英发掘莎翁故居粪池 探究大师生活点滴

Archaeologists believe they are on the cusp of shedding new light on the life of William Shakespeare – by digging up what may have been the playwright’s cesspit.

Experts have begun excavating the ruins of New Place, Shakespeare’s former home in Stratford-upon-Avon, which was demolished 250 years ago.

Although little remains of the property, the team, led by Birmingham Archaeology, believes it has identified a rubbish tip or cesspit used by the 16th century poet.

Fragments of pottery and broken clay pipe have already been retrieved from a muddy hole on the site, which they claim could yield some of the most significant discoveries about Shakespeare in decades.

The dig focuses on three areas of the property, which Shakespeare bought in 1597 when he returned to his home town from London having achieved fame – including the so-called knot garden at the rear of the building.

Dr Diana Owen, Director of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, which owns the site, said: “We do not know if the knot garden was an area used by Shakespeare – it may have been a yard simply used by his servants.

“But this could actually yield some fantastic results, especially if it was an area where rubbish was thrown or the cesspit was located.”

Kevin Colls, from Birmingham Archaeology, added: “Through documentary evidence we know Shakespeare lived at New Place but we have very little information regarding the layout of the house and gardens at this time.

“Through archaeological fieldwork, in particular the excavation of structural remains and the recovery of artefacts, we hope to fill in the blanks.

“Even the smallest sherd of broken pottery has the potential for giving us tantalising glimpses into the life of Shakespeare such as what he liked to eat and drink.”

Until October, visitors will be able to watch archaeologists and volunteers at work as they excavate the remains of the house, which was knocked down in 1759.

Experts hope to unearth evidence to support theories that Shakespeare wrote many of his most famous works at the property.

为进一步探究英国戏剧大师威廉·莎士比亚生活的方方面面，考古学家们日前开始发掘这位剧作家故居的粪坑。

考古学家们开始挖掘的这个名叫“新居”的遗址是莎士比亚在埃文河畔斯特拉福镇的故居，早在250年前就被拆毁。

尽管现场一片空旷，但伯明翰考古队相信，他们已经确认莎翁在16世纪曾使用过的垃圾场或粪坑的位置。

目前，考古人员已从现场的一个泥洞中挖出一些陶器碎片和残破的黏土管，他们称这些东西可能会引出几十年来有关莎士比亚的一些最有意义的发现。

这次挖掘主要集中在“新居”的三个地方，其中包括房子后面的“花结园”。“新居”是莎翁功成名就后于1597年从伦敦回到家乡时购置的。

这处地产的所有者“莎士比亚出生地基金会”主席戴安娜•欧文博士说：“我们不知道莎士比亚是否使用过‘花结园’，可能只是他的仆人们使用过。

“但这的确会引出一些惊人的发现，尤其是如果这里曾是垃圾场或粪坑所在地。”

伯明翰考古队的凯文•科尔斯说：“通过文献上的证据我们知道，莎士比亚曾居住在‘新居’，但我们对于这所房子和花园的布局知之甚少。

“通过考古队的实地挖掘，尤其是一些建筑残留物和相关器具，我们希望能填补这一空白。

“即便是最小的陶器碎片都可能成为我们探究莎士比亚生活点滴的线索，比如他喜欢吃什么，喝什么。”

考古学家和志愿者们的发掘工作将持续至今年十月份。这处房屋于1759年被拆毁。

专家们希望能通过这次发掘找到有力证据，证明莎士比亚的许多最著名的作品是在这一居所创作的说法。

Vocabulary:

cusp: 交界点，分界线，转折点，拐点（a country on the cusp of recession 几近衰退的国家）

cesspit: a covered hole or container in the ground for collecting waste from a building, especially from the toilets （覆盖的）粪池，污水坑，垃圾坑

excavate: to dig in the ground to look for old buildings or objects that have been buried for a long time; to find something by digging in this way 发掘，挖出（古建筑或古物）（The archaeologists excavated a buried city. 考古学家发掘出一个埋在地下的城市。）

rubbish tip: 垃圾场

artefact: an object that is made by a person, especially something of historical or cultural interest 人工制品，手工艺品（尤指有历史或文化价值的）

sherd: a piece of broken glass, metal, etc. （玻璃、金属等的）碎片

tantalising: arousing desire or expectation for something unattainable or mockingly out of reach 逗人的；惹弄人的；撩人的