ancient stories told of fierce warriors dwelling beyond the Mediterranean world,

古老的故事就訴說著住在地中海世界以外的好鬥戰士

striking fear into the mightiest empires of antiquity.

將恐懼帶進了古帝國裡

Their exploits were recounted by many epic poets.

他們的功勳被許多史詩詩人傳頌著

They fought in the legendary Trojan War and their grand army invaded Athens.

他們在特洛依戰爭中勇敢戰鬥， 而他們的大軍入侵了雅典

Jason and the Argonauts passed by their shores,

當傑遜與阿爾戈英雄經過他們的海岸

barely avoiding their deadly arrows.

他們差點沒逃過他們致命的箭雨

These formidable fighters faced off against the greatest champions of myth:

這些令人畏懼的戰士對抗神話中最偉大的英雄：

Heracles,

海克力斯

Theseus,

忒修斯

and Achilles.

和阿基里斯

And every single one of these warriors was a woman.

而這些戰士全是女人

The war-loving Amazons, "the equals of men" in courage and skill,

好戰的亞馬遜人，勇氣與戰技上「與男人不分高下」

were familiar to everyone in ancient Greece.

在古希臘，人人都熟知她們

Amazon battle scenes decorated the Parthenon on the Athenian Acropolis;

雅典衛城的帕德嫩神廟，就是用亞馬遜戰鬥場面來做裝飾的

paintings and statues of Amazons adorned temples and public spaces.

神廟和公共空間也有亞馬遜的畫作和雕像來裝飾

Little girls played with Amazon dolls,

小女孩玩的也是亞馬遜的娃娃

and Amazons were a favorite subject on Greek vase paintings.

希臘花瓶圖案最喜歡用的就是亞馬遜族

In Greek art and literature,

在希臘的藝術與文學裡

they were depicted as daring and desirable,

她們被描述成大膽、令人嚮往的人

but also terrifying and deadly,

但同時也讓人怕害且致命

and doomed to die at the hands of Greek heroes.

且注定會死在希臘英雄的手上

Were Amazons merely figures of myth, or something more?

亞馬遜戰士只是神話人物嗎？ 還是他們並不只如此？

It was long assumed that they were imaginary,

長久以來，人們認為他們是想像出來的

like the cyclops and centaurs.

就像獨眼巨人與半人馬一樣

But curiously enough, stories from ancient Egypt,

但，讓人感到好奇的是， 有些故事來自古埃及

Persia,

波斯

the Middle East,

中東

Central Asia,

中亞

India,

印度

and China

以及中國

also featured Amazon-like warrior women.

他們都有寫到像亞馬遜族的女戰士

And Amazons were described in ancient historical accounts, not just myths.

而他們被描述在歷史文本，而非神話而已

Writers like Herodotus, Plato, and Strabo never doubted their existence.

希羅多德、柏拉圖，及斯特拉波等作家從未懷疑過他們的存在

So who were the real women warriors known as Amazons?

所以，這些被稱為亞馬遜戰士的真實女性是什麼人？

Ancient historians located the Amazon homeland in Scythia,

古老的歷史學家認為亞馬遜的家園就是斯基提亞

the vast territory stretching from

那是片廣大的領土

the Black Sea across the steppes of Central Asia.

從黑海一路延伸到中亞的俄羅斯大草原

This immense region was populated by nomadic tribes

遊牧部落居住在這個廣大的區域

whose lives centered on horses,

他們的生活主要圍繞在牧馬

archery,

箭術

and warfare.

以及戰爭上

Their culture flourished for about 1,000 years beginning around 800 BC.

從西元前八百年左右開始， 他們的文化昌盛了約一千年

Feared by Greeks, Persians, and the Chinese, the Scythians left

希臘人、波斯人，及中國人 都害怕斯基泰人

no written records. But we can find clues in how

斯基泰人沒有留下任何書面記錄

their neighbors described them, as well as in archaeology.

但我們能從他們的鄰居對他們的描述中找到線索， 考古學也是另一條路

Scythians' ancestors were the first to ride horses

斯基泰人的祖先是最早開始騎馬的人

and they invented the recurve bow.

他們發明了反曲弓

And, because a female mounted archer could be as fast and as deadly as a male,

騎馬的女弓箭手能夠和男性一樣快速且致命，

all children were trained to ride and shoot.

所有的孩子都要受訓， 學會騎馬和射箭

Women hunted and fought alongside men, using the same weapons.

女性和男性一起打獵、打仗， 用的武器也相同

The harsh landscape and their nomadic lifestyle

嚴酷的地形及他們的遊牧生活

created its own form of equality.

使兩性間的生活方式相當平等

This amazed the ancient Greeks, whose women led restricted indoor lives.

這讓女性過著拘謹的居家生活的古希臘人感到驚訝

The earliest stories of the Scythians, and Amazons,

早期關於斯基泰人及亞馬遜戰士的故事

may have been exaggerated rumors.

有可能是誇大的留言

But as the Greeks began to trade around the Black Sea and further east,

但隨著希臘人開始在黑海以及更東的地方進行貿易

their portrayals became more realistic.

對於亞馬遜人的描繪就變得更真實了

Early depictions of Amazons showed them with Greek weapons and armor.

早期對於亞馬遜戰士的描寫，顯示她們用的是希臘武器和盔甲

But in later representations,

但晚期的描述則描述著

they wielded bows and battle-axes,

他們使用弓和戰斧

rode horses,

騎著馬

and wore pointed caps and patterned trousers

戴著尖帽，穿著有圖案的褲子

characteristic of steppe nomads.

這是大草原遊牧民族的特點

Until recently, no one was sure how strong the links were

直到最近， 沒有人能確定斯基泰人

between Scythians and the Amazons of Greek myth.

和希臘神話中的亞馬遜戰士之間的關聯有多強

But recent archaeological discoveries have provided ample evidence.

但近期的考古學有了新發現，他們提供了豐足的證據

More than 1,000 ancient Scythian kurgans, or burial mounds, have been excavated,

有超過一千個古老的斯基提亞墳塚被挖掘出來，

containing skeletons and weapons.

裡面有骨骸以及武器

Archaeologists had previously assumed

考古學家先前假設

that weapons could only belong to male warriors.

這些武器只屬於男性戰士

But modern DNA analysis so far

但是，根據現今的 DNA 分析

has revealed that about 300 skeletons buried with weapons

接露了埋在武器下面的 300 具遺骨

belong to females ranging in age from 10 to 45,

屬於 10 到 45 歲的女性

and more are being found every year.

每年還繼續發現更多

The women's skeletons show battle injuries:

這些女性的遺骨上有戰爭留下的傷：

ribs slashed by swords,

被劍砍傷的肋骨

skulls bashed by battle-axes,

被戰斧重擊的頭骨

and arrows embedded in bones.

以及有箭卡在裡面的骨頭

In classical art and writings,

在古典藝術和寫作中

the fearsome Amazons were always portrayed as brave and heroic.

讓人畏懼的亞馬遜戰士總是被描繪成勇敢地、英勇地

In male-dominated classical Greece, however,

然而，在男性主導的古典希臘

the very idea of strong women who gloried in freedom and war aroused mixed feelings.

光是想到在自由和戰爭中熠熠生輝的堅強女性，讓他們有著複雜的心情

And yet, the Greeks were also drawn to egalitarian ideals.

但，希臘人也被平等主義的理想所吸引

Is it possible that the mythic realm of thrilling Amazon tales

有沒有可能這令人毛骨悚然的亞馬遜傳說中

was a way to imagine women and men as equal companions?

其實是種想像女性和男性是平等伴侶的理想？