YYeTs人人影视纪录片组 翻译：hamster1121 光儿 apple0716 校对：zhe
将近两千年之前 Nearly two thousand years ago,
古罗马帝王为他的臣民们 the Emperor of Rome presented
献上了一份大礼 his subjects with a new gift.
它规模空前 载入史册 It was a monument of unprecedented scale.
是一个建筑奇迹 A marvel of architecture
和工程伟业 and engineering achievement.
也是罗马帝国 A testament to the
国力与荣耀的证明 power and glory of Rome.
它就是 罗马圆形竞技场 The Colosseum.
如今 它已然成为 Today, it's one of the most
世界上最著名的建筑之一 famous buildings in the world.
每天都有数以千计的游客涌入此地 Thousands of tourists flock to this site each day,
可是很少有人知道这个古老奇迹的 but few understand the true nature
真正面目 of this ancient wonder.
因为这竞技场并不是体育场 Because the Colosseum was not a sports stadium.
而是一座死亡剧院 This was a theater of death.
1961年 蒂诺·德·劳伦蒂斯(制片人)将他对 In 1961, Dino de Laurentis presented his vision
罗马竞技场的想象 of the Roman arena
拍进了史诗片《巴拉巴》 in the film epic "Barabbas."
精美的场景 Elaborate sets,
包括人造的山水 complete with artificial hills and lakes,
和从遥远的国度 and exotic animals from
进口的猛兽 the far reaches of the empire
组成了这个古代奇观 were all part of the ancient spectacle.
不过在20世纪60年代初期 But in the early 1960's,
好莱坞还无法表现出 Hollywood could not show the one thing
古代观众现场所能目睹的一样东西 that the ancient audience came to see:
鲜血 Blood.
手无寸铁的囚犯 The blood of unarmed prisoners
被野狮撕咬的鲜血 torn apart by wild lions.
和为娱乐观众 The blood of exotic beasts
而被屠杀的野兽的鲜血 slaughtered for pleasure.
还有经过训练的角斗士 And the blood of gladiators—trained to fight—
战死沙场的鲜血 to the death.
四百多年以来 For over four hundred years,
罗马圆形竞技场一直是大屠杀的舞台 the Colosseum set the stage for mass murder.
竞技场里的每一天 One typical day in the amphitheater
都宣告着成千上万的 could feature the executions of
人与动物的死亡 thousands of men and animals.
罗马圆形竞技场经过了精心设计 The Colosseum was carefully designed
专门举办这种惊人的大屠杀 to host these spectacular bloodbaths.
它坐落于罗马市区 Stretching over six hundred feet end to end,
长六百余英尺 占地六英亩 and covering six acres in downtown Rome,
可容纳45000余名观众 the Colosseum could seat over 45,000 spectators.
大量的观众能从80个 The huge crowds were systematically herded to
编了号的带楼梯的入口处 and from their assigned seats through
有序的进出自己的座位 eighty numbered entrances and stairways.
场地里 令人毛骨悚然的表演 Inside, the gruesome show was performed
在一个巨大的木质舞台上举行 on a giant wooden stage,
台上铺满了细沙 covered with fine sand
用来吸收源源不断的鲜血 to absorb the ever-flowing blood.
舞台的木料已经腐烂消逝 The floor timbers have now rotted away,
露出下面迷宫式的隧道和笼子 exposing a labyrinth of underground tunnels, cages,
以及用来关囚犯的牢房 and cells for the doomed prisoners.
当上面的表演进行时 As the show went on overhead,
大群的舞台管理佩带着奇异的道具 armies of stagehands negotiated the narrow hallways
工具和武器在狭窄的走廊里走动 with fantastic props, machinery, and weapons.
舞台下有电梯和活板门 There were elevators and trap doors,
野兽和角斗士们就可以 so that beasts and gladiators could make dramatic
以出人意料的方式登上舞台 entrances up onto the arena stage.
但是竞技场最让人叹为观止的设计 But the most amazing construction at the Colosseum
却与表演毫无关系 had nothing to do with the show.
它是一个纯粹为观众着想的设计 It was designed purely for the benefit of the audience,
能让观众平静舒适的 to keep them calm and content
观看下面血淋淋的场面 as the violent spectacle unfolded below.
它就是 顶篷 It was a roof.
即使在炎热的夏天 Even in the sweltering summer months,
竞技场里的观众也依然会 spectators at the Colosseum could
保持凉快和舒适 remain cool and comfortable,
多亏了这个 thanks to an enormous roof
延展到看台的巨型顶篷 that extended over the seats
使观众免于被地中海灼热的阳光曝晒 and protected them from the scorching Mediterranean sun.
不过这个顶篷却丝毫没有保存下来 But not a shred of the original roof has survived.
现在这座竞技场最精妙的特征 And the Colosseum's most spectacular feature
就成了它最大的谜团 is now its biggest mystery.
什么样的顶篷 What kind of roof could have
可以盖住如此巨大的建筑 covered such a huge building?
即便是如今的工程师们 Even today's engineers usually
一般都不会尝试覆盖整座体育场 don't attempt to cover the entire stadium,
而是将中间的场地以及部分看台 but leave the playing field and some of
暴露在天空之下 the seats open to the sky.
为数不多的几个 The few large arenas
可以完全封闭的大型体育场 that are completely enclosed,
比如休斯顿圆顶棒球场 Like the Houston Astrodome,
它们的顶篷都是由钢质支架 are spanned only with the help of steel supports
和轻塑料纤维构成的 and lightweight plastic fibers.
可是没有这些现代材料 But without modern materials,
罗马建筑者们是怎样做到的呢 how did the Roman builders complete their awesome task?
现存最大的古代屋顶是万神殿的 The largest surviving ancient roof covers the Pantheon,
它是座众神之庙 a temple to all the gods.
在这里 罗马人建造了一个工程杰作 Here, the Romans produced an engineering masterpiece:
高悬于地面150英尺之上的 a magnificent dome that soars
一个宏伟的圆屋顶 a hundred and fifty feet above the floor.
即使看起来比空气还轻 Although it looks lighter than air,
这个混凝土圆顶仍然对 the concrete dome exerts five thousand tons
厚达20英尺的结实的墙壁 of pressure onto massive walls
施加了相当于五千吨的压力 20 feet thick.
万神殿的屋顶真是个惊世骇俗的成就 The roof of the Pantheon was an amazing achievement,
难道罗马人把同样的技术 but could the Romans have used
应用到这个是万神殿四倍大的 the same technique to cover the Colosseum
竞技场上了吗 a building that's four times as big?
为此我们咨询了结构工程师克里斯·怀斯 We asked structural engineer Chris Wise.
假设我是两千年之前的工程师 If I was an engineer two thousand years ago,
我觉得这时候我会不知所措 I think I'd be in trouble at this moment,
因为如果国王让我 because if the emperor asked me
在这里建造一个顶棚 to put a roof across here,
那我就得试着做一个在技术上 I'd be trying to be making a sort of technological jump
前无古人的飞跃 from anything that we know the Romans ever did.
我可能会从一个平顶开始 And I could start with a flat roof,
这很容易 very simple,
跨度不大 doesn't span very far,
而且需要在建筑里面 and it would need in a building like this
立很多支柱 a forest of columns which would
肯定会挡住观众们的视线 just get completely in the way of the spectators.
他们就什么都看不到了 They wouldn't be able to see anything.
另一种方法 Another solution would be to
可以稍微增大跨度 just try and increase the span a bit,
通过他们的新材料 混凝土 by using their new material, concrete,
制造一个长一点的横梁 and to make a longer beam.
这是可以实现的 不过同样的问题 And that's possible, but again, it would
还是需要很多柱子 虽然可以间隔开一些 still need a forest of columns, a bit further apart,
但是总有一天这个顶会塌掉 and eventually it would get to the point where the concrete,
因为混凝土是很脆弱的材料 which is very brittle, would just break.
它会断裂垮塌 And it would just snap.
所以就需要一个科技上的跨越 So, what it needs is a technological jump.
罗马人做到了 And the Romans had that.
他们知道拱形结构 知道圆顶 They knew about arches, they knew about domes.
