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He was one of the most fearsome warlords who ever lived, waging an unstoppable conquest across the Eurasian continent.
他曾是世上最令人闻风丧胆的军阀，在欧亚大陆上发动过一场势不可挡的侵略战争。
But was Genghis Khan a vicious barbarian or a unifier who paved the way for the modern world?
但成吉思汗是一个凶狠的野蛮人，还是一个为现代社会奠定了道路的统一者？
We'll see in 'History vs. Genghis Khan.'
我们在“历史vs. 成吉思汗”中讨论一下。
'Order, order. Now who's the defendant today? Khan!'
“肃静，肃静，今天的被告是谁？可汗！”
'I see Your Honor is familiar with Genghis Khan,
“法官大人，您对成吉思汗很熟悉吧，
the 13th century warlord whose military campaigns killed millions and left nothing but destruction in their wake.'
他是13世纪的军阀，他的军队杀害了百万之众，在他的身后只留下了断垣残壁。”
'Objection. First of all, it's pronounced Genghis Kahn.' 'Really?'
“反对。首先，应该读成成吉思汗。”“是吗？”
'In Mongolia, yes. Regardless, he was one of the greatest leaders in human history.
“在蒙语中，是的。不管怎样，他是人类历史上最著名的领袖。
Born Temüjin, he was left fatherless and destitute as a child
出生时叫铁木真的他，没有了父亲，自幼贫困，
but went on to overcome constant strife to unite warring Mongol clans and forge the greatest empire the world had seen,
但接着他征服并统一的纷争不断的蒙古各部落，打造了世界上最伟大的帝国，
eventually stretching from the Pacific to Europe's heartland.'
最终将版图从太平洋延展到欧洲腹地。”
'And what was so great about invasion and slaughter? Northern China lost 2/3 of its population.'
“侵略和屠杀怎么能说是伟大呢？中国的北方有2/3的人口因此而死。”
'The Jin Dynasty had long harassed the northern tribes, paying them off to fight each other and periodically attacking them.
“金朝长期骚扰北方各部落，收买他们使其相互斗争，定期侵略他们。
Genghis Khan wasn't about to suffer the same fate as the last Khan who tried to unite the Mongols,
成吉思汗没有像上一代试图统一的大汗一样死于非命，
and the demographic change may reflect poor census keeping, not to mention that many peasants were brought into the Khan's army.'
而人口的变化可能是不准确的人口调查导致的，更不用说很多的农民被征召入伍了。”
'You can pick apart numbers all you want, but they wiped out entire cities, along with their inhabitants.'
“你能忽视所有不利于你的数据，但不能忽略他们踏平了整个城市及所有聚居地的事实。”
'The Khan preferred enemies to surrender and pay tribute, but he firmly believed in loyalty and diplomatic law.
成吉思汗更希望敌人投降并致敬，但他坚信忠诚和外交法。
The cities that were massacred were ones that rebelled after surrendering, or killed as ambassadors.
那些被屠城的地方都曾投降后又反叛，或斩杀了大使。
His was a strict understanding of justice.'
他对正义有着严格的理解。”
'Multiple accounts show his army's brutality going beyond justice:
“很多案例显示他的军队的残暴可远远超过了正义：
ripping unborn children from mothers' wombs, using prisoners as human shields,
从孕妇子宫中剥出未出生的孩子，用囚犯当人肉盾牌，
or moat fillers to support siege engines, taking all women from conquered towns...'
或填埋护城河来放攻城武器，将女人从被征服的地方赶出来...”
'Enough! How barbaric!'
“够了！太野蛮了！”
'Is that really so much worse than other medieval armies?'
“这真的比中世纪其他的军队更糟糕吗？”
'That doesn't excuse Genghis Khan's atrocities.'
“这不是成吉思汗暴行的借口。”
'But it does make Genghis Khan unexceptional for his time rather than some bloodthirsty savage.
“但却能证明成吉思汗是当代的杰出者，好过一些只会杀戮的野人。
In fact, after his unification of the tribes abolished bride kidnapping, women in the Mongol ranks had it better than most.
事实上，他统一各部之后，消除了抢新娘的行为，蒙古女性的地位提升到了最高的水平。
They controlled domestic affairs, could divorce their husbands, and were trusted advisors.
她们管理家庭事务，能与丈夫离婚，而且还是值得信任的顾问。
Temüjin remained with his first bride all his life, even raising her possibly illegitimate son as his own.'
