黄铜公牛（人类历史上最残酷的刑罚）：英语精读讲义

Welcome back to our macabre series of shows 用詞

欢迎回到我们令人毛骨悚然的系列节目

featuring some of the worst things people

本期为您呈现人类以惩罚为名

have done to each other in the name of punishment. 短語搭配

对同类做过的一些最糟糕的事情。

While in other shows,

在之前的节目中，

we've talked about instruments of torture and killing

我们谈到了可以说

that could be said to be basic.

比较基础的酷刑和杀戮器具。

Claws that rip flesh,

比如撕裂血肉的铁爪，

cudgels that smash bones.

砸碎骨头的棍棒。

This particular instrument of horrifyingly inhumane torture

但这件极其不人道的恐怖刑具

could be said to have been cooked up by creative folks. 講解

可以说是由一群极具创造力的人捣鼓出来的。

As with just about anything we've talked about in this series, 表達脈絡

就像我们在本系列中提到的几乎所有东西一样，

it would be unimaginable to suffer this treatment. 語法

遭受这种待遇是难以想象的。

But hey,

但是，嘿，

we aren't going to say it's any worse

我们并不是说它比

than having your intestines chewed on by starving rats.

让饥饿的老鼠啃食你的肠子更糟糕。

Like that punishment though,

不过就像那项惩罚一样，

this one was slow,

这种处决的过程十分缓慢，

making hanging or head chopping

相比之下，上吊或砍头

seem very merciful in comparison.

都显得非常仁慈了。

This form of execution was created by the ancient Greeks.

这种处决方式是由古希腊人发明的。

It had a few names

它有几个名字，

and it might also be called the bronze bull

它可能被称为青铜牛

or the Sicilian bull.

或者西西里牛。

But how do we know anything about it at all? 表達脈絡

但是我们究竟是怎么知道它的呢？

One of the answers is because

答案之一是因为

it was written about in something called

它被记载在一本叫做

the Bibliotheca Historica,

Bibliotheca Historica 的书里，

which translates as historical library. 短語搭配

翻译过来就是《历史图书馆》。

It consists of many books written 短語搭配

它由许多卷书组成，是一位

by an ancient Greek historian named Diodorus Siculus.

名叫狄奥多罗斯·西库鲁斯的古希腊历史学家写的。

In these books,

在这些书中，

you'll find his version of the history of the world.

你会看到他所描述的世界历史。

From what went down in ancient Egypt 短語動詞

从古埃及发生的事情

to the leader Alexander the Great.

到伟大领袖亚历山大大帝。

Quite a lot of it is still intact, 用詞

其中的很大一部分仍然保存完好，

but some parts in the series

但这套书中也有一些部分

are missing or in fragments.

已经遗失或只剩下残篇。

In one of these books,

在其中一本书里，

Mr. Siculus wrote about the brazen bull

西库鲁斯先生写到了青铜牛，

and this is what he said.

以下是他的原话。

The guy who invented it

发明这个装置的人

was an inventor by trade 短語搭配

本身就是个发明家，

and he was named Perillos of Athens.

他叫雅典的佩里洛斯。

It's said before he built this thing

据说在公元前570年到公元前554年之间

somewhere between 570 and 554 BC,

制造这个东西之前，

he actually pitched the idea. 短語搭配

他实际上是在推销这个想法。

He was what you might call a creative technologist 語氣意圖

你或许可以称他为古代的

of the past looking for some funding. 短語搭配

创意技术专家，正在寻找一些资金。

He got that funding from a man named Phalaris,

他从一个名叫法拉里斯的人那里获得了资金，

the tyrant of Acragas.

那人是阿克拉加斯的暴君。

Given his frightening title, 語法

考虑到他那可怕的头衔，

you wouldn't be surprised to hear 短語搭配

当你听说

that this man was said to be very cruel.

