Neil MacGregor: 2600 years of history in one object

譯者: Eddy Ho 審譯者: Regina Chu

The things we make

我們人類所製造出來的東西

have one supreme quality --

有個最出眾的特性

they live longer than us.

就是它們的壽命很長 甚至超越人類

We perish, they survive;

人類滅亡了 而它們依然存在

we have one life, they have many lives,

我們只有一條命 它們卻能留存好幾個世紀

and in each life they can mean different things.

在不同的時間點 它們所代表的意義也不相同

Which means that, while we all have one biography,

就像一份傳記就能代表一個人的一生

they have many.

人造產物卻不然

I want this morning to talk

今天我想講的是

about the story, the biography -- or rather the biographies --

一個故事 一份傳記 應該說是好幾份傳記

of one particular object,

這些傳記都跟一項

one remarkable thing.

非常驚人的文物有關

It doesn't, I agree,

我承認

look very much.

它看起沒什麼特別的

It's about the size of a rugby ball.

大概就跟一顆橄欖球差不多大

It's made of clay,

它是用陶土做成的

and it's been fashioned

定型為

into a cylinder shape,

圓柱體

covered with close writing

有人先在上面刻滿了密密麻麻的文字

and then baked dry in the sun.

之後就放在太陽底下曬乾

And as you can see,

應該不難發現

it's been knocked about a bit,

它有一部分缺損

which is not surprising

但這其實很正常

because it was made two and a half thousand years ago

畢竟它已經有2500年的歷史了

and was dug up

然後在1879年

in 1879.

才被挖出來

But today,

我相信

this thing is, I believe,

這個東西

a major player

在中東政局上

in the politics of the Middle East.

扮演了很重要的角色

And it's an object

這個文物

with fascinating stories

蘊藏了許多膾炙人口的故事

and stories that are by no means over yet.

而這些故事還沒有結束

The story begins

故事是從

in the Iran-Iraq war

兩伊戰爭那時候開始的

and that series of events

而這一系列故事的

that culminated

最高潮

in the invasion of Iraq

是在伊拉克

by foreign forces,

被外國勢力入侵時

the removal of a despotic ruler

獨裁政權垮臺

and instant regime change.

政權隨之改變

And I want to begin

我會從一連串的事件中

with one episode from that sequence of events

挑一段講起

that most of you would be very familiar with,

伯沙撒的盛宴

Belshazzar's feast --

我想大部分的人應該都很熟悉這個故事

because we're talking about the Iran-Iraq war

因為我們要談的

of 539 BC.

是西元前539年時的兩伊戰爭

And the parallels

西元前539年

between the events

與西元2003年的兩伊戰爭

of 539 BC and 2003 and in between

兩個戰爭的相似程度

are startling.

真的很令人吃驚

What you're looking at is Rembrandt's painting,

你們現在看到的是

now in the National Gallery in London,

現存於倫敦國家美術館的倫勃朗（林布藍）的作品

illustrating the text from the prophet Daniel

這幅畫描述了希伯來經文中

in the Hebrew scriptures.

先知但以理所說的場景

And you all know roughly the story.

這個故事 你們或多或少都知道一點

Belshazzar, the son of Nebuchadnezzar,

伯沙撒是尼布甲尼撒的兒子

Nebuchadnezzar who'd conquered Israel, sacked Jerusalem

尼布甲尼撒征服了以色列 劫掠耶路撒冷

and captured the people

俘虜當地人民

and taken the Jews back to Babylon.

將猶太人

Not only the Jews, he'd taken the temple vessels.

及神殿中的神器帶回巴比倫

He'd ransacked, desecrated the temple.

他褻瀆神殿 搜刮神殿中的寶物

And the great gold vessels of the temple in Jerusalem

耶路撒冷神殿中的大型金屬容器

had been taken to Babylon.

也被帶回巴比倫

Belshazzar, his son,

尼布甲尼撒的兒子伯沙撒

decides to have a feast.

決定舉辦一場宴會

And in order to make it even more exciting,

為了要炒熱氣氛

he added a bit of sacrilege to the rest of the fun,

他把褻瀆神的行為加入餘興節目之中

and he brings out the temple vessels.

他拿出神器

He's already at war with the Iranians,

當時 他們正和伊朗人打仗

with the king of Persia.