拱形结构的优点 And the nice thing about an arch is that
就是你能物尽其能 you use the material for what it really is best at,
只要将一块石头 或者一块混凝土块 and that's just pushing one stone, or one piece of
挤向另一块 concrete against the next piece.
这样就可以做一个横跨45米的拱顶了 And you can make an arch that might span about 45 meters,
大概就是万神殿穹顶的跨度 which is about how far they managed at the Pantheon.
在拱顶上 每一块石头 And in an arch, each of those stones
都挤压相邻的石头 is pushing against the next one,
将重量一点一点的 and just taking the load, very slowly and carefully
从顶部传到地面 from stone to stone down to the ground.
我觉得要想在罗马圆形竞技场 I think it would be crazy to do
用这种方法是不可思议的 a solution like that at the Colosseum.
你可以想象一下 Although you could imagine it,
到头来会是这个样子 it would end up looking like this.
一个罩住竞技场的水泥拱顶 A concrete dome over the Colosseum would require
需要25米或者80英尺厚的墙壁来支撑 supporting walls 25 meters or 80 feet thick.
而且拱顶的高度足以将 And the whole roof would be high enough
圣保罗大教堂 to enclose St. Paul's Cathedral,
或者一座30层的摩天大楼装在里面 or a modern skyscraper 30 stories tall.
我觉得他们别无选择 I think they had no option.
他们只能去找一种 They had to go for a very
非常轻的顶 light roof over the amphitheaters,
因为任何永久的顶都是不现实的 because any permanent roof would have been crazy.
克里斯关于罗马圆形竞技场 There is evidence to support Chris's idea
使用轻质顶的推断是有据可循的 that the Colosseum had a lightweight roof.
这是一幅在遗失之城庞贝 This is an ancient painting from
找到的古画 the lost city of Pompeii.
在这幅画的最上方 At the very top of the picture,
城市竞技场上方悬挂着 suspended above the city's arena,
形似巨大的波浪状的布顶篷 is what appears to be a large, billowing cloth canopy.
这个就是罗马圆形竞技场的顶吗 Was this the roof that covered the Colosseum?
有些古罗马钱币上 A few ancient Roman coins
画着大竞技场的图像 bear the image of the great amphitheater.
可是都没有顶 None of them show the roof,
不过确实显示有一些线条 but they do reveal a series of lines
从建筑的上方伸出来 protruding from the top of the monument.
历史学家相信 Historians believe that
它们代表着巨大的木质桅杆 these represent large, wooden masts,
固定在竞技场的墙壁上 which clung to the amphitheater's walls
为观众支撑起了 and supported a giant canopy,
一张巨型的顶篷 or awning, over the spectators.
建筑史学家雷纳·格雷弗 Architectural historian Rainer Graefe
在25年前第一次听说这种神秘的屋顶 has been obsessed with the mysterious roof
就被它迷住了 since he first heard of it 25 years ago.
我在斯图加特大学 I got involved in the Roman tent
与这种罗马帐篷顶结下了不解之缘 roofs at the University in Stuttgart,
我很热衷于这项研究 and I got so enthusiastic
以至于我把2年多前开始的 that I forgot another doctor thesis
另一项研究置之脑后 I just had begun and worked at two years or more even,
转向了它 and began this research.
为了解开屋顶之谜 雷纳走遍了 To solve the mystery, Rainer examined amphitheaters
罗马帝国的圆形竞技场 throughout the Roman empire,
包括法国南部尼姆市的 including this well-preserved stadium
这个保存完好的竞技场 in Nimes, in southern France.
与雷纳一起的是克里斯·怀斯 Joining Rainer is Chris Wise.
他是现代轻质屋顶的领军人物 A leading expert on modern lightweight roofs,
克里斯对这个古罗马时代的 Chris is intrigued by the possibility
轻质屋顶非常感兴趣 of an ancient Roman version.
我发现 The thing that, the thing that I find
当你看到竞技场的时候 is that—it's so difficult—
你很难想像 when you, when you see an amphitheater,
你只会觉得这就是它的全貌 you just think that that's the finished thing,
但是我想 but I mean really, really,
没有顶篷的竞技场 an amphitheater without an awning
就像没有头发的人一样 is like a man without any hair.
对 完全正确 Yeah. Very nice. Really.
在离地面70英尺的高度上 Seventy feet above the pavement,
雷纳领着克里斯走在竞技场狭窄的上沿 Rainer leads Chris along the narrow, upper rim
来到一个重要的线索处 of the stadium to an important clue.
雷纳 这有什么 So, what have you got here, Rainer?
我们讨论过 We spoke already about
支撑顶篷的桅杆 the masts holding the tent roof,
这里就能很清楚的看到 and you can see very clearly
整个固定桅杆的技术 the whole technique to hold the masts.
他们把固定桅杆的 They put in, in the top of the
-石质梁托伸出去 -没错 -masts corbels, heavy stones, sticking out. -Right.
然后把它打穿 And they pierced it.
在上面打个洞 They made a hole in it,
在下面的飞檐上 and down in the cornice,
还有一个凹槽是坐桅杆的 you see a second hole for the foot of the mast.
对 离上面有两米 Right. About two meters down.
有两米 Two meters down.
得有三米吧 Three meters down?
正好两米 Two meters exactly.
对 当桅杆全都竖起来的时候 Right. It would have been very beautiful
-肯定很壮观 -没错 -when they had all the masts up. -Yeah.
-太棒了 -你得想象 -It's fantastic. -You must imagine.
一共有多少根桅杆 How many masts for the whole ...?
一共一百二十根 A hundred twenty masts around.
尼姆这里的桅杆孔帮雷纳解释了 The mast holes at Nimes helped Rainer explain
在罗马圆形竞技场发现的类似证据 similar evidence found at the Colosseum itself.
在一百五十英尺高的墙上 Here, a hundred and fifty feet above the ground,
有一些装饰性的石头伸了出来 ornamental stones jut out from the stadium wall.
雷纳相信这些就是支撑 Rainer is convinced that these were the brackets
那些在古钱币上看到的 that supported the giant masts
巨型桅杆的支架 seen on the ancient coins.
时至今日 历史学家们认为 Up until now, historians theorized
那些桅杆支撑了一张巨型绳网 that the masts supported a giant spiderweb of ropes,
而这些绳索则担住了一块布 which in turn held a cloth covering
遮盖了大部分竞技场 over most of the Colosseum.
不过雷纳有他自己的一套新理论 But Rainer has come up with an entirely new theory.
我们不知道它们有多长 But we do not know how long they were.
他认为那些桅杆支撑的并不是绳子 He believes that instead of ropes,
而是一些横在看台上方的 the masts held horizontal wooden beams
水平木梁 that projected over the seats
这些木梁搭起了巨幅顶篷 and supported the broad sheets of the canopy.
不过其他的专家似乎不买他的帐 Rainer has had some trouble selling his theory
包括克里斯 to other experts, including Chris.
比如说罗马圆形竞技场 if you like the strength of the top of
上面的强度 the Colosseum, for example,
是不是能承受这个系统 to see whether or not it could take the forces
给它施加的力量 that this system would put onto it.
为了证明孰是孰非 《新星》提出 To see who is right, NOVA challenged Rainer and Chris
将他们的理论付诸实际 to put their ideas to the test
重建罗马圆形竞技场遗失的顶篷 and reconstruct the lost roof of the Colosseum.
因为这个古竞技场严禁新建设施 Since the ancient stadium is off-limits for new construction,
克里斯和雷纳来到了两千年前 Chris and Rainer travel to the town of Barcarrota,
被罗马统治的 位于西班牙南部的 in an area of southern Spain controlled
一个叫巴卡罗塔的地方 by the Romans two thousand years ago.
他们在十五世纪的斗牛场里开店 They set up shop in a fifteenth century bullring.
现在 为了解开谜团 Here, a team of experts will try to solve the mystery
专家们要搭建两种不同的古代顶篷 by building two different versions of the ancient canopy.
我们计划对这个15世纪的西班牙城堡 We've got one or two things planned for this old building,
做一两处改动 a fifteenth century castle in Spain.
