凱瑟琳輪（磔輪）——人類歷史上最殘酷的懲罰：英語精讀講義

There are many horrific devices of the distant past

在遙遠的過去，有許多令人毛骨悚然的器具，

that were intended to inflict unbearable pain 片語搭配

旨在施加難以忍受的痛苦，

or flat out kill their target. 用詞

或者直接將目標殺死。

Some of these,

其中一些，

such as the brazen bull,

比如銅牛，

a brass statue in which the victim would be burned alive, 片語搭配

一種把受害者活活燒死的黃銅雕像，

sound pretty terrifying.

聽起來就非常可怕。

The breast ripper

撕胸鉗

or pear of anguish

或苦刑梨

are other examples of things

是另外一些例子，

that you just know you wouldn't want to have happen. 文法

你絕對不希望它們用在自己身上。

But say you were captive 文法

但假設你被俘虜了，

and those in charge threatened to bring out the wheel, 講解

掌權者威脅說要搬出輪子，

the Catherine Wheel.

也就是「凱瑟琳輪」。

You might think, well,

你可能會想，嗯，

that doesn't actually sound so bad.

聽起來好像沒那麼糟。

You'd be in for quite a shock. 片語搭配

那你可就要大吃一驚了。

We'll explain why in this episode of the Infographics Show.

我們將在本期《資訊圖表秀》中為你解釋原因。

The Catherine Wheel,

凱瑟琳輪，

Worst Punishments.

史上最慘烈的懲罰。

According to legends, 表達脈絡

根據傳說，

the Catherine Wheel is named after Saint Catherine of Alexandria,

凱瑟琳輪是以亞歷山大的聖凱瑟琳命名的，

who is a patron to those academically or philosophically inclined

她是有學術或哲學傾向之人的守護神，

and prevents unexpected death.

能防止人們意外死亡。

Now, there's no mention of this individual before the 9th century,

不過，在9世紀之前並沒有關於這個人的記載，

although she supposedly lived in the 4th. 用詞

儘管她據稱生活在4世紀。

So, it's suspected that she did not truly exist.

因此，人們懷疑她是否真的存在。

Nevertheless, her story was a well-known one that began in Egypt.

儘管如此，她的故事從埃及開始廣為流傳。

She was believed to be noble, if not a princess, 文法

人們認為她就算不是公主，也是貴族，

as well as very studious.

並且非常勤奮好學。

However, some might consider it less than wise 慣用語

然而，有些人可能認為她的做法不太明智，

that she rose up to protest the wrongs of the then Roman emperor of the time, Maxentius, 片語動詞

因為她站出來抗議當時的羅馬皇帝馬克森提烏斯的惡行，

who was relentlessly persecuting Christians.

此人當時正在殘酷迫害基督徒。

Maxentius allegedly selected several scholars to engage in a battle of wits 慣用語

據說馬克森提烏斯挑選了幾名學者來鬥智，

with the young Catherine, but ultimately the wise men lost.

挑戰年輕的凱瑟琳，但最終智者們輸了。

As a further insult, while she was in prison for her words,

作為進一步的羞辱，當她因言獲罪入獄時，

Catherine managed to convert many of Maxentius's soldiers

凱瑟琳成功讓馬克森提烏斯的許多士兵

and even his wife to the Christian religion.

甚至他的妻子皈依了基督教。

Needless to say, that didn't exactly sit well with Maxentius. 講解

不用說，這讓馬克森提烏斯非常不爽。

After torture in which she declared Jesus Christ her spouse,

在受盡折磨並宣稱耶穌基督為她的配偶後，

she was sentenced to death. 片語搭配

她被判處死刑。

This is when the wheel came into play, 慣用語

這時輪子就派上用場了，

which was the executionary device.

它是用來執行死刑的刑具。

The story goes that it shattered at her touch, 表達脈絡

傳說當她一碰到輪子，它就碎裂了，

and so in desperation the emperor ultimately had her beheaded. 文法

皇帝在絕望中最終只好將她斬首。

She was then carried to Mount Sinai.

