经济学人479:土耳其的宗教

 　　Religion in Turkey

　　土耳其的宗教

　　Erasing¹ the Christian² past

　　抹煞基督教的历史

　　A fine Byzantine church in Turkey has been converted into a mosque³

　　土耳其一座精致的拜占庭教堂成了清真寺

　　Jul 27th 2013 | TRABZON |From the print edition

　　Sinful paintings on the ceiling?

　　天花板上的水彩画有罪吗？

　　ON JULY 5th the mufti of Trabzon gathered with other citizens for the first Friday prayers of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, not at a mosque but at an ancient Byzantine church. The gathering⁴ was a symbolic⁵ re-enactment of the conquest in 1462 of this ancient Greek Black Sea port by Mehmet II, the Ottoman sultan who had wrested⁶ Constantinople from the Byzantines in 1453. He marked his victory by converting the Haghia Sophia cathedral of today’s Istanbul into a mosque.

　　7月5日特拉布宗的穆夫提和其他居民一道参加斋月的一个星期五礼拜，他们聚会的地方不是清真寺而是一座古老的拜占庭教堂。这次集会象征性地重演了1462年奥斯曼苏丹穆罕默德二世攻占这个古老的希腊黑海港口。穆罕默德二世于1453年夺取了拜占庭的君士坦丁堡。为了纪念胜利，他把今天伊斯坦布尔的圣索菲亚大教堂变成一座清真寺。

　　Haghia Sophia’s sister of the same name in Trabzon is less grand. Yet with its dazzling frescoes⁷ and magnificent setting overlooking the sea, the 13th-century building is regarded as one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture. As with other Christian monuments, the Haghia Sophia in Trabzon has become a symbol in the battle between secularists and Islamists. It was converted into a mosque around the 16th century and, after other incarnations, became a museum in 1964. But the Islamists won the last round in 2012 when a local court accepted the claim by the General Directorate of the Pious⁸ Foundations, the government body responsible for Turkey’s historic mosques⁹, that the Haghia Sophia belonged to the foundation of Mehmet II and was being “illegally occupied” by the culture ministry¹⁰.

　　特拉布宗也有圣索菲亚大教堂，其规模不如伊斯坦布尔的那座恢宏。它有精美的壁画，从这座教堂可以俯瞰大海。这座建于13世纪的教堂堪称拜占庭建筑的典范。特拉布宗的圣索菲亚大教堂还有其他的基督教遗迹成了世俗主义者和伊斯兰教徒冲突的象征。16世纪左右，这座教堂成了清真寺，1964年又变成了博物馆。最后还是伊斯兰教徒赢了，2012年当地法庭接受了虔信基金会总局提出（负责土耳其历史上有名的清真寺的政府机关）的诉求：圣索菲亚大教堂是穆罕默德二世创建的，正遭受文化部的“非法侵占”。

　　The decision provoked surprising anger in a city notorious for its ultra-nationalist views. “It’s about erasing the Christian past, reviving Ottomanism,” says a local historian. “There are enough mosques in Trabzon, half of them empty, what was the need?” chimes in Zeki Bakar, a neighborhood councillor. A lawsuit¹¹ has been brought to undo¹² the conversion¹³.

　　这座城市因为极端民族主义观点而声名狼藉，这个决定叫人光火。当地的一位历史学家说：这是抹煞基督教的历史，复辟奥斯曼主义。Zeki Bakar的社区委员附和说：“特拉布宗的清真寺够用了，半数清真寺是空着的，还差这一个吗？”已经有人提出诉讼，要法庭改变这个决定。

　　Even so, the mildly Islamist Justice and Development (AK) government carried out the conversion in time for Ramadan. A red carpet now obscures exquisite¹⁴ floor mosaics¹⁵. Shutters¹⁶ and tents beneath the central dome¹⁷ shield Muslim worshippers from “sinful” paintings of the Holy Trinity. Shiny steel taps with plastic stools for ablutions clutter¹⁸ a once-verdant garden filled with ancient sculptures.

　　即便如此，为了过斋月，温和的伊斯兰教正义和发展党掌权的政府还是把教堂变成了清真寺。现在红地毯盖上了地板上精致的图案。中央穹顶下面的百叶窗和帷幕把做礼拜的穆斯林和 “罪恶的”三位一体水彩画隔离开来。从前翠绿的花园里有古老的雕塑，现在为了斋戒沐浴，装了带着闪亮水龙头的塑料凳。

　　Mazhar Yildirimhan of the Pious Foundations Directorate’s office in Trabzon shrugs¹⁹ off complaints as propaganda. But for experts the conversion is tragic²⁰, and will inevitably²¹ lead to damaging the building. “It seems to follow closely that of Haghia Sophia in Iznik,” warns Antony Eastmond of the Courtauld Institute of Art, referring to another conversion.