我们打算 What we're planning to do
在墙边上放几排梁托 is to put down on the sides a couple of rows of corbels.
这些是老式柱托的现代版吗 These are a modern version of the old mast holders?
对 是现代版的 It is modern, yes.
钢的 为什么要改成这样的 In steel. Why did you change this detail?
因为在古罗马原来的竞技场里 Well, because in the original Roman amphitheaters,
他们在建造这堵墙的时候 obviously they would have put the stone corbels in
肯定就已经嵌入了石质的柱托 as they were building the walls up,
我们如果也要那样 and we couldn't do that here without making
就得在墙上打一个大洞 an enormous hole into the wall.
所以最后我们决定 And so in the end, what we've done
做一个现代版的替代品 is make a modern equivalent
让它也有相同的载重量 which has the same load-carrying capacity,
不过是钢的 but made out of steel.
好 抬起来 OK! Lift it up! Up, up!
这个工程的规模相当于 The scale of this project is about
半个罗马圆形竞技场 half the size of the Colosseum.
不过这依然是个苦差事 But it's still going to be a fairly tricky job,
因为我们现在移动的这些大柱子 because the big poles that we're moving
每根大概有半吨重 around weigh about half a ton each.
大家的第一步是造一个临时起重机 The team's first job is to build a makeshift crane
用来将巨大的桅杆吊到场地的墙上 that can lift the large masts to the top of the bullring wall.
建筑队里的这位叫布莱恩·奥斯顿 Joining the construction crew is Brian Austen.
他曾经是个高空走钢丝演员 Once a high-wire walker, Brian is the
现在是欧洲最大的马戏帐篷供应商 largest supplier of circus bigtops in Europe.
他摆弄柱子绳子和帆布的技术 His expertise in rigging poles, ropes,
让他成为百万富翁 and cloth has made him a millionaire.
布莱恩 你们马戏团用这些东西吗 Do you use these in the circus, Brian?
我们用这些小支杆支撑着 We use the sheer legs just to erect our main masts,
至少80英尺高的主桅杆 which are anything up to 80 feet.
-那就有这个的两倍长啦 -是啊 -So, twice as long as this pole. -Yeah.
起重机就位之后 Once the crane is in place,
大家就要试着把第一根桅杆 the team will attempt to lift the first mast
提到离地35英尺的高度 35 feet from the ground below.
很好 Pretty good.
这根大柱子 This big pole is going to
会成为一个悬臂从墙头伸出 cantilever over the end of the wall there,
吊下一根绳子 然后我们就 hang down a rope, and we're going to
拴住第一根桅杆 pick up the first mast and
从下面提上来 lift it from the bottom up into position.
接着我们要把它慢慢的 And then we're just going to tip it up
轻轻的竖起来 肯定没问题 very, very gently, very easily, absolutely no problem,
最后把它放到梁托里 小菜一碟 and lower it into the corbels. Piece of cake.
布莱恩在马戏团的经验 Brian's work at the circus has
让他知道了滑轮的威力 taught him the power of the pulley.
把这个销子穿在这 And now, put that peg through there.
古罗马人也意识到了这种简易装置 The ancient Romans also recognized the mechanical advantage
带来的机械优势 provided by this simple device,
他们经常用它来提升重物 and they often exploited it in the lifting of heavy weights.
马特 来前面 Matt, come towards the front.
幸亏有了滑轮 Thanks to the pulleys, the first
第一步得以顺利完成 stage of the operation goes smoothly.
不过把这根五百磅的桅杆提到墙头 But getting the five-hundred-pound mast to the top of the
只是这个任务的前半程 wall is only half the job.
现在大家要把桅杆竖起来 The team now has to rotate the mast into a vertical position
然后滑进梁托里 and slide it down into the corbel.
虽然布莱恩亲自设计了起重机 Although Brian designed the crane himself,
不过他隐隐觉得这个起重机的高度 he has a sneaking suspicion that it's not quite tall enough
不足以把桅杆提到应有的高度 to lift the mast to its proper height.
我觉得这个不够高 Because I don't think there's enough height there,
恐怕拉不到那么高 to get it high enough.
没关系 It doesn't matter. Oh, it doesn't—
要移动它 我们只要 if we move that, all we'll do is, is—
你是在想 当那个 oh, you think that, that—you think at the moment that that's
你是指我们系在那头的绳子吗 the rope that we tied around the top?
我觉得我们提不到足够的高度 I don't think we're going to lift it high enough for us to tilt
让它竖起来放到那个梁托里 that there to lower that into that corbel.
要不我们先试试 Well, should we try it and see what happens?
我们尽量把这头拉高 Yeah, we'll get as much purchase on this end as we can.
对 Yeah, that's it.
然后我们一起过来往这边拉 And then, we'll all come over and pull this way.
好 然后我们用这个来稳定住它 Yeah. And we'll stabilize it with this thing.
布莱恩担心的没错 Brian was right to worry.
当他们翻转桅杆时 它以一个别扭的角度 As they rotate the mast, it gets stuck at an awkward angle
卡在了起重机顶部和墙之间 between the top of the crane and the bullring wall.
我们得往上提 Yeah, we need to go up, now.
能再拉一些吗 Can you pull, can you raise—
再向上一点 can you raise it? Can you raise it—now,
用起重机把它拉起来 就差一点了 use the crane to lift it, just a tad.
大家尽力把桅杆放松些 The team struggles to loosen the mast,
不过这却给起重机施加了太大的压力 but this puts too much pressure on the crane.
就差一点 停停 要断了 Just a tad. Whoa, whoa, whoa! It's breaking! It's breaking.
别拉 向上来一点 No, no, no. We've got to go up a touch!
就差一英尺了 We only need another foot.
继续 千万慢点 No, keep going, but very, very gently.
布莱恩 站开点 万一 Brian, keep out of the way, because just in case it goes.
在起重机随时会崩溃的威胁下 With the crane threatening to collapse, Chris hopes to
克里斯希望将整个装置慢慢移动到一侧 reduce the strain by gently easing
来减小它所承受的拉力 the whole contraption to one side.
-这样不行 -好 这边 -I wouldn't do that! -OK, this way!
如果要移动它 我们得 But if we want to move it, we have to...
慢一点 继续 Just go slowly, go on.
别拉 别拉它 Don't pull it, don't pull it,
别往下拉 don't pull it down! Don't pull it down.
计划终告成功 The plan pays off.
最后一拉 And with one last pull,
桅杆终于就位 the mast finally hits its target.
就这里 You're there.
太棒了 Yo, my man!
-进去了吗 -进去了 -Is it in? -It's in!
我还在抖呢 因为刚刚那一刹那 I'm still shaking, actually, because for a moment there,
我以为起重机会一下子断掉 然后大家都 I thought the crane was going to snap and everybody just get,
跟这木头一起跌入谷底 不过当我们 go over the edge with the timber. But when we freed
最后把它松开 它很乖的就进去了 it all up near the end, it then went in as sweet as a button.
抬起来 Lift! Lift!
桅杆就位 下一步就是将 With the mast in place, the next step is to hang
用来挂顶篷的横梁 the horizontal beam that will
固定在看台上空 carry the awning out over the seats.
雷纳是从庞贝古城的那幅画里 Rainer got the idea for these wooden beams from
得到这个横梁的灵感的 the ancient painting from Pompeii,
画里的顶篷似乎是被硬物支撑着的 where the canopy seems to hang from rigid supports.
那幅画很重要 The picture was important,
但它很难算是一幅竞技场顶篷的设计图 but it was hardly a blueprint for a stadium roof.
如果罗马人用了长木梁 If long wooden beams were used,
那他们是怎么把这些木梁 how did the Romans suspend them
悬在观众头上的呢 over the heads of the spectators?
在罗马圆形竞技场外的偶然发现 A possible answer came from an
提供了一个可能的答案 accidental discovery just outside the Colosseum.
这位是历史学家诺玛·高曼 Historian Norma Goldman.
就在下面的路上 Now, just below us here on the road,
一段煤气管道要修理 when a utility line, a gas main had to be repaired,
修理工挖到了一个营地里 the repairmen dug into a camp
经过鉴定 那是一个 that has been identified as the
米塞纳姆(旧时意南部港口)水手的营地 camp for sailors from Misenum.