與波斯王打仗

And that night, Daniel tells us,

那天晚上 但以理說

at the height of the festivities

在宴會的最高潮

a hand appeared and wrote on the wall,

出現了一隻手 那隻手在牆上寫道

"You are weighed in the balance and found wanting,

"你被秤在天平裏 顯出你的虧欠

and your kingdom is handed over

你的國要歸與

to the Medes and the Persians."

瑪代人和波斯人"

And that very night

就在那天晚上

Cyrus, king of the Persians, entered Babylon

居魯士 波斯之王 進軍巴比倫

and the whole regime of Belshazzar fell.

伯沙撒的王國 毀於一旦

It is, of course, a great moment

想當然耳

in the history

這對希伯來歷史而言

of the Jewish people.

這是個多麼重要的一刻

It's a great story. It's story we all know.

這真是個很棒的故事 而我們都知道這個故事

"The writing on the wall"

牆上的字

is part of our everyday language.

就是我們現代用語中的一部分

What happened next

接下來所發生的事

was remarkable,

十分精彩

and it's where our cylinder

而我們剛講的圓柱

enters the story.

就要登場了

Cyrus, king of the Persians,

波斯王居魯士

has entered Babylon without a fight --

不費一兵一卒就得到巴比倫

the great empire of Babylon,

偉大的王國 巴比倫

which ran from central southern Iraq

一路從南伊拉克中部

to the Mediterranean,

竄逃到地中海

falls to Cyrus.

最後還是臣服於居魯士

And Cyrus makes a declaration.

後來居魯士公布了一項宣言

And that is what this cylinder is,

那個宣言就刻在這個圓柱體上

the declaration made by the ruler guided by God

這項宣言是由接受上帝指引的統治者頒布的

who had toppled the Iraqi despot

他不僅推翻了伊拉克的暴君

and was going to bring freedom to the people.

更帶給人民自由

In ringing Babylonian --

圓柱上的

it was written in Babylonian --

巴比倫語寫道

he says, "I am Cyrus, king of all the universe,

我乃居魯士 宇宙之王

the great king, the powerful king,

偉大之王 強盛之王

king of Babylon, king of the four quarters of the world."

我乃巴比倫之王 世界之王

They're not shy of hyperbole as you can see.

看來他們誇飾法用得一點也不害臊

This is probably

這應該是

the first real press release

我們所獲的

by a victorious army

第一份真正由勝利方

that we've got.

發布的新聞稿

And it's written, as we'll see in due course,

稍後 我們就能知道

by very skilled P.R. consultants.

這是由經驗豐富的公關顧問寫出來的

So the hyperbole is not actually surprising.

所以 誇飾法用成這樣也就沒什麼大不了了

And what is the great king, the powerful king,

那麼接下來 那偉大之王 強盛之王

the king of the four quarters of the world going to do?

世界之王要做什麼呢

He goes on to say that, having conquered Babylon,

他接著又說 巴比倫既已征服

he will at once let all the peoples

他馬上要讓那些

that the Babylonians -- Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar --

被尼布甲尼撒與伯沙撒所俘虜

have captured and enslaved

所奴役的異族人

go free.

重獲自由

He'll let them return to their countries.

他要讓他們重回故國

And more important,

但更這要的是

he will let them all recover

他還歸還了那些

the gods, the statues,

曾被沒收的

the temple vessels

神像 塑像

that had been confiscated.

以及神器

All the peoples that the Babylonians had repressed and removed

所有被巴比倫人鎮壓 被俘虜的人

will go home,

都能回家

and they'll take with them their gods.

都能與他們的神一同離去

And they'll be able to restore their altars

他們也能重修祭壇

and to worship their gods

以他們的方式

in their own way, in their own place.

在屬於他們的地方 崇敬他們的神

This is the decree,

就是這個法令

this object is the evidence

這就是最好的證物

for the fact that the Jews,

它證明了猶太人

after the exile in Babylon,

流亡巴比倫後

the years they'd spent sitting by the waters of Babylon,

坐在巴比倫水邊 詠懷耶路撒冷

weeping when they remembered Jerusalem,

不停啜泣的那段歲月

those Jews were allowed to go home.

而最後 他們終於重獲自由

They were allowed to return to Jerusalem

他們得以返回耶路撒冷

and to rebuild the temple.

