活活被吃掉（船刑）- 人類歷史上最殘酷的懲罰：英語精讀講義

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

就司法而言，古波斯帝國可以說是嚴苛但公平的。

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

其刑法包含了同態復仇原則，

an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.

即以眼還眼，以牙還牙。

Misdemeanors usually warranted fines.

輕罪通常會被處以罰款。

You might be branded for slander,

誹謗他人可能會被烙印，

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

而最嚴重的罪行則會被判處死刑。

On occasions, there was a two-strikes rule,

有時，會有「兩次違規」規則，

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

這意味著某人不會因初犯而被處死。

So, there you are in ancient Persia,

所以，假設你身處古波斯，

two strikes down.

並且已經犯了兩次事。

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

你心裡琢磨著死刑將如何執行。

Will it be suffocation by ashes, perhaps,

或許是用灰燼將你窒息？

or maybe having molten gold poured down your throat,

又或是將熔化的金水灌入你的喉嚨，

as what might have happened to the Roman emperor Valerian?

就像羅馬皇帝瓦勒良可能遭遇的那樣？

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

很難說哪種死法更慘，

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

但今天，我們認為有一種波斯酷刑絕對是史上最殘忍的。

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

儘管古波斯人確實在司法方面有著嚴格的法律，

as we said,

正如我們所說，

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

但這有時也無法阻止他們變得極度殘忍。

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

在講到這可能是有史以來最糟糕的懲罰之前，我們再舉幾個例子。

Take, for example, 表達脈絡

舉個例子，

the death of a Persian judge called Sisamnes.

波斯法官錫薩姆尼斯的死。

It's said that he was corrupt,

據說他當時貪贓枉法，

and King Cambyses the second of Persia,

而公元前530年至公元前522年在位的波斯國王

who ruled from 530 BC to 522 BC,

岡比西斯二世，

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

想拿他殺雞儆猴，以警告其他有膽量腐敗法庭的人。

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

據說這位法官被從頭到腳活剝了皮，

and then his skin was used to make a chair.

然後他的皮被用來做成了一把椅子。

As the tale goes, 表達脈絡

傳聞中說，

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

從那時起，任何被任命為法官的人，都必須在那把椅子上坐一段時間，

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

好讓他們清楚貪污受賄的下場。

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

你可以在畫作《逮捕錫薩姆尼斯》和《剝錫薩姆尼斯的皮》中看到這恐怖的一幕。

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

接下來是居魯士大帝的故事。

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

據記載，他的妻子對身邊的一名太監非常不滿。

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

甚至不滿到了下令要將他處死三次的地步。

This is called the triple death.

這被稱為三重死刑。

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

據說首先挖出了他的雙眼，

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

但隨後他又被悉心照料以恢復健康。

His second death was being flayed,

他的第二次死刑是剝皮，

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

但同樣，他又被救治以免於一死。

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

我們猜想他肯定沒被完全剝皮，因為那會導致必死無疑。

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

等他好轉後，他被釘上了十字架，這才算完事。

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

不過我們得說，這個故事有很多版本。

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

我們暫時就以這個版本為準。

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

那麼，看過了這兩場處決，

could there really be anything worse?

難道還有比這更糟的嗎？

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

好了，現在我們來看看一個名叫米特里達梯的人的故事。

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

他是一名年輕的波斯士兵，於公元前401年被處死。

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

據說這個人意外殺死了小居魯士，

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

這是一個企圖殺死自己親哥哥阿爾沙克，

so he could inherit the throne.

從而繼承王位的叛亂者。

Thousands of men were killed behind Cyrus,

成千上萬追隨小居魯士的人喪生，

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

這場衝突最終演變成了庫納克薩戰役。

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

小居魯士的軍隊在向阿爾塔薛西斯的軍隊發起衝鋒後佔據了上風。

All was going well.

一切進展順利。

The throne was in his sights. 慣用語

王位似乎觸手可及。

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

隨後小居魯士前去襲擊他哥哥的貼身護衛，

and then, oops, out of nowhere 慣用語

接著，哎呀，不知從哪兒

a javelin just hit him and killed him on the spot. 慣用語

飛來一根標槍剛好擊中了他，讓他當場斃命。

This was a huge setback for the rebels,

這對叛軍來說是一個巨大的打擊，

and they all retreated.

他們全軍撤退了。

Their future king was dead.

他們未來的國王死了。

It was over.

一切都結束了。

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

我們之所以知道這件事，是因為希臘傳記作家普魯塔克在他的文章《阿爾塔薛西斯傳》中記錄了這個故事。

Another Greek writer called Ctesias told Plutarch

另一位名叫克特西亞斯的希臘作家告訴普魯塔克，

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

那個用標槍意外殺死小居魯士的人後來的命運。

As you know, his name was Mithridates.

如你所知，他名叫米特里達梯。

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

可以理解，有些人可能對米特里達梯非常惱火。

Only the severest of punishments would do, 用詞

只有最嚴酷的懲罰才能解恨，

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

這就是「舟刑」登場的時候了。

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

普魯塔克是這樣描述這種極不尋常的死刑的。

We will paraphrase,

我們會將其意譯，

as his language is a bit dated now. 用詞

因為他的語言現在有些過時了。

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

首先，將兩隻大小相同的小船上下相疊並釘在一起。

It kind of made a floating coffin.