隨後她的遺體被運往西奈山。

Interestingly, later on,

有趣的是，後來，

Saint Joan of Arc identified Catherine's voice

聖女貞德辨認出凱瑟琳的聲音

as one of the several she heard.

是她聽到的幾個聲音之一。

So, what is this wheel that Catherine had miraculously escaped,

那麼，凱瑟琳奇蹟般逃脫的這個輪子，

but that went on to kill many of the less fortunate? 文法

後來卻殺死了許多不幸的人，它到底是什麼呢？

Another name it's known by, the breaking wheel,

它另一個為人熟知的名字——「斷骨輪」，

will probably give you some ideas.

可能會讓你有一點概念。

It was a wheel made of wood,

它是一個木製輪子，

similar if not the same as those used on carriages. 文法

即使不完全相同，也類似於馬車上用的那種。

In addition to being made of hefty wood,

除了由厚實的木頭製成外，

these wheels were outfitted with a metal rim, 用詞

這些輪子還配備了金屬輪輞，

though sometimes they would be modified

雖然有時它們會被改裝，

so that they could inflict further damage with protruding iron blades.

加上突出的鐵刀片以造成更大的傷害。

These massive wheels would then be dropped on convicts all over their body,

這些巨大的輪子會被砸向囚犯的全身，

breaking bones upon impact. 文法

在撞擊時砸斷骨頭。

Another approach was to tie a person to the wheel

另一種方法是把人綁在輪子上，

and hit his or her limbs with iron hammers or bars

用鐵錘或鐵棍敲打他或她的四肢，

while the wheel was rotated.

同時轉動輪子。

As long as the bones were shattered,

只要骨頭碎裂，

that was all that mattered.

其他的都無所謂。

The exact amount of wheel drops or hammer hits were already determined beforehand.

輪子砸下或鎚子敲打的確切次數是事先決定好的。

This would depend on the extent of the convicts' crimes, 片語搭配

這取決於囚犯的犯罪程度，

such as if they committed acts of robbery or murder. 片語搭配

例如他們是否犯下了搶劫或謀殺罪。

For the worst offenders,

對於最嚴重的罪犯，

efforts were made to better match their punishment to the crimes. 片語搭配

人們試圖讓懲罰更好地與罪行相匹配。

For example, sharp pieces of wood would sometimes be set underneath the victim

例如，有時會在受害者身下放置尖銳的木塊，

to bring yet further torture.

帶來進一步的折磨。

On the other hand, for those they wanted to spare the worst, 表達脈絡

另一方面，對於那些他們想讓其免受最重折磨的人，

they could deliver a fatal blow during the wheel dropping 片語搭配

行刑者可以在輪子砸下時、

or iron hitting process

鐵器敲打過程中，

or right after it was over.

或者剛剛結束時給予致命一擊。

Unfortunately, most were not so lucky

不幸的是，大多數人沒有那麼好運，

and the bone breaking was only the beginning

斷骨只是一個開始，

or step one of two or three.

或者說是兩三個步驟中的第一步。

Following step one,

在第一步之後，

bodies were typically threaded through the spokes of another wheel.

受刑者的身體通常會被穿插進另一個輪子的輻條之間。

While this would be difficult to do with a normal person,

雖然對一個正常人來說這很難做到，

it was much easier once their limbs were broken.

但一旦他們的四肢被折斷，這就容易多了。

The wheel was then attached to a pole and displayed for all to see, 片語搭配

然後輪子會被固定在一根桿子上並向眾人展示，

much like those who had undergone crucifixion.

就像那些遭受十字架刑罰的人一樣。

At this point, some would be cut apart or strangled,

在這個時候，一些人會被肢解或勒死，

which would finally, though painfully, end their suffering.

這將最終結束他們的痛苦，儘管過程極其殘忍。

Others would be placed above a blazing fire

其他人會被放在熊熊烈火之上，

or alternatively thrown directly in one.

或者乾脆直接扔進火裡。

It was even possible for the individual to be hung while on the wheel,

甚至有可能把人掛在輪子上吊死，

though this option was generally reserved for those 片語搭配

儘管這種選擇通常保留給那些

who had been found guilty of either the very worst crimes 片語搭配

被判犯有最嚴重罪行

or multiple serious offenses.