铁木真和他的首任妻子共度终身，甚至将她可能是私生子的孩子当自己的孩子一样看待。”
'Regardless, Genghis Khan's legacy was a disaster:
“但是，成吉思汗的传奇是一场灾难：
up to 40 million killed across Eurasia during his descendents' conquests. 10% of the world population.
在欧亚地区有4千万人在他后代的征伐中死亡。这占到了世界人口的10%。
That's not even counting casualties from the Black Plague brought to Europe by the Golden Horde's Siege of Kaffa.'
这还不算黑死病带来的伤亡，而黑死病是由钦察汗国围攻卡法时带到欧洲来的。”
'Surely that wasn't intentional.'
“当然，这不是故意的。”
'Actually, when they saw their own troops dying of the Plague, they catapulted infected bodies over the city walls.' 'Blech.'
“事实上，当他们看见他们自己的军队死于瘟疫时，他们将感染的尸体投入城中。”“呃。”
'The accounts you're referencing were written over a hundred years after the fact.
“你所引用的案例是在事件发生100年后记录的。
How reliable do you think they are?
你认为这可信吗？
Plus, the survivors reaped the benefits of the empire Genghis Khan founded.' 'Benefits?'
另外，幸存者在成吉思汗建立的帝国中获益了。”“获益？”
'The Mongol Empire practiced religious tolerance among all subjects,
“蒙古帝国对各个宗教都实行宽容政策，
they treated their soldiers well, promoted based on merit, rather than birth, established a vast postal system,
他们善待军人，不论出身择优提拔，建立庞大的邮政系统，
and inforced universal rule of law, not to mention their contribution to culture.'
强制推广法律，更不用提他们对文化的贡献。”
'You mean like Hulagu Khan's annihilation of Baghdad, the era's cultural capital?
“你是指他们对巴格达的毁灭吗？那可是那个时代的文化之都！
Libraries, hospitals and palaces burned, irrigation canals buried?'
图书馆、医院还有宫殿都化为灰烬；灌溉水渠填为平地？”
'Baghdad was unfortunate, but its Kalif refused to surrender,
“巴格达确实是一个不幸，但那是因为哈里发拒绝投降，
and Hulagu was later punished by Berke Khan for the wanton destruction.
而且旭烈兀之后也被伯克汗以肆意破坏的罪名惩罚了。
It wasn't Mongol policy to destroy culture.
摧毁文化不是蒙古的政策。
Usually they saved doctors, scholars and artisans from conquered places,
通常他们都保护被征服地区的医生、学者和艺术家，
and transferred them throughout their realm, spreading knowledge across the world.'
把他们从故地带出来，向世界各地传递知识。”
'What about the devastation of Kievan Rus,
“你怎么解释基辅罗斯的毁灭，
leaving its people in the Dark Ages even as the Renaissance spread across Western Europe?'
这使当地人陷入黑暗时期，即使到了文艺复兴在西欧传播的时候？”
'Western Europe was hardly peaceful at the time.
“西欧在那时几乎没有和平。
The stability of Mongol rule made the Silk Road flourish once more,
蒙古统治的稳定使得丝绸之路再次繁荣，
allowing trade and cultural exchange between East and West,
促进了东西方的文化交流及贸易，
and its legacy forged Russia and China from warring princedoms into unified states.
留下的势力也让中国和俄罗斯四分五裂的地区，变成了统一的国家。
In fact, long after the Empire, Genghis Khan's descendants could be found among the ruling nobility all over Eurasia.'
事实上，帝国之后，成吉思汗子孙的身影出现在了欧亚各地的统治贵族之中。”
'Not surprising that a tyrant would inspire further tyrants.'
“难怪，暴君之后总会有更多的暴君。”
'Careful what you call him. You may be related.' 'What?'
“注意你的用词，你也可能与他有关。”“啊？”
'16 million men today are descended from Genghis Khan. That's one in ever 200.'
“时至今日，成吉思汗的子孙有1600万人，每200人中就有一个。”
For every great conqueror, there are millions of conquered. Whose stories will survive?
每一个伟大的征服者，都有百万被征服者。谁的故事会留下来呢？
And can a leader's historical or cultural signifigance outweigh the deaths they caused along the way?
领袖对历史或文化的重要性，比得过他们造成的死亡吗？
These are the questions that arise when we put history on trial.
这些都是我们在审视历史时会浮现的疑问。
