BBC英国史

BBC英国史第01章：Beginnings起源英语字幕文本：Fromitsearliestdays,Britainwasanobjectofdesire.Tacitusdeclareditpretiumvictoriae-worththeconquest,thebestcomplimentthatcouldoccurtoaRoman.HehadnevervisitedtheseshoresbutwasnonethelessconvincedthatBritanniawasrichingold.Silverwasabundanttoo.Apparentlysowerepearls,thoughTacitushadheardtheyweregrey,liketheovercast,rain-heavyskies,andthenativesonlycollectedthemwhencastupontheshore.AsfarastheRomanhistorianswereconcerned,Britanniamaybeoffattheedgeoftheworld,butitwasofftheedgeoftheirworld,notinabarbarianwilderness.Ifthosewritershadbeenabletotravelintimeaswellasspacetothenorthernmostofourislands,theOrcades-ourmodernOrkney-theywouldhaveseensomethingmuchmoreastonishingthanpearls:SignsofacivilisationthousandsofyearsolderthanRome.ThereareremainsofStoneAgelifealloverBritainandIreland.ButnowhereasabundantlyasOrkney,withitsmounds,gravesanditsgreatcirclesofstandingstoneslikehereatBrodgar.Vast,imposingandutterlyunknowable.OrkneyhasanotherNeolithicsite,evenmoreimpressivethanBrodgar,thelastthingyouwouldexpectfromtheStoneAge,ashockinglyfamiliarglimpseofancientdomesticlife.PerchedonthewesterncoastofOrkney'smainisland,avillagecalledSkaraBrae.Beneathanareanobiggerthanthe18thgreenofagolfcourseliesEurope'smostcompleteNeolithiccommunity,preservedfor5,000yearsunderablanketofsandandgrassuntiluncoveredin1850byaferociousseastorm.Thisisarecognisablevillage.Neatlyfittedintoitslandscapebetweenpastureandsea,intimate,domesticandself-sufficient.TechnicallystilltheStoneAgeandNeolithicperiod,thesearenothuts,they'retruehouses,builtfromsandstoneslabsthatlieallaroundtheislandandgavestoutprotectiontovillagersatSkaraBrae,fromtheirbitingOrcadianwinds.Theywererealneighbours,livingcheekbyjowl,theirhousesconnectedbywalled,sometimesdecoratedalleyways.Itiseasytoimaginegossiptravellingdownthosealleysafteraheartyseafoodsupper.Wehaveeverythingyoucouldwantfromavillageexceptachurchandapub.In3,000BC,theseaandairwerelittlewarmerthantheyarenow.Oncethey'dsettledintheirsandstonehouses,theycouldharvestredbreamandmusselsandoystersthatwereabundantintheshallows.Cattlegavemeatandmilkanddogswerekeptforhuntingandforcompany.InNeolithictimestherewouldhavebeenadozenhouses,half-dugintothegroundforcomfortandsafety.Athriving,bustlinglittlecommunityof50or60.TherealmiracleofSkaraBraeisthatthesehouseswerenotmereshelters.Theywerebuiltbypeoplewhohadculture,whohadstyle.Here'swheretheyshowedoffthatstyle.Afullyequipped,all-purposeNeolithiclivingroom,completewithluxuriesandnecessities.Necessities?Well,atthecentre,ahearth,aroundwhichtheywarmedthemselvesandcooked.Astonetankinwhichtokeeplivefishbait.Somehouseshaddrainsunderneaththem,sotheymusthavehad,believeitornot,indoortoilets.Luxuries?Theorthopaedicallycorrectstonebedmaynotseemparticularlyluxurious,buttheadditionofheatherandstrawwouldhavesoftenedthesleepingsurfaceandwouldhavemadethisbedseemrathersnug.Atthecentreofitallwasthisspectaculardresseronwhichourhouse-proudvillagerswouldsetoutalltheirmostpreciousstuff.Fineboneandivorynecklaces,beautifullycarvedstoneobjects,everythingdesignedtomakeagrandinteriorstatement.Giventherudimentarynatureoftheirtools,itwouldhavetakencountlessmanhourstobuildnotonlythesedwellingsbutthegreatcirclesofstonewheretheywouldhavegatheredtoworship.SkaraBraewasn'tjustanisolatedsettlementoffishersandfarmers.Itspeoplemusthavebelongedtosomelargersociety,onesophisticatedenoughtomobilisethearmyoftoilersandcraftsmenneeded,notjusttomakethesemonuments,buttostandthemonend.Theywerejustasconcernedabouthousingthedeadastheliving.ThemausoleumatMaesHowe,acoupleofmilesfromSkaraBrae,seemsnomorethanaswellingonthegrassylandscape.Thisis,asitwere,aBritishpyramidandinkeepingwithourtasteforunderstatement,itreservesallitsimpactfortheinterior.Imaginethemopenoncemore.Adetailfromavillagegiventhejobofpullingbackthestoneseals,luggingthebodythroughthelowopeningintheearth.Up36feetofnarrow,tight-fittingpassageway,litonlyonceayearbytheraysofthewintersolstice.Adeathcanal,constriction,smellingoftheunderworld.Finallythepassagewayopensuptothisstupendous,high-vaultedmasonrychamber.Sometombswouldhavebeenelaboratelydecoratedwithcarvingsintheformofcirclesorspirals,likewavesorthebreeze-pushedclouds.Otherswouldhavehadneatstonestoresorcubicleswherethebodieswouldbelaidoutonshelves.Thegrandesttombshadopeningscutinthewall,tocreatesidechamberswherethemostimportantbodiescouldbelaidoutinaristocraticspaciousnesslikefamilyvaultsinacountrychurch.Unlikemedievalknights,thesegrandeeswereburiedwitheaglesanddogs,oreventreasure.ThekindofthingtheVikingswhobrokeintothesetombsthousandsofyearslaterwerequicktofilch.Inreturn,theseearlytombraiderslefttheirownlegacy.Thesewonderfulgraffiti.Theseruneswerecarvedbythemostskilledrunecarverinthewesternocean.IbeddedThornyhere.Ingegirthisonehornybitch.AsfortheOrcadianhoipolloi,theyrankedspaceinacommonchamber,onafloorcarpetedwiththebonesofhundredsoftheirpredecessors.Acrowdedwaitingroomtotheirafterworld.Forcenturies,lifeatSkaraBraemusthavecontinuedinmuchthesameway.Around2,500BC,theclimateseemstohavegotcolderandwet