它有點像一具漂浮的棺材。

Holes were made in the boat

船上鑿了一些洞，

so that the prisoner could be fastened in them 文法

這樣就可以把囚犯固定在裡面，

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

讓他的雙手、雙腳和頭露在外面。

So far, so good. 慣用語

到目前為止，一切似乎還好。

He was floating,

他漂浮在水面上，

and his head was protruding.

腦袋露在外面。

He was getting rather hot.

但他越來越覺得熱。

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

他就這樣被留在那兒，烈日直射他的臉龐。

His body was baking hot inside the floating tomb.

在這座漂浮的墳墓裡，他的身體被烤得滾燙。

Then, they force-fed Mithridates milk and honey,

然後，他們強行餵米特里達梯吃下牛奶和蜂蜜，

and in good size portions, too.

而且份量很足。

They also covered his face with the stuff.

他們還把這些東西塗滿他的臉。

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

很快，他塗滿蜂蜜的臉上就爬滿了蒼蠅，在飽餐他和蜂蜜。

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

隨後他被強行餵食得越來越多，直到肚子脹大，

and he had produced quite the pile of excrement. 文法

並排出了大量的糞便。

At this point, as Plutarch said,

正如普魯塔克所說，到了這時候，

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

噁心的爬蟲和害蟲便從糞便的腐敗與惡臭中滋生出來。

These things entered Mithridates's bowels

這些東西鑽進了米特里達梯的腸道，

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

與此同時，他的皮肉也正從外部被慢慢啃食。

This slow devouring by insects and vermin,

據說這種被昆蟲和害蟲緩慢吞噬的過程

it's said, lasted 17 days.

持續了17天。

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

到了那一天，標槍射偏了的可憐年輕人米特里達梯，

was eaten alive. 片語搭配

被活活吃掉了。

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

12世紀的拜占庭編年史家約翰·佐納拉斯對這事還有另一種描述。

It's really the same story,

其實就是同一個故事，

but he embellished the tale somewhat. 片語搭配

但他對故事情節做了一些潤色。

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

以下是逐字翻譯的

in translation.

結論部分。

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

蒼蠅、黃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,

停在他的臉上及所有露出船外的身體部位，

and miserably torment and sting the wretched man.

悲慘地折磨並叮咬這個可憐的人。

Moreover, his belly distended,

不僅如此，他因牛奶和蜂蜜

as it is, with milk and honey,

而腫脹的肚子，

throws off liquid excrements, 片語動詞

排出了液態糞便，

and these putrefying breed swarms of worms,

這些腐敗物滋生了成群的蛆蟲，

intestinal, and of all sorts.

有腸道寄生蟲，還有各種蟲子。

Thus, the victim lying in the boats,

就這樣，這個躺在船裡的受害者，

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

血肉在自己的污物中慢慢腐爛，

and devoured by worms,

並被蟲子吞噬，

dies a lingering and horrible death. 片語搭配

在漫長的折磨中極其恐怖地死去。

But, is that it, 語氣意圖

但事情真的就到此為止了嗎？

just one case of scaphism throughout history?

在整個歷史上只有這一起舟刑的案例嗎？

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

嗯，似乎每個人都在談論的案例就是我們剛才描述的這個。

Although most sources call scaphism an ancient form of punishment,

儘管大多數文獻都將舟刑稱為一種古老的刑罰形式，

as if it happened time and again. 慣用語

就好像它曾屢次發生一樣。

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

我們確實在一本名為《基督教殉道史》的書裡找到了一段摘錄。

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

書中記載，公元363年，一位名叫馬庫斯的主教摧毀了一座異教神廟，

and then he erected a church.

然後在原址建起了一座教堂。

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

這讓羅馬皇帝「叛教者尤利安」大為不滿。

It's written that as punishment,

據記載，作為懲罰，

he took Marcus and hung him up in a basket

他把馬庫斯吊在一個籃子裡，

and left him there to be feasted on by insects.

任其留在那裡被昆蟲啃食。

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

但這看起來更像是在烈日下暴曬而死的情況，

rather than hardcore scaphism.

而不是硬核的舟刑。

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

實際上，在維基百科討論頁上關於舟刑有著不小的爭議，

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

一些編輯質疑普魯塔克所說內容的真實性，並要求提供其他來源。

Plutarch did indeed write that account of scaphism, 文法

普魯塔克的確寫下了關於舟刑的那段記載，

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

但一些歷史學家認為他之所以這麼做可能是為了將波斯人妖魔化，

and make his own culture look better. 文法

從而讓自己的文化顯得更優越。

We'll never really know what happened to Mithridates,

我們永遠也無法確切知道米特里達梯身上到底發生了什麼，

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

但就目前而言，這是最主流的故事版本。

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

也許他是唯一一個遭受過全套舟刑的人，

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

又或者老普魯塔克就是古代製造假新聞的人。

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

那麼，我們是否找到了史上最糟糕的刑罰呢？

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

此外，請去看看名為 I Am 的全新頻道。

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

由親歷者以他們的視角講述，讓真實故事鮮活重現。

Check out I Am Vlad the Impaler right now,

現在就去看 I Am Vlad the Impaler 吧，

and be one of the first to subscribe.

並成為首批訂閱者之一。