纪录片《大英博物馆世界简史》 040银色霍克森胡椒瓶(6)

Which brings us back to our pepper pot which, you will remember, is in the shape of a high-born Roman matron.

我们再来看看这个贵妇造型的胡椒瓶。

With her right forefinger¹ she points to a scroll², and she holds this very proudly, rather like a graduate showing off a degree scroll in a graduation photograph.

这位夫人的人手骄傲地握着一卷纸，右手的食指 搭在上面，造型很像一个在毕业照中自豪地展示证书的学生。

And it's this that tells us that this woman is not only from a wealthy family, but that she is also highly educated.

这告诉我们，这位女性不仅出身高贵，而且接受过良好的教育。

There's no doubt that this lady's lunches would have had a very literary flavour.

毫无疑问,这位女士有着厚重的文化底蕴。

Although Roman women were not allowed to practice professions such as the law or politics, they were taught to be accomplished³ in the arts.

罗马女性不能参与法律、政治等领域，但在艺术方面的课程却很多。

And so singing, playing musical instruments, reading, writing and drawing were all accomplishments⁴ expected of a well-bred lady.

成为一名淑女需要精通歌唱、弹奏、读写及绘画。虽然不能公开露面工作，

And while a woman like this could not have held public office, she would certainly have been in a position to exercise real power.

但一名这样的女性必然也发挥着相当的影响力。

We don't know who the woman on the pepper pot was, but there are clues to be found on other objects from the Hoxne hoard-a gold bracelet⁵ is inscribed⁶ UTERE FELIX DOMINA IULIANE,

从胡椒瓶上我们无法确认这位女性的身份，但宝藏里的其他东西留下了一些线索。 一只金镯上刻着 “UTERE FELIX DOMINAJULIANE”，meaning 'Use this happily Lady Juliane.

意为愿它带给你快乐，朱利安女士。We will never know if the Lady Juliane is the lady on our pepper pot, but she may well have been its owner.

虽然她未必是胡椒瓶上的那位贵妇，却一定是胡椒瓶的主人。

Another name, Aurelius Ursicinus, is found on several of the other objects-could this perhaps have been Juliane's husband?

另有数件物品镌着奥列里乌斯乌尔西努斯的名字，他会是朱利安的丈夫吗？

All the objects are small but extremely precious.

这些物品的体积都不大，但价值极高。

This was the mobile wealth of a rich Roman family-and it's precisely⁷ this type of person who is in danger when a state fails.

它们一定曾是一个罗马富裕家庭的财产，在政权崩塌之时，他们所受的冲击最大。

There were no Swiss bank accounts in the ancient world-the only thing to do with your wealth in time of danger was to bury it, and hope that you lived to come back and find it.

古代世界没有瑞士银行账户，只能将财宝都埋藏起来，希望日后有归来挖宝的机会。

1 forefinger   

n.食指

参考例句：

• He pinched the leaf between his thumb and forefinger.他将叶子捏在拇指和食指之间。
• He held it between the tips of his thumb and forefinger.他用他大拇指和食指尖拿着它。

2 scroll   

n.卷轴，纸卷；(石刻上的)漩涡

参考例句：

• As I opened the scroll,a panorama of the Yellow River unfolded.我打开卷轴时，黄河的景象展现在眼前。
• He was presented with a scroll commemorating his achievements.他被授予一幅卷轴，以表彰其所做出的成就。

3 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

4 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 bracelet   

n.手镯，臂镯

参考例句：

• The jeweler charges lots of money to set diamonds in a bracelet.珠宝匠要很多钱才肯把钻石镶在手镯上。
• She left her gold bracelet as a pledge.她留下她的金手镯作抵押品。

6 inscribed   

v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接

参考例句：

• His name was inscribed on the trophy. 他的名字刻在奖杯上。
• The names of the dead were inscribed on the wall. 死者的名字被刻在墙上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。