重建神殿

It's a central document

這是猶太歷史中的

in Jewish history.

核心文獻

And the Book of Chronicles, the Book of Ezra in the Hebrew scriptures

在希伯來經文中的 歷代志及以斯拉記之中

reported in ringing terms.

都叨叨切切地記下這一切

This is the Jewish version

這是同一個故事

of the same story.

只是是猶太版本的

"Thus said Cyrus, king of Persia,

"波斯王古列（居魯士）如此說

'All the kingdoms of the earth have the Lord God of heaven given thee,

'耶和華天上的神 已將天下萬國賜給我

and he has charged me

又囑咐我

to build him a house in Jerusalem.

在猶大的耶路撒冷為他建造殿宇

Who is there among you of his people?

你們中間凡作他子民的

The Lord God be with him,

可以上去

and let him go up.'"

願耶和華他的神與他同在'"

"Go up" -- aaleh.

上去 重回故國

The central element, still,

重返耶路撒冷這個想法的

of the notion of return,

核心元素

a central part

依然是猶太教文化的

of the life of Judaism.

核心思想

As you all know, that return from exile,

相信大家都知道

the second temple,

耶路撒冷的回歸與第二神殿

reshaped Judaism.

重新塑造了猶太教

And that change,

波斯王居魯士實現了

that great historic moment,

這個轉機

was made possible by Cyrus, the king of Persia,

這歷史上的重要一刻

reported for us in Hebrew in scripture

希伯來文的經文 巴比倫語的陶器

and in Babylonian in clay.

都詳細記載了這一切

Two great texts,

兩份都是很重要的文獻

what about the politics?

那政治方面又是如何呢

What was going on

接下來發生的事

was the fundamental shift in Middle Eastern history.

對中東歷史產生了重大的轉變

The empire of Iran, the Medes and the Persians,

居魯士統一了

united under Cyrus,

瑪代人與波斯人的伊朗

became the first great world empire.

建立了第一個世界性大帝國

Cyrus begins in the 530s BC.

居魯士的霸業從西元前530年開始

And by the time of his son Darius,

及至其子大流士時

the whole of the eastern Mediterranean

整個東地中海地區

is under Persian control.

也已經納入了波斯帝國版圖

This empire is, in fact,

事實上 這個帝國統治了

the Middle East as we now know it,

我們現在所知的中東地區

and it's what shapes the Middle East as we now know it.

因為有這個帝國 才有現今的中東地區

It was the largest empire the world had known until then.

它是當時世界上最大的帝國

Much more important,

更重要的是

it was the first

它是第一個

multicultural, multifaith state

大規模融合了多元文化

on a huge scale.

與多元信仰的國家

And it had to be run in a quite new way.

它必須以新的方式治理

It had to be run in different languages.

必須以各種語言傳達政令

The fact that this decree is in Babylonian says one thing.

巴比倫語版本的政令 就證明了真有此事

And it had to recognize their different habits,

它必須承認 在同個國家裡

different peoples, different religions, different faiths.

會有不同的習俗 不同的種族 不同宗教 不同信仰

All of those are respected by Cyrus.

居魯士尊重這些差異

Cyrus sets up a model

居魯士設立了典範

of how you run

教我們如何治理

a great multinational, multifaith, multicultural society.

一個蘊含多元種族 多元信仰 多元文化的社會

And the result of that

結果就是

was an empire that included the areas you see on the screen,

他建立了一個橫跨許多地區的大帝國 就像你們在螢幕上看到的一樣

and which survived for 200 years of stability

這個帝國維持了200年之久的穩定強盛

until it was shattered by Alexander.

直到被亞歷山大征服

It left a dream of the Middle East as a unit,

這個帝國為中東的統一留下了一個夢

and a unit where people of different faiths

一個不同信仰的人

could live together.

也能共同生活的夢

The Greek invasions ended that.

但希臘人的入侵粉碎了這一切

And of course, Alexander couldn't sustain a government

當然 亞歷山大無力維持政權

and it fragmented.

這個帝國隨後便分崩離析

But what Cyrus represented

但居魯士所代表的

remained absolutely central.

仍是絕對的核心意義

The Greek historian Xenophon

在希臘史學家色諾芬所寫的

wrote his book "Cyropaedia"

居魯士的教育一書中

promoting Cyrus as the great ruler.

