经济学人23:西藏纪行,朝圣之重

 　　Travel in Tibet西藏纪行In pursuit of understanding寻悟

　　How different cultures confront the fact of death 不同文化如何领悟死亡

　　A pilgrimage not to be taken lightly朝圣之重

　　To a Mountain in Tibet. By Colin Thubron. Harper; 240 pages; $24.99. Chatto & Windus; ??16.99. Buy from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk

　　《西藏朝圣之山》，作者：科林.休布伦，哈伯出版社，240页，售价：$24.99; 查托&温达斯出版社，售价: ??16.99，购买网址：Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk

　　THE physical journeys that Colin Thubron makes in his travel writing are also intellectual and emotional quests of particular intensity¹. His latest book, which tells the story of his journey to one of the great sacred places in the world, Mount Kailas in southern Tibet, is no exception.

　　科林.休布伦在每一本游记中亲身经历的旅途同时也包含了极其强烈的理性与情感追寻。近期的西藏纪行也不例外，书中讲述了游历世界上最神圣的地方之一——西藏南部的冈底斯（另称凯拉斯山）。

　　The book begins with him crossing the Tibetan border from Nepal on his way to the mountain. This is a land dense² with sacred associations and mythical³ stories. Stones are carved with ritual incantations, prayer flags blow in the high mountain winds and devoted⁴ chanting comes from the numerous monasteries⁵ along the way.

　　纪行由科林从尼泊尔境内穿过西藏边境前往冈底斯拉开帷幕。这片土地上到处都是神圣群体与神秘故事。石头上刻满了宗教咒语，祷告旗在岗顶劲风中飞舞，一路上的寺院中传出虔诚的吟诵。

　　The mountain itself is an important site of pilgrimage for Hindus, Buddhists⁷ and followers⁸ of ancient Tibetan faiths. The goal is to seek purification by trudging⁹ round the mountain on a route that is physically¹⁰ demanding but brings spiritual reward. Some die from the effort, others give up, all are possessed¹¹ by the sense that they are living close to a divine presence.

　　冈底斯本身是印度教、佛教和古代西藏宗教信仰者们朝拜的圣地。朝圣者们沿着山脉长途跋涉，身体饱受折难，而心灵得以慰藉，以此寻求涤罪。途中不乏竭力而亡或退却放弃之人，但所有朝圣之民皆心怀念想，希望更近神明。

　　In the midst of all this Mr Thubron acts like a kind of secular¹² shaman, allowing himself to be possessed by the many spirits of the place without succumbing¹³ to their power. He respects what it is that drives pilgrims to Mount Kailas, and follows them round it, but he does not pretend that he is at one with them.

　　在朝圣的队伍中，休布伦先生倒像是个世俗的萨满，允许自己心怀此地的神灵却从不屈服于神明的力量。他尊敬那股朝圣冈底斯的神圣力量，并跟随朝圣者的脚步，但他自己却从未假装成为真正的朝圣者。

　　This is not the familiar story of a traveller from the West finding spiritual consolation¹⁴ in Eastern religions. Mr Thubron’s particular quest is to find out how different individuals and different cultures confront the fact of mortality. This book is autobiographical in a way that his others are not. He is mourning his mother’s recent death and throughout he is haunted by memories of her and of his dead sister and father.

　　这与普通的西方游者从东方宗教中获得精神慰藉所不同（这可不是以往西方游者从东方宗教中获得精神慰藉的老套故事）。休布伦先生最特别的追求是发掘不同的个人，不同的文化如何领悟死亡。与作者的其他游记所不同，该书为自传体。休布伦先生的母亲近期过世，在朝圣途中怀念其母的同时也无限思念已故的父亲与姐姐。

　　Their words, looks and gestures come back to him as he climbs a mountain path or talks to a Hindu pilgrim or Buddhist⁶ monk¹⁵. The beliefs about reincarnation and the journeys of dead souls that he sees being enacted¹⁶ all round him do not assuage¹⁷ his own sense of loss. Instead his grief becomes one of the multitude of emotions and stories that have brought people over many centuries to Mount Kailas.

