經幾乎完成他的學業了。

He has learned to speak well, make public speeches,

他已經學會了 得體的表達、公眾演說、

and how to read and write both Latin and Greek.

以及讀寫拉丁文和希臘文。

His father has taught him the types of things

他的父親已經教導他 許多你在課堂上學不到的東西：

you can't learn in the classroom:

how to run,

如何奔跑、如何游泳、還有如何戰鬥。

how to swim,

and how to fight.

Lucius could choose, at 17, to become a military tribune

在 17 歲的時候，Lucius 可以決定 要不要當一個軍事指揮官，

and command soldiers on the edge of the Empire.

並在帝國邊境指揮士兵。

But in other ways, Lucius is still a child.

但在另一方面， Lucius 則還是小孩。

He's not trusted to arrange business deals.

他還不能處理生意上的大小交易

His father will take care of that until he is 25.

在他 25 歲前， 這些事情還是由他父親處理。

And Dad will arrange Lucius' marriage to a girl 10 years younger.

他父親還會幫 Luciuse 安排 和一個小他十歲的女孩結婚。

His dad has his eye on a family with a 7-year-old daughter.

他父親看上一個有七歲大的女兒的家庭。

Back to the Liberalia.

回到酒神節這主題。

As Lucius leaves with his family,

當 Lucius 隨著他的家人出門的時候， 路上的店鋪都開門做生意了。

the shops are open as the population goes about its business.

The streets are full of itinerant traders selling trinkets

街道上充滿了賣小玩意的旅行商人，

and people bustling from place to place.

人潮四處熙熙攘攘。

Large wagons are not allowed in the city until after the ninth hour

大型馬車在日間九點之前是不允許入城的， （譯註：羅馬時間分日間與夜間各十二時。）

but the streets are still crowded.

然而街道依舊水洩不通。

Fathers and uncles take the kids to the Forum Augustus

父親和親戚們帶著小孩們 到奧古斯都廣場（Forum Augustus）

to see statues of Rome's famous warriors

去看一些有名羅馬戰士的雕像：

like Aeneas, who led Rome's ancestors, the Trojans, to Italy.

像是埃涅阿斯（Anaeus） ──他帶領羅馬的祖先特洛伊人到達義大利；

And Romulus, Rome's founder.

還有羅慕路斯（Romulus） ──羅馬的奠基者。

And all the great generals of the Republic from more than 100 years earlier.

還有所有共和國下的偉大將軍， 從百多年前開始。

Lovingly, we can imagine fathers and guardians

我們可以想像得到 各家的父親和監護人帶著他們剛成年的孩子們

with their now adult children

remembering stories of Rome's glory

思古幽情地 回憶著羅馬的榮耀，

and re-telling the good deeds and sayings of the great men of the past:

並且再次描述著古代偉人們的 偉業與名言：

lessons on how to live well,

比如說怎麼好好的活下去， 並克服一些年輕氣盛的愚蠢行為。

and to overcome the follies of youth.

There is a sense of history in this place, relevant to their present.

相較於他們當代， 這是這個地方所帶來的歷史情感。

Romans made an empire without end in time and space.

羅馬人建立了無邊無際的帝國 ──空間或時間上都是如此。

(Thump)

Rome was destined to be eternal through warfare.

羅馬注定 靠戰事來締造永恆的帝國。

Wars were a fact of life, even in A.D. 73.

儘管到了公元 73 年， 戰爭還是生活的一部份。

There are campaigns in the north of England and into Scotland,

戰役遍及各處， 從北英格蘭

打到蘇格蘭，

to the north of the River Danube into Romania,

從北多瑙河打到羅馬尼亞，

and on the frontier between Syria and Iraq to the east.

並往東打到敘利亞和伊拉克邊界。

It's now the eighth hour -- time to head for the baths.

現在是日間八點 ──是時候洗個澡了。

Lucius and his family head up the Via Lata, the wide street,

Lucius 一家人前往科爾索大道（Via Lata）， 那是一條寬廣的街道，

to the Campus Martius, and the enormous Baths of Agrippa.

再到瑪爾斯廣場（Campus Martius） 到達宏偉的阿格里帕大浴場（Baths of Agrippa）。

The family members leave the clients and freedmen outside,

Lucius 一家把其他門客留在外面，

and enter the baths with their peer group.

然後和同階級的人一同進去浴場。

Baths would change from dark, steamy rooms to light ones.

浴場裡蒸氣濔漫， 並會由暗轉亮。

The Romans had perfected window glass.

羅馬人懂得如何製造精美的玻璃。

Everyone moves from the cold room

每個人會從冷池

to the tepid room

到溫池

and to the very hot room.

再到很高溫的池子。

(Man) Oops!

More than an hour later, the bathers leave

一個多小時過後， 這些沐浴者

massaged, oiled,

會去按摩、抹油、 並用刮身板（strigil）去除身上的髒汙。

(Whistling)

and have been scraped down with a strigil

to remove the remaining dirt.

At the ninth hour, seven hours after they left home,

在日間九點的時候， 他們已經離家七個小時了，

the men return for a celebratory dinner.

這群人回家參加慶祝的晚宴。

Dinner is an intimate affair,

晚宴是件親密的事， 九個人斜躺在矮桌周圍。

with nine people reclining around the low table.

Slaves attend to their every need

用餐者只需做出手勢

if the diners, through gestures, demand more food and wine.

奴隸便會送上美酒和食物。

As the day closes, we can hear the rumble of wagons outside.

太陽下山時， 我們聽見外頭馬車的喧鬧聲。

The clients and freedmen,

門客們用完一頓 氣味濃厚、彷彿較次等的一餐後，

with a meal of robust -- if inferior -- food inside them,

shuffle off to the now tepid baths

就前往那水溫已經變溫的浴場， 最後才回到各自的公寓。

before returning to their apartment blocks.

Back at Lucius' house, the drinking continues into the night.

回到 Lucius 的家， 他們會一直喝酒到晚上。

Lucius and his stepbrother don't look too well.

Lucius 還有他的異母兄弟 看起來不太好。

A slave stands by in case either of them needs to vomit.

一位奴隷就站在旁邊， 為他們要吐的時候作準備。

With hindsight, we know Lucius' future.

而由後來的歷史，我們知道 Lucius 的未來。

In 20 years' time, the Emperor Vespasian's youngest son, Domitian, as emperor,

在 20 年的光景，統治者維斯帕先（Vespasian） 最小的兒子多米提安（Domitian）成了君王，

will enact a reign of terror.

開始暴政統治。 而 Lucius 能夠存活下去嗎？

Will Lucius survive?

(Drums)