这个人非常残忍时，你应该不会感到惊讶。

In some accounts of his life,

在关于他生平的一些记载中，

it's written that he enjoyed torture

写着他喜欢折磨人，

and even went so low as to eat children. 習語

甚至卑劣到吃小孩的地步。

We should say that Encyclopedia

我们必须说明，《大英

Britannica cites research that says

百科全书》引用的研究表明，

he wasn't as cruel as some people have written.

他并不像有些人写的那么残忍。

Whatever the case, 表達脈絡

无论如何，

it seems he commissioned the building of the brazen bull. 短語搭配

似乎是他下令建造了这头青铜牛。

So,

那么，

how did one perish in a brazen bull?

一个人是如何在青铜牛里死去的呢？

Well,

嗯，

it was certainly a thing conjured up 短語動詞

这确实是一个融合了创造力

by a creative yet sadistic imagination.

与施虐狂想象力的产物。

It was said to be the same size of a bull

据说它和一头真牛一样大，

but shaped from bronze

但由青铜铸造而成，

with an opening where a man could enter the thing.

上面有个开口，人可以从那里钻进去。

A fire was then lit under the bull

然后在牛的下方生火，

and the man would slowly roast to death. 短語搭配

那个人就会被慢慢烤死。

But get this, 語氣意圖

但听好，

it was made so that when the man was howling in agony, 講解

它的设计巧妙之处在于，当人在里面痛苦嚎叫时，

his shrieks would emanate through specially distorted pipes

他的尖叫声会通过内置在牛体内的

built into the bull,

特殊扭曲管道传出来，

so the impression an onlooker would get 語法

这样旁观者听到和感觉到的，

was an animal bellowing in pain.

就像是一头动物在痛苦中咆哮。

This might have been the fun part

对于像阿克拉加斯暴君这样的人来说，

for someone like the tyrant of Acragas.

这可能正是最有趣的部分。

The smoke would come out through the holes in the bull's nose

烟雾会从牛鼻子上的孔里冒出来，

and that nose was filled with incense

而且那个鼻子里塞满了香料，

since burning bodies don't smell so good.

因为烧焦的尸体闻起来实在不太好。

The bones that were left

留下来的骨头

would then be turned into bracelets, 短語動詞

随后会被做成手镯，

so the story goes. 表達脈絡

传说就是这样说的。

When the idea was pitched by Perillos,

当佩里洛斯提出这个想法时，

it's said he said this to the tyrant Phalaris.

据说他曾对暴君法拉里斯这样说道：

The occupant will shriek and roar in unremitting agony 用詞

“里面的人会在无尽的痛苦中尖叫咆哮，

and his cries will come to you through the pipes

而他的哭喊声将通过这些管子传到你的耳朵里，

as the tenderest, most pathetic, 表達脈絡

变成最柔和、最凄美、

most melodious of bellowings.

最悦耳的低吼。

Your victim will be punished

你的受害者将得到惩罚，

and you will enjoy the music.

而你将享受这美妙的音乐。”

When the bull was finished,

当这头牛完工后，

Phalaris told the inventor to get inside the thing

法拉里斯告诉发明家钻进去

to test out the sound, 短語動詞

测试一下声音，

but some sources say he lit the fire

但有些资料说他点燃了火，

and the inventor died there.

发明家死在了里面。

Others say he pulled him out,

也有人说暴君把他拉了出来，

but then killed him by pushing him over a cliff.

但随后却把他推下悬崖摔死了。

It seems for all his hard work, 語法

看来佩里洛斯所有的辛苦工作，

Perillos was killed,

换来的只是自己的丧命，

but perhaps not because Phalaris didn't want to pay.

但也许并不是因为法拉里斯不想付钱。

Even though Phalaris is said to have been keen on cruelty, 短語搭配

尽管据说极度热衷于残忍行径，

it's written that he said this to Perillos

但有记载称法拉里斯在听说了

after hearing about the execution method.

