It's the world's largest world history museum

它是世界上最大的世界歷史博物館。

and it draws millions of visitors every year.

並且每年都會吸引數百萬的遊客。

Inside, it holds more than 8 million cultural and historical artifacts from all over the world

裡面收藏著來自世界各地的800多萬件文化歷史文物。

which cover 2 million years of human history.

其中涵蓋了200萬年的人類歷史。

If you follow the museum's recommended list of “Don't Miss” items, you'll see its star pieces.

如果你按照博物館推薦的 "不容錯過 "項目清單，你就會看到它的明星作品。

Like this Easter Island sculpture that's

比如這個復活節島的雕塑

about a thousand years old.

大約有一千多年的歷史。

Or this bronze sculpture of the Hindu God Shiva.

或者這個印度教溼婆神的青銅雕塑。

But there's a problem hidden in the museum,

但博物館裡藏著一個問題。

and we can see an example of it along this route.

而我們可以在這條路線上看到一個例子。

Out of those 12 pieces, nearly half have disputed ownership.

在這12件作品中，有近一半的作品存在所有權爭議。

The British Museum claims those pieces belong there, on display for the world to see.

大英博物館宣稱這些作品屬於那裡，展示給全世界看。

But in recent years, many have been fighting to get them back to where they came from.

但近年來，很多人一直在爭取讓它們回到它們的故鄉。

"The list of disputed museum treasures keeps on growing"

"有爭議的博物館珍品名單不斷增加"

“Should cultural artifacts be returned to their home countries or be left in western museums?"

"文物應該回國還是留在西方博物館？"

"The subject of intense debate as to who should now own them”

"關於現在誰應該擁有它們的問題引起了激烈的辯論"

Let's start with some context.

先說說背景吧。

In the late 1600s, the British Empire began expanding across several continents.

16世紀末，大英帝國開始在幾大洲擴張。

It became the largest empire in history, controlling about a quarter of the world's land and population.

它成為歷史上最大的帝國，控制了世界上約四分之一的土地和人口。

During its centuries-long rule, the empire

在長達數百年的統治中，帝國

took precious resources and wealth from countries all around the world,

從世界各國搶走了寶貴的資源和財富。

Including thousands of cultural and historical artifacts.

包括上千件文物和歷史文物。

Many of which ended up here, in the British Museum

其中很多都在這裡結束了，在大英博物館。

which was founded in 1753 and kept growing to accommodate all the new pieces

該公司成立於1753年，並不斷髮展壯大，以容納所有的新作品。

in its collection.

在其收藏的。

Lots of the items in the museum were legally acquired

博物館裡的很多物品都是合法獲得的。

and are completely undisputed, like this one.

並且是完全沒有爭議的，比如這個。

A 2,000 year old roman vase sold to the museum by a Duke in 1945.

1945年，一位公爵將一個2000年前的羅馬花瓶賣給了博物館。

The problem is with the pieces that are disputed.

問題在於有爭議的件。

Like the first item you see as soon as you walk in.

就像你一進門看到的第一個項目。

The Rosetta Stone, taken by British troops

英軍拍攝的羅塞塔石

from the French in what is now Egypt.

從法國人在現在的埃及。

Or further in, the Parthenon Sculptures.

或者再往裡走，帕臺農神廟雕塑。

Removed from the acropolis in Athens by a British Lord, and sent to the British Museum.

被一位英國勳爵從雅典衛城移走，送到大英博物館。

Or, over here.

或者，在這裡。

On the floor dedicated to African Art.

在非洲藝術專用樓層。

The Benin Bronzes.

貝寧青銅器。

Some of the most contentious items in the museum.

博物館裡一些最有爭議的項目。

The Benin Bronzes are kind of hard to categorize,

貝寧青銅器有點難以歸類。

because they include such a huge range of items.

因為它們包括瞭如此廣泛的項目。

From engraved ivory tusks

來自雕刻的象牙

to brass sculptures

到銅雕

to plaques.

戲匾。

But they were all produced here, in the Kingdom of Benin in present-day Nigeria.

但它們都是在這裡生產的，在今尼日利亞的貝寧王國。

This wealthy and industrious kingdom produced

這個富饒而勤勞的王國生產出了

thousands of objects and art pieces starting in the 1500s.