米塞纳姆在南部那不勒斯湾 Now, Misenum is almost two hundred
距此将近二百英里 miles below us down on the Bay of Naples.
一个水手营地在罗马城中心的 What would a camp for sailors be doing here
罗马圆形竞技场旁边做什么呢 in the middle of downtown Rome, next to the Colosseum?
很明显 这里需要水手 Obviously, the sailors were needed to
来操作这些绳子还有布顶篷 handle the rope and the cloth.
更加确凿的证据是 And even more compelling as evidence is the fact
"顶篷"的拉丁文是"vela" that the Latin word for the awning, the sails,
和帆船的"帆"是同一个单词 is the word "vela," the same word for sails on ships.
从这艘古船的复制品 This replica of an ancient ship
可以看出罗马人的设计 Shows the basic design used by the Romans.
船帆垂挂于水平帆梁上 The sail hung down from a horizontal boom
帆梁悬在桅杆的顶部 That was suspended from the top of the mast.
雷纳相信罗马人 Rainer believes that when it came time
为竞技场 For the Romans to build a cloth roof
搭建布顶篷时 For the Colosseum,
他们只不过复制了大量的桅杆 They simply multiplied the number of masts
把帆搭挂在帆梁之间 And hung the sails between the booms,
水平的一个接一个连着 Side to side instead of up and down.
回到斗牛场 Back at the bullring,
雷纳需要些航海专家 Rainer needs some nautical expertise
帮他搭建顶篷 To rig his canopy.
欧文·罗伯茨是个老水手 Owain Roberts is a lifelong sailor,
和造船工 Boat-builder,
还是个古船研究专家 And an expert on ancient ships.
以罗马古船为蓝本 Using the Roman ship as a model,
欧文把帆梁非对称的固定 Owain simply hangs the boom off-center,
这样一旦摆到合适位置 So that once it's swung into position,
它就会沿着看台上空伸出去更远 It will project further out over the seats.
克里斯不认为 Chris doesn't believe
罗马人用的是木质帆梁 That the Romans used wooden booms.
当他协助雷纳完成之后 And when he's done helping Rainer,
他想建造一个 He plans to build a model of the roof
不需要木帆梁的顶篷 That does without them.
我们把这个转过来固定一下 Well, let's turn it around and then fix it.
作为一个现代工程师 As a modern engineer,
他工作大多接触的是合成材料 He works mostly with synthetic materials,
而今天 And today,
要对大块木材施加过多压力 He's uneasy about putting too much pressure
让他心里没底 On the giant pieces of timber.
我们要非常小心这桅杆 We have to be very careful with the mast,
因为我们要用力让它进去 Though, because we're forcing it in,
用力让它到底 We're forcing it in at the bottom,
还有这些顶部 And also these top sections,
当我们转它的时候 As we're turning it around,
绳索也要跟着转动 The ropes have got to pivot around there.
我们要非常小心 So, we have to just be careful.
没错 没错 Yeah, yeah. yeah, yeah.
最糟的情况可能是 Well, the worst thing that could happen
桅杆或者 Is the mast could either—
这里有很大的向下的力 There's a lot of force going down here now,
你可以想象 As you can imagine.
桅杆可能会压穿底部的 The mast could go through the corbel
梁托 At the bottom.
或者如果太紧 Or, if it got really tightened up
当我们转它的时候 As we're swinging it around,
桅杆就会受到很大的弯曲力 We may put too much bending in the mast,
可能会在 And it could snap just
上面的梁托处折断 At the level of the top corbel,
就在这个部位 Just down under here.
桅杆在慢慢旋转 The mast is rotating a little.
跟克里斯不同 Unlike Chris,
欧文跟木桅杆和帆梁 Owain has decade of experience
打了数十年的交道 With wooden masts and booms,
他非常确信这木杆 And he's confident that the poles
会弯曲但不会折断 Will bend, not break.
好 就这样 Yeah, that's good.
好的 太棒了 Ok. whoa, whoa, whoa. fantastic.
成功 Yie! it works.
第二天 Over the next day,
另外四个带帆梁的桅杆 Four more masts and booms
在斗牛场上空搭建起来 Rise above the bullring,
和罗马古船的搭建技法相同 All with the rigging of ancient Roman ships.
下一步就是挂顶篷 The next step is to hang the canopy,
水手欧文带来了 And sailor owain has brought along
几百平方码的帆布 Several hundred square yards of canvas
来完成这个工作 To do the job.
我们把它展开 Let's open this up,
看看大小是否合适 And see if it more or less fits.
怎么弄 每人拽一个角吗 What do you want? one corner each?
诺玛·高曼也加入到团队中 Norma Goldman joins the crew
他们开始 As they begin the task of
把帆布挂在帆梁上 Attaching the canvas to the beams.
来看看合适不 Let's just see if we can get it up.
正合适 Whoa, there we go.
太棒了 That's it. lovely.
大家正在搭建一个 The team is building a small-scale version
雷纳设计的小型顶篷 Of Rainer's awning that will cover
可以遮挡斗牛场的一小部分 Just a segment of the bullring.
挂上帆布应该是举手之劳 Rigging the canvas should be simple.
但是他们遇到了麻烦 But they suddenly run into a major snag.
这个小绳套 That little hook there, or that loop,
应该从梁的那一端套上 Has got to go over the end of the beam.
最开始就该套上 That goes on first,
才能像这样在上面滑动 So that's slid along like that.
匆忙搭建中 In the construction rush,
有人忘了在把帆梁转向场地前 Someone forgot to attach a crucial rope
把这个至关重要的绳索 To the end of the booms
套在上面 Before swinging them over the seats.
没有这个绳套 他们无法安装顶篷 And without it, they can't rig the canopy.
那我们现在怎么办 Yeah, but how are we going to get out there?
如果在航行的船上 How would they have done it on a,
他们会怎么做 On a sailing ship?
一艘航行的船 确实 On a sailing ship, yes.
他们不会坐在这上面 太危险了 They would not sit on it. it's too dangerous.
这下面会有绳索 可以站在上面 They have ropes under it to stand on and can
下面有绳索 A rope underneath?
脚缆怎么样 What's this about footropes?
脚缆那时还没发明 Footropes weren't invented —
脚缆 Footropes.
你们谈论的那种缆绳 Yes, these ropes you're talking about here,
直到公元1600年左右才发明出来 They weren't invented until about 1600 ad,
可比这些玩意晚了1600年呢 This is. this is 1600 years later than this.
我认为要不 So I think you either need
你让谁爬到这上面 To get somebody out on top of this,
走到那再慢慢的挪过去 Walking along and then edging along,
应该没问题 Which is quite possible for somebody —
他可以用一只手扶着 They can still hang on with one hand,
是吧 Can't they?
当然 他可以拿着绳索到那里 Yeah, sure! they've got that rope there to
你来做行吗 Would you do it yourself?
如果我再年轻20岁 没问题 If I was about 20 years younger, yes!
好吧 我来试试 All right, let's try it, then.
虽然罗马人可能不会 Although the Romans would not have made
跟我们这些新手犯一样的错误 The same mistake as our novice crew,
古代的绳索工肯定也要 The ancient riggers probably did need
爬到帆梁末端 To get out to the ends
进行维修工作 Of the booms for repairs.
建造监管麦克·奥若克自告奋勇的 Construction supervisor Mike O'rorke offers
扮演了一名古代水手的角色 To play the part of an ancient mariner,
他试图把两个绳套 As he attempts to deliver two ropes
套在离看台30英尺高的 To the end of the pole
帆梁末端 30 feet above the seats.
绳索要缠到那头 The rope's going to twist at the end.
麦克充满热情的自告奋勇 Mike volunteered with enthusiasm,
但他刚到半空中 But as he inches out into midair,
就改主意了 He's having second thoughts.
这可真不是个好主意 This is not a good idea.
我要回去了 真的 I'm coming back. I can assure you.
我们还是没有办法 We haven't cracked it then,
这可是有30多米高 Because it was about 30 meters up
悬在竞技场的半空中 In the air at the Colosseum.
