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Listen to part of a lecture in an art history class.
听一段艺术史课程。
Professor: OK. We have been talking about the art and architecture of the Italian Renaissance, from around A.D. 1400 to around A.D. 1600.
教授：好了，我们已经讲过了意大利文艺复兴时期（约公元1400年至1600年）的艺术和建筑。
Last class, we had a look at some of the magnificent palaces and villas built during this time period.
上节课，我们看了一些这个时期人们建造的宏伟宫殿和别墅。
And just as class was ending, someone asked about the gardens associated with these palaces and villas.
上节课结束时，有人问到这些宫殿和别墅配套的花园。
And so I'd like to say a few things about them before we move on.
所以在我们继续往下讲之前，我想就此讲几句。
Now, when I say gardens, I don't mean vegetable gardens or simple flower gardens.
当我说花园，我并不是指蔬菜园或只有鲜花的花园。
These were lavishly constructed, finely detailed gardens that covered hundreds of acres, with exotic plants and ornamental statues.
这些是造得极其精美，每个细节都非常精致的花园，有几百英亩大，里面有外来植物和装饰性的雕塑。
And they were just as much a symbol of their owners' social position as their palaces and villas were.
它们也正是其园主社会地位的象征，正如宫殿和别墅一样。
Again, what was the inspiration for the Renaissance? Rebecca.
再问一次，文艺复兴的灵感来源是什么？丽贝卡。
Student: Classical art and architecture of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
学生：古希腊和古罗马的经典艺术和建筑。
Professor: That's right.
教授：正确。
As we've said before, the main point of the Renaissance was to revive the genius of the ancient Greeks and Romans, which is why designers of Renaissance gardens designed them as the ancient Romans would have designed them, or at least as they imagined the ancient Romans would have designed them.
正如我们之前所说，文艺复兴主要是为了让古希腊和古罗马的辉煌艺术重现光彩，这就是为什么文艺复兴时期的花园设计师将花园设计成古罗马人会设计成的样子，或至少是他们想象中古罗马人会这么设计。
Student: How did they know what ancient Roman gardens look like?
学生：他们怎么知道古罗马的花园是什么样子？
Professor: Well, they didn't have any pictures.
教授：他们没有图片。
But they did have some very detailed descriptions of ancient Roman villas and their gardens that had been written by famous Roman authors who lived during the height of the Roman Empire.
但他们有对古罗马别墅和花园非常细节的描述，是在罗马帝国鼎盛时期的著名罗马作家。
And at least three of those authors, one was a scholar, one was a poet, and one was lawyer, were very authoritative, very reliable sources.
至少其中三位这样的作者，一位是学者，一位是诗人，还有一位是律师，都是非常权威可靠的信息来源。
Ah...and interestingly enough, there was another source that didn't describe classical gardens but still became a great influence on Renaissance gardens.
很有趣的是，有另一种信息来源，没有描述古典花园，但对文艺复兴时期的花园产生了巨大影响。
It was also written back during the height of the Roman Empire by a mathematician known as Hero of Alexandria.
这是由一位数学家写的，称为“亚历山大港的希罗”，也是生活在罗马帝国鼎盛时期。
Hero was a Greek. But he lived in Alexandria, Egypt, which was at the time part of the Roman Empire.
希罗是希腊人，但他住在埃及的亚历山大港，那时候隶属罗马帝国。
Hero compiled descriptions and sketches of seventy some clever little mechanical devices, most of which utilized compressed air to cause water, or in some cases wine, to flow from one place to another, or sometimes to squirt or to make some kind of noise. Yes? John?
希罗编绘了对70多种精巧的小机械装置的描述和草图，大部分装置利用了加压空气来使水（一些情况下是酒）从一处流到另一处，有些时候会喷水，或发出一些声音。约翰？
Student: Could you give an example?
学生：你能举个例子吗？
Professor: Well, one of the devices was a sacrificial vessel that was obviously designed for a temple, not for a garden.
教授：其中一个装置是一种祭祀用的礼器，显然是为了寺庙而设计的，不是用于花园里的。
Anyway, if you drop money into this vessel, water would flow out of it.
不管怎样，如果你投钱到容器里，会有水从里面流出来。
Well, creative minds in the Renaissance realized that this little device could be nicely repurposed as a nifty little fountain.
文艺复兴时期一些有创意的人们发现，这个小巧的装置能被改造成精美的小型喷泉。
Designers of Renaissance gardens loved this sort of thing.
文艺复兴时期的花园设计师爱死这种设计了。
They loved to incorporate novelties and tricks, things to amuse and impress guests.
他们非常喜欢融合不同的创意和小花招，来娱乐和打动客人们。
