Latin AS-Level Practice Passages 6 The Murder of Larcius Macedo

06-27

來自專欄 Carpe Diem

【題解】

今天要讀的內容來自小普林尼寫給Acilius 的一封書信。信里描述了一樁主人被奴隸殘忍殺害的故事。Larcius Macedo出身於一個原本屬於奴隸階級的家庭，後來成為了羅馬的執政官員（of praetorian rank），但同時對自己的奴隸也十分傲慢與兇殘。有一天他在福爾米亞的鄉間別墅泡澡的時候，突然被奴隸們包圍了起來，接著就是一頓暴打（參看下文描述）。Macedo被打得奄奄一息，奴隸們將他扔在火熱的石頭上，他也一動不動。而就在大家都以為他被打死了的時候，他卻忽然恢復了知覺。雖然大部分造反的奴隸都被抓了起來，但他自己不久後也因傷勢過重而魂歸西天了。

關於Macedo為什麼不在羅馬澡堂、而在自家庭院里泡澡，普林尼在這封書信的結尾還提到了關於他的另一則逸聞。說Macedo有一次在羅馬澡堂泡澡的時候，他的一個奴隸稍微碰了一下一名騎士身份的客人，而那個人轉過身來，沒有怪罪那個奴隸，卻對著Macedo（又）是一頓暴揍。可憐的Macedo彷彿受到了澡堂的詛咒。小普林尼對此評論道：

Ita balineum illi quasi per gradus quosdam primum contumeliae locus, deinde exitii fuit. (Thus by a kind of gradation the baths were for him a place first of dishonor, afterwards of death.)

值得注意的是，小普林尼寫給友人的這封信或許還不僅只是描述這一事件。根據其寫作的用詞、結構和布局來看，信的作者還在裡面運用了他作為一名演說家（Pliny the Orator）的技藝，來模擬一場法律訴訟。因此信中他以極具畫面感和煽動性的描述來告誡友人和讀者，不能姑息僕人作惡。

【練習】

rem atrocem nec tantum epistula dignam Larcius Macedo, vir praetorius, a servis suis passus est, dominus quidem superbus et saevus et ipse servi filius. illi enim iam diu occasionem domini necandi quaerebant. Macedo lavabatur in villa sua: subito servi eum circumsteterunt; alius fauces oppugnavit, alius os petivit, alius ventrem verberavit. cum eum mortuum esse crederent, in fervens pavimentum deiecerunt ut cognoscerent num adhuc viveret. ille, sive quia nihil sentiebat sive quia se nihil sentire simulabat, immobilis iacebat ita ut servi eum necatum esse confiderent. tum effertur quasi aestu superatus; excipiunt servi fideliores, concubinae cum ululatu et clamore concurrunt. ita et vocibus excitatus et recreatus loci frigore sublatis oculis agitatoque corpore vivere se (et iam tutum erat) confitetur. diffugiunt servi; quorum magna pars comprehensa est, ceteri quaeruntur. ipse tamen vulneribus confectus paucis diebus mortuus est, non sine spe ultionis.

Pliny Letters 3.14

【講解】

[1] rem atrocem nec tantum epistula dignam Larcius Macedo, vir praetorius, a servis suis passus est, dominus quidem superbus et saevus et ipse servi filius.

Larcius Macedo, a man of praetorian rank, who was indeed an arrogant and cruel master and himself the son of a slave, has suffered at the hands of his own slaves a cruel deed and one not worthy of a letter alone.

主幹：rem atrocem Larcius Macedo passus est. Larcius Macedo had suffered a cruel deed. atrocem, acc.sing.f.of [atrox, ocis(gen.) fierce, cruel], passus est, 3rd,sing.perf. of [patior, pati, passus sum, dep. to suffer]
nec tantum epistula dignam. 關聯atrocem. nec tantum, not so much... dignam, adj.acc.sing.f. of [dignus, a, um. worthy (of)] + abl., epistula, abl.sing.f. of [epistula, ae, f, letter].
vir praetorius, 主語同位語，vir, nom.sing.m. of [vir, viri, m. man], praetorius, nom,sing.m. of [praetorius, a, um. praetorian, of praetorian rank]
a servis suis, patior 的施動者, by his own slaves.
dominus quidem superbus et saevus. 主語同位語，dominus, nom.sing.m. of [dominus, i, m. owner, master], superbus, nom.sing.m. of [superbus, a, um. arrogant], saevus, nom.sing.m. of [saevus, a, um, savage], superbus et saevus 修飾dominus. quidem, adv. indeed.
et ipse servi filius. 主語同位語，ipse, himself. filius, nom.sing.m. of [fililus, i, m. son], servi, gen.sing.m. of [servus, i, m. slave] of a slave.