從15世紀開始的數千件物品和藝術品。

A lot of the items adorned palace walls and were used for religious rituals.

很多物品都裝飾在宮殿的牆壁上，用於宗教儀式。

But they weren't just decorative...

但它們不僅僅是裝飾品... ...

They were visual archives of the kingdom

他們是王國的視覺檔案

in a society that did not develop written script as we know them.

在一個沒有發展出我們所知道的書面文字的社會里。

That's Professor Chika Okeke-Agulu, an art historian and professor from Nigeria

這就是來自尼日利亞的藝術史學家、教授Chika Okeke-Agulu。

who teaches at Princeton University.

他在普林斯頓大學任教。

They told their history, how they narrated the histories of kingship

他們講述自己的歷史，他們如何敘述王權的歷史。

of the kingdom. Its political and social life.

的王國。其政治和社會生活。

But in 1897 would lose thousands of these cultural pieces.

但在1897年將失去成千上萬的這些文化作品。

At the time, European colonial powers were

當時，歐洲殖民國家

expanding south, in what was called the “Scramble for Africa”.

向南擴張，被稱為 "爭奪非洲"。

They split up the continent into spheres of influence for financial exploitation.

他們將大陸分割成勢力範圍，進行金融剝削。

All these pink areas were the British ones.

這些粉色區域都是英國人的。

Benin, over here, was in Britain's sphere of influence.

貝寧，在這裡，是英國的勢力範圍。

But the kingdom didn't comply with Britain's trade demands.

但王國並沒有遵守英國的貿易要求。

And in January of 1897 it led to what was

而在1897年1月，它導致了什麼？

called the Benin Disaster.

稱為貝寧災難。

Where Benin guards killed seven British emissaries, plus their many guides and servants.

在那裡，貝寧衛兵殺死了七名英國使者，還有他們的許多向導和僕人。

In response 1,200 British troops embarked

作為迴應，1,200名英軍登船。

on a mission called the “Benin Punitive Expedition”.

執行一項名為 "貝寧懲罰性探險 "的任務。

The British wanted revenge, but the mission was about more than just that.

英國人想要復仇，但任務的意義不僅僅是復仇。

There were reports of these vast treasures in the palace of the king of Benin,

有報道說，這些巨大的寶藏在貝寧王的宮殿裡。

and that if they could retrieve these treasures, sales from it could offset the cost of the invasion

而如果他們能找回這些寶物，從它的銷售可以抵消入侵的成本。

This was all well planned.

這一切都是精心策劃的。

And so the punitive expedition, in other words, was also an economic enterprise.

所以，換句話說，懲罰性的考察，也是一種經濟事業。

The British soldiers armed with machine guns

裝備機槍的英國阿兵哥

conquered the city and burned it to the ground.

征服了這座城市，並將其燒燬。

But not before carefully taking thousands of artifacts.

但在小心翼翼地取走數千件文物之前。

They piled them up neatly, photographed them

他們把它們堆得整整齊齊，拍下了照片

and even labeled them “loot”.

甚至給他們貼上了 "戰利品 "的標籤。

This photo, taken at the Benin palace after the raid,

這張照片，是突襲後在貝寧王宮拍攝的。

shows soldiers with the dismantled plaques that were brought to the British Museum,

圖為阿兵哥與被帶到大英博物館的拆解牌匾。

and sold all over the world.

並銷往世界各地。

And after hundreds of years,

而經過幾百年的時間。

the once prosperous kingdom was gone.

曾經繁華的國度已經消失了。

The region fell under full British colonial

該地區完全處於英國殖民統治之下

control until 1960, when Nigeria, including the City of Benin, gained independence.

直到1960年，尼日利亞，包括貝寧市獲得獨立。

But even though they were finally free,

但即使他們終於自由了。

their historical artifacts were still spread all over the world.

他們的歷史文物還分佈在世界各地。

Locked up in western institutions, like the Leipzig Museum of Ethnology in Germany

被關在西方的機構裡，比如德國的萊比錫民族學博物館。

and the Quai Branly Museum in Paris.

和巴黎的Quai Branly博物館。

And, of course, the British Museum.

當然，還有大英博物館。

1995.

1995.

In London.

在倫敦

That was my first time seeing an original ancient Benin artwork.

那是我第一次看到原汁原味的古貝寧藝術品。

Yes. At the British Museum.

