活活被吃掉（船刑）- 人类历史上最残酷的惩罚：英语精读讲义

In terms of justice, the ancient Persian Empire could be said to have been harsh, but fair. 講解

就司法而言，古波斯帝国可以说是严苛但公平的。

The criminal code included the principle of Lex Talionis, 文化背景

其刑法包含了同态复仇原则，

an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.

即以眼还眼，以牙还牙。

Misdemeanors usually warranted fines.

轻罪通常会被处以罚款。

You might be branded for slander,

诽谤他人可能会被烙印，

and for the worst crimes you'd get the death penalty.

而最严重的罪行则会被判处死刑。

On occasions, there was a two-strikes rule,

有时，会有“两次违规”规则，

meaning someone wouldn't be executed for their first offense.

这意味着某人不会因初犯而被处死。

So, there you are in ancient Persia,

所以，假设你身处古波斯，

two strikes down.

并且已经犯了两次事。

You're wondering how the death penalty will be meted out. 短語動詞

你心里琢磨着死刑将如何执行。

Will it be suffocation by ashes, perhaps,

或许是用灰烬将你窒息？

or maybe having molten gold poured down your throat,

又或是将熔化的金水灌入你的喉咙，

as what might have happened to the Roman emperor Valerian?

就像罗马皇帝瓦勒良可能遭遇的那样？

It's hard to say which would be worse, 語法

很难说哪种死法更惨，

but today we think we have a Persian punishment that was the most brutal of them all.

但今天，我们认为有一种波斯酷刑绝对是史上最残忍的。

While the ancient Persians did have strict laws pertaining to matters of justice,

尽管古波斯人确实在司法方面有着严格的法律，

as we said,

正如我们所说，

that at times didn't stop them from being tremendously brutal. 語法

但这有时也无法阻止他们变得极度残忍。

We'll give you a few more examples before we get to possibly the worst punishment of them all. 表達脈絡

在讲到这可能是有史以来最糟糕的惩罚之前，我们再举几个例子。

Take, for example, 表達脈絡

举个例子，

the death of a Persian judge called Sisamnes.

波斯法官西萨姆尼斯的死。

It's said that he was corrupt,

据说他当时贪赃枉法，

and King Cambyses the second of Persia,

而公元前530年至公元前522年在位的波斯国王

who ruled from 530 BC to 522 BC,

冈比西斯二世，

wanted to make an example out of him as a warning to others who might think about corrupting the courts. 習語

想拿他杀鸡儆猴，以警告其他有胆量腐败法庭的人。

It's said that judge was flayed from head to toe, 習語

据说这位法官被从头到脚活剥了皮，

and then his skin was used to make a chair.

然后他的皮被用来做成了一把椅子。

As the tale goes, 表達脈絡

传闻中说，

anyone appointed from then on as a judge would have to spend some time sitting in that chair, 短語搭配

从那时起，任何被任命为法官的人，都必须在那把椅子上坐一段时间，

so they would know what would happen if they were corrupt.

好让他们清楚贪污受贿的下场。

You can see this horrific spectacle in the paintings The Arrest of Sisamnes and Flaying of Sisamnes.

你可以在画作《逮捕西萨姆尼斯》和《剥西萨姆尼斯的皮》中看到这恐怖的一幕。

Then, there's the story of Cyrus the Great.

接下来是居鲁士大帝的故事。

It's written that his wife became quite unhappy with one of her eunuchs.

据记载，他的妻子对身边的一名太监非常不满。

So unhappy, in fact, that she ordered that he be killed three times. 語法

甚至不满到了下令要将他处死三次的地步。

This is called the triple death.

这被称为三重死刑。

It's said first his eyes were pulled from his head,

据说首先挖出了他的双眼，

but then he was nursed back to health. 短語搭配

但随后他又被悉心照料以恢复健康。

His second death was being flayed,

他的第二次死刑是剥皮，

but again, he was nursed so he wouldn't die.

但同样，他又被救治以免于一死。

We imagine he couldn't have been completely flayed as that resulted in certain death. 短語搭配

我们猜想他肯定没被完全剥皮，因为那会导致必死无疑。

When he was better, then he was crucified, and the job was done.

等他好转后，他被钉上了十字架，这才算完事。

We should say, however, that there are many versions of this tale. 表達脈絡

不过我们得说，这个故事有很多版本。

We'll stick with this one for now. 短語動詞

我们暂时就以这个版本为准。

So, with these two executions in mind, 短語搭配

那么，看过了这两场处决，

could there really be anything worse?

难道还有比这更糟的吗？

Well, now we have to look at the story of a man called Mithridates.