-没错 -我说 -Yes. -I mean,
从这掉下去就够惨的 This is a big enough drop from here.
好了 接住你了 All right, we've got you.
我觉得我们没有计划好 I think we didn't plan it in the right way,
结果就这样 That's all.
我觉得麦克适应不了 I also think that Mike isn't used
悬在这样的横杆上 To going out on a spar like this,
如果我们有个水手 And I think if we'd had a seaman
习惯了做这些 Who was used to it,
他可能站在上面就走过去了 He'd have probably walked most of the way
轻轻松松的把绳圈套上 And just fitted it over the end.
他也可能到最末端要坐下 He might have sat down at the last minute,
但他还是会很享受的 But he'd have been quite happy on that.
告诉你 那边真的很恐怖 It's pretty scary out there, I tell you.
是的 当然 Yes, indeed.
你没做过这些 But you're no used to doing this.
但是就像我说的 But I think a sailor, as I say,
一个当时的水手 From that period,
会快步过去 Would wander out quite quickly,
很快就搞定回来了 Do it and get back in no time.
但现在 很遗憾 我们只能 But here, unfortunately, we can just,
我们要用一把梯子 We'll have to use a ladder, won't we?
在这也没有30米高的 They wouldn't have had a 30 meter ladder
梯子啊 In Rome!
正当人们准备 Just as the crew is ready
转而求助于梯子的时候 To give up and use a ladder,
雷纳想起来帆梁的一个 Rainer remembers an important feature
很重要的特征 About the booms.
我也是突发奇想 But, what is for me new now,
帆梁可以转来转去 The importance of being able
的重大启示 To swing the beams out and in.
这个我以前也没想过 This, I didn't think about before.
没错 也可以把它们放低 Yeah. but, also lower them.
可以降低它们 We know we can also lower them.
放低 没错 Or lower them, yes.
-就这样 保持绳扣 -知道 -Now, just keep it, keep the load on it. -Oh, yes.
保留绳扣 好了吗 Keep the load on it. got it?
好的 慢点 All right, here we go.
因为帆梁是用绳索固定的 Because the booms are suspended from ropes,
人们就可以调节它往后 They can be maneuvered backwards,
往前 往上或者往下 Forwards, up or down.
能来个人帮一下吗 Can we have another man to help,
帮一下雷纳 Help Rainer?
在斗牛场 Here at the bullring,
最快的解决办法就是放低帆梁 The quickest solution is to lower the boom.
低一点 再低一点 Down, down, down, down.
继续 继续 Keep going, keep going.
好 行了 Whoa. that's it. that's it.
可以轻松够到末端了 The ends within reach,
安装顶篷的工作 The real job of rigging
终于可以开展了 The canopy can finally begin.
套环在下面 Rings on the bottom.
套环在下面还是上面 Rings on the bottom or the top?
好的 抓住这个角 All right, so take a corner over there,
抓住这个角 Take a corner over here.
对了 还有 That's fine, just more —
欧文设计了一套复杂的 Owain has designed a complicated system
绳索和套环的系统 Of ropes and rings
只有水手能够真正理解 That only a sailor can comprehend.
把这些绳索再穿过一次 Start threading these lines through again.
在这里打个结 Let me just tie a bowline on that,
所有的东西 And then we've got everything
都互相连接好了 对吧 Pulling against each other, haven't we?
首先 我们要固定这个 First, we have to fix this?
把它从这里穿过 What I did was to shove it through there.
现在明白套环都在上面的原因了吧 You can see now why the rings are on top,
这样顶篷可以平整的铺放 So that the canopy will lie evenly
不用翻来拽去的 And not drag across it.
好 停 Ok, stop. outside team...
帆梁挂上了顶篷 With the booms loaded with the canopy,
通过翻译伊诺西奥·阿提加的协助 Chris relies on interpreter Ignacio Arteaga
克里斯指挥大家升起了顶篷 To coordinate the final raising of the roof.
再升一些 多一些 And again. once more.
那边再高一点 And once more on this side.
再高一点 好了 固定 And once more. and now, tie them off.
这就是我一直想象的 This is the roof I imagined always
曾经在罗马竞技场上空的顶篷 To have been over the Roman buildings.
你可以看到 一些细节还比较粗糙 And you see, some details are a bit rough.
但是整体来看 是个很漂亮的顶篷 But as a whole, it's a very beautiful roof.
给我们一个对于 It gives us a good impression
古代建筑很好的印象 Of the old construction.
看上去跟 It looks very similar
著名的庞贝壁画上的样子 To the roof shown of the famous wall
非常相似 Painting of pompeii.
这里有帆梁 We have here the beams,
梁上还有顶篷 And we have the awning hanging on the beams,
和套环 With rings.
它绕了一圈 形成一个圆形 It went around, was a circle.
雷纳的重建使我们 Rainer's reconstruction gives us
对飘在竞技场上空的 Just a hint of how the magnificent canopy
顶篷的壮观景象 Might have looked as it fluttered
有了些认识 Over the Colosseum.
在古代竞技场 At the ancient stadium,
风雨早就蚕食了 Wind and rain long ago dissolved
构成这巨型顶篷的 Every trace of wood, rope,
木头 绳索和布料 And cloth that made up the giant roof.
事实上 建筑的大部分 In fact, much of the building
在经过两千年的腐蚀和滥用 Has been destroyed
已经萧然毁灭 By two millennia of decay and abuse.
地震震塌了 Earthquakes toppled
竞技场正面一半的石灰石 Half of the stadium's limestone facade.
清洁工清走了 And scavengers stripped away
大理石长凳和雕像 The marble benches and statues.
而这残余的躯壳 The remaining shell of the monument
得以屹立不倒 全靠一种 Only survives because of a unique
独特而耐久的建筑材料 And durable building material,
混凝土 Concrete.
混凝土不仅用于制造 Concrete not only made up
所有的内部过道 All the internal passageways
和座位的支撑 And supports for the seats,
而且浇筑了整个建筑的巨大地基 But it also formed a massive foundation
足有40英尺深 For the entire structure—40 feet deep.
罗马的混凝土有什么特别之处呢 What made Roman concrete so special?
答案就在罗马以南150英里 The answer lies 150 miles south of Rome
臭名昭著的 At the foot of the infamous volcano,
维苏威火山脚下 Mount Vesuvius.
历史学家诺玛·高曼 Here, historian Norma Goldman
在这里的沙滩上发现了罗马工程师的 Found the Roman engineers' secret ingredient,
神秘配料 On the beach.
那不勒斯湾的多座火山 The sand produced from the several volcanoes
喷发形成的沙土 From this section of the bay of Naples
有着奇特的品质 Had an amazing quality.
当工匠把它与石灰混合 When workmen mixed it with lime,
这些粉末就变成了水泥 The powder became cement.
再把砂砾和碎石 And when they mixed cement
掺到水泥里 With gravel or rubble
这些叫"混凝料" ——that's called aggregate—
加入水 就得到了混凝土 And water, they got concrete.
希腊人首先发明了混凝土 The Greeks first invented concrete,
但是他们的需要很多年才能变的坚固 But their mixture could take years to harden.
罗马人通过添加火山沙 The Romans perfected the recipe
改善了配方 By adding volcanic sand.
沙子使混凝土多孔疏松 The porous nature of the sand
过不了多久 Created a concrete that would set
就可以凝固 In record time.
罗马混凝土还有一个实用的特质 And Roman concrete had another useful quality.
它可在水中定型 It sets underwater.
而且时间越久 就越结实 And the longer it sets, the harder it gets.
罗马人把这廉价耐久的材料 The Romans used this cheap
应用到各个地方 And durable material everywhere.
从英国的岛屿到 From the British isles to the deserts
中东的沙漠 Of the Middle East,
混凝土把罗马式的建筑 Concrete fueled an explosion
发扬光大 Of monumental Roman construction.
回到阳光灿烂的西班牙 Back in sunny spain,
雷纳的大顶篷已经 Rainer's canopy is a big hit
和大伙们和谐相处 With the local construction crew.
