纪录片《大英博物馆世界简史》 067正信凯旋圣像（3）

 

'Icon¹' is simply the Greek word for picture, and this picture is about a foot (30 cm) high, in fact it is almost exactly the same shape as a laptop computer. It's painted on a wooden panel, the figures in black and red, the background shining gold. In the centre, at the top, we see two angels holding up a picture for veneration². The picture they're holding is the most famous of all Orthodox icons³, and one particularly connected to Constantinople. Known as the Hodegetria, it shows the Virgin⁴ Mary with the Christ Child in her arms. The Hodegetria is being venerated⁵ by a host of saints, by the head of the Orthodox Church - the Patriarch - and by the Imperial family. Between them, they represent all Constantinople, temporal and spiritual. So this icon is a picture about the use of a picture, and it's a celebration of the central role that icons play in the Orthodox Church. This is how Diarmaid MacCulloch, Professor of the History of the Church at Oxford⁶ University, describes the function of an icon:

"The icon is like a pair of spectacles which you put on to see heaven. You're drawn⁷ through this picture into heaven, because Orthodox Christianity believes very strongly that you and I can meet the godhead, that we can almost become like gods. It's that extraordinary frightening statement that western Christianity is very shy of."

这幅画高约四十厘米，绘制于一块木板之上，形状与笔记本电脑的键盘酷似，其中人物用黑红两色勾勒，背景是闪亮的金色。画面中上部有两位天使举着供大家膜拜的画像，它是东正教最著名的圣像，也与君士坦丁堡密切相关，被称为赫得戈利亚—一圣母马利亚怀抱着婴儿耶稣。一群圣徒、东正教的首脑—一牧首以及王室，正在敬拜它。他们代表了包括俗世与教会在内的整个君士坦丁堡。这幅圣像本身便在体现一幅圣像的作用，是对圣像在东正教中的核心地位的赞颂。

牛津大学教会史教授戴尔梅德·马克库罗奇如此描述圣像的功能：

圣像是一架能让你看到天堂的望远镜。你能通过图像到达天堂，因为东正教坚信人能够接近神，甚至成为神。这一大胆放肆、简直惊世骇俗的声明是西方基督教不敢直言的。

 

1 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

2 veneration   

n.尊敬，崇拜

参考例句：

• I acquired lasting respect for tradition and veneration for the past.我开始对传统和历史产生了持久的敬慕。
• My father venerated General Eisenhower.我父亲十分敬仰艾森豪威尔将军。

3 icons   

n.偶像( icon的名词复数 )；（计算机屏幕上表示命令、程序的）符号，图像

参考例句：

• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons. 用图标来区分重要的文本项。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Daemonic icons should only be employed persistently if they provide continuous, useful status information. 只有会连续地提供有用状态信息的情况下，后台应用程序才应该一直使用图标。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

4 virgin   

n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的

参考例句：

• Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗？
• There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。

5 venerated   

敬重（某人或某事物），崇敬( venerate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• My father venerated General Eisenhower. 我父亲十分敬仰