好了，现在我们来看看一个名叫米特里达梯的人的故事。

He was a young Persian soldier who was put to death in 401 BC. 短語搭配

他是一名年轻的波斯士兵，于公元前401年被处死。

It's said this man accidentally killed Cyrus the younger,

据说这个人意外杀死了小居鲁士，

the rebel who was intending to kill his older brother Arsaces,

这是一个企图杀死自己亲哥哥阿尔沙克，

so he could inherit the throne.

从而继承王位的叛乱者。

Thousands of men were killed behind Cyrus,

成千上万追随小居鲁士的人丧生，

as this culminated in the Battle of Cunaxa. 短語搭配

这场冲突最终演变成了库纳克萨战役。

Cyrus's army got the upper hand after charging Artaxerxes's army. 習語

小居鲁士的军队在向阿尔塔薛西斯的军队发起冲锋后占据了上风。

All was going well.

一切进展顺利。

The throne was in his sights. 習語

王位似乎触手可及。

Cyrus then went to attack his brother's personal bodyguard,

随后小居鲁士前去袭击他哥哥的贴身护卫，

and then, oops, out of nowhere 習語

接着，哎呀，不知从哪儿

a javelin just hit him and killed him on the spot. 習語

飞来一根标枪刚好击中了他，让他当场毙命。

This was a huge setback for the rebels,

这对叛军来说是一个巨大的打击，

and they all retreated.

他们全军撤退了。

Their future king was dead.

他们未来的国王死了。

It was over.

一切都结束了。

We know this because the story was recorded by the Greek biographer Plutarch in his essay The Life of Artaxerxes.

我们之所以知道这件事，是因为希腊传记作家普鲁塔克在他的文章《阿尔塔薛西斯传》中记录了这个故事。

Another Greek writer called Ctesias told Plutarch

另一位名叫克特西亚斯的希腊作家告诉普鲁塔克，

of the fate of the man that accidentally killed Cyrus with that javelin.

那个用标枪意外杀死小居鲁士的人后来的命运。

As you know, his name was Mithridates.

如你所知，他名叫米特里达梯。

It's understandable that some people were perhaps a bit miffed with Mithridates. 用詞

可以理解，有些人可能对米特里达梯非常恼火。

Only the severest of punishments would do, 用詞

只有最严酷的惩罚才能解恨，

and that's where scaphism comes in. 表達脈絡

这就是“舟刑”登场的时候了。

This is how Plutarch describes the very unusual kind of death penalty.

普鲁塔克是这样描述这种极不寻常的死刑的。

We will paraphrase,

我们会将其意译，

as his language is a bit dated now. 用詞

因为他的语言现在有些过时了。

So, two boats of equal size were put on top of each other and nailed together.

首先，将两只大小相同的小船上下相叠并钉在一起。

It kind of made a floating coffin.

它有点像一具漂浮的棺材。

Holes were made in the boat

船上凿了一些洞，

so that the prisoner could be fastened in them 語法

这样就可以把囚犯固定在里面，

with his hands, feet, and head sticking out. 短語動詞

让他的双手、双脚和头露在外面。

So far, so good. 習語

到目前为止，一切似乎还好。

He was floating,

他漂浮在水面上，

and his head was protruding.

脑袋露在外面。

He was getting rather hot.

但他越来越觉得热。

He was left there with the hot sun shining on his face.

他就这样被留在那儿，烈日直射他的脸庞。

His body was baking hot inside the floating tomb.

在这座漂浮的坟墓里，他的身体被烤得滚烫。

Then, they force-fed Mithridates milk and honey,

然后，他们强行喂米特里达梯吃下牛奶和蜂蜜，

and in good size portions, too.

而且分量很足。

They also covered his face with the stuff.

他们还把这些东西涂满他的脸。

Soon, his honey-covered face was covered in flies that were feasting on him and the honey. 短語搭配

很快，他涂满蜂蜜的脸上就爬满了苍蝇，在饱餐他和蜂蜜。

He was then force-fed more and more until his belly was distended, 語法

随后他被强行喂食得越来越多，直到肚子胀大，

and he had produced quite the pile of excrement. 語法

并排出了大量的粪便。

At this point, as Plutarch said,

正如普鲁塔克所说，到了这时候，

creeping things and vermin and spring out of the corruption and the rottenness of the excrement.

恶心的爬虫和害虫便从粪便的腐败与恶臭中滋生出来。

These things entered Mithridates's bowels

这些东西钻进了米特里达梯的肠道，

while his flesh was slowly being eaten, too, from the outside. 語法

与此同时，他的皮肉也正从外部被慢慢啃食。

This slow devouring by insects and vermin,

据说这种被昆虫和害虫缓慢吞噬的过程

it's said, lasted 17 days.

