纪录片《大英博物馆世界简史》 064大卫对瓶（6）

"Zhang Wenjin, from Jingtang community, Dejiao village, Shuncheng township, Yushan county, Xinzhou circuit, a disciple¹ of the Holy Gods, is pleased to offer a set comprising one incense-burner and a pair of flower vases to General Hu Jingyi at the Original Palace in Xingyuan, as a prayer for the protection and blessing² of the whole family and for the peace of his sons and daughters. Carefully offered on an auspicious³ day in the Fourth Month, Eleventh year of the Zhizheng reign⁴."There's a lot of information here. We're told that the vases were purpose-made to be offered as donations at a temple, and that the name of their donor⁵ is Zhang Wenjin, who describes himself with great solemnity as a disciple of the holy gods. It gives his home town, Shuncheng in what is now Jiangxi province, a few hundred miles south-west of Shanghai. He was offering these two grand vases along with an incense-burner - the three would have formed a typical set for an altar. The incense-burner has been lost, or at least has not yet been found. The specific deity⁶ receiving the offering had only recently become a god. He is General Hu Jingyi, a military figure of the thirteenth century, who was elevated to divine status because of his supernatural power and wisdom, and his ability to foretell⁷ the future. Zhang Wenjin's altar set is offered in exchange for this new god's protection.

信州路玉山县顺城乡德教里荆塘社奉圣弟子张文进，喜舍香炉花瓶一副，祈保合家清吉，子女平安。至正十一年四月良辰谨记。星源祖殿，胡净一元帅打供。

这段文字信息量很大。我们了解到瓷瓶的制作目的是为了供奉在寺庙里，供奉者为张文进，他恭敬地自称为“奉圣弟子”。文中提到的他的家乡顺成位于今江西省，在上海西南几百英里外。他供奉了一对大花瓶和一个香炉（这三件套是常见的供品组合)，但其中的香炉至今未被发现。受供的神明是胡净一元帅，他本是十三世纪的一位名将，后因超凡的力量与智慧以及预言未来的能力而位列仙班。张文进供奉物品，便是为了祈求他的保佑。

 

1 disciple   

n.信徒，门徒，追随者

参考例句：

• Your disciple failed to welcome you.你的徒弟没能迎接你。
• He was an ardent disciple of Gandhi.他是甘地的忠实信徒。

2 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

3 auspicious   

adj.吉利的；幸运的，吉兆的

参考例句：

• The publication of my first book was an auspicious beginning of my career.我的第一本书的出版是我事业吉祥的开始。
• With favorable weather conditions it was an auspicious moment to set sail.风和日丽，正是扬帆出海的黄道吉日。

4 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

5 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

6 deity   

n.神，神性；被奉若神明的人(或物)

参考例句：

• Many animals were seen as the manifestation of a deity.许多动物被看作神的化身。
• The deity was hidden in the deepest recesses of the temple.神藏在庙宇壁龛的最深处。

7 foretell   

v.预言，预告，预示

参考例句：

• Willow trees breaking out into buds foretell the coming of spring.柳枝绽青报春来。
• The outcome of the war is hard to foretell.战争胜负难以预卜。