人类大历史（2013）

Big History S01E05

Part 1 March 29, 2021, 2:02 p.m.

公元前2100年
2100 B.C.
一座巨大的建筑在埃及建成了
a giant structure rises in Egypt.
2000年之后
2,000 years later
同样的建筑也出现在墨西哥
another takes shape in Mexico.
这异乎寻常的秘密
A remarkable secret connects
承载了两大文明最神秘的大型建筑
two of civilization's most mysterious mega-structures.
一个只被人类大历史所揭露的秘密
A secret only revealed by Big History.
我们视历史的发展为一条时间线
We think of history as a timeline.
由一系列的事件组成
A series of events stretching
并延续到几千年前
a few thousands years into the past.
是时候大胆想象下了
It's time to think bigger.
抛开时间线想像一张永无穷尽相连的网络
Instead of a line, imagine a web of infinite connections
在数亿年间都相互影响
interacting over billions of years...
共同创造出我们熟知的万物
linked together to create everything we've ever known
宇宙星球
our universe our planet
和我们自身
and us.
当通过科学来考量
When we consider our most epic moments
这个史诗般的时代时
through the lens of science
我们得到了一个革命性的想法
we unleash a revolutionary new idea.
原子的运动支配者人类的活动
The movement of atoms steer the movements of men
文明的发展和星系的演变
civilizations, galaxies.
我们所知的历史将变得更加深邃
History as we know it is about to get big.
曾经强大的古代文明
Once-mighty ancient civilizations
在世界各地留下了痕迹
leave their mark around the world.
传统历史研究并寻觅着
Traditional history looks for clues
古人是如何生存的线索
about how the ancients lived.
但大历史从这些遗迹中
But Big History reveals
揭示了古怪又奇妙的规律
a strange pattern in the ruins.
从埃及和美索不达米亚
From Egypt to Mesopotamia
到印度中国
to India, China
再到柬埔寨印度尼西亚和中美洲
to Cambodia, Indonesia, to Central America.
人类最早的大型建筑都是金字塔型
Man's earliest mega-structures are pyramids.
如果以历史学家的角度来看
Isn't it extraordinary
这难道不令人惊奇吗
if you're looking as a big historian
这些金字塔型建筑
how the very large structures
是如何被这些文明建成的
created by these civilizations.
金字塔又会有不同的外形吗
Are pyramidal in shape in different ways?
这些都是其中的奥秘
It's a profound mystery.
跨越千年的各种文明究竟是
How do civilizations with no direct contact
如何在被海洋与大♥陆♥分隔
separated by oceans and continents,
毫无直接接触的情况下
and often thousands of years
创造了几乎一模一样的建筑结构
create almost identical structures?
这是为什么呢
And Why?
不像道路和沟渠
Unlike roads and aqueducts
雄伟的金字塔看上去也不过是巨大的废墟
giant pyramids seem like a colossal waste
但却花费了上万工匠
taking tens of thousands of workers
几十年的心血
decades of blood and toil.
这种谜团让人疑惑不解
The mystery is so baffling
有人认为唯有
that some believe the only
超自然力量才能解释
explanation is supernatural.
难道是什么神秘的特性
But is there a secret trait
把所有人都链接在一起
linking all humans together
导致了各地的人们
causing people around the world
都建造了类似的大型建筑吗
to build these mega-structures?
人类大历史联♥系♥了早期动物群体和
Big History connects this ancient mystery
古代谜团的关系
to our beginnings in the animal kingdom.
孔雀的尾巴就是科学家所称的高代价信♥号♥♥
The peacock's tail is what scientists call a costly signal.
高代价信♥号♥♥看上去表面并无用处
A costly signal is something that on its face seems useless.
看看雄性孔雀的羽毛
Look at the peacock feather.
它们并没有什么用
It's a literal pain in the butt.
占地大不方便行走也不能帮助飞行
It gets in the way. it's huge. It doesn't help you fly.
但从另一方面来说
But on the other hand,
如果足够华丽漂亮
if you are gaudy enough and beautiful enough...
就能吸引雌性孔雀
you're gonna get the female,
就能传宗接代了
and so your genes are gonna move on.
所看各处
Everywhere we look,
动物们都在用高代价信♥号♥♥来吸引另一半
animals use costly signals to attract mates.
人类也不例外
And the human animal is no exception.