　　虔信基金会总局驻特拉布宗办公室的Mazhar Yildirimhan对抗议不屑一顾，认为这种抗议在蛊惑人心。在专家看来，教堂变清真寺是个悲剧，必然会给这座建筑造成破坏。考特奥德艺术学院的Antony Eastmond警告说：“伊兹尼克的圣索菲亚教堂成为清真寺的日子可能不远了。”

　　All this is prompting anxiety that the Haghia Sophia in Istanbul “will be next”. These fears are overdone²². Restoration work on the famous basilica has continued under a decade of AK rule and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister, has dismissed worries about its fate. Yet Mr Yildirimhan makes no secret of his desire for a conversion, which he says is shared by fellow Muslims. “It was ordained²³ by the sultan,” he says. “We have all the records.”

　　这些都让人们越发担忧伊斯坦布尔的圣索菲亚教堂“将成为下一个”。这些担心有点过头了。在伊斯兰教正义和发展党和总理雷杰普?塔伊普?埃尔多安十年执政期间，对著名大教堂的修复工作一直在持续。然而Yildirimhan先生没有掩饰把教堂变成清真寺的愿望，他说这也是穆斯林教胞的心愿：“这是苏丹下令建造的建筑，所有的记录我们都有。”

1 erasing   

v.擦掉( erase的现在分词 )；抹去；清除

参考例句：

• He was like a sponge, erasing the past, soaking up the future. 他象一块海绵，挤出过去，吸进未来。 来自辞典例句
• Suddenly, fear overtook longing, erasing memories. 突然，恐惧淹没了渴望，泯灭了回忆。 来自辞典例句

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

4 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

5 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

6 wrested   

（用力）拧( wrest的过去式和过去分词 )； 费力取得； （从…）攫取； （ 从… ） 强行取去…

参考例句：

• The usurper wrested the power from the king. 篡位者从国王手里夺取了权力。
• But now it was all wrested from him. 可是现在，他却被剥夺了这一切。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

7 frescoes   

n.壁画( fresco的名词复数 )；温壁画技法，湿壁画

参考例句：

• The Dunhuang frescoes are gems of ancient Chinese art. 敦煌壁画是我国古代艺术中的瑰宝。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The frescoes in these churches are magnificent. 这些教堂里的壁画富丽堂皇。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 pious   

adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的

参考例句：

• Alexander is a pious follower of the faith.亚历山大是个虔诚的信徒。
• Her mother was a pious Christian.她母亲是一个虔诚的基督教徒。

9 mosques   

清真寺； 伊斯兰教寺院，清真寺； 清真寺，伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why make us believe that this tunnel runs underneath the mosques? 为什么要让我们相信这条隧洞是在清真寺下？
• The city's three biggest mosques, long fallen into disrepair, have been renovated. 城里最大的三座清真寺，过去年久失修，现在已经修复。

10 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

11 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

12 undo   

vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销

参考例句：

• His pride will undo him some day.他的傲慢总有一天会毁了他。
• I managed secretly to undo a corner of the parcel.我悄悄地设法解开了包裹的一角。

13 conversion   

n.转化，转换，转变

参考例句：

• He underwent quite a conversion.他彻底变了。
• Waste conversion is a part of the production process.废物处理是生产过程的一个组成部分。

14 exquisite   

adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的

参考例句：

• I was admiring the exquisite workmanship in the mosaic.我当时正在欣赏镶嵌画的精致做工。
• I still remember the exquisite pleasure I experienced in Bali.我依然记得在巴厘岛所经历的那种剧烈的快感。

15 mosaics   

n.马赛克( mosaic的名词复数 )；镶嵌；镶嵌工艺；镶嵌图案

参考例句：

• The panel shows marked similarities with mosaics found elsewhere. 这块嵌板和在其他地方找到的镶嵌图案有明显的相似之处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The unsullied and shining floor was paved with white mosaics. 干净明亮的地上镶嵌着白色图案。 来自辞典例句

16 shutters   

百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门

参考例句：

• The shop-front is fitted with rolling shutters. 那商店的店门装有卷门。
• The shutters thumped the wall in the wind. 在风中百叶窗砰砰地碰在墙上。

17 dome   

n.圆屋顶，拱顶

参考例句：

• The dome was supported by white marble columns.圆顶由白色大理石柱支撑着。
• They formed the dome with the tree's branches.他们用树枝搭成圆屋顶。

18 clutter   

n.零乱，杂乱；vt.弄乱，把…弄得杂乱

参考例句：

• The garage is in such a clutter that we can't find anything.车库如此凌乱，我们什么也找不到。
• We'll have to clear up all this clutter.我们得把这一切凌乱的东西整理清楚。

19 shrugs   

n.耸肩（以表示冷淡，怀疑等）( shrug的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany shrugs off this criticism. 匈牙利总理久尔恰尼对这个批评不以为然。 来自互联网
• She shrugs expressively and takes a sip of her latte. 她表达地耸肩而且拿她的拿铁的啜饮。 来自互联网

20 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

21 inevitably   

adv.不可避免地；必然发生地

参考例句：

• In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
• Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。

22 overdone   

v.做得过分( overdo的过去分词 )；太夸张；把…煮得太久；（工作等）过度

参考例句：

• The lust of men must not be overdone. 人们的欲望不该过分。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The joke is overdone. 玩笑开得过火。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

23 ordained   

v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定

参考例句：

• He was ordained in 1984. 他在一九八四年被任命为牧师。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was ordained priest. 他被任命为牧师。 来自辞典例句