真实的历史更加迷人

整理一下有关Pocahontas的史料，引自https://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/pocahontasPocahontaswasaNativeAmericanwomanbornaround1595.ShewasthedaughterofthepowerfulChiefPowhatan,therulerofthePowhatantribalnation,whichatitsstrongestincludedaround30AlgonquiancommunitieslocatedintheTidewaterregionofVirginia.Asfarashistoriansknow,nothinginPocahontas’childhoodindicatedshewouldbecomeknownasafolkicon.ButwhenthefirstEuropeansettlersarrivedonPowhatanlandtobeginthecolonyofJamestown,PocahontasbecameembroiledinaseriesofeventswithCaptainJohnSmithandJohnRolfethatpermanentlylinkedhertoAmerica’scolonialheritage.PocahontasMatoakaPocahontaswasnamedAmonuteatbirthandwentbythenameMatoaka.ShesupposedlyearnedthenicknamePocahontas,whichmeans“playfulone,”becauseofherhappy,inquisitivenature.AsthedaughterofChiefPowhatan,Pocahontasmayhavehadmoreluxuriesthanmanyofherpeers,butshestillhadtolearnso-calledwomen’sworksuchasfarming,cooking,collectingherbs,buildingahouse,makingclothes,butcheringmeatandtanninghides.PocahontasandJohnSmithThefirstEnglishsettlersarrivedinJamestowncolonyinMay1607.Thatwinter,Pocahontas’brotherkidnappedcolonistCaptainJohnSmithandmadeaspectacleofhiminfrontofseveralPowhatantribesbeforetakinghimtomeetChiefPowhatan.AccordingtoSmith,hisheadwasplacedontwostonesandawarriorpreparedtosmashhisheadandkillhim.Butbeforethewarriorcouldstrike,PocahontasrushedtoSmith’ssideandplacedherheadonhis,preventingtheattack.ChiefPowhatanthenbarteredwithSmith,referredtohimashissonandsenthimonhisway.（第一部里Pocahontas把头放在JohnSmith的头上面救他原来是有出处的！）Smith’saccountofPocahontas’lifesavingeffortsishotlydebated,partlybecausehewrotedifferentversionsofthisinitialmeetingwithChiefPowhatan.ManyhistoriansbelieveSmithwasneverinperilandtheplacementofhisheadonthestoneswasceremonial.（哈哈哈可能只是JohnSmith编出来的自己的冒险故事罢了）Evenso,ifSmith’sexplanationoftheincidentistrue,hehadnowayofknowingaboutPowhatanceremonialcustomsandfromhisterrifiedpointofview,Pocahontaswasundoubtedlyhisbenevolentrescuer.PocahontasSavesJohnSmithAgainPocahontasbecameknownbythecolonistsasanimportantPowhatanemissary.SheoccasionallybroughtthehungrysettlersfoodandhelpedsuccessfullynegotiatethereleaseofPowhatanprisonersin1608.ButrelationsbetweenthecolonistsandtheIndiansremainedstrained.By1609,drought,starvationanddiseasehadravagedthecolonistsandtheybecameincreasinglydependentonthePowhatantosurvive.Desperateanddying,theythreatenedtoburnPowhatantownsforfood,soChiefPowhatansuggestedabarterwithCaptainSmith.Whennegotiationscollapsed,thechiefsupposedlyplannedanambushandSmith’sexecution.ButPocahontaswarnedSmithofherfather’splansandsavedhislifeagain.Soonafter,SmithwasinjuredandreturnedtoEngland;however,Pocahontasandherfatherweretoldhedied.KidnappedbytheEnglishIt’sthoughtthatPocahontasmarriedanIndiannamedKocoumin1610.Afterwards,sheavoidedtheEnglishuntil1613whenshewasluredontotheEnglishshipofCaptainSamuelArgallandkidnappedduringtheFirstAnglo-PowhatanWar.（Pocahontas是嫁给过Kocoum的！据其他补充材料说还是因为爱情——由于二人在部落里的地位悬殊推断）ArgallinformedChiefPowhatanthathewouldn’treturnPocahontasunlesshereleasedEnglishprisoners,returnedstolenweaponsandsentthecolonistsfood.MuchtoPocahontas’dismay,herfatheronlysenthalftheransomandleftherimprisoned.Whileincaptivity,PocahontaslivedinthesettlementofHenricusunderthecareofaministernamedAlexanderWhitakerwhereshelearnedaboutChristianity,EnglishcultureandhowtospeakEnglish.PocahontasconvertedtoChristianity,wasbaptizedandgiventhename“Rebecca.”（被绑架了还要为和平而努力，Pocahontas不愧是xenophile中的优秀典范）MarriagetoJohnRolfeDuringherimprisonment,PocahontasmetwidowerandtobaccoplanterJohnRolfe.Thecoupledecidedtomarry,likelyforbothloveandpoliticalpurposes–althoughthedecisionwasn’taneasyoneforthestaunchlyChristianRolfeuntilPocahontasconverted.（真实的JohnRolfe不是国王的大使，而是一个种烟草的鳏夫）TheysentwordtoChiefPowhatanthattheywantedtomarry;heconsentedasdidtheVirginiagovernor,SirThomasDale.It’sunclearwhathappenedtoPocahontas’firsthusband,butdivorcewasallowedinPowhatanculture.（好先进的印第安文化，居然允许远程离婚）PocahontasmarriedRolfeinApril1614.Thematchwasconsideredanimportantsteptowardsre-establishingpositiverelationsbetweenthecolonistsandtheIndians.Indeed,themarriagebroughtaseasonofpeacetotheregion.JourneytoEnglandIn1616,SirThomasDalesailedtoEnglandtorallyfinancialsupportfortheVirginiaCompany,thecompanyownedbywealthyLondonersthathadfinancedtheJamestowncolony.（VirginiaCompany也是有原型的！）ThecompanyalsowantedtoprovetheyhadmettheirgoalofconvertingNativeAmericanstoChristianity,soRolfe,Pocahontas,theirinfantsonThomas(bornin1615)andadozenPowhatanIndiansaccompaniedDaleonthetrip.（有一个儿子Thomas）InLondon,Pocahontaswasreveredasaprincessandreferredtoas“LadyRebeccaWolfe.”Sheattendedplaysandballsandwasevenpresentedtotheroyalfamily.（觐见国王也是有出处的）Muchtohersurprise,PocahontasencounteredCaptainSmith(whomshethoughtwasdead)inLondon.Althoughshewasovercomewithemotionuponseeinghimaliveandcalledhim“father,”shealsoreportedlychastisedhimforhistreatmentofChiefPowhatanandherpeople.（Pocahontas在伦敦见到了以为早死了的Smith，还叫他爸爸？（这里看不懂，算一下他俩年龄差不过15岁）但同时责怪他对自己父亲和人民不尊重）TheVirginiaCompanycommissionedaportraitofPocahontasdressedinexpensiveclotheswithanengravedlabelthatsaid,“Matoaka,aliasRebecca,daughterofthemostpowerfulprinceofthePowhatanEmpireofVirginia.”Itistheonlyimagedrawnofherinperson.HowDidPocahontasDie?InMarch1617,Pocahontas,herhusbandandsonsetsailforVirginia.ButtheyhadhardlymadeprogresswhenshebecamegravelyillandwastakenashoreatGravesend,England.It’suncertainwhatdiseasestruckherdown.Somespeculateitwastuberculosis,pneumonia,dysenteryorsmallpox;othersbelieveshewaspoisoned.AccordingtoRolfe,Pocahontassaidonherdeathbed,“Allmustdie.But‘tisenoughthatmychildliveth.”PocahontaswasburiedatSt.George’schurchinGravesendonMarch21,1617.RolfereturnedtoVirginia,buthersonThomasremainedwithrelativesinEngland.Hereturnedalmosttwodecadeslateratage20toclaiminheritancesfromhisfatherandgrandfatherandbecameasuccessfulgentlemantobaccofarmer.（21岁去世，儿子后来也成了种烟草的……）ChiefPowhatanwasdevastateduponlearningofhisdaughter’sdeath.HediedaboutayearlaterandrelationsbetweenthePowhatanandVirginiacolonistsdeclinedrapidly.（可怜的酋长父亲在爱女死后一年也死掉了）MuchofPocahontas’lifehasbeenromanticizedandsensationalizedinmoviesandbooks.ButwrittenaccountsandNativeAmericanoralhistoryshowshelivedabriefyetsignificantlife.ShewasinstrumentaltomaintainingrelationsbetweenherfatherandtheJamestowncolonistsandisbelievedtobethefirstPowhatanIndiantoconverttoChristianity.Sheisrememberedasacourageous,strongwomanwholeftanindelibleimpressiononcolonialAmerica.