学文网一直以来，以吸血鬼为主角的文学和影视作品长盛不衰。这些恐怖但有着迷人魅力、似人非人的“生物”吸引着无数的读者和观众。随着“暮光之城”（The Twilight Saga）系列首部曲《暮色》（Twilight）中文版的推出，这股吸血鬼热潮更是有增无减。那么，吸血鬼究竟是什么？历史上最广为人知的吸血鬼德拉库拉背后又藏着什么恐怖的真相？请看――
The 1)rugged Transylvanian Alps provide one of the most spectacular landscapes in Europe. Hawks soar around the 2)craggy, snow-covered peaks, while bears and 3)chamois 4)take refuge in the 5)dense forests below. 6)Medieval villages and the ruins of once-proud castles can suddenly 7)materialize through the mist, as if daring outsiders to uncover their secrets.
Transylvania also produced a leader known as a defender of the Christian faith, a Romanian hero, and a subhuman monster. His name was Prince Vlad, but the world knows him by his nickname: Dracula.
The Order of the Dragon
Vlad, or Dracula, was born in 1431 in Transylvania into a noble family. His father was called “Dracul,” meaning “dragon” or “devil” in Romanian because he belonged to the Order of the Dragon, which fought the Muslim Ottoman Empire.
“Dracula” means “son of Dracul” in Romanian. Therefore, young Vlad was “son of the dragon” or “son of the devil.” Scholars believe this was the beginning of the legend that Dracula was a vampire.
Warrior in Chains
Dracula lived in a time of 8)constant war.
Transylvania was at the 9)frontier of two great empires: the Ottoman Turks and the Austrian 10)Hapsburgs. 11)Treachery and revenge ruled the day, as young Dracula soon discovered.
Dracula was imprisoned, first by the Turks, who 12)hauled him away in chains, and later by the
Hungarians. Dracula’s father was murdered, while his older brother, Mircea, was blinded with red-hot iron stakes and buried alive.
Vlad the Impaler
From 1448 until his death in 1476, Dracula ruled Walachia and Transylvania, both part of Romania today. Twice he lost and reclaimed his throne, once by fighting his own brother, Radu. Although the Vatican once praised him for defending Christianity, it disapproved of his
methods, which soon became 13)infamous.
Dracula earned another nickname, “Vlad Tepes”, which means “Vlad the Impaler.” Dracula’s favorite method of 14)torture was to 15)impale people and leave them to 16)writhe in 17)agony,
often for days. As a warning to others, the bodies would remain on rods as 18)vultures andblackbirds 19)nibbled the 20)rotting flesh.
During one battle, Dracula 21)retreated into nearby mountains, impaling people as he went. The Turkish advance was 22)halted because the 23)sultan could not bear the 24)stench from the 25)decaying 26)corpses.
Another time, Dracula was reported to have eaten a meal on a table set up outside amidst hundreds of impaled victims. On occasion he was also reported to have eaten bread dipped in blood.
Defender of the Faith
At that time, it was believed that religious charity, and a proper burial would erase sin and allow entry to heaven. Dracula surrounded himself with priests and monks and founded five monasteries. Over a period of 150 years, his family established 50 monasteries.
Killed in December 1476 fighting the Turks near Bucharest, Romania, Dracula’s head was cut off and displayed in Constantinople.
The Corpse Disappears
Dracula was buried at the isolated Snagov Monastery near Bucharest, which was also likely used as a prison and torture chamber.
In 1931, archaeologists searching Snagov found a 27)casket partially covered in a purple 28)shroud 29)embroidered with gold. The 30)skeleton inside was covered with pieces of faded silk 31)brocade, similar to a shirt depicted in an old painting of Dracula.
The casket also contained a crown with 32)turquoise stones. A ring, similar to those worn by the Order of the Dragon, was sewn into a shirtsleeve.
The contents were taken to the History Museum in Bucharest but have since disappeared without a trace, leaving the mysteries of the real Prince Dracula unanswered.
