圖坦卡蒙的秘密

by Jennie Cohen

三千年前，圖坦卡蒙僅僅統(tǒng)治了古埃及十年，在歷史上并不出名。然而三千年后，英國人霍華德·卡特（Howard Carter）在圖坦卡蒙墓穴內(nèi)挖掘出近五千件珍貴陪葬品，震驚了西方世界。由于幾個最早進(jìn)入墳?zāi)沟娜送蝗凰劳觯幻襟w大肆渲染成“法老的詛咒”，圖坦卡蒙的名字在西方更為家喻戶曉。近年來，研究人員對圖坦卡蒙做了大量分析，破解了很多關(guān)于這位法老的秘密，讓我們一起看看背后的真相吧。（CE：Teens分別在2008年2月號和2011年5月號的“探索區(qū)”介紹過圖坦卡蒙，有興趣的同學(xué)可以查閱。）

Ninety years ago， the British archaeologist[考古學(xué)家] Howard Carter opened the sealed doorway to the treasure-filled burial chamber[房間] of Tutankhamen in Egypts Valley of the Kings. King Tuts tomb and the riches it contained would fuel a worldwide obsession[著魔] with ancient Egypt and the long-dead ruler， who reigned[統(tǒng)治] for just one decade some 3，300 years ago. Follow us to explore five surprising facts about the teenage pharaoh[法老] and his final resting place.

九十年前，英國考古學(xué)家霍華德·卡特在埃及的帝王谷打開了那扇密封的大門，進(jìn)入裝滿珍寶的圖坦卡蒙墓室。圖坦卡蒙的陵墓以及里面的財寶令全世界人迷上了古埃及以及這位逝去已久的統(tǒng)治者，而圖坦卡蒙只在大約三千三百年前統(tǒng)治了埃及十年而已。跟隨我們的腳步，發(fā)掘有關(guān)這位年輕法老及其安息地的驚人事實(shí)吧。

1. There is no curse[詛咒]of King Tut.

1.“法老的詛咒”純屬子虛烏有。

When Carter first entered King Tuts tomb in November 1922， his financial backer[支持者] George Herbert—a wealthy aristocrat[貴族] with a passion for Egyptology—was at his side. Four months later， Herbert died of apparent[顯然的] blood poisoning from a mosquito[蚊子] bite. Newspapers speculated[推測] that the Englishman had fallen victim[受害人] to a “mummys curse.” Rumors[流言] flew anew after the sudden deaths of others who had visited the Valley of the Kings. It turns out， however， that frenzied[狂熱的] journalists made up the story. In 2002， scientists examined the survival[生存] rates of 44 Westerners who had been in Egypt during Carters excavation[挖掘]， concluding that they were not at elevated[提升] risk of dying early.

1922年11月，當(dāng)卡特首次進(jìn)入圖坦卡蒙的陵墓時，資助其考古活動的喬治·赫伯特（一位熱衷于埃及古物學(xué)的有錢貴族）就在他身旁。四個月后，赫伯特死于由蚊叮引發(fā)的敗血癥，癥狀明顯。報紙紛紛推斷這位英國人是“木乃伊詛咒”下的受害者。在其他到過帝王谷的人突然死亡之后，謠言再次滿天飛。然而，原來只是狂熱的記者捏造了這個故事。……