他推崇居魯士是個偉大的統治者

And throughout European culture afterward,

在後來的整個歐洲文化中

Cyrus remained the model.

居魯士仍然是個不朽的典範

This is a 16th century image

這是16世紀時的形象

to show you how widespread

用以證明人們

his veneration actually was.

推崇他的程度究竟有多廣

And Xenophon's book on Cyrus

色諾芬在書中描述了

on how you ran a diverse society

居魯士如何治理一個多元的社會

was one of the great textbooks

而這本偉大的書

that inspired the Founding Fathers

啟發了美國革命的

of the American Revolution.

諸位國父

Jefferson was a great admirer --

傑佛遜就是其中一位仰慕者

the ideals of Cyrus

居魯士證明了

obviously speaking to those 18th century ideals

要如何在

of how you create religious tolerance

18世紀的新國度之中

in a new state.

創造宗教寬容的氛圍

Meanwhile, back in Babylon,

現在 讓我們回到巴比倫

things had not been going well.

但情況似乎不太樂觀

After Alexander, the other empires,

在亞歷山大之後 有幾位君王

Babylon declines, falls into ruins,

讓巴比倫日漸衰頹 只剩斷垣殘壁

and all the traces of the great Babylonian empire are lost --

所有能證明巴比倫曾經強盛的蛛絲馬跡 都已經消失無蹤

until 1879

直到1879年

when the cylinder is discovered

大英博物館為了展覽

by a British Museum exhibition digging in Babylon.

在巴比倫挖出這個圓柱

And it enters now another story.

現在 又是另一個故事了

It enters that great debate

19世紀中葉時

in the middle of the 19th century:

曾有一場大規模的辯論

Are the scriptures reliable? Can we trust them?

經文真的可信嗎 我們真能相信經文嗎

We only knew

從希伯來經文中

about the return of the Jews and the decree of Cyrus

我們只能瞭解到

from the Hebrew scriptures.

猶太人的回歸與居魯士的法令

No other evidence.

沒有其他佐證

Suddenly, this appeared.

突然 它出現了

And great excitement

對當時

to a world where those who believed in the scriptures

相信經文與創世紀

had had their faith in creation shaken

卻被演化論與地質學所動搖的人來說

by evolution, by geology,

它帶來了多麼大的震撼

here was evidence

它證實了

that the scriptures were historically true.

經文在歷史上 是真實存在的

It's a great 19th century moment.

這是19世紀的偉大時刻

But -- and this, of course, is where it becomes complicated --

但當然 從此以後 事情越來越複雜

the facts were true,

事實都是真的

hurrah for archeology,

在考古學上無疑是好消息

but the interpretation was rather more complicated.

但要如何詮釋 卻是更加困難的課題

Because the cylinder account and the Hebrew Bible account

因為圓柱所陳述的 與希伯來經文中陳述的

differ in one key respect.

有個關鍵的差異

The Babylonian cylinder

圓柱體上的巴比倫語

is written by the priests

是由信奉巴比倫之神

of the great god of Bablyon, Marduk.

馬爾杜克的祭司所寫的

And, not surprisingly,

所以可想而知

they tell you that all this was done by Marduk.

他們會說 這一切都是馬爾杜克的神蹟

"Marduk, we hold, called Cyrus by his name."

馬爾杜克 我們所信奉的神 以祂之名 召喚了居魯士

Marduk takes Cyrus by the hand,

馬爾杜克拉著居魯士的手

calls him to shepherd his people

命他帶領他的子民

and gives him the rule of Babylon.

並授予他統治巴比倫的權力

Marduk tells Cyrus

馬爾杜克告訴居魯士說

that he will do these great, generous things

他會釋放那些異族人民

of setting the people free.

多麼偉大而慷慨的壯舉

And this is why we should all be grateful to

這就是我們要感激

and worship Marduk.

並且崇拜馬爾杜克的原因

The Hebrew writers

而在希伯來的舊約聖經中

in the Old Testament,

對此卻有

you will not be surprised to learn,

截然不同的看法

take a rather different view of this.

但這也沒什麼好驚奇的

For them, of course, it can't possibly by Marduk

想當然耳 對他們而言

that made all this happen.

這一切絕不可能是馬爾杜克的功勞

It can only be Jehovah.

