谈谈罗马竞技场的起源，竞技场跟基督教的殉教者有什么关系

今天的这段对话，在讨论罗马竞技场，

谈谈罗马竞技场的起源，竞技场跟基督教的殉教者有什么关系

来听今天的讲解:

A: While I'm in Rome, I think I'll visit the Coliseum.

当我到了罗马，我想我会去竞技场看看。

B: It's a great tourist attraction,  but get there early because of the queues.

那是个很好的游览胜地，但最好早一点去，因为要排队。

A: Someone told me to get a guide, what do you think?

有人要我请一位导游，你怎么看？

B: They are worth the extra money, they also give you an insider's view. They tell you things you wouldn't know otherwise.

额外花钱请导游还是值得的，他们会从内行人的角度给你解说，告诉你一些你无法了解的东西。

A: I see, so they tell you things that weren't in the movie, Gladiator!

我知道．他们会说一些在电影《角斗士》里看不到的东两。

B: Outside the gates you can have your picture taken with a real-life gladiator, it's expensive though.

住门外你还可以跟真正的角斗士合影，不过费用很高。

A: Hmmm . . . it has another name too, doesn't it? "Amphitheatre Flavio"?

嗯……竞技场还有一个名字，叫“圆形剧场”，是吧？

B: Yes, and was built by Emperor Vespasian in honour of his empire.

足的，它是韦斯帕西恩皇帝为了纪念他的帝国而建立的。

A: The name Coliseum probably comes from the big bronze statue known as the “ Colossus" , or giant, that Nero wanted built based on his image.

竞技场的名字大概源于那个大家熟悉的大铜像Colossus．或叫做巨人，那是尼禄皇帝根据自己的形象竖立的。

B: Later, that statue was moved closer to the amphitheatre by Emperor Hadrian and afterwards modi6ed co look like various emperors and also, with the addition of sun rays", the Sun God.

后来，铜像又被艾德里安皇帝移到离竞技场更近的地方，此后又按照各介皇帝的样子改造。．另外还增加了一个太阳神像，即“阳光王冠”。

A: Before, you could watch amazing contests there.  I mean, really disgusting things with lots of blood, fights to the death.

后来，铜像又被艾德里安皇帝移到离竞技场更近的地方，此后又按照各介皇帝的样子改造。另外还增加了一个太阳神像，即“阳光王冠”。

B: Yes, just like in the movie. Around 80, 000 spectators followed these combats that could go on from sunrise to sunset and sometimes well into the night.

是的，就像电影里演的一样：大约有80，000个观众观看这些角斗，从日出到日落，有时候直到深夜。

A: Some sports were to kill Christians, too. You know, throwing Christian to the lions and all that.

有些角斗活动还要杀死基督徒，就是把基督徒扔给狮子或其他动物吃。

B: The Coliseum was associated with the persecutions suffered by Christian martyrs, but according to recent studies, there is no documented proof to tell us that these slaughters actually happened.

后来，铜像又被艾德里安皇帝移到离竞技场更近的地方，此后又按照各介皇帝的样子改造。另外还增加了一个太阳神像，即“阳光王冠”。

A: Anyway, in AD 313 the Emperor Constantine proclaimed Christianity the official religion of the empire, obviously forbidding the executions of Christians but also the combats between gladiators and the hunting spectacles.

不管怎样，到公元313年，康斯坦丁皇帝宣布基督教为国教，公开禁止残害基督徒，行禁止角斗士和猎物的决斗表演。之后，他们把那里作为墓地，后来又做了堡垒，接着又用来堆积建筑材料。对这么一个壮丽的建筑来说，好像很浪费。

B: After that, they used it as a cemetery, then a fortress and then a place to store building materials, which seems like a waste of such a beautiful piece of architecture.

竞技场跟基督教的殉教者受的迫害也有关系。但根据最近的调查研究，没有文字材料证明这些屠杀真的发生过。

A: So, a visit to Rome is not complete without making a trip to the Coliseum.  I'II go to the bookstore later and get a guidebook.

所以，到罗马旅游一定要去参观竞技场，否则就不完美。待会儿我要去书店买一本旅行指南。