这种处决方式后对佩里洛斯这样说：

His words revolted 用詞

“他的话令我

me. I loathe the thought of such ingenious cruelty 短語搭配

作呕。我厌恶如此巧妙的残忍想法，

and resolved to punish the artificer in kind. 習語

并决定以其人之道还治其人之身。

I said to him,

我跟他说，

"If your art can really produce this effect,

‘如果你的技艺真能产生这种效果，

get inside yourself and pretend to roar

你自己钻进去假装咆哮，

and we'll see whether the pipes will make such music as you describe."

让我们来看看这些管子是否能发出你描述的那种音乐。’”

By the way,

顺便说一句，

it's written that upon his downfall, 短語搭配

据记载，在法拉里斯倒台时，

Phalaris was also killed inside the bull.

他同样被在青铜牛里处死。

So,

所以，

that's inventor and commissioner

这就意味着发明者和委托人，

both killed at their own hands in a way. 習語

在某种程度上都死在了自己手中。

Word of the brazen bull was passed down

关于青铜牛的故事流传了下来，

and histories were written

历史文献中被书写，

and they linked the device with these two men,

将这个装置与这两个男人——

the inventor and the tyrant.

发明家和暴君——联系在一起。

But the history of the bull doesn't stop there. 表達脈絡

但关于青铜牛的历史并没有就此停止。

The Romans had it said had a taste for the brazen bull

据说罗马人对青铜牛也情有独钟，

and if you've watched our other shows on Roman torture,

如果你看过我们其他关于罗马酷刑的节目，

you won't be surprised to hear

你听了就不会感到惊讶：

that some people wouldn't have had many scruples 短語搭配

有些人把一个人活活烤死

about roasting a man to death

并欣赏他的惨叫声，

and enjoying his screams.

可能完全没有任何顾忌。

We might look at the story of a man named Saint Eustace.

我们也许可以看看一位名叫圣尤斯塔斯的人的故事。

It's said he became a martyr 文化背景

据说他在二世纪被杀后

after being killed in the second century.

成为了一名殉道者。

The Romans were punishing many Christians

罗马人在自己皈依基督教之前，

before they themselves converted to Christianity

曾经惩罚过许多基督徒，

under the emperor Constantine.

当时是在君士坦丁大帝的统治下。

But that was in the fourth century AD

但那是在公元四世纪，

before a lot of Christian blood was spilled 習語

在此之前已经有很多基督徒流血牺牲，

and it seems a few Christians also got cooked to death inside a bronze animal.

而且似乎有几个基督徒也是在一只青铜动物体内被烤死的。

Saint Eustace was said to have been one of them.

据说圣尤斯塔斯就是其中之一。

Before he converted to Christianity,

在皈依基督教之前，

he had served under a Roman emperor,

他曾在一位于罗马皇帝手下服役，

but he saw the light, 習語

但可以说，

so to speak, 表達脈絡

他看到了光明，

when he had a vision one day,

那是因为某天他看到了一个异象，

which involved a stag and a crucifix.

里面有一只雄鹿和一个十字架。

Christians might tell you that this man then lost

基督徒可能会告诉你，这个人随后失去了

everything, which was one of those tests of God.

一切，这是上帝的考验之一。

He lost his cash,

他失去了金钱、

his servants,

仆人，

and his wife and kids were taken away from him

他的妻子和孩子也从他身边被夺走，

by, of all things, 語氣意圖

而夺走他们的，竟然是

a lion and a wolf.

一头狮子和一匹狼。

Yet his faith remained strong throughout.

然而，他自始至终都保持着坚定的信仰。

There are a few different stories as to what happened to this man, 短語搭配

关于这个人身上发生的事情有几个不同的故事版本，

but some people will tell you he got his wealth

但有人会告诉你，他后来找回了财富，

back as well as his family.

