纪录片《大英博物馆世界简史》 054度母雕像(3)

But this statue was absolutely not made to titillate¹. She is a religious being, one of the spiritual protectors to whom the Buddhist² faithful can turn in distress³, and from a religious tradition that has no difficulty at all in happily combining divinity and sensuality. The statue of Tara takes us into a world where faith and bodily beauty converge⁴, to move us beyond ourselves. It also tells us a great deal about the world of Sri Lanka and south Asia, 1,200 years ago.

但制作它的意图并非撩人情欲。在佛教中，它是虔诚的信徒在遭遇困境之时祷告求助的神祇，来自一种能将神性与感官享受毫无困难并愉悦地加以结合的宗教传统。度母神像带我们进人了一个用信仰与身体之美的结合来促成超脱的世界，也让我们多少了解了1200年前的南亚与斯里兰卡。

The island of Sri Lanka, separated from India by only 20 miles (32 km) of shallow water, has always been an important hub in the seaborne trade that stitches the lands of the Indian Ocean together. In the years around 800 AD Sri Lanka was in close, indeed constant, contact with the neighbouring kingdoms of south India, but also with the Islamic Abbasid Empire in the Middle East, with Indonesia, and with Tang China. Sri Lankan gems⁵ were particularly highly prized, and 1,200 years ago rubies⁶ and garnets from here were being regularly traded to east and west, reaching the Mediterranean⁷ and possibly even Britain. Some of the gems from the great Anglo-Saxon ship burial at Sutton Hoo may well have come from Sri Lanka.

斯里兰卡岛与印度仅隔着二十英里浅海，一直是海上贸易的重要集散地和印度洋各岛的连接点。在公元800年左右，它不但与南印度诸邻国关系密切，也与中东的伊斯兰阿拔斯王朝、印度尼西亚和中国唐代往来频繁。斯里兰卡的宝石口碑极好，1200年前，这里出产的红宝石 与石榴石定期销往东西方，运送到地中海，甚至远涉英格兰。萨顿胡的盎格鲁-撒克逊船葬中的部分宝石可能就来自斯里兰卡。

But it was not only goods that travelled. The teachings of the Buddha⁸, who lived and preached in north India some time around 500 BC, had gradually evolved into a complex philosophical⁹ and spiritual system of conduct, designed to liberate¹⁰ the individual soul from the illusion and suffering of this world.

踏上旅途的不仅仅是商品。公元500年前后，佛陀曾在印度北部传法，他的教义逐渐发展成一套复杂的、帮助苍生脱离世间苦难的哲学与修行系统。

1 titillate   

v.挑逗；使兴奋

参考例句：

• The pictures were not meant to titillate audiences.图片本意不是为了挑逗观众。
• In review a novel,you shall try to titillate rather than satiate the reader's interest.评论一本小说的时候，你应想办法刺激而不是满足读者的兴趣。

2 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。

3 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

4 converge   

vi.会合；聚集，集中；(思想、观点等)趋近

参考例句：

• The results converge towards this truth.其结果趋近于这个真理。
• Parallel lines converge at infinity.平行线永不相交。

5 gems   

growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长

参考例句：

• a crown studded with gems 镶有宝石的皇冠
• The apt citations and poetic gems have adorned his speeches. 贴切的引语和珠玑般的诗句为他的演说词增添文采。

6 rubies   

红宝石( ruby的名词复数 )； 红宝石色，深红色

参考例句：

• a necklace of rubies intertwined with pearls 缠着珍珠的红宝石项链
• The crown was set with precious jewels—diamonds, rubies and emeralds. 王冠上镶嵌着稀世珍宝—有钻石、红宝石、绿宝石。

7 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

8 Buddha   

n.佛；佛像；佛陀

参考例句：

• Several women knelt down before the statue of Buddha and prayed.几个妇女跪在佛像前祈祷。
• He has kept the figure of Buddha for luck.为了图吉利他一直保存着这尊佛像。

9 philosophical   

adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的

参考例句：

• The teacher couldn't answer the philosophical problem.老师不能解答这个哲学问题。
• She is very philosophical about her bad luck.她对自己的不幸看得很开。

10 liberate   

v.解放，使获得自由，释出，放出；vt.解放，使获自由

参考例句：

• They did their best to liberate slaves.他们尽最大能力去解放奴隶。
• This will liberate him from economic worry.这将消除他经济上的忧虑。