獨特的俄羅斯蒸汽浴

In AD．946，the Russian Grand Duke Igor was killed by the Delieflians．In the second year，his wife Oliga thought out a brilliant plan to avenge her husband．She invited those murderers to take a bath in a bathroom，locked the door and added fuel to the fire to increase the heat of the room，so that those inside were steamed to death．This historical record shows that there were steam baths in Russia as early as a thousand years ago．

公元946年，俄國的大公伊戈爾被德列夫利安人殺害。次年，他的妻子奧列加想出了一條妙計為丈夫報仇。她請那些殺害她丈夫的兇手進一間浴室洗澡，接著就把他們鎖在里面，點火加熱那間浴室的溫度，將室內的人活活蒸死。這一歷史記載說明，早在1 000年前俄國就有蒸汽浴了。

We can't tell the exact time when the Russian steam bath first appeared．It is said there were written records of steam baths since Russian history began．

俄國的蒸汽浴究竟始于何時，至今不清楚。據說，自有俄國歷史起，就有關于俄羅斯蒸汽浴的文字記載。

Many nations of the world had the habit of taking steam bath in the old days．In the Orient，there were the Persians，the Japanese and the Turks．In Europe，there were the Romans，the Irish and the Finns．But the Russian steam bath was quite different from others'．People not only steam themselves，but also whip their bodies with twigs．Then they washed their bodies with cold water．That used to amaze a lot of foreigners．When the Russian Tsar Peter the Great visited France，his residence was provided with a steam bathroom specially for the Russian visitors．The Parisians were amazed to see a crowd of naked males rushing out with shouts and cheers from the bathroom and dive into the icy Seine River．They ducked their heads into the water again and again，and then went back to the bathroom．

世界上許多民族過去都有洗蒸汽浴的習慣，例如東方的波斯人、日本人和土耳其人，歐洲的羅馬人、愛爾蘭人和芬蘭人。但是俄羅斯人的蒸汽浴卻與眾不同，洗澡的人不僅蒸洗，還要用樹枝敲打身子；蒸洗后，還要用冷水洗一下全身。這一做法曾使許多外國人感到驚訝。沙皇彼得大帝訪問法國時，在巴黎為他準備的下榻處專門有一間蒸汽浴室，供來訪的俄國人洗蒸汽浴。當時巴黎人驚訝地看到一群赤身裸體的男子由屋里跑出來涌向塞納河邊，高興地呼喊著跳入冰河。他們一次次地把頭鉆入河中，然后上岸再回到屋里去。

Not only the way to have a Russian steam bath is unique，the installations of the bath room are also unique．

俄國的蒸汽浴不僅洗法獨特，它的浴室設備也非同一般。

In some areas in Russia，people used stoves both for cooking and for heating up the bath water，so the chamber of the stove was very big，enough to hold one or even two persons．Before taking a bath，they cleaned the stove floor with a broom，then put the dust into a bucket of water and stirred it．When the water cleared up，there would be a layer of liquid called \"dust juice\" on the surface，which people substituted for soap in old days when soap was very expensive．

在俄國一些地區(qū)，人們不僅用爐子來燒飯，而且還用來燒洗澡水。因此，爐膛很大，能容得下一個人，甚至兩個人。在洗澡前，先用掃帚把爐子下面掃干凈，把塵土和煤屑掃入桶內用水浸泡，然后攪拌它，等到水澄清，水面上有一層液體叫“灰汁”。在從前肥皂十分昂貴的時候，人們就用這種“灰汁”當肥皂擦洗身子。

A Russian steam bathroom was composed of two separate log cabins．One was the change room，the other was the steam bathroom．There was a rectangular brick stove with a boiler beside which people put some small round stones.When the water was boiling，the stones would also be heated．Then people would pour some hot water over the stones and the room would be filled with steam．There was no chimney in the room，so the walls and ceiling were blackened by smoke with the passage of time ．People lay on a long bench with steps beside the stove．They got steamed and whipped every part of their bodies with tender white birch twigs．Because of the intense heat，they would pour cold water over their bodies to cool down．During winter，some people preferred to rub their bodies with snow or dip in ice holes．They would return to the bathroom and get steamed again after they had got cooled．They would repeat this procedure several times．

俄國的蒸汽浴室一般是由兩間隔開的木屋組成：一間是更衣室，一間是蒸洗室。蒸洗室內有一個帶鍋的長方形磚爐，在鍋旁放有一些小圓石。當鍋里的水燒熱時，石頭也被燒熱，這時往石頭上澆一些熱水，使屋內產生熱蒸汽。浴室沒有煙囪，因此，天長日久，墻壁和屋頂被熏成黑色。洗澡的人躺在爐子邊的一條有踏板的長凳上，受蒸汽熏，同時用嫩綠的白樺樹枝敲打身體的各個部位。在這種蒸汽浴室里溫度較高，為了涼快一點，擦洗完身子后，就用冷水澆身。冬天有些人喜歡用雪擦身或者在冰窟窿中洗。感到涼快后，再回到浴室中蒸洗一會兒，這樣來回重復幾次。

Steam bath was very prevalent in Tsarist days．At the beginning of 19th century，there were 80 public bathrooms in Moscow．Most Russian people took one or two baths every week．common people spent two kopecks to have a bath in the public bathroom．That was not a small sum in those days．Aristocrats had their own luxurious private bathroom built with marbles，some of which were imported specially from Italy．There were also some public bathrooms for the aristocrats．The most famous one was Shendulov Bathroom which was set up and managed by palace comedians Mr．and Mrs. Shendulov in1806. It's admission ticket was very expensive．The cost for four baths was equal to the price of a cow.

在沙皇時代蒸汽浴非常普遍。19世紀初，在莫斯科已經有80家公共浴室。大部分俄國人每星期至少洗一次或者兩次。那時普通老百姓是在一般公共浴室洗，洗一次要花2個戈比，這個數目在當時并不算少。貴族們都有豪華講究的私人浴室。那些浴室是用大理石砌成，有的大理石是專門從意大利運來的。除了私人的貴族浴室外，也有公共的貴族浴室，最著名的是1806年宮廷喜劇演員申杜洛夫夫婦營造的申杜洛夫浴室。到這種浴室洗澡的票價十分昂貴，洗４次澡的錢就可買一頭奶牛。

Though most modern dwelling houses are equipped with bathrooms nowadays， the steam bath is still very popular. The Shendulov bathroom still remains today and is open to public. Out of curiosity many people wish to enjoy the aristocratic steam bath．They have to line up for admission.

現在，雖然大部分的現代化住宅都帶有洗澡間，但是蒸汽浴仍然十分普遍。那個申杜洛夫貴族浴室還保留至今并公開營業(yè)。不少人懷著好奇心都想去享受一番貴族的蒸汽浴。他們還得排隊等候才能購得一票。

The steam bath is very beneficial to people's health．It can accelerate blood circulation and metabolism， enhance the activity of the respiratory system and cardiac muscles and prevent flu．It is also good for the skin.

蒸汽浴對人的健康十分有益。它能促進血液循環(huán)和新陳代謝，增強呼吸系統(tǒng)和心肌的活動能力，防治感冒，對皮膚也有益處。

能說會用

avenge vt. 為……報復， 報仇

orient n. 東方， 東方諸國(指地中海以東各國)

twig n. 嫩枝， 小枝， 末梢

icy adj. 冰冷的， 冷淡的， 蓋著冰的

rectangular adj. 矩形的， 成直角的

kopeck n. 蘇聯小銅板， 貨幣單位

aristocrat n. 貴族

metabolism n. 新陳代謝

respiratory adj. 呼吸的