但是对一个20英尺长的 But praise for the 20 foot wood-supported
木梁顶篷的称赞也非异口同声 Awning has not been unanimous.
没错 但是我是说 你告诉我 Yeah, but I mean, you just told me
只是一半的座位 并不是全部 That half the seats—you know, not all,
全天都能免于阳光照射 All of the day are they all in shadow.
没错 That's right.
人们可以换位置 So, people might have moved around.
不可能 都坐满了 No, it's full. it's full.
当时竞技表演可很火爆 It's a very popular thing.
雷纳 克里斯和欧文一致同意 Rainer, Chris, and Owain do agree
支撑帆布的木质帆梁 That the wooden booms that support the canvas
顶多可以延伸到100英尺 Could extend to about one hundred feet
还不至于折断 Before breaking.
但是在罗马圆形竞技场 But would this be far enough
这长度足够吗 At the Colosseum?
尽管入场免费 Although entrance to the Colosseum was free,
但是看台被严格划分 The seating was strictly segregated.
柱廊下面的座位最差 The worst seats were under the portico,
那里的木质座椅的露天看台 Where wooden bleachers were set up
是为穷人和妇女准备的 for the poor—and for women.
场内剩下的座位中 In the rest of the stadium,
大理石座位是为男人准备的 The marble seating was assigned to men,
根据财富和社会地位入座 According to wealth and social status.
最下面一圈 The lower rows immediately
紧紧围绕场地的座位 Surrounding the arena were reserved
是为元老院议员和爵士 For senators, knights,
以及罗马最神圣的女人 And Rome's holiest of women,
维斯塔贞女们准备的 The vestal virgins.
国王和他的家人 The emperor and his family
拥有最好的座位 Had the best seats of all,
正对台上的私人包厢 In a private box directly above the stage.
克里斯觉得 一个从桅杆算起 Chris believes that an awning
只能伸长100英尺的顶篷 That extended only a hundred feet
根本无法遮挡到 From the masts would never reach the seats
最富有的 Of the wealthiest and
和最重要的观众的座位 Most important spectators.
我不认为这样的一个 I can't see why a system like this,
只能覆盖竞技场 Which only covers half of the seats
一半座位的顶篷 In the Colosseum,
是竞技场采用的方法 Is the method for the Colosseum.
为什么是这样 You know, why?
你必须理解这是2000年前 You must imagine it's two thousand years ago
他们做到的 That they did it.
当我们得知 And when we read that they covered
他们遮盖了竞技场的看台 The auditorium of the Colosseum—
我们知道这是多么大的面积 We know it's a very huge space—
我们也希望能遮盖全部座位 We have the wish to cover it totally.
但是他们无法做到 But they couldn't do it.
这是我的观点 That's my opinion.
他们用这种方法是办不到的 They couldn't do it using this method.
我觉得他们用的别的方法 I think that there's another way of doing it,
我觉得 Which—using, I mean,
材料一样 Using the same materials,
同样的绳索 木质桅杆 The same rope, the same timber for the masts,
同样的帆布 The same canvas.
我们只需要竖几根桅杆 I think if we simply put up some masts
把绳索从一端悬到另一端 And slung a rope from side to side,
像吊桥一样 A little bit like a suspension bridge,
就像现代的悬索桥 Like a modern suspension bridge,
我们就能 We would be able to,
把帆布延伸的比现在这样 To carry the canvas significantly further
长出许多 Than we would do with this.
加油 闪开 Come on! keep going, out of the way.
对于雷纳的横梁法不满意 Unsatisfied with Rainer's beam method,
克里斯想建造一个他自己版本的 Chris now wants to build his own version
古代顶篷 Of the ancient roof,
主要依靠一种材料 绳子 relying heavily on a single material --rope.
在雷纳提出 Before Rainer came up
木帆梁理论之前 With his wooden boom theory,
大多数历史学家认为 Most historians believed
这个古代顶篷 That the ancient canopy
是通过绳网支撑的 Was held up by a spiderweb of ropes.
我们正在布置 We're just starting to lay out
绳网系统的初始部分 The very first segment of the rope system.
虽然这个理论 Although the theory has been around
流传了几个世纪 For a couple of centuries,
但从没人尝试过 No one has ever tried to
重建这种绳网顶篷 Reconstruct a working model
的模型 Of the rope canopy.
现在轮到克里斯 And it's now up to Chris
来设计出所有的实际细节 To figure out all the practical details.
这一头 And this point here,
要连在桅杆的最上端 It's going to be the top of the mast,
要把它拴上去 The one we put up.
他的第一感觉 His first discovery?
如果绳索是顶篷的主要支撑物 If rope were the main support for the roof,
罗马人需要大量的绳索 The Romans needed a lot of it.
这一头 And then, back here, this point,
要绑在我们今早支起来的 Is going to be tied to the end of the pole
木杆的末端 That we put up this morning.
即使只有罗马圆形竞技场的一半大小 Even for an arena half the size Of the Colosseum,
克里斯的设计也需要创纪录的 Chris's design will require a monumental
4英里的绳索 Four miles of the stuff.
为了拉住绳索 To support the ropes,
克里斯竖起了几根40英尺长的桅杆 Chris has erected several 40 foot masts,
当地的绳索工要艰难的 and local riggers are assigned
把需要的绳索 the delicate task of delivering the necessary
拴在桅杆顶端 lines straight to the top.
帆布就在这下面 This is where the canvas goes under here,
明白吗 像这样一对一对的 Ok? like that. double, double, and then —
理论上讲 In theory,
克里斯的顶篷 Chris's roof will work
和吊桥是一个原理 like a suspension bridge.
绳索的两端横跨场地 One set of ropes is strung between the tops
拴在围绕场地的桅杆上 of the masts surrounding the arena.
这些绳索上再垂吊着一些 Spaced along these upper ropes,
竖着的绳子 A series of vertical "drop" lines runs down
用来拉住下面的 and supports a lower set of ropes,
用来挂布顶篷的另一层绳索 That carries the canvas awning.
但是实现这个简洁巧妙的计划 But achieving the elegant simplicity
恐怕不像克里斯想象的 of his plan may be more difficult
那么简单 than Chris imagines.
我们松开绳索 We run the ropes loose —
等一下 这可行不通 Hang on, that ain't going to work.
只是 这边是10米长 It just, it—we've got 10 meters there,
这里只有8米 So, and we've got eight meters here.
即使不拉紧 We're already two meters short
还差了2米 without tightening it.
马戏篷专家布莱恩·奥斯顿 Bigtop expert Brian Austen
对克里斯的设计有些疑问 has some doubts about Chris's design.
我们需要在这里 We would need to have a set of pulleys
安装一些滑轮 On the ground here,
可以用来拉紧绳索 Wwhich you could then pull up —
情况变得有些复杂 To complicate matters,
有些供应的材料 there has been a delay in the delivery
没有及时到位 of supplies to the bullring.
用来收紧4英里长的 And there aren't enough pulleys
顶篷支撑绳索的滑轮 to properly tighten the four miles
不够用了 of rope in the roof.
把负荷移到下面 ——bring the load down here,
再穿过那里 Back through there —
我们没有滑车 We haven't got a block
也没有滑轮 and we haven't got the pulleys.
我们只能用现有的设备 We've got to do it with the equipment
来凑合 that we've got.
所以我们得 So what we've had to do
想一些办法 is invent a few ways of getting ropes
让绳索以最小的摩擦力 through things with a minimum amount
穿过去 of friction.
克里斯和他的前辈们一样 Chris's determination is typical
具有坚定的决心 of his ancient predecessors.
罗马工程师们 Roman engineers were constantly
用他们不断革新的建筑技巧 Overcoming major obstacles
克服了重重困难 With their innovative building techniques.
来 系上 把那绳索给我 Now, tie, tie. give us that rope,
系到这里 And we'll tie it up here.
罗马人的成功 Their success was instrumental
使他们的势力范围扩展到 in extending Rome's power across
二百万平方英里的范围 two million square miles of territory,
甚至达到西班牙 and into Spain.
距离斗牛场几英里外的 Just a few miles from the bullring
古老城市梅里达 Lies the ancient city of Merida,
曾经是罗马 Once the capital of
最西部行省的首府 Rome's western-most province.