是的，在大英博物館。在大英博物館。

Being in the presence of these magnificent objects

在這些宏偉的物體面前

and knowing that I had to travel all the way from Nigeria

我知道我必須從尼日利亞一路走來。

to see these objects for the first time...

第一次看到這些物體... ...

It was a mixture of pride.

那是一種混合的驕傲。

At the achievement of these ancient artists.

在這些古代藝術家的成就。

And anger. Mixed with a sense of loss, at what could have been

還有憤怒混合著失落感，在本可以是

if I only had to travel a few hundred miles.

如果我只需要走幾百里路。

But at this point, you're limited to those

但在這一點上，你僅限於那些

privileged like me who could get a visa to travel all the way from Nigeria to England

像我這樣有特權的人可以拿到簽證，從尼日利亞一路走到英國。

to encounter these objects.

遇到這些對象。

Most Nigerians will never see them.

大多數尼日利亞人將永遠不會看到他們。

In March 2000, Benin's royal family tried to change that.

2000年3月，貝寧王室試圖改變這種狀況。

They officially requested “all cultural property illegally taken… be returned to

他們正式要求 "所有被非法掠奪的文化財產......都要歸還"。

the rightful owner”

當事人

But for the most part the British Museum has ignored any requests.

但大多數情況下，大英博物館對任何要求都置之不理。

The museum is restricted by a government act that prevents it from returning objects.

博物館受到政府法案的限制，無法歸還物品。

But it has also made its stance clear.

但它也表明了自己的立場。

In July of 2020, the British Museum told Vox:

2020年7月，大英博物館告訴Vox。

“We don't restitute but we are absolutely committed to lending as widely as possible,

"我們不歸還，但我們絕對致力於儘可能廣泛地放貸。

including to Nigeria. The Museum's foundational value resides in its breadth, scale, complexity,

包括對尼日利亞。博物館的基礎價值在於其廣度、規模、複雜性。

and unity and as such is a true library of the world.”

和統一，是以是一個真正的世界圖書館"。

Chika doesn't see it that way.

奇卡不這麼看。

The British Museum still behaves

大英博物館的行為仍然是

like a colonial museum.

像一個殖民博物館。

You cannot claim to be...

你不能說自己是...

an encyclopedic collector of stolen objects.

一個被盜物品的百科全書式收藏家。

But some are starting to reckon with this history.

但有人開始算計這段歷史。

In 2014, the grandson of this British soldier from the 1897 Benin Expedition,

2014年，這位1897年貝寧遠征的英國阿兵哥的孫子。

returned these two items he inherited to the Benin royal family.

將他繼承的這兩件東西歸還給貝寧王室。

And in 2007, the Benin Dialogue Group was formed.

並在2007年成立了貝寧對話小組。

Western museums and the Nigerian government have been discussing solutions ever since.

此後，西方博物館和尼日利亞政府一直在討論解決方案。

But as of today, none of their Benin Bronzes have been returned.

但截至目前，他們的貝寧青銅器都沒有歸還。

But this is just one story.

但這只是一個故事。

This legacy is bigger than the Benin Bronzes.

這個遺產比貝寧青銅器還要大。

There are hundreds of similarly contested objects in the British Museum,

在大英博物館裡，有數百件類似的爭議物品。

with their own rich histories — and with original owners trying to retrieve them.

有著自己豐富的歷史--而原主人也在試圖找回它們。

But the problem is even bigger than the British Museum.

但問題比大英博物館更嚴重。

It's a legacy of centuries of colonial power that repeats itself again and again.

這是幾個世紀以來殖民勢力留下的遺產，一次又一次地重演。

With different artifacts, in different museums.

用不同的文物，在不同的博物館裡。

Because these requests aren't just about items,

因為這些要求不僅僅是物品的問題。

they are also about cultural and historical identity

它們也是關於文化和歷史認同的

and who gets to own it.

以及誰能擁有它。

This is a long term project.

這是一個長期的項目。

It may last beyond my own lifetime.

它可能會持續到我自己的生命之外。

But the point is that it's now to start the process.

但問題是，現在要開始這個過程。

We cannot wait any longer for a next generation to even begin

我們不能再等了，下一代甚至要開始。

the necessary task and project of cultural reconstitution.

文化重建的必要任務和項目；