E66 金盆洗手｜中世纪贵族饭前洗手半小时，却不是为了讲卫生

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David

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David

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Medieval elites used handwashing as a shrewd ‘power play.’

在中世纪，洗手成了贵族之间精明的“权力的游戏”

①People living in the Middle Ages are commonly assumed to have had poor personal hygiene, but in truth many were well-practiced in cleanliness. Born of necessity, handwashing evolved into a highly choreographed demonstration of power and wealth. It was a “sign of civility,” says Amanda Mikolic, curatorial assistant for the Department of Medieval Art at the Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio.

在当代人看来，生活在中世纪的人们通常不太讲究个人卫生。但事实却截然相反，很多人都非常注重清洁。起初，洗手是出于必要，后来渐渐演变成了一种精心设计的炫富手段。俄亥俄州克利夫兰艺术博物馆中世纪艺术部门（Department of Medieval Art at the Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio）的策展助理阿曼达·米科利克（Amanda Mikolic）称它是一种“礼仪的标志”。

②Kings and peasants alike washed up before and after meals. Most people ate with their hands—cutlery was rare and food was often consumed using stale bread called trenchers. Washing away the day’s grime was necessary and a sign of respect for whoever was feeding you.

那时候，上到国王下到农民，人们饭前饭后都要洗手。大部分人用手吃饭，因为刀叉等餐具在当时还比较少见，食物也常用陈面包做的木盘来装盛。洗掉手上的污垢很有必要，也是出于对食物提供者的尊重。

③Medieval nobility and clergy took hand and face washing to new heights.

中世纪的达官显贵们则把洗脸洗手这件事推向了新的高度。

④Strict guidelines governed how the nobles ate, some of which would likely meet with CDC（Centers for Disease Control and Prevention） approval.

贵族们对饮食流程有严格的要求，其中一些放到今天甚至能得到美国疾病控制与预防中心（CDC）的认可。

⑤Elaborate rituals required ostentatious tools. Ornate vessels such as aquamaniles (pitchers) and lavabos (essentially a hanging bowl with spouts) were filled with the warm, scented water used during handwashing. In the wealthiest households, servants would pour the fragrant water onto the hands of those dining. 

除了复杂的流程，浮夸的器具也必不可少。当时的贵族洗手时，会用水壶或是水盆等华丽的容器装满带有香味的温水。在有钱人家里，佣人们会把带有香气的水倒在用餐者的手上给他们洗手。

⑥But eventually handwashing began to fall out of practice. Many scholars blame the fork, which wasn’t commonly used until the 18th century. 

但是最终，洗手的习惯慢慢走向没落，很多学者认为这要归咎于18世纪叉子的普及。

⑦Today, long after aquamaniles and lavabos have gone out of fashion, handwashing can still be a way to show off one’s wealth. From hand-painted vessel sinks to costly soaps made with essential oils to plush Egyptian cotton towels, we continue to create luxurious rituals around washing our hands.

时至今日，中世纪的水壶和水盆早已过时，但是洗手依然可以是一种炫富的方式。从手绘的洗手池到昂贵的精油香皂，再到埃及长绒棉毛巾，我们继续创造着奢侈的洗手方式。

PHOTOGRAPH BY DEAGOSTINI, GETTY IMAGES

An important social ritual in the Middle Ages, handwashing was also depicted in medieval art. In this 14th-century altarpiece from the Cathedral of Siena, Pontius Pilate washes his hands as he condemns Jesus Christ.

在中世纪，洗手是一种重要的社会仪式，中世纪的艺术作品也描绘了这一过程。在这幅14世纪的锡耶纳大教堂（Cathedral of Siena）祭坛画中，本丢·彼拉多（Pontius Pilate）在洗手时谴责耶稣。

PHOTO BY HERITAGE ARTS, GETTY IMAGES

The large capacity and relatively simple decoration of this lavabo—one of several types of medieval vessels used for handwashing—suggests it came from a private home or perhaps a monastery.

这个水壶是中世纪用来洗手的几种容器之一，容量大，装饰相对简单，这意味着它来自私人住宅或修道院。

精选语言点 

1. 词汇

1）elite /ɪˈlit/ n. 精英；杰出人物 adj. 精英的；社会上层集团的

an elite team 一个精英团队

2）shrewd /ʃrud/ adj. 精明的；敏锐的

3）assume /ə'sum/ v. 假定；假设

I assumed that John was going to do this job。

我本来以为约翰会负责这个工作。

4）hygiene /'haɪdʒin/ n. 卫生

poor personal hygiene 不良的个人卫生习惯

5）choreograph /'kɔriə.ɡræf/ v. 设计舞蹈动作；精心策划

choreography 舞蹈设计

6）curatorial /,kjʊrə'torɪəl/ adj. 馆长的；管理者的

curatorial assistant  策展助理

curate v. 管理（博物馆或美术馆等的收藏品）

curation n. （博物馆的）策展；艺术收藏品，展品

to curate content=content curation 精选内容

7）peasant /ˈpez(ə)nt/ n. 农民；乡下人

8）alike /ə'laɪk/ adv. 同样地，同等地

9）stale /steɪl/ adj. （通常指因久放）不新鲜的，走味的

10）trencher /'trentʃə(r)/ n. （旧时端饭菜用的）大木盘

11）consume /kən'sum/ v. 吃，喝

12）grime /ɡraɪm/ n. 尘垢；污点

13）medieval /.medi'iv(ə)l/ adj. 中世纪的；老式的，过时的

14）nobility /noʊ'bɪləti/ n. 贵族

15）clergy /'klɜrdʒi/ n. 神职人员

16）elaborate /ɪ'læb(ə)rət/ adj. 精心制作的；复杂的 v. 详尽阐述

=explain something in detail

17）ritual /'rɪtʃuəl/ n. 仪式；习惯（尤其是文化或者宗教上的）

18）ostentatious /.ɑsten'teɪʃəs/ adj. 摆阔的；铺张的；浮夸的

19）ornate /ɔr'neɪt/ adj. 华美的，华丽的

20）vessel /'ves(ə)l/ n. 器皿；轮船

21）aquamanile /ˌækwəməˈnaɪliː/ n. 中世纪的水罐

22）pitcher /'pɪtʃər/ n. 水罐；（尤指旧时的）带柄的陶罐

23）lavabo /lə'veɪboʊ/ n. 洗手礼用的手巾或洗手盆

24）spout /spaʊt/ n. （容器的）嘴，出水管

25）scented /'sentəd/ adj. 散发着浓香的；芬芳的

26）fragrant /'freɪɡrənt/ adj. 芳香的

27）plush /plʌʃ/ adj. 豪华的；长毛绒的

2. 词组

1）Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) 美国疾病控制预防中心

2）fall out of practice 没落

=go out of fashion

原文链接 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/medieval-elites-used-handwashing-as-shrewd-power-play