[2] illi enim iam diu occasionem domini necandi quaerebant.

For those men had for a long time already been looking for an opportunity to kill their master.

主幹：illi occasionem quaerebant. they had been looking for an opportunity. quaerebant, 3rd.pl.imperf.act.ind. of [quaero, ere, sivi, situs. search for], occasionem, acc.sing.f. of [occasio, onis, f. opportunity]
enim, adv. for. iam, adv. already, diu, adv. for long.
domini necandi. 關聯occasionem. the chance of killing. domini, gen,sing.m. of [dominus, i, m. master], necandi, gen.sing.m.fut.pas.pple. of [neco, are, necui, nectus. kill, murder. ]

[3] Macedo lavabatur in villa sua: subito servi eum circumsteterunt; alius fauces oppugnavit, alius os petivit, alius ventrem verberavit.

Macedo was having a bath in his country house: suddenly his slaves stood around him; one attacked his throat, another made for his face and another struck his stomach.

Macedo lavabatur. Macedo was having a bath. lavabatur, 3rd,sing.imperf.pas.ind. of [lavo, are, lavi, lotus, to bathe] 此處或是中動態，to wash himself. in villa sua. in his country house.
subito, adv. suddenly. circumsteterunt, 3rd,pl.perf.act.ind. of [circumsto, are, steti, status. to surround]
alius... alius... alius... one... another...and another.
oppugnavit, 3rd,sing.perf.act.ind. of [oppugno, are, to attack], fauces, acc.pl.f. of [faux, faucis, f. throat]
petivit, 3rd,sing.perf.act.ind. of [peto, ere, tivi, titus, to attack, aim at], os, acc.sing.n. of [os, oris, n. face]
verberavit, 3rd,sing.perf.act.ind. of [verbero, are, to beat], ventrem, acc.sing.m. of [venter, ventris, m. stomach.]

[4] cum eum mortuum esse crederent, in fervens pavimentum deiecerunt ut cognoscerent num adhuc viveret.

When they believed that he was dead, they threw him down onto the hot tiled floor in order to find out whether he was still alive.

主幹：cum crederent, deiecerunt ut cognoscerent. when they believed ..., the threw him so that they would know. crederent, 3rd,pl.imperf.act.subj. of [credo, ere, didi, ditus. to believe], deiecerunt, 3rd,pl.perf.act.ind. of [deicio, cere, jeci, jectus. to throw], ut cognoscerent, so that they would know. 虛擬語氣，cognoscerent, 3rd,pl.imperf.act.subj. of [cognosco, ere, novi, nitus. to learn, to find out]
eum mortuum esse. 為credo的內容， ACI結構，him to be dead. mortuum, acc.sing.m. of [mortuus, a, um. dead].
in fervens pavimentum, fevens, adj.acc.sing.n. of [fervens, ntis, red hot, burning], pavimentum, acc.sing.n. of [pavimentum, i, n. pavement]
num. adv. whether. viveret, 3rd,sing.imperf.act.subj. of [vivo, ere, vixi, victus to be alive, survive]. 作為cognosco需要確認的內容，由num引導的虛擬語氣。adhuc, adv. still.

[5]ille, sive quia nihil sentiebat sive quia se nihil sentire simulabat, immobilis iacebat ita ut servi eum necatum esse confiderent.

Either because he felt nothing or because he was pretending to feel nothing, he lay motionless in such a way that the slaves were confident that he had been killed.

主幹：ille iacebat ita ut servi confiderent... he lay in such a way that the slaves were confident that... iacebat, 3rd,sing.imperf.act.ind. of [jaceo, ere, jacui, jacitus. to lie down], ita, adv. in this way. confiderent, 3rd,pl.imperf.act.subj. of [confido/confideo, ere, confisus sum. semidep. to have confidence in, trust.]
sive... sive... either ... or... , quia, adv. because
nihil sentiebat, felt nothing. sentiebat, 3rd.sing.imperf.act.ind. of [sentio, ire, sensi, sensus. to feel.]
se nihil sentire simulabat. simulabat, 3rd,sing.imperf.act.ind. of [simulo, are, to pretend] + ACI. se sentire nihil. to feel nothing. sentire. pres.act.inf. of [sentio].
immobilis, nom.sing.m. of [immobilis, e, immovable],修飾主語。
eum necatum esse. 為confido 的內容，ACI結構，necatum, acc.sing.m.perf.pas.pple. of [neco]

[6] tum effertur quasi aestu superatus; excipiunt servi fideliores, concubinae cum ululatu et clamore concurrunt.