只能是耶和華的神蹟

And so in Isaiah,

在以賽亞書中的描述也是如此

we have the wonderful texts

功勞皆屬

giving all the credit of this,

以色列之主

not to Marduk

而不是馬爾杜克

but to the Lord God of Israel --

而是以色列之主

the Lord God of Israel

以色列之主

who also called Cyrus by name,

同樣召喚了居魯士

also takes Cyrus by the hand

同樣拉住居魯士的手

and talks of him shepherding his people.

也同樣命他管好他的子民

It's a remarkable example

這是個絕佳的例子

of two different priestly appropriations of the same event,

說明了同一件事 卻可以有不同的宗教詮釋

two different religious takeovers

同一個政治事件

of a political fact.

卻可以有不同的宗教描述

God, we know,

我們都知道

is usually on the side of the big battalions.

神總是站在強大的一方

The question is, which god was it?

問題是 到底是哪個神做的

And the debate unsettles

這場辯論 將19世紀搞得人心惶惶

everybody in the 19th century

也讓大家瞭解到

to realize that the Hebrew scriptures

希伯來經文只是

are part of a much wider world of religion.

偌大的宗教世界中的一小部分

And it's quite clear

可以確定的是

the cylinder is older than the text of Isaiah,

圓柱比以賽亞書還更早出現

and yet, Jehovah is speaking

而耶和華所使用的語言

in words very similar

與馬爾杜克所使用的

to those used by Marduk.

十分類似

And there's a slight sense that Isaiah knows this,

以賽亞知曉這件事

because he says,

應該還算合理

this is God speaking, of course,

因為他說 當然 是神說

"I have called thee by thy name

"你雖不認識我

though thou hast not known me."

我也加給你名號"

I think it's recognized

我想 大家都會承認

that Cyrus doesn't realize

居魯士並不知道

that he's acting under orders from Jehovah.

他其實是依照耶和華的指令行事

And equally, he'd have been surprised that he was acting under orders from Marduk.

同樣地 要是他知道他是聽了馬爾杜克的話才做這事的 他會嚇一大跳

Because interestingly, of course,

因為很有趣的是

Cyrus is a good Iranian

居魯士是個純百分之百的伊朗人

with a totally different set of gods

對於神 他們自有一套完全不同的說法

who are not mentioned in any of these texts.

而在這兩份經文中 根本就沒提到過他們的神

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

That's 1879.

這是在1879年發生的事

40 years on

40年過後

and we're in 1917,

我們來到了1917年

and the cylinder enters a different world.

而這個圓柱體又進入了另一個世界

This time, the real politics

此時 已經可以算是

of the contemporary world --

現代世界的真實政治時代

the year of the Balfour Declaration,

這一年 發表了貝爾福宣言

the year when the new imperial power in the Middle East, Britain,

這一年 中東與英國的新興帝國勢力崛起

decides that it will declare

決議建立一個

a Jewish national home,

猶太人的國家

it will allow

允許猶太人

the Jews to return.

回歸家園

And the response to this

東歐的猶太人對這件事

by the Jewish population in Eastern Europe is rhapsodic.

反應十分熱烈 幾乎到了狂熱的地步

And across Eastern Europe,

橫跨整個東歐

Jews display pictures of Cyrus

猶太人並列展示了

and of George V

居魯士

side by side --

與喬治五世的畫像

the two great rulers

因為這兩位偉大君王都允許

who have allowed the return to Jerusalem.

猶太人回歸耶路撒冷

And the Cyrus cylinder comes back into public view

這時候 居魯士圓柱又吸引了大眾的目光

and the text of this

上面的文字紀錄 被視為神的旨意的一部份

as a demonstration of why what is going to happen

說明了戰後所發生的事

after the war is over in 1918

為什麼在1918年才宣告結束

is part of a divine plan.

而接著又會發生什麼事

You all know what happened.

我想大家都知道 接下來發生了什麼事

The state of Israel is setup,

以色列建國

and 50 years later, in the late 60s,

而50年後 時間到了1960年代晚期

it's clear that Britain's role as the imperial power is over.

英國顯然失去了 它在新興帝國勢力之中的地位

And another story of the cylinder begins.

