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Learn English With Videos (Mario Vergara), 064: The Treadmill’s Dark and Twisted Past

064: The Treadmill's Dark and Twisted Past

The constant thud underneath your feet, the constrained space, and the monotony of going nowhere fast. It feels like hours have gone by, but it's only been eleven minutes, and you wonder, “Why am I torturing myself? This thing has got to be considered a cruel and unusual punishment.”

Actually, that's exactly what it is, or was. You see, in the 1800s, treadmills were created to punish English prisoners. At the time, the English prison system was abysmally bad. Execution and deportation were often the punishments of choice, and those who were locked away faced hours of solitude in filthy cells.

So social movements led by religious groups, philanthropies, and celebrities, like Charles Dickens, sought to change these dire conditions and help reform the prisoners. When their movement succeeded, entire prisons were remodeled and new forms of rehabilitation, such as the treadmill, were introduced.

Here's how the original version, invented in 1818 by English engineer Sir William Cubitt, worked. Prisoners stepped on 24 spokes of a large paddle wheel. As the wheel turned, the prisoner was forced to keep stepping up or risk falling off, similar to modern stepper machines.

Meanwhile, the rotation made gears pump out water, crush grain, or power mills, which is where the name “treadmill” originated. These devices were seen as a fantastic way of whipping prisoners into shape, and that added benefit of powering mills helped to rebuild a British economy decimated by the Napoleonic Wars.

It was a win for all concerned, except the prisoners. It's estimated that, on average, prisoners spent six or so hours a day on treadmills, the equivalent of climbing 5,000 to 14,000 feet. 14,000 feet is roughly Mount Everest's halfway point. Imagine doing that five days a week with little food.

Cubitt's idea quickly spread across the British Empire and America. Within a decade of its creation, over 50 English prisons boasted a treadmill, and America, a similar amount. Unsurprisingly, the exertion combined with poor nutrition saw many prisoners suffer breakdowns and injuries, not that prison guards seemed to care.

In 1824, New York prison guard James Hardie credited the device with taming his more boisterous inmates, writing that the “monotonous steadiness, and not its severity…constitutes its terror,” a quote many still agree with. And treadmills lasted in England until the late 19th century, when they were banned for being excessively cruel under the Prison's Act of 1898.

But of course the torture device returned with a vengeance, this time targeting the unsuspecting public. In 1911, a treadmill patent was registered in the U.S., and by 1952, the forerunner for today's modern treadmill had been created.

When the jogging craze hit the U.S. in the 1970s, the treadmill was thrust back into the limelight as an easy and convenient way to improve aerobic fitness, and lose unwanted pounds, which, to be fair, it's pretty good at doing.

And the machine has maintained its popularity since. So the next time you voluntarily subject yourself to what was once a cruel and unusual punishment, just be glad you can control when you'll hop off.

064: The Treadmill’s Dark and Twisted Past 064: Die dunkle und verdrehte Vergangenheit der Tretmühle 064: El oscuro y retorcido pasado de la cinta de correr 064: L'oscuro e contorto passato del tapis roulant 064：トレッドミルの暗くねじれた過去 064: Mroczna i pokręcona przeszłość bieżni 064: O passado sombrio e distorcido da esteira 064: Темное и извращенное прошлое беговой дорожки 064：跑步机的黑暗和扭曲的过去

The constant thud underneath your feet, the constrained space, and the monotony of going nowhere fast. あなたの足の下の絶え間ない音、限られたスペース、そしてどこにも速く行かないという単調さ。 O baque constante sob seus pés, o espaço restrito e a monotonia de ir a lugar nenhum rapidamente. Постоянный стук под ногами, ограниченное пространство и монотонность быстрого движения в никуда. It feels like hours have gone by, but it's only been eleven minutes, and you wonder, “Why am I torturing myself? 何時間も経ったような気がしますが、たった11分で、「どうして自分を拷問しているの？ Parece que horas se passaram, mas só se passaram onze minutos, e você se pergunta: “Por que estou me torturando? This thing has got to be considered a cruel and unusual punishment.” このことは残酷で異常な罰と見なされなければなりません。」 Essa coisa deve ser considerada uma punição cruel e incomum.

