4 Panic under Vesuvius

CHAPTER IV Panic under Vesuvius At six o'clock in the evening, Pliny arrived at the house of his old friend Pomponianus. This was a good place to rest before sailing on to help Rectina and any others to escape. As he settled down for a good night's sleep, the foundations of the house shook badly. Outside, pumice stones fell on the heads of anyone who dared step out for a better look. "Don't panic," Pliny reassured Pomponianus. "If you must go outside, tie a pillow on your head with a napkin."

四维苏威火山下的恐慌晚上六点钟，普林尼来到他的老朋友庞波尼亚努斯的家里。 这是一个休息的好地方，然后航行去帮助瑞蒂娜和其他人逃跑。 当他躺下来准备睡个好觉时，房子的地基剧烈地摇晃着。 在外面，浮石落在任何敢走出去看得更清楚的人的头上。 “别慌，”普林尼安慰庞波尼亚努斯。 “如果你一定要出去，就在头上扎一个枕头，用餐巾包上。”

"Are you sure we shouldn't go and get Rectina right away?" asked his friend uncertainly, as he watched the leaping flames of fire light up the night sky at several points on Mount Vesuvius. The day was drawing to a close, but none of the heat had waned. "I need to rest first," explained Pliny, as he shut his bedroom door. Pomponianus turned away from the door and bit his lip anxiously, wondering whether or not to risk running out to give the pigs a last feed for the day.

“你确定我们不应该马上去找雷克蒂纳吗？”他的朋友看着维苏威火山上跳跃的火焰照亮了夜空，不确定地问。 这一天快结束了，但热度丝毫没有减弱。 “我得先休息一下。”普林尼一边说，一边关上了卧室的门。 庞波尼亚努斯从门口转过身来，焦急地咬着嘴唇，不知道要不要冒险跑出去给猪吃一天最后一顿饭。

Neither of them knew how much panic was brewing among the 20,000 people who lived in the city, only a few miles away. As midnight approached, people poured through the gates of Pompeii. The heat was appalling and people wandered around with cuts and bruises on their faces from the falling pumice stones. Ash lay like a soft carpet over everything. It was difficult to do anything without becoming smeared in black soot. Cracks were appearing in the corners of buildings as the ground shook. Run, run, as fast as you can...

他们两人都不知道，住在几英里外的这座城市的2万居民正在酝酿多大的恐慌。 随着午夜的临近，人们涌入庞贝城的大门。 热得可怕，人们四处走动，脸上都是浮石落下的伤口和瘀伤。 灰烬像柔软的地毯一样覆盖着一切。 做任何事都很难不被黑烟灰弄脏。 随着地面的震动，建筑物的角落出现了裂缝。 跑，跑，尽可能快地跑……

At the Herculaneum Gate, a woman stood with her baby in her arms and her two small girls clinging onto the skirts of her toga. Her cries went unanswered. Help me, someone! Has anyone seen my husband? The children cried as the woman's eyes desperately searched the hordes of people for her husband. They had become separated in the crowd. Did she dare wait for him any longer?

在赫库兰尼姆城门，一位妇女站在那里，怀里抱着她的婴儿，她的两个小女孩紧紧抓住她的长袍裙摆。 她的呼喊没有得到回应。 救命啊！有人看到我丈夫了吗？ 孩子们哭了，因为那个女人的眼睛拼命地在人群中寻找她的丈夫。 他们在人群中走散了。 她还敢再等他吗？

Or should she rush on to the Bay of Naples with their children, hoping that someone would find space for four extra passengers on a boat away from the city? At the Nucerian Gate, a beggar carrying a sack called out desperately for help. His limp meant he would never be able to walk quickly enough to make a decent escape if Vesuvius erupted. And Vesuvius looked angry. Won't anyone take pity on me? I can't escape on my own!

或者她应该带着他们的孩子冲向那不勒斯湾，希望有人能在离开城市的船上为额外的四名乘客找到空间？ 在纽塞里安城门，一个背着麻袋的乞丐绝望地大声呼救。 他的跛行意味着，如果维苏威火山爆发，他将永远无法走得足够快，顺利逃脱。 维苏威火山看起来很生气。 难道没有人可怜我吗？ 我一个人逃不掉！

Some people didn't have any possibility of escape- it was their duty to stay put. In the gladiators' barracks, 60 gladiators tried to settle down to sleep. But it was difficult in the heat and the noise. One of them. Actius Anicetus, lay on his back in his bed and held out a hand in front of his face. He watched his fingers tremble and wondered if he'd ever see dawn break. Gladiators shouldn't feel scared. He'd fought in the amphitheatre, hadn't he? But he had to be brave.

有些人根本没有逃跑的可能——他们有责任待在原地不动。 在角斗士的营房里，60名角斗士试图安静下来睡觉。 但在炎热和嘈杂的天气里，这很困难。 其中一个。阿尼塞图斯仰面躺在床上，用手捂着脸。 他看着自己的手指颤抖，不知道自己还能不能看到黎明。 角斗士不应该感到害怕。 他在圆形剧场打过架，不是吗？ 但他必须勇敢。