也找回了家人。

But in the end,

但在最后，

he, his wife and children

他、他的妻子和孩子

were all roasted to death in the brazen bull

在皇帝哈德良的命令下，

on the orders of emperor Hadrian. 短語搭配

全都在青铜牛里被活活烤死。

We looked at some Christian sources

我们查阅了一些基督教文献，

and they seem to back that up, 短語動詞

似乎支持了这种说法，

although they don't say his family got the treatment too. 習語

尽管文献中并未提及他的家人也遭受了同样对待。

We also found this piece of Christian history

我们还发现了这段写于

written in the 1800s.

1800年代的基督教历史。

It seems to suggest that when Eustace and his family got roasted,

它似乎在暗示，当尤斯塔斯和他的家人被火烤时，

they died,

他们死了，

but some miracles did happen. 語法

但发生了一些奇迹。

This is from that text.

这是文献的原话：

The holy martyrs by divine power

“这些神圣的殉道者凭借神力

remained alive for three days

存活了三天，

praising and blessing the great giver of life and death.

赞美并祝福着赐予生死的主。

At last,

最后，

when their voices ceased,

当他们的声音消失后，

the bull was opened

牛被打开，

and all four were found without life,

发现四个人都已失去生命，

but also without any injury to their bodies or garments.

但他们的身体和衣服却没有任何损伤。”

It's written that other Christians close to him at this time

有记载称，当时与他亲近的其他基督徒

went the same way. 習語

也遭遇了相同的命运。

For instance,

例如，

a man known as Saint Antipas.

一位被称为圣安提帕斯的人。

This was written about him.

关于他是这样写的：

They became enraged

“他们勃然大怒，

and dragged him to the temple of Artemis

将他拖到阿耳忒弥斯神庙，

and there they threw him into a glowing red hot copper or brazen metal bull

在那里把他扔进了一头烧得通红发光的铜牛里，

where they normally put their sacrifices to the idols

他们通常把给偶像的祭品放在那里，

to cast demons out of their own people. 短語動詞

以此将恶魔从自己人身上驱除。

He loudly prayed God to receive his soul

他大声祈求上帝接收他的灵魂，

and strengthen the faith of the Christians

坚定基督徒的信仰，

and begged God to forgive those who were inflicting on him his torment.

并祈求上帝宽恕那些对他施加折磨的人。

He then departed as peacefully as if he fell asleep. 習語

然后他就像睡着了一样安详地离去了。”

We should say that there are a lot of people

我们应该说明，有很多人

who don't believe these stories

不相信这些故事，

and relate them more to legend than truth.

并认为它们更像是传说而不是真相。

It's not for us to say what's true or not, 語氣意圖

什么为真什么为假并不是由我们说了算，

but most serious historians will at least tell you

但大多数严肃的历史学家至少会告诉你，

that the stories from the bull's surprising beginnings in Greece

关于青铜牛从在希腊惊人地问世，

to Christian martyrs not feeling any pain while being roasted

到基督教殉道者在被烤时感觉不到疼痛的这些故事，

are hard to verify. 短語搭配

是很难去证实的。

What is very much true 語法

非常真实的一点是，

is that stories of the brazen bull

关于青铜牛的故事

have been passed down throughout the ages 短語動詞

一直在历代流传，

and those manuscripts can still be read today.

而且今天仍然可以读到那些手稿。

By the way,

顺便说一下，

while you might see a brazen bull in a museum in the world,

虽然你可能会在世界各地的博物馆里看到一头青铜牛，

it won't be the real thing, 短語搭配

但那不会是真品，

only a depiction of one.

只不过是个复制模型而已。

Have you seen worse in our other punishment shows?

你在我们其他的惩罚类节目中见过更糟的吗？

Tell us in the comments

在评论区告诉我们，

and then go watch Eaten Alive,

然后去看看《被活吃》、

Scaphism,

《船刑》

Worst Punishments in the History of Mankind.

以及《人类历史上最糟糕的惩罚》。

Thanks for watching

感谢收看，

and as always,

像往常一样，

don't forget to like, share, and subscribe.

不要忘记点赞、分享和订阅。

See you next time.

下次见。