　　无论是沿着山脉一路前行，还是与印度教徒或佛教僧人交谈，逝去家人的音容笑貌都又浮现在作者眼前。在他的身边满是关于轮回的信念和亡者灵魂的旅程，但这丝毫也未能减轻失去亲人的追思和悲痛。相反，这股悲痛却融入了几百年来吸引人们朝圣冈底斯的所有情感和故事中。

　　Like his earlier work, the book reminds us that for Mr Thubron travel is a kind of ascetic¹⁸ discipline. He takes the reader to high places, literally¹⁹ and metaphorically²⁰, and to an understanding of how people from other cultures somehow get by in an unpredictable world.

　　与其早期作品相似，休布伦先生最新纪行再一次告诉我们，这是一段苦旅（修行）。无论从文字上还是寓意上，作者都将我们带往一个高处，领悟不同文化中的人们如何在不可预知的世界里生生不息。

1 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

2 dense   

a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
• The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。

3 mythical   

adj.神话的；虚构的；想像的

参考例句：

• Undeniably,he is a man of mythical status.不可否认，他是一个神话般的人物。
• Their wealth is merely mythical.他们的财富完全是虚构的。

4 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

5 monasteries   

修道院( monastery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• In ancient China, there were lots of monasteries. 在古时候，中国有许多寺院。
• The Negev became a religious center with many monasteries and churches. 内格夫成为许多庙宇和教堂的宗教中心。

6 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

7 Buddhists   

n.佛教徒( Buddhist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Jesuits in a phase of ascendancy, persecuted and insulted the Buddhists with great acrimony. 处于地位上升阶段的耶稣会修士迫害佛教徒，用尖刻的语言辱骂他们。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史
• The return of Saivite rule to central Java had brought no antagonism between Buddhists and Hindus. 湿婆教在中爪哇恢复统治后，并没有导致佛教徒与印度教徒之间的对立。 来自辞典例句

8 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

9 trudging   

vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• There was a stream of refugees trudging up the valley towards the border. 一队难民步履艰难地爬上山谷向着边境走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Two mules well laden with packs were trudging along. 两头骡子驮着沉重的背包，吃力地往前走。 来自辞典例句

10 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

11 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

12 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

13 succumbing   

不再抵抗（诱惑、疾病、攻击等）( succumb的现在分词 )； 屈从； 被压垮； 死

参考例句：

• Mrs. Smith washed and ironed clothes for him, succumbing to him. 史密斯太太被他迷住了，愿意为他洗衣烫衣。
• They would not in the end abandon their vital interests by succumbing to Soviet blandishment. 他们最终决不会受苏联人的甜言蜜语的诱惑，从而抛弃自己的切身利益。

14 consolation   

n.安慰，慰问

参考例句：

• The children were a great consolation to me at that time.那时孩子们成了我的莫大安慰。
• This news was of little consolation to us.这个消息对我们来说没有什么安慰。

15 monk   

n.和尚，僧侣，修道士

参考例句：

• The man was a monk from Emei Mountain.那人是峨眉山下来的和尚。
• Buddhist monk sat with folded palms.和尚合掌打坐。

16 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

17 assuage   

v.缓和，减轻，镇定

参考例句：

• The medicine is used to assuage pain.这种药用来止痛。
• Your messages of cheer should assuage her suffering.你带来的这些振奋人心的消息一定能减轻她的痛苦。

18 ascetic   

adj.禁欲的；严肃的

参考例句：

• The hermit followed an ascetic life-style.这个隐士过的是苦行生活。
• This is achieved by strict celibacy and ascetic practices.这要通过严厉的独身生活和禁欲修行而达到。

19 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

20 metaphorically   

adv. 用比喻地

参考例句：

• It is context and convention that determine whether a term will be interpreted literally or metaphorically. 对一个词的理解是按字面意思还是隐喻的意思要视乎上下文和习惯。
• Metaphorically it implied a sort of admirable energy. 从比喻来讲，它含有一种令人赞许的能量的意思。