關於這個圓柱體的另一段故事 就此展開

The region, the U.K. and the U.S. decide,

英國與美國決議

has to be kept safe from communism,

不讓民族國家受到共產主義的戕害

and the superpower that will be created to do this

而能夠保護民族國家的 即將誕生的伊朗

would be Iran, the Shah.

由沙阿領導的超級強國 伊朗

And so the Shah invents an Iranian history,

因此 沙阿間接創造了伊朗歷史

or a return to Iranian history,

或者是說 他回歸了歷史的本質

that puts him in the center of a great tradition

他讓自己成為伊朗偉大傳統的核心

and produces coins

下令發行

showing himself

刻有自己肖像

with the Cyrus cylinder.

與居魯士圓柱的硬幣

When he has his great celebrations in Persepolis,

他在波斯波利斯舉行慶典時

he summons the cylinder

他希望居魯士圓柱能回歸伊朗

and the cylinder is lent by the British Museum, goes to Tehran,

於是 大英博物館借出圓柱

and is part of those great celebrations

運往德黑蘭 成為巴列為王朝

of the Pahlavi dynasty.

偉大慶典中的一部分

Cyrus cylinder: guarantor of the Shah.

居魯士圓柱 就是沙阿權力的保證

10 years later, another story:

10年過後 發生了另一段故事

Iranian Revolution, 1979.

1979年的伊朗革命

Islamic revolution, no more Cyrus;

不再談居魯士圓柱了 伊斯蘭革命才是主角

we're not interested in that history,

我們對那段歷史不感興趣

we're interested in Islamic Iran --

我們有興趣的是伊斯蘭文化下的伊朗

until Iraq,

直到伊拉克

the new superpower that we've all decided should be in the region,

這個我們都認為 應該出現在這個地區的新興強權國家

attacks.

對伊朗發動攻擊

Then another Iran-Iraq war.

這又是另一場兩伊戰爭了

And it becomes critical for the Iranians

伊朗與伊拉克打仗時

to remember their great past,

獲勝的關鍵就是

their great past

伊朗人永遠記得他們的過去

when they fought Iraq and won.

那段輝煌的過去

It becomes critical to find a symbol

一定得找到一個團結的象徵

that will pull together all Iranians --

才能讓所有伊朗人團結一致

Muslims and non-Muslims,

不管是不是伊斯蘭教徒

Christians, Zoroastrians, Jews living in Iran,

不管是基督教徒 祆教徒 或是猶太人 不論虔誠與否

people who are devout, not devout.

只要是住在伊朗的人 都是伊朗人 都必須團結起來

And the obvious emblem is Cyrus.

顯然 居魯士圓柱就是團結的象徵

So when the British Museum and Tehran National Musuem

所以 當大英博物館與德黑來國家博物館合作時

cooperate and work together, as we've been doing,

就像我們一直以來都在做的一樣

the Iranians ask for one thing only

伊朗人

as a loan.

只跟我們借一樣東西

It's the only object they want.

他們只想要這個東西

They want to borrow the Cyrus cylinder.

他們想要借的就是居魯士圓柱

And last year,

去年

the Cyrus cylinder went to Tehran

居魯士圓柱

for the second time.

第二次被運往德黑蘭

It's shown being presented here, put into its case

就像你們能看到的

by the director of the National Museum of Tehran,

它是由德黑蘭國家博物館的館長親手放進盒子裡的

one of the many women in Iran in very senior positions,

是艾達卡妮女士

Mrs. Ardakani.

在伊朗婦女中 地位相當崇高

It was a huge event.

這可是一件大事

This is the other side of that same picture.

這是另一張相片 但拍攝角度相反

It's seen in Tehran

幾個月後

by between one and two million people

已經有一兩百萬人來到這裡

in the space of a few months.

來一睹居魯士圓柱的風采

This is beyond any blockbuster exhibition

這樣的盛況空前

in the West.

超越西方所舉辦的任何一場展覽

And it's the subject of a huge debate

它也是一場辯論的主角

about what this cylinder means, what Cyrus means,

辯論的主題是 居魯士圓柱真正的意涵為何 居魯士真正想表達什麼

but above all, Cyrus as articulated through this cylinder --

但最重要的是 就像圓柱所描述的居魯士

Cyrus as the defender of the homeland,

居魯士是守衛家園的勇士

the champion, of course, of Iranian identity

他為伊朗的認同 為伊朗各民族

and of the Iranian peoples,

為包容所有信仰而戰

tolerant of all faiths.