Actually, that's exactly what it is, or was. 実際、それはまさにそれが何であるか、またはそうであったかです。 You see, in the 1800s, treadmills were created to punish English prisoners. ご覧のとおり、1800年代に、英国の囚人を罰するためにトレッドミルが作成されました。 Veja bem, em 1800, as esteiras foram criadas para punir os prisioneiros ingleses. At the time, the English prison system was abysmally bad. 当時、英国の刑務所制度はひどく悪かった。 Na época, o sistema prisional inglês era terrivelmente ruim. Execution and deportation were often the punishments of choice, and those who were locked away faced hours of solitude in filthy cells. 処刑と国外追放はしばしば選択の罰であり、閉じ込められた人々は不潔な独房で何時間もの孤独に直面しました。 Execução e deportação eram frequentemente as punições escolhidas, e aqueles que eram trancafiados enfrentavam horas de solidão em celas imundas. Казнь и депортация часто становились предпочтительными мерами наказания, а те, кто был заперт в тюрьме, сталкивались с многочасовым одиночеством в грязных камерах.

So social movements led by religious groups, philanthropies, and celebrities, like Charles Dickens, sought to change these dire conditions and help reform the prisoners. そのため、宗教団体、慈善団体、チャールズ・ディケンズなどの有名人が主導する社会運動は、これらの悲惨な状況を変え、囚人の改革を支援しようとしました。 Assim, movimentos sociais liderados por grupos religiosos, filantropos e celebridades, como Charles Dickens, buscaram mudar essas condições terríveis e ajudar a reformar os prisioneiros. When their movement succeeded, entire prisons were remodeled and new forms of rehabilitation, such as the treadmill, were introduced. 彼らの移動が成功したとき、刑務所全体が改造され、トレッドミルなどの新しい形態のリハビリテーションが導入されました。 Quando o movimento teve sucesso, prisões inteiras foram reformadas e novas formas de reabilitação, como a esteira, foram introduzidas.

Here's how the original version, invented in 1818 by English engineer Sir William Cubitt, worked. 1818年に英国のエンジニアであるウィリアムカビット卿によって発明された元のバージョンがどのように機能したかを次に示します。 Prisoners stepped on 24 spokes of a large paddle wheel. 囚人たちは大きな外輪の24本のスポークを踏んだ。 Os prisioneiros pisaram em 24 raios de uma grande roda de pás. Заключенные наступали на 24 спицы большого лопастного колеса. As the wheel turned, the prisoner was forced to keep stepping up or risk falling off, similar to modern stepper machines. Alors que la roue tournait, le prisonnier était forcé de continuer à monter ou risquer de tomber, comme les machines pas à pas modernes. 車輪が回転すると、囚人は、現代のステッパーマシンと同様に、ステップアップを続けるか、脱落する危険を冒すことを余儀なくされました。 À medida que a roda girava, o prisioneiro era forçado a continuar subindo ou corria o risco de cair, semelhante às modernas máquinas de passo.

Meanwhile, the rotation made gears pump out water, crush grain, or power mills, which is where the name “treadmill” originated. 一方、回転によって作られた歯車は、「トレッドミル」という名前の由来である水、粉砕穀物、またはパワーミルを汲み出します。 Enquanto isso, a rotação fazia as engrenagens bombearem água, triturarem grãos ou moerem moinhos, daí o nome “esteira”. These devices were seen as a fantastic way of whipping prisoners into shape, and that added benefit of powering mills helped to rebuild a British economy decimated by the Napoleonic Wars. これらの装置は、囚人を形にする素晴らしい方法と見なされており、ナポレオン戦争によって衰退した英国経済を再建するのに、製粉所に電力を供給するという追加の利点がありました。 Esses dispositivos eram vistos como uma maneira fantástica de colocar os prisioneiros em forma, e esse benefício adicional de alimentar moinhos ajudou a reconstruir uma economia britânica dizimada pelas Guerras Napoleônicas. Эти устройства считались фантастическим способом приведения заключенных в форму, а дополнительная польза от работы мельниц помогла восстановить британскую экономику, разрушенную наполеоновскими войнами.

It was a win for all concerned, except the prisoners. 囚人を除いて、関係者全員にとって勝利でした。 It's estimated that, on average, prisoners spent six or so hours a day on treadmills, the equivalent of climbing 5,000 to 14,000 feet. 平均して、囚人は1日6時間ほどトレッドミルで過ごしたと推定されています。これは、5,000〜14,000フィートの登山に相当します。 Estima-se que, em média, os prisioneiros passam cerca de seis horas por dia em esteiras, o equivalente a subir de 5.000 a 14.000 pés. 14,000 feet is roughly Mount Everest's halfway point. 14,000フィートは、おおよそエベレストの中間地点です。 14.000 pés é aproximadamente o ponto médio do Monte Everest. Imagine doing that five days a week with little food. 少しの食べ物で週に5日それをすることを想像してください。