Then, almost overcome by the heat, he was carried out; his more faithful slaves received him, and his concubines ran together with howling and shouting.

主幹：effertur; excipiunt servi, concubinae concurrunt. he was carried out; the slaves received him; his concubines ran together. effertur, 3rd,sing.pres.pas.ind. of [effero, erre, extuli, elatus, to carry out (probably for burial)], excipiunt, 3rd,pl.pres.act.ind. of [excipio, pere, cepi, ceptus. to take out, to receive], concubinae, nom.pl.f. of [concubina, ae, f. concubine], concurrunt, 3rd,pl.pres.act.ind. of [concurro, ere, concucurri, concursus. to run]
quasi aestu superatus. 主語Macedo 省略，quasi, adv. as if. superatus, nom.sing.m.perf.pas.pple. of [supero, are, to overcome], aestu, 施動奪格，abl.sing.m. of [aestus, us, m. agitation, heat].
fideliores, 修飾servi, comp.nom.pl.m. of [fidelis, e, adj. faithful]
cum ululatu et clamore. cum, with +abl. ululatu, abl.sing.m. of [ululatus, us, m. howling, wailing], clamore, abl.sing.m. of [clamor, oris, m. shout]

[7] ita et vocibus excitatus et recreatus loci frigore sublatis oculis agitatoque corpore vivere se (et iam tutum erat) confitetur.

Thus both aroused by the voices and restored by the cold of the place, by raising his eyes and moving his body he revealed that he was alive (and it was now safe to do so).

主幹：excitatus et recreatus, confitetur. (He) aroused and restored, he revealed that... excitatus, nom.sing.m.perf.pas.pple. of [excito, are, to wake up], recreatus, nom.sing.m.perf.pas.pple of [recreo, crecreare, avi, atus. to restore], confitetur, 3rd,sing.pres.ind. of [confiteor, fiteri, fessus sum. dep. to admit, to reveal]
vocibus, excito的施動奪格，abl.pl.f. of [vox, vocis, f. voice], frigore奪格表原因，abl.sing.m. of [frigor, oris, m. cold, chill], loci 修飾frigore, gen.sing.n./m. of [locum,loci, n. place; locus, loci, m. place].
sublatis oculis, with the eyes raised. sublatis, abl.pl.m.perf.pas.pple. of [tollo, tollere, sustuli, sublatus, to raise.], oculis, abl.pl.m. of [oculus, i, m. eye]
agitatoque corpore, 與sublatis oculis並列，with the body moved. agitato, abl.sing.m.perf.pas.pple. of [agito, are, to move, revolve], corpore, abl.sing.n. of [corpus, oris,n. body]
vivere se. 為揭示（confiteor）的內容，ACI結構，he himself to be alive.
iam tutum erat. iam. adv. now, already. tutum, nom.sing.n. of [tutus, a, um. safe]

[8] diffugiunt servi; quorum magna pars comprehensa est, ceteri quaeruntur.

The slaves ran off in all directions; the majority were arrested, the rest are still being searched for.

簡單句1：diffugiunt servi. the slaves ran off. diffugiunt, 3rd,pl.pres.act.ind. of [diffugio, ere, fudi, diffugitus, to disperse. run away]
簡單句2：magna pars comprehensa est. the majority were arrested. comprehensa, nom.sing.f.perf.pas.pple. of [comprehendo, ere, di, comprehensus. to catch]. quorum, 關聯前一句的servi, of whom. gen.pl.m.
簡單句3：ceteri quaeruntur. the rest are being searched for. quaeruntur, 3rd.pl.pres.pas.ind. of [quaero, ere, sivi, situs. to search for.]

[9]ipse tamen vulneribus confectus paucis diebus mortuus est, non sine spe ultionis.

He himself however, worn out by his wounds, died within a few days, not without hope of revenge.

主幹：ipse mortuus est. he himself died.
tamen, adv. however. vulneribus confectus, worn out by his wounds. confectus, 修飾主語ipse, nom.sing.m.perf.pas.pple. of [conficio, cere, feci, fectus. to cause], vulneribus, abl. pl.n. of [vulnus, eris, n. wound]
paucis diebus. adv. within a few days.
sine spe. without hope. spe, abl.sing.f. of [spes, ei, f. hope], ultionis, gen.sing.f. of [ultio, onis, f. revenge.]

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