他是贏家

And in the current Iran,

在現代伊朗議會中

Zoroastrians and Christians have guaranteed places

祆教徒與基督教徒都有保留席位

in the Iranian parliament, something to be very, very proud of.

這是很值得驕傲的一件事

To see this object in Tehran,

數以千計的猶太人

thousands of Jews living in Iran

從伊朗趕到德黑蘭

came to Tehran to see it.

就為了看看居魯士圓柱的廬山真面目

It became a great emblem,

它是一個偉大的象徵

a great subject of debate

也是辯論會的主角

about what Iran is at home and abroad.

伊朗對內與對外的真正意義為何

Is Iran still to be the defender of the oppressed?

伊朗會不會 再次為了那些被欺壓的人們 挺身而出

Will Iran set free the people

伊朗會不會讓那些

that the tyrants have enslaved and expropriated?

被暴君奴役 被暴君剝削的人們 重獲自由

This is heady national rhetoric,

這是一場振奮人心的全國性議題

and it was all put together

在歡慶回歸的盛會之中

in a great pageant

所有的議題

launching the return.

都被放在一起討論

Here you see this out-sized Cyrus cylinder on the stage

這是放大版的居魯士圓柱

with great figures from Iranian history

為了要在伊朗的後繼歷史中

gathering to take their place

保有一席之地

in the heritage of Iran.

它跟伊朗歷史中的偉人一齊登臺

It was a narrative presented

這是伊朗總統

by the president himself.

親自發表的演講

And for me,

對我而言

to take this object to Iran,

能將居魯士圓柱

to be allowed to take this object to Iran

帶回伊朗

was to be allowed to be part

就代表能成為

of an extraordinary debate

一場偉大辯論的一部分

led at the highest levels

這場辯論 是由最高層人士所舉辦的

about what Iran is,

而辯論的主題則是 伊朗的定位

what different Irans there are

不同的伊朗有何意義

and how the different histories of Iran

不同的伊朗歷史

might shape the world today.

又如何能塑造今日的世界

It's a debate that's still continuing,

這場辯論還沒結束

and it will continue to rumble,

它不會默不做聲

because this object

因為居魯士圓柱

is one of the great declarations

是人類渴望自由的

of a human aspiration.

偉大聲明之一

It stands with the American constitution.

它與美國憲法具有同等效力

It certainly says far more about real freedoms

它肯定比大憲章

than Magna Carta.

更能陳述何謂真正的自由

It is a document that can mean so many things,

這份文獻能夠有很多層的意義

for Iran and for the region.

對伊朗 對這整個中東地區 都有不同的意義

A replica of this

居魯士圓柱的複製品

is at the United Nations.

被存放在聯合國

In New York this autumn, it will be present

今年秋天 在紐約

when the great debates

在討論中東未來的辯論會上

about the future of the Middle East take place.

你們能看見它的身影

And I want to finish by asking you

我希望以一個問題

what the next story will be

為我今天的演講畫下句點

in which this object figures.

居魯士圓柱接著又會產生什麼新的故事呢

It will appear, certainly,

可以肯定的是

in many more Middle Eastern stories.

居魯士圓柱會成為更多中東故事的一部分

And what story of the Middle East,

而你們希望

what story of the world,

中東會有什麼樣的故事

do you want to see

世界上會有怎樣的故事

reflecting what is said,

能夠體現居魯士圓柱所說的

what is expressed in this cylinder?

所想要表達的意涵

The right of peoples

不同種族 不同信仰的人們

to live together in the same state,

能夠在同一個國家自由生活的權利

worshiping differently, freely --

無論是中東

a Middle East, a world,

或是世界的任一角落

in which religion is not the subject of division

宗教信仰不會再是引發分裂

or of debate.

或引發爭論的原因了

In the world of the Middle East at the moment,

在現今的中東世界

the debates are, as you know, shrill.

這場爭論 依然激烈

But I think it's possible

但我相信

that the most powerful and the wisest voice of all of them

在他們之中 最睿智 最強大的聲音

may well be the voice

將會代替這

of this mute thing,

無語的居魯士圓柱

the Cyrus cylinder.

發聲

Thank you.

謝謝

(Applause)

(掌聲)