Cubitt's idea quickly spread across the British Empire and America. キュービットのアイデアはすぐに大英帝国とアメリカに広まりました。 A ideia de Cubitt rapidamente se espalhou pelo Império Britânico e pela América. Within a decade of its creation, over 50 English prisons boasted a treadmill, and America, a similar amount. 創設から10年以内に、50を超える英国の刑務所がトレッドミルを誇り、アメリカも同様の量を誇っていました。 В течение десятилетия после создания беговой дорожки в более чем 50 английских тюрьмах были установлены беговые дорожки, в Америке - примерно столько же. Unsurprisingly, the exertion combined with poor nutrition saw many prisoners suffer breakdowns and injuries, not that prison guards seemed to care. 当然のことながら、栄養不良と組み合わされた労作は、多くの囚人が故障や怪我に苦しんでいるのを見ましたが、刑務所の看守が気にかけているようには見えませんでした。 Sem surpresa, o esforço combinado com a má nutrição fez com que muitos prisioneiros sofressem colapsos e ferimentos, não que os guardas da prisão parecessem se importar. Неудивительно, что из-за сильных нагрузок в сочетании с плохим питанием у многих заключенных случались поломки и травмы, но тюремных надзирателей это, похоже, не волновало.

In 1824, New York prison guard James Hardie credited the device with taming his more boisterous inmates, writing that the “monotonous steadiness, and not its severity…constitutes its terror,” a quote many still agree with. 1824年、ニューヨークの刑務所警備員ジェームズ・ハーディーは、彼のより騒々しい収容者を飼いならしたことでこの装置の功績を認め、「その厳しさではなく、単調な安定性が…その恐怖を構成している」と多くの人が同意している。 Em 1824, o guarda da prisão de Nova York, James Hardie, atribuiu ao dispositivo o poder de domar seus detentos mais turbulentos, escrevendo que a “monótona estabilidade, e não sua severidade… constitui seu terror”, uma citação com a qual muitos ainda concordam. В 1824 году охранник нью-йоркской тюрьмы Джеймс Харди приписал этому устройству заслугу в усмирении своих буйных заключенных, написав, что "монотонная постоянность, а не суровость... составляет его ужас", с чем многие до сих пор согласны. And treadmills lasted in England until the late 19th century, when they were banned for being excessively cruel under the Prison's Act of 1898. そして、トレッドミルは、1898年の刑務所法の下で過度に残酷であることが禁止された、19世紀後半までイギリスで存続しました。 E as esteiras duraram na Inglaterra até o final do século 19, quando foram proibidas por serem excessivamente cruéis sob a Lei da Prisão de 1898.

But of course the torture device returned with a vengeance, this time targeting the unsuspecting public. しかしもちろん、拷問装置は復讐をもって戻ってきました。今回は無防備な大衆を標的にしました。 Mas é claro que o dispositivo de tortura voltou com força total, desta vez visando o público desavisado. Но, конечно, устройство для пыток вернулось с местью, на этот раз нацелившись на ничего не подозревающую публику. In 1911, a treadmill patent was registered in the U.S., and by 1952, the forerunner for today's modern treadmill had been created. Em 1911, uma patente de esteira foi registrada nos Estados Unidos e, em 1952, foi criada a precursora da esteira moderna.

When the jogging craze hit the U.S. ジョギングの流行が米国を襲ったとき Quando a febre do jogging atingiu os EUA in the 1970s, the treadmill was thrust back into the limelight as an easy and convenient way to improve aerobic fitness, and lose unwanted pounds, which, to be fair, it's pretty good at doing. 1970年代に、トレッドミルは、有酸素フィットネスを改善し、不要な体重を減らすための簡単で便利な方法として脚光を浴びました。これは、公平に言えば、かなり上手です。 na década de 1970, a esteira voltou aos holofotes como uma maneira fácil e conveniente de melhorar o condicionamento aeróbico e perder quilos indesejados, o que, para ser justo, é muito bom.

And the machine has maintained its popularity since. そして、マシンはそれ以来その人気を維持しています。 So the next time you voluntarily subject yourself to what was once a cruel and unusual punishment, just be glad you can control when you'll hop off. Так что в следующий раз, когда вы добровольно подвергнете себя тому, что когда-то было жестоким и необычным наказанием, просто радуйтесь, что можете контролировать, когда вы соскочите.