或多項嚴重罪行的人。

The executioners in charge had no mercy,

負責的劊子手毫不留情，

even upon the souls of those they had killed.

即使對那些被他們殺死之人的靈魂也是如此。

Bodies were simply left where they had been thrown or hung up

屍體就那樣被扔在地上或掛在原處，

to be eaten away by the beaks, teeth, and claws of wild animals.

任由野生動物的喙、牙齒和爪子啃食。

Many believed that this would prevent the souls from ever finding eternal peace. 文法

許多人相信這會讓靈魂永遠無法獲得永恆的安寧。

It would also serve as a gruesome warning to others. 片語搭配

這也起到了對其他人毛骨悚然的警告作用。

But there was one little hope for those sentenced to death by the Catherine Wheel,

但對於那些被判處凱瑟琳輪死刑的人來說，還有一線希望，

and that was if they somehow became disengaged

那就是如果他們不知怎麼掙脫了，

or if the wheel in some way failed to do its job.

或者輪子因為某種原因沒有發揮作用。

In these circumstances, it was seen as divine intervention, 文化背景

在這種情況下，這會被視為神靈的干預，

and the convict's life would ultimately be spared.

囚犯最終會被免於一死。

However, this was highly unlikely.

然而，這極不可能發生。

It happened so rarely that when it did, 文法

這種事發生得太少了，以至於一旦發生，

it would become the subject of religious paintings depicting the miracle.

它就會成為描繪奇蹟的宗教繪畫的主題。

More often than not, those given the sentence never made it into the works of art. 講解

通常情況下，被判刑的人永遠無法成為藝術作品的主角。

Further, their suffering could drag on seemingly endlessly before they died. 片語動詞

此外，他們在死前的痛苦可能會拖延得似乎沒有盡頭。

There are stories of a murderer in the 14th century

有傳聞稱，14世紀的一名殺人犯

who held on for three days before he expired. 片語動詞

堅持了三天三夜才嚥氣。

Another time, a man by the name of Bona Dies

還有一次，一個名叫波納·迪斯的人

lasted for four full days and nights.

撐了整整四個日夜。

A more questionable account of a German serial killer in the 1500s

一個更令人懷疑的說法是，16世紀德國的一名連環殺手

claimed that he remained alive with the help of alcohol

據稱他在酒精的幫助下活了下來，

for as many as nine days. 文法

長達九天。

But again, more likely than not, this last account is just another legend. 片語搭配

但同樣地，極有可能這個最後的說法只是一則傳說。

The Catherine or breaking wheel was quite a horrible device.

凱瑟琳輪或斷骨輪是一種相當可怕的裝置。

It was used as a method of public execution in Europe

它是歐洲公開處決的一種方式，

from antiquity to early modern times,

從古代一直延續到近代早期，

but very few utilized it until it was outlawed in 1813,

但直到1813年被取締時，極少有人再去使用它，

and its suspected last use was in Prussia as late as 1841. 文法

據悉它最後一次被使用是遲至1841年在普魯士。

We are all too thankful, as our modern-day criminals,

我們和現代的罪犯一樣都非常慶幸，

that over time it lost favor with most societies, 片語搭配

隨著時間的推移，它被大多數社會所拋棄，

which leads to the question: 表達脈絡

這就引出了一個問題：

In the case of convicted murderers who have taken the lives of others, 慣用語

對於那些剝奪了他人生命的被定罪謀殺犯，

what punishment is just and what is going way too far? 慣用語

什麼樣的懲罰是公正的，什麼樣的懲罰又太過分了呢？

Also, be sure to check out our other video called

另外，請一定要去看我們的另一個影片，叫做

Most Horrifying Punishments in the History of Mankind.

《人類歷史上最恐怖的懲罰》。

Thanks for watching, and as always,

感謝觀看，一如既往，

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

不要忘記按讚、分享和訂閱。

See you next time.

我們下次再見。