中文导读
佩特罗尼乌斯（Gaius Petronius Arbiter，？—公元 66 年）的《萨蒂利孔》是古典时代传世的唯一一部散文虚构作品——一部混合了散文、诗歌、对话和闹剧的"梅尼普斯式讽刺"（satire Menippea）。原书约 20 卷，仅存残篇（约全书的十分之一），其中最长、最完整的是"特里马尔基奥之宴"（Cena Trimalchionis）——一段长达 30 页的宴席描写。
特里马尔基奥（Trimalchio）是一个被释奴（libertus）——奴隶出身，因经商致富，现在是坎帕尼亚最有钱的人。他举办了一场荒诞的晚宴：菜一道比一道离奇——烤野猪肚子里塞满活画眉、用猪肉做的鸡、用糕点做的城市模型——每一道菜都配着特里马尔基奥的炫耀性解说。他的客人是一群和他一样粗俗的被释奴，他们谈论遗嘱、葬礼、星象和养生，但没有人谈论任何真正重要的事。
佩特罗尼乌斯对特里马尔基奥的态度是复杂的：他在讽刺这个暴发户的粗俗和虚荣，但同时也写出了他的活力和生命力。特里马尔基奥不是一个简单的反面角色——他是一个在等级森严的罗马社会中从底层爬到顶端的人，他的粗俗是自由的代价。
"特里马尔基奥之宴"对后世的影响极为深远。菲尔丁（Fielding）的《汤姆·琼斯》中的宴席描写、乔伊斯的《尤利西斯》中"独眼巨人"章节的夸张叙事、巴金的《家》中的家族宴席——都可以追溯到佩特罗尼乌斯。菲茨杰拉德的《了不起的盖茨比》（The Great Gatsby）的标题人物直接以特里马尔基奥为原型——一个靠自我奋斗致富的外来者，用奢华的派对来填补内心的空洞。
本文据公版英译收录"特里马尔基奥之宴"核心段落。
The Dinner of Trimalchio (selections)
We entered the dining room, where Trimalchio himself was waiting.
He was a stout man, bald, with a ruddy face, and dressed in a scarlet robe.
On his little finger he wore a massive gold ring; on his other hand
he wore another ring, studded with iron stars—his lucky ring,
he told us later, which he had bought for a fortune.
He reclined on a cushion, and when he wanted to spit,
a slave held a silver bowl before him; when he wanted to blow his nose,
another slave handed him a linen cloth.
"Welcome, my friends!" he cried. "I am a plain man—
I like simple food. Sit down, and make yourselves at home."
The first course was served: a donkey made of bronze,
with saddlebags filled on one side with green olives,
on the other with black. Over the donkey's back
were placed trays of hot sausages and blood puddings.
Trimalchio watched our faces and laughed. "A simple dish!"
he said. "Everything on this table comes from my own estates—
I never buy anything from the market."
Then came the centerpiece: a great roast boar, carried in
on a massive platter, its tusks gleaming. Around it
were placed small baskets made of pastry, filled with dates.
One of the slaves cut open the boar's belly—and out flew
a flock of live thrushes, which fluttered around the room
while the guests tried to catch them. Trimalchio roared
with laughter. "You see?" he said. "Even the boar
serves my entertainment!"
As the wine flowed, Trimalchio told the story of his life.
He had been a slave; he had been freed; he had made
a fortune in trade. "I started with nothing," he said,
"and now I own half of Sicily. But do not think
that I am proud of my wealth. No—I am proud of my taste.
For taste is what separates the gentleman from the peasant."
A slave brought in a silver skeleton, articulated so that
its joints could move. Trimalchio placed it on the table
and said: "Look at this, my friends. We are all going
to end up like this. Eat, drink, and be merry—
for tomorrow we die."
At the end of the feast, Trimalchio had a will read aloud—
his own will. He had left instructions for his funeral:
a procession through the streets, with actors hired
to play the parts of his ancestors; a marble tomb
with a statue of himself on top; and an inscription
that read: "Here lies Gaius Pompeius Trimalchio,
a man who was once a slave, and who died a millionaire."
The guests applauded, and Trimalchio beamed with pride.
But Encolpius and his companions had had enough.
They slipped away from the table, and fled into the night—
leaving Trimalchio and his guests to their grotesque revelry.