纪录片《文明》 第151期 初次邂逅（5）

There's a criminal who has been arrested here.

这里有一个被逮捕的黑人罪犯

There are the boatmen, who are ferrying people across the river,

还有黑人船夫 正在渡人过河

but there's also figures like this, this is a black knight¹,

但其中还有这样的人物 这是一位黑人骑士

a man of the Order of Santiago,

他是圣地牙哥骑士团的一员

on his horse, with his sword and his cloak and all his finery.

他骑着马 配着剑 衣着华丽身挂披风

And it's a snapshot of a world that we've forgotten about -

这是一张快照 拍下了我们早已遗忘的世界

Lisbon at the centre of a global empire,

那时里斯本还是世界的中心

Lisbon at the centre of the first age of globalisation.

里斯本处在第一次全球化进程的中心

This is art that captures a moment

这幅画捕捉到的瞬间

when the balance of military and economic power

正好是军事和经济力量相互制衡

meant that Europeans and Africans

这意味着欧洲人和非洲人

encountered one another on terms of relative equality.

在某种程度上达到了相对的平等

Yet other art plundered²

然而仅仅几十年后

from Central America just decades later

从中美洲掠夺的其他艺术品

tells of a very different encounter.

却反映出截然不同的遭遇

An encounter that would prove to be

这一遭遇后来被证实

one of the most cataclysmic events in all human history.

是全人类历史上最具灾难性的事件

On the eve of Spain's arrival,

在西班牙人到来前夕

Central America was dominated by the Aztecs.

中美洲由阿兹特克民族所统治着

They had their own writing system

他们有自己的书写系统

and a sophisticated cyclical calendar.

并有一套成熟的周期历法

Their complex beliefs demanded sacrificial victims in vast numbers

他们复杂的信仰需要献祭大量的殉葬者

to appease³ the gods and ensure the continuation of life.

以上抚诸神 下安黎民 确保繁衍

The Aztecs also honoured their gods

阿兹特克族也会用

and their rulers in exquisite⁴ artefacts fashioned from gold.

精致的金制工艺品敬献神灵 进献统治者

Gold that would prove an irresistible⁵ temptation

对第一批到来的欧洲人来说

to the first European arrivals.

金子的诱惑难以抵抗

On 8 November 1519,

在1519年11月8日

one of the most momentous⁶ meetings in all of history

全人类史上最重大的一次会议

took place in the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan.

在阿兹特克的首都特诺奇提特兰举行

1 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

2 plundered   

掠夺，抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Many of our cultural treasures have been plundered by imperialists. 我国许多珍贵文物被帝国主义掠走了。
• The imperialists plundered many valuable works of art. 帝国主义列强掠夺了许多珍贵的艺术品。

3 appease   

v.安抚，缓和，平息，满足

参考例句：

• He tried to appease the crying child by giving him candy.他试图给那个啼哭的孩子糖果使他不哭。
• The government tried to appease discontented workers.政府试图安抚不满的工人们。

4 exquisite   

adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的

参考例句：

• I was admiring the exquisite workmanship in the mosaic.我当时正在欣赏镶嵌画的精致做工。
• I still remember the exquisite pleasure I experienced in Bali.我依然记得在巴厘岛所经历的那种剧烈的快感。

5 irresistible   

adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的

参考例句：

• The wheel of history rolls forward with an irresistible force.历史车轮滚滚向前，势不可挡。
• She saw an irresistible skirt in the store window.她看见商店的橱窗里有一条叫人着迷的裙子。

6 momentous   

adj.重要的，重大的

参考例句：

• I am deeply honoured to be invited to this momentous occasion.能应邀出席如此重要的场合，我深感荣幸。
• The momentous news was that war had begun.重大的新闻是战争已经开始。