如果人想吸引另一半你得有辆帅气的车
With humans today, you need a flashy car...
你需要高级的西装数字亮眼的存款
you need a nice suit, you need a healthy bank balance.
这些都是高代价信♥号♥♥的表现
There's all sorts of signals that go on.
无不例外
Nothing changes.
但人类不只在对性方面还有其他方面
Humans are programmed to respond to costly signals
的高代价信♥号♥♥有反应
not only for sex, but also for something else.
大历史揭示了人类共同的进化
Big History connects our common evolution
与工业发展方面相似的关系
to our common engineering
甚至追溯到了古埃及
And returns to Ancient Egypt...
第一个金字塔出现在4500年之前
where the first pyramids appear 4,500 years ago
巨大的建筑结构就是人工的高代价信♥号♥♥
enormous structures that are man-made costly signals.
问题是这法老想传达的
The question is, what was the pharaoh
"信♥号♥♥" 是什么
trying to signal?
答案就在时间里
The answer is in the timing.
当你从大历史的角度出发
When you start taking a big history point of view
最先映入眼帘的
what you start seeing is the really big mega-structures
就是这超大的建筑
come right at the beginning of the state.
第一次拥有无上权利的君主
For the first time, an all-powerful pharaoh
用苛政统治着数百万人♥民♥
has millions of people organized under his iron rule.
子民们在此之前都更加的自♥由♥
Until recently, his subjects had a lot more freedom...
法老担心人们都想重拾那份自♥由♥
and the pharaoh is afraid they might want that freedom back.
他们一定也有放弃在领队下
There must have been a sense of giving something up
工作的打算
to work under a leader.
自♥由♥是有代价的
There was a price to pay in terms of freedom.
法老得展示自己的的权威
The pharaoh needs to signal his power...
表示反抗他是无用
to prove to his subjects that it is futile
且很危险的举动
or even dangerous to rebel against him.
一个富有纪念意义的大型建筑
A monumental mega-structure might be
正好用来树立权威
just the signal he needs.
看看是如何强迫这么多工人
Look at how we can coerce so much labor,
聚集这么多资源造了这么个大家伙
so many resources and build this enormous thing.
很多层面上来说
In many ways,
这些建筑并没有什么用处
these buildings might be ultimately useless...
但展示了 "什么是我能力所及的"
but they show, look what I can do.
看看我们是多至高无上
Look how powerful we have become.
所以金字塔是早期首领
So pyramids were one way for the earliest leaders
用来维持权利的一种手段
to maintain absolute power.
时间就是解锁这全球性格局的关键
The timing is key to unlocking a global pattern.
巨型建筑出现在
Giant structures appear at the moment
人类第一次居住在有统治者
when humans first begin living in large, permanent civilizations
的大型永久的文明中
under one powerful ruler.
但早期的大型结构还有别的异曲同工之处
But early mega-structures have something else in common.
它们不止巨大也很高耸
They're not just big, they're tall.
高度决定一切
Height is key.
从大历史的角度考虑
From a big history perspective
在每一个社会中
in every society,
最大最令人惊惧的结构
the biggest and the most awe-inspiring structures
往往是最高的
tend to be the tallest.
建筑在横纵向上的斗争又代表什么呢
What is it about building high versus massively horizontal
只是历史的发展吗
that is a theme throughout history in construction?
大历史紧系着
Big History connects
我们的本能
this basic instinct to our origins in nature.
当一只动物被攻击时
An animal is attacked
该动物会尽量的立高
and rears up to seem as tall as possible.
在自然界高度表示着主导权
In nature, height signals dominance.
动物利用高度来判断彼此
Animals assess each other based on
并且本能上的
an instinctive respect...
敬畏比自己高的生物
for anything that towers over them.
对于人类而言整个过程提前显现了
In humans, the process starts early.
孩子尊敬父母并本能的服从
A child looks up at his parents and instinctively obeys.
对高度的敬畏将伴随一生
That respect for height lasts a lifetime.
对那些身份高的人