VOA慢速英语2019 英博物馆将归还埃塞俄比亚皇帝头发

British Museum Returns Piece of Emperor's Hair to Ethiopia

Ethiopia announced this week that a museum in Britain has agreed to return locks of hair belonging to a former Ethiopian ruler.

埃塞俄比亚本周宣布，英国一家博物馆同意归还一绺已故埃塞俄比亚皇帝的头发。

A British soldier cut the hair from the head of Emperor Tewodros II more than 150 years ago. Tewodros II took his own life after his defeat by British troops at the Battle of Magdala. The battle was fought in northern Ethiopia in 1868.

150多年前，一名英国士兵剪下了特沃德罗斯二世的头发。特沃德罗斯二世在马格达拉战役中被英军击败后自杀。这场战争发生于1868年的埃塞俄比亚北部。

The locks of hair have been part of The National Army Museum’s collection in London since 1959. Museum officials said the family of an artist who painted the emperor on his deathbed donated the hair.

自1959年起，这绺头发一直由位于伦敦的国家陆军博物馆收藏。博物馆人员表示，一位在皇帝临终前为他作画的艺术家的亲属捐赠了这些头发。

In a statement, the museum said it had agreed to send the hair back to Ethiopia after a request from Ethiopia’s minister of culture and tourism last year.

该博物馆在一份声明中表示，在埃塞俄比亚文化和旅游部长去年提出要求后，他们同意将这些头发归还埃塞俄比亚。

“The objects are considered significant to the Museum’s collection for their historical connection to a major and unique campaign,” the statement said. It added that the emperor’s hair was “collected in good faith.”

“这些文物被认为对博物馆的收藏具有重大意义，因为它们与一场重大而独特的战役有着历史联系，”声明称。声明还说，收藏皇帝的头发是“出于一番善意”。

The National Army Museum said it remains¹ in discussions with the Embassy of Ethiopia in London on details of returning the hair.

英国国家陆军博物馆表示，他们仍在与埃塞俄比亚驻伦敦大使馆就归还头发的细节进行讨论。

The Ethiopian Embassy in Britain said that it “welcomes... the unanimous decision by the Trustees of the National Army Museum to return the locks of hair.”

埃塞俄比亚驻英国大使馆表示，“欢迎……英国国家陆军博物馆一致决定归还头发。”

“For Ethiopians everywhere, as the locks of hair represent the remains of one of the country’s most revered³ and beloved leaders,” it said.

“对所有埃塞俄比亚人来说，这绺头发代表着这个国家最受尊敬和爱戴的领袖的遗体”。

Embassy officials predicted celebrations when the hair “is returned to its rightful home in Ethiopia.”

大使馆官员预测，当这些头发“回归位于埃塞俄比亚的合法家园”时，将举行庆祝活动。”

Emperor Tewodros II claimed to be related to two people named in ancient times: King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. The emperor died after a British force raided his mountaintop position to free European diplomats⁴ and others he had jailed.

特沃德罗斯二世皇帝声称自己是所罗门国王与示巴女王的后裔。在英国军队突袭他所在的平顶山以释放欧洲外交官员和其他被监禁者后，皇帝吞枪自杀。

The return of the hair follows a series of requests by Ethiopia for the return of human remains, documents and other objects taken in 1868.

在归还这些头发之前，埃塞俄比亚曾多次要求英国归还1868年被掠夺的人体遗骸、文件和其他物品。

Britain is also involved in a dispute with Greece over the return of the Parthenon Marbles. British officials have resisted those requests, noting laws that ban its museums from permanently⁵ disposing of their collections.

英国还与希腊就归还帕特农神庙大理石雕塑一事发生争执。英国官员拒绝了归还要求，指出有法律禁止博物馆永久处置藏品。

Words in the Story

museum – n.a center established for the care, study and showing of objects of lasting⁶ value or interest

lock– n.a small amount of hair

revere² – v.to have great respect for (someone or something); to honor someone or something

significant – adj.important

unanimous– adj.having agreement by all sides

dispose– v.to remove or give away in an orderly way

faith– n.belief and trust in someone

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 revere   

vt.尊崇，崇敬，敬畏

参考例句：

• Students revere the old professors.学生们十分尊敬那些老教授。
• The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven.中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。

3 revered   

v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of institutions revered and respected in earlier times have become Aunt Sally for the present generation. 一些早年受到尊崇的惯例，现在已经成了这代人嘲弄的对象了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven. 中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。 来自辞典例句

4 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

6 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。