和很多其他罗马城市一样 Like dozens of other Roman cities,
梅里达展示给我们大量的 Merida features a showcase of
土木工程 civil engineering projects,
包括桥梁 澡堂 complete with bridges, bathhouses,
和大规模的公共给水设施 and extensive public water works.
尽管梅里达处在 Although Merida was built on
这条河流的优势位置 A strategic site on a river,
罗马任何一个负责任的 No self-respecting Roman hydraulic
水利工程专家都不允许 Engineer would allow people
人们饮用这条河中的水 To drink from that polluted river water into
因为城里的污水都排放到这里 Which all of the sewers of the city flowed.
在寻找淡水源头方面 Nothing was too difficult for them,though,
没有什么能难倒他们 In finding a source of fresh water.
他们在城市的 They came out to higher ground,
北部高地 North of the city,
建了两座大坝 And built two huge dams.
这一座由花岗岩铺成 45英尺深 This one, covered with granite, 45 feet deep.
水库里的水 And from the dammed reservoir,
就流入 Water was then channelled through
地下通道 underground conduits,
这些通道沿着地势 12 miles toward the city,
绵延12英里到达城市 Following the contours of the land.
遇到山 And where there were hills,
他们就打穿山体 They went through them.
遇到浅谷 Where there were shallow valleys,
他们就用低矮的水渠引水 They covered them with low aqueducts.
倘若是深谷 And where there were deep valleys,
他们就用 They covered them with the high,
拱形高架渠 Arched aqueducts,
这样水就可以被 So that the water could be brought
引到城市 To the city for bathing,
用来洗澡 饮用和做喷泉 for drinking, for the fountains.
这是现存的少数几个 This is one of the few genuine Roman
真正的古罗马浴场之一 baths still in existence.
我现在在女士浴池 I'm in the women's section,
在隔壁有一个同样的 but there's an identical section
男士浴池 right next door for the men.
女士们来到这里 And the women came down,
不仅仅是为了洗澡和治疗 not only for bathing and for healing,
也是为了社交 They came down for social
闲谈 Reasons, to gossip,
谈论正在流行的 To talk about the new blond German
德国金色假发 Wigs that were coming into fashion,
谈论昨晚剧场上映的 To talk about the vulgar play
庸俗戏剧 last night in the theater,
或者为自己12岁大 And perhaps to arrange for the engagement
准备结婚的女儿 Of a 12-year-old daughter
安排订婚 Who was now ready for marriage.
水库里宝贵水源的 Another very extravagant use of that
另一个奢侈用途 precious water from the reservoir
就是用在这座 could have been in this
梅里达圆形竞技场 Merida amphitheater.
最特别的是 For it is most unusual in having water-proof
在这块贫瘠地区的地表 cement lining the surfaces of this
铺有防水水泥 depressed area.
是用来做什么的呢 And what for?
用水把这整个地区淹没 For water to have flooded the entire area
一些小船和小艇 and small craft or miniature boats brought
被驶进来重现海战 in to reenact mock naval battles,
而那些罪犯和奴隶们 and the condemned criminals or slaves who
则在船上战斗 直至战死 were put aboard fought to the death.
再回到斗牛场 Back at the bullring,
克里斯正在进行他绳索顶篷的工作 Chris is plowing ahead with his rope canopy.
为了做他的顶篷 For his roof,
克里斯用了很多帆布 Chris is using two and a half times
相当于雷纳设计的2.5倍 as much canvas as Rainer's design.
在罗马圆形竞技场 At the Colosseum,
同样的设计要用 the same design would require over
二十多万平方英尺的帆布 two hundred thousand square feet of
足以覆盖四个足球场 cloth -enough to cover four football fields.
我刚想到 I just realized,
我刚刚意识到 I just realized we've got to have the
我们系帆布的时候 top rope above the bottom rope
要让顶部的绳子高于底部的绳子 when we tie the canvas on.
否则我们就拉不起来 Otherwise,we won't be able to lift it through.
若不这样 So this, if this isn't,
如果这个不在上面 If this isn't above here,
到最后我们就拉不起来 We can't lift it up when we finally do the —
克里斯对于这个项目的热情 Chris's enthusiasm for the project is not
并没有感染到其他队员 shared by the other members of the team.
伙计们对不起 对他们说对不起 Sorry. say sorry—sorry, guys.
谢谢 Thanks.
布莱恩仍被疑惑所困扰 Brian is still troubled by doubts.
桅杆只有9.5米 ——and the masts are only nine and a half.
再说 上层的绳索 Plus, the top rope then goes nine and
还要再高出9.5米 A half meters above them,
而那里已经没有桅杆了 And there is no mast.so,
所以我们的桅杆 We're nine and a half meters
短了9.5米 Short on the masts.
至于这个 Ok, for this one —
能说明白点吗 Can you put that in simple english?
这样行不通 It isn't going to work.
什么行不通 What isn't going to work?
我们不可能把它拉起来 We aren't going to get it up.
为什么 Why?
我们需要做的一点是 What we need to do at some point
把下层的绳索拉紧 is to tighten the lower rope.
是啊 Yeah?
所有的这些帆的尾部 And all the sails are connected
-都被固定 -对 -around the back -right.
所以如果不把它们解开 So, they will have to either be untied,
绳索拉紧的时候它们就会被撕裂 or they'll just get torn as we tighten it up.
克里斯认为只用拉紧上层的绳索 Chris plans to raise the roof by tightening
顶篷就能提升起来 only the upper ropes.
但布莱恩担心如果下层的绳索 But Brian fears that if the lower ropes are
太松弛 left slack,
一股小风就会使顶篷晃动 the slightest bit of wind might set the roof
失去控制 flapping uncontrollably,
那样就会毁坏这些帆布 and that could destroy the canvas.
是 这不可能尽善尽美 Yeah, I mean, it's not going to be perfect.
如果能用滑轮来调整 But it would be perfect if we had the
就会好多了 pulleys to adjust everything,
但我们恰恰没有 but we haven't got them.
即使我们现在有滑轮 Yeah, but if we had the pulleys to
可以调整后面 adjust the back now,
但那些帆布是固定在桅杆的内侧 The sails are around the inside of the poles.
所以一旦你向后收紧绳索 So if you tighten the rope backwards,
这些帆布就会被撕坏 We're going to tear the sails.
我们不会碰到 I'm not touching the, I mean,
我们不碰那帆布 We're not touching that.
我们实际上 No, because we're not going to
做的不对 actually do it properly.
到头来还得补救 We're going to end up offsetting it.
没问题的 It will work fine.
我们绝对会做得很好 It'll work absolutely fine.
相信我 肯定能成功 It'll look absolutely beautiful, believe me,
只需要在那边把下层的绳索拉紧 by tensioning the bottom ropes over there.
好吧 Ok.
伊诺西奥 从这个 Start with, Ignacio,
从第一个开始 这头 Start with this first one. this end.
在大家匆忙的 As the crew scurries to
将帆布挂到绳索上时 attach the canvas to the ropes,
雷纳正站在钟塔上面 Rainer retreats to the top of the bell tower
俯视斗牛场 overlooking the bullring.
通过鸟瞰 With his bird's eye view,
雷纳看到 Rainer can see bad news
克里斯的噩梦即将来临 for Chris on the horizon.
如果三天前 Well, I would have been fine if we
就开始做这些就好了 had been doing this three days ago,
因为当时风和日丽 because it was completely flat calm.
但现在来了一大片乌云 But over there is an enormous black cloud
还起风了 which is coming over, with wind,
而我身后是一张 and behind me is a big sail,
最终将成为顶篷的大帆 which eventually I hope will be a roof.
我想不会影响很大 And I'm, I think it will be ok.
关键是 The most important thing is for,
要给伙计们解释清楚 is just to explain to the guys so that they
让他们明白 will know precisely what they are supposed
自己该做什么 to be doing and they
不要乱了手脚 don't pull out of sequence.
风会从下面 We know that the wind will catch underneath
把帆布给吹起来 the canvas and lift it right up.
如果那样的话 When that happens,
坚持住 别慌张 just hang on, don't panic.