持续了17天。

At that point, poor young Mithridates with the bad javelin shot,

到了那一天，标枪射偏了的可怜年轻人米特里达梯，

was eaten alive. 短語搭配

被活活吃掉了。

There was another description of this by a 12th century Byzantine chronicler called Joannes Zonaras.

12世纪的拜占庭编年史家约翰·佐纳拉斯对这事还有另一种描述。

It's really the same story,

其实就是同一个故事，

but he embellished the tale somewhat. 短語搭配

但他对故事情节做了一些润色。

This is the conclusion, word for word, 短語搭配

以下是逐字翻译的

in translation.

结论部分。

Flies, wasps, and bees, attracted by the sweetness, 語法

苍蝇、黄蜂和蜜蜂被甜味所吸引，

settle on his face and all such parts of him as project outside the boats,

停在他的脸上以及所有露出船外的身体部位，

and miserably torment and sting the wretched man.

悲惨地折磨并叮咬这个可怜的人。

Moreover, his belly distended,

不仅如此，他因牛奶和蜂蜜

as it is, with milk and honey,

而肿胀的肚子，

throws off liquid excrements, 短語動詞

排出了液态粪便，

and these putrefying breed swarms of worms,

这些腐败物滋生了成群的蛆虫，

intestinal, and of all sorts.

有肠道寄生虫，还有各种虫子。

Thus, the victim lying in the boats,

就这样，这个躺在船里的受害者，

his flesh rotting away in his own filth, 短語動詞

血肉在自己的污物中慢慢腐烂，

and devoured by worms,

并被虫子吞噬，

dies a lingering and horrible death. 短語搭配

在漫长的折磨中极其恐怖地死去。

But, is that it, 語氣意圖

但事情真的就到此为止了吗？

just one case of scaphism throughout history?

在整个历史上只有这一起舟刑的案例吗？

Well, it seems like the one case everyone talks about is the one we just described.

嗯，似乎每个人都在谈论的案例就是我们刚才描述的这个。

Although most sources call scaphism an ancient form of punishment,

尽管大多数文献都将舟刑称为一种古老的刑罚形式，

as if it happened time and again. 習語

就好像它曾屡次发生一样。

We did find an excerpt from a book called The History of Christian Martyrdom.

我们确实在一本名为《基督教殉道史》的书里找到了一段摘录。

In that book, it's written that a bishop called Marcus in 363 AD destroyed a pagan temple,

书中记载，公元363年，一位名叫马库斯的主教摧毁了一座异教神庙，

and then he erected a church.

然后在原址建起了一座教堂。

This didn't go down well with the Roman emperor Julian the Apostate. 習語

这让罗马皇帝“叛教者尤利安”大为不满。

It's written that as punishment,

据记载，作为惩罚，

he took Marcus and hung him up in a basket

他把马库斯吊在一个篮子里，

and left him there to be feasted on by insects.

任其留在那里被昆虫啃食。

But, this seems like a case of dying in the hot sun,

但这看起来更像是在烈日下暴晒而死的情况，

rather than hardcore scaphism.

而不是硬核的舟刑。

There's actually quite the debate about scaphism on the WikiTalk page,

实际上，在维基百科讨论页上关于舟刑有着不小的争议，

with some editors questioning the veracity of Plutarch and asking for other sources. 用詞

一些编辑质疑普鲁塔克所说内容的真实性，并要求提供其他来源。

Plutarch did indeed write that account of scaphism, 語法

普鲁塔克的确写下了关于舟刑的那个记载，

but some historians believe he may have done so to demonize the Persians 語法

但一些历史学家认为他之所以这么做可能是为了将波斯人妖魔化，

and make his own culture look better. 語法

从而让自己的文化显得更优越。

We'll never really know what happened to Mithridates,

我们永远也无法确切知道米特里达梯身上到底发生了什么，

but right now, that's the prevailing story. 用詞

但就目前而言，这是最主流的故事版本。

Perhaps he was the only man to ever get the full dose of scaphism, 習語

也许他是唯一一个遭受过全套舟刑的人，

or maybe old Plutarch was an ancient publisher of fake news. 表達脈絡

又或者老普鲁塔克就是古代制造假新闻的人。

So, did we find the worst punishment of all time?

那么，我们是否找到了史上最糟糕的刑罚呢？

Also, check out the brand new channel called I Am.

此外，请去看看名为 I Am 的全新频道。

Real stories come to life as they're told from the perspective of the people who lived it.

由亲历者以他们的视角讲述，让真实故事鲜活重现。

Check out I Am Vlad the Impaler right now,

现在就去看 I Am Vlad the Impaler 吧，

and be one of the first to subscribe.

并成为首批订阅者之一。