古羅馬的十大創新發明(3)

papers

3.報刊雛形

The Romans were known to contribute to public discourse through the use of official texts detailing military, legal and civil issues. Known as Acta Diurna, or "daily acts," these early newspapers were written on metal or stone and then posted in heavily trafficked areas like the Roman Forum. Acta are believed to have first appeared around 131 B.C. and typically included details of Roman military victories, lists of games and gladiatorial bouts, birth and death notices and even human interest stories. There was also an Acta Senatus, which detailed the proceedings of the Roman senate. These were traditionally withheld from public view until 59 B.C., when Julius Caesar ordered their publication as part of the many populist reforms he instituted during his first consulship.

古羅馬會發布《羅馬公報》（或稱《每日紀聞》），裏面會涉及到處理軍事、法律和民事的問題，讓民衆通過文章瞭解這些事項的結果；這些內容，會寫在金屬或刻在石頭上，放在諸如古羅馬廣場這樣的鬧市區，供民衆瀏覽，這便是報紙雛形。據考證，《羅馬公報》最早出現於公元前131年，設及內容相當廣泛，包括羅馬軍事捷報、比賽事項、格鬥回合場次、出生喜訊和訃告等，甚至還會寫些民衆喜歡的故事。此外還有《元老院記事錄》，用來記錄羅馬元老院會議的討論和決議，雖然也算報紙雛形，但其內容保密，禁止公諸於衆。直到公元前59年，古羅馬執政官尤列烏斯·凱撒（Julius Caesar）在第一任期內實行民主改革，下令公佈元老院及公民大會的議事記錄，這些內容才得以流傳開來。

rete

2.混凝土

Many ancient Roman structures like the Pantheon, the Colosseum and the Roman Forum are still standing today thanks to the development of Roman cement and concrete. The Romans first began building with concrete over 2,100 years ago and used it throughout the Mediterranean basin in everything from aqueducts and buildings to bridges and monuments. Roman concrete was considerably weaker than its modern counterpart, but it has proved remarkably durable thanks to its unique recipe, which used slaked lime and a volcanic ash known as pozzolana to create a sticky paste. Combined with volcanic rocks called tuff, this ancient cement formed a concrete that could effectively endure chemical decay. Pozzolana helped Roman concrete set quickly even when submerged in seawater, enabling the construction of elaborate baths, piers and harbors.

羅馬混凝土的出現使得許多古羅馬建築，諸如萬神廟、鬥獸場、古羅馬廣場屹立至今。羅馬人首次利用混凝土建造房屋大約源於2100年前，那時，混凝土被廣泛應用於地中海地區所有的建築中，包括引水渠、橋樑以及紀念碑等等。羅馬混凝土在強度上遠不如現代混凝土，但羅馬混凝土獨特的成分使其更加持久耐用。羅馬混凝土是羅馬人利用熟石灰和一種在維蘇威火山地區發現的粉塵物（Pozzolana）與水混合製成的具有高粘性的糊狀物。加入了火山凝灰岩的羅馬混凝土具有超強的抗化學腐蝕性，而維蘇威火山地區的粉塵物（Pozzolana）使得羅馬混凝土即使在海水中也能夠迅速凝結硬化，得益於此，羅馬人精心建造了浴場、碼頭和港口。

ducts

1.引水渠

The Romans enjoyed many amenities for their day, including public toilets, underground sewage systems, fountains and ornate public baths. None of these aquatic innovations would have been possible without the Roman aqueduct. First developed around 312 B.C., these engineering marvels used gravity to transport water along stone, lead and concrete pipelines and into city centers. Aqueducts liberated Roman cities from a reliance on nearby water supplies and proved priceless in promoting public health and sanitation. While the Romans did not invent the aqueduct—primitive canals for irrigation and water transport existed earlier in Egypt, Assyria and Babylon—they used their mastery of civil engineering to perfect the process. Hundreds of aqueducts eventually sprang up throughout the empire, some of which transported water as far as 60 miles. Perhaps most impressive of all, Roman aqueducts were so well built that some are still in use to this day. Rome's famous Trevi Fountain, for instance, is supplied by a restored version of the Aqua Virgo, one of ancient Rome's 11 aqueducts.

古羅馬擁有大量的公共設施，諸如公廁、地下排污系統，噴泉和公共浴池等等，大大方便了羅馬人的生活。但是如果沒有羅馬引水渠的發明，一切與水有關的創新設施都將無法實現。第一條引水渠建造於公元前312年，在重力作用下，以石管、鉛管和陶管作爲輸水管道把水引入城區。引水渠解決了羅馬城的用水問題，對城市公共健康和衛生設施的發展也發揮了極其重要的作用。在引水渠出現之前，埃及、巴比倫和亞述人用原始運河引水灌溉，而羅馬人則利用土木工程技術對運河進行改進，從而發明了引水渠。羅馬帝國時期，數百條引水渠遍佈整個帝國，其中一些水渠甚至長達60英里。水渠的偉大之處在於其歷經千年巋然不動，時至今日，部分水渠仍在發揮作用，令人歎爲觀止。羅馬著名的特萊維噴泉（Trevi Fountain）正是位於古羅馬十一條大型水渠之一的維戈水渠（Aqua Virgo）的水源所在地。

審校:省略珺 編輯:橘子