经过两天枯燥乏味的 After two tedious days of looping,
穿绳 打结 threading, and knotting,
四英里长的绳索和 The four miles of rope and thousands of
数千平方英尺的帆布终于就位 Square feet of canvas are finally in place.
检验克里斯理论的时刻 And it's time to put
到来了 Chris's theory to the test.
欧文 你能 Owain, can you,
你能把那边拉紧吗 Can you take up the slack on that one?
为了使这个巨大的顶篷安全升起 In order to raise the giant canopy safely,
四组人站在斗牛场四周 four teams of men positioned at strategic
各自的位置上 points around the bullring
他们必须准确一致的拉起绳索 must pull their ropes precisely on cue.
你能去上面吗 Can you go up there, please?
然后告诉他们开始拉 And then tell them to pull.
好的 可以拉了吗 Yeah. and we should lift?
可以 Right.
欧文 把你的拉起来 Owain, can you pull yours?
好的 继续 再拉 Yeah, keep going, keep going, keep going,
继续 Keep going.
麦克 你那边也要继续拉 Mike, can you keep going on your side?
一二拉呀 一二拉呀 Pull! pull! pull! pull! pull! pull! pull!
好了 绑住 Ok, whoa! tie it off.
克里斯希望过来的风 Chris hopes the approaching wind will
能把顶篷提升到合适的高度 actually help lift the roof to its proper height.
从最后一根开始 Starting from the end one,
系紧上层的绳索 tighten up the top rope.
但当第一阵风向顶篷吹来时 But as the first gusts attack the awning,
布莱恩预感不妙 Brian senses trouble.
你现在必须收起来 Yeah. you want to be getting it together now,
否则损失就大了 or we're going to lose the lot.
你赶快 You will do,
不然 你得稳住它们 if you don't—you want to get it even now.
正如他所预料的 Just as he predicted,
支撑顶篷的绳索太松了 the lines holding the canopy are too slack
导致剧烈晃动 and thrash violently.
他没把下面拉紧 He's got no tension on the bottom,
这样反而没法升起来 and that's the opposing side to the lifting.
帆布不能承受那么大的力 The canvas can't take the pressure, and
它开始从绳索上脱落 starts to rip right off the ropes.
看起来它要自己垮掉了 Looks like it might self-destruct.
为了使这剧烈的晃动停止 In an attempt to stop the billowing,
布莱恩尽全力收紧 Brian does his best to tighten the lower
连接顶篷的下层绳索 ropes that carry the canopy.
没有滑轮的帮助 Without any pulleys,
几乎不可能 it's nearly impossible to get
让绳索完全绷紧 the ropes completely taut.
凭着布莱恩的技术和力量 And Brian's strength and skill are all
才使顶篷免于解体 that's holding the roof together.
终于 Eventually,
布莱恩最后的努力得到了回报 Brian's last-minute efforts pay off,
他把绳索收紧 and he's able to tighten the ropes just
使顶篷稳定下来 enough to stabilize the canopy.
有趣的是 The interesting thing is,
布莱恩收紧了下层的绳索 Brian has now stressed up the bottom ropes,
它开始趋于稳定 and you can see it's started to stabilize.
绳索结构自身 The rope structure itself
依然保持的很好 is holding together very well.
随着风力的减弱 As the windstorm subsides,
顶篷终于显出了应有的形状 the roof finally takes its intended shape.
很明显这一系统 The system itself is obviously
确实很奏效 one that does work,
但在搭建过程中 But the coordination in the erection
缺少协调 kind of went to pieces.
刚升起来时 As soon as we got it up,
我们无法控制它 We had no control over it,
你也看到了 And as you can see,
我设法把一些东西绑在一起 As I managed to coddle something together
使下层拉紧 Just to shorten the bottom,
我们才达到了 We get the true effect of what
真正的目的 We set out to get.
是的 我很开心 Yeah, I'm pleased. I mean,
我们证明了它能奏效 We've proved that it can be done.
它并不完美 It's not perfect,
但是限于时间的限制 But I think within the limitations of the
我们只用了两天来完成它 time-we put this together in two days,
我觉得这很不错了 Which I think is pretty good.
关键是 And the one critical thing is that the masts,
整个系统中 Which are the fundamental weakest point
最脆弱桅杆 in the whole system,
没出任何问题 Are working perfectly fine,
毕竟这个顶篷是原来的三倍大 Even though the roof is three times as big.
那么谁是正确的 雷纳还是克里斯 So, who's right? Rainer or Chris?
虽然两种实验都成功了 Although both experiments worked,
但古代的证据更倾向于雷纳的 Ancient evidence tends to support Rainer's
横梁构造法而不是克里斯的 beam method over Chris's
绳索构造法 rope construction.
庞贝古城的画卷里更像雷纳的顶篷 The painting from Pompeii looks more like
而不是克里斯的 Rainer's roof than Chris's.
而且横梁结构还有另一个 And the beam construction has another
历史优势 historical advantage.
据史册记载 According to ancient accounts,
罗马圆形竞技场的顶篷是可以伸缩的 The colosseum roof was retractable.
在大风大雨的天气里 In case of heavy winds or rain,
操控顶篷的水手 The sailors who manned
会把帆布收起来 the awning would furl in the canvas,
以免受到风雨的侵蚀 protecting it from the elements and
从而延长它的使用寿命 lengthening its life-span.
这用帆梁法可以很容易实现 This was easily accomplished with the boom
但是绳索法就不行 design, but not with the rope roof.
然而反对雷纳的方法的 The main argument against
主要理由是 Rainer's method is that
它的最大规模也无法 it could never be large enough to
把这个竞技场的贵宾们 Cover the most important spectators
都遮盖到 At the Colosseum.
但这真的是个问题吗 But was this really a problem?
正如用电脑重建所显示的 As this computer reconstruction shows,
一个最大号的雷纳顶篷 A full-scale version of Rainer's awning
能非常有效的遮挡阳光 Would be a remarkably effective sunscreen.
在一天当中 Over the course of a day,
被曝晒最多的座位 The sunniest seats would be
位于运动场的北边 On the north side of the stadium.
但包括国王所在的 But spectators seated on the south side,
南边看台 Including the emperor,
实际上整天都呆在 Would find themselves in the shade
阴凉里 All day long.
顶篷重建的成功 As a result of the reconstruction,
使雷纳更加确信罗马人用的 Rainer is more convinced than ever that the
就是横梁构造法 Romans went with the beam method.
看到了吧 我觉得这种构造 You see, it's a convincing construction,
令人信服 I think.
我认为这与 I think it's very near to what Roman
罗马观众 Spectators saw
在竞技场仰望天空时 When they looked in the sky,
所看到的非常像 In their amphitheaters.
它很美 It's nice.
我觉得罗马人曾经给这个建筑 I just think it's fantastic to think that
搭了一个顶篷 The Romans ever built
真是太奇妙了 A roof over this building.
因为我们已经试过横梁构造法 Because we've tried it with beams,
试过绳索构造法 We've tried it with ropes,
体会到这并非是件容易的事 And we know that it was difficult.
我想 最终 And I think at the end of the day,
你会十分敬佩他们的成就 You've just got to admire their achievement.
因为如果你想象一下这个建筑 Because if you imagine this building,
完全暴露在 Which at the moment is
太阳底下的时候 Completely open to the sun,
被像一把伞一样的东西 protected with a—almost like an umbrella
保护着 Over your head,
它会彻底改变 It would completely change
这个地方的品质 The quality of the space,
它会让在我身后的 And it would focus everything on what
场地中央发生的事情 Happens behind me here
成为一切的焦点 In the middle of this.
我觉得它是绝妙无比的成就 I just think it's an amazing achievement.
罗马圆形竞技场 The Colosseum was the perfect
是罗马 expression of
才华与野性的完美展现 the brilliance and brutality that was Rome.
而巨大的顶篷 是它 And the giant canopy was its
至高无上的光荣 crowning glory-
它飘浮在人群的上空 floating above the crowds,
在血腥杀戮中 Providing comfort and shade-
送来舒适和阴凉 Even as the bloody show went on.