崎岖的特兰西瓦尼亚阿尔卑斯山脉有着欧洲最壮丽的陆地景观之一。苍鹰在冰封雪冻的山峰上翱翔，熊和岩羚羊则在山脉下茂密的森林找到栖身之地。中世纪的村庄和曾经风光一时的城堡遗迹会突然在雾中出现，仿佛在挑战外来者，看他们敢不敢揭开其中的秘密。
特兰西瓦尼亚也培养出一位因捍卫基督教信仰而为世人熟知的领导者――他是罗马尼亚的英雄，也是一个似人非人的怪物。他的名字叫弗拉德王子，但更为世人所知的是其外号――德拉库拉。
龙骑士团
弗拉德，亦称德拉库拉， 1431年出生于特兰西瓦尼亚的一个贵族家庭。他的父亲名叫“德拉库”，在罗马尼亚语中意为“龙”或“魔鬼”，因为他是抗击***奥斯曼帝国的龙骑士团的成员。
在罗马尼亚语中，“德拉库拉”意为“德拉库之子”。因此，年轻的弗拉德便是“龙之子”或“魔鬼之子”。学者们相信，这正是德拉库拉作为吸血鬼这一传说的起源。
带着镣铐的武士
德拉库拉生活在一个战乱连年的年代。特兰西瓦尼亚处于两大帝国――奥斯曼土耳其帝国和奥地利哈布斯堡王朝的边界。年纪尚轻的德拉库拉很快就发现，背叛和报复支配着这个世界。
德拉库拉先被土耳其人以镣铐锁起来投入监狱，随后又落入匈牙利人手中。德拉库拉的父亲被人谋杀了，他的哥哥米而恰则在被烧红的铁刑柱弄瞎双眼之后被活埋。
刺刑者弗拉德
从1448年至1476年去世为止，德拉库拉统治着瓦拉几亚和特兰西瓦尼亚（如今这两个地方都是罗马尼亚的领土）。他曾两次失去王位，又两次夺回宝座，其中一次是与其亲兄弟拉杜进行争夺的。尽管梵蒂冈一度赞扬他捍卫基督教，但他们反对其做法，他 的残忍手段后来臭名远扬。
德拉库拉因而得到另一个绰号――“弗拉德・采佩什”，意为“刺刑者弗拉德”。德拉库拉最喜欢的酷刑便是把人穿刺在尖桩上，让他们痛苦不堪直至死去，这个过程往往要持续好几天。为了警示其他人，尸体会被留在木桩上，任由秃鹫和黑鹂叼食腐烂的肉。
在一场战斗中，德拉库拉撤退到战场附近的山林里，一路上对人施以刺刑。由于苏丹忍受不了腐烂尸体散发出来的熏天臭气，土耳其***停止了追赶的步伐。
还有一次，据说德拉库拉在屋外一张饭桌上用餐，周围就是数百个被施以刺刑的受害者。据说他不时会吃蘸了人血的面包。
信仰的捍卫者
当时，人们相信虔诚的捐资和体面的葬礼可以洗脱罪孽，死后得以进入天堂。因此德拉库拉身边总有不少牧师和僧侣，他还兴建了五所修道院。在150年里，他的家族建立了50所修道院。
1476年12月，在罗马尼亚布加勒斯特附近一场与土耳其人的斗争中，德拉库拉命丧黄泉，其头颅被割下，送往君士坦丁堡示众。
尸体离奇失踪
德拉库拉被埋葬在偏僻的斯纳格布修道院。那里离布加勒斯特不远，很可能曾被用作监狱和施加酷刑的场所。
1931年，考古学家在斯纳格布搜索时发现了一副棺木，上面覆盖着绣金的紫色遮盖物。棺木里的骷髅被几段褪色的织锦裹着。这些锦缎与一幅古老油画中描绘的德拉库拉所穿的衣服相类似。
棺木内还有一个镶有青绿宝石的王冠。袖子上缝有一个指环，跟龙骑士团成员所佩戴的指环也很相似。
这些物件被送到布加勒斯特历史博物馆，但随后竟消失得无影无踪，给“德拉库拉王子真身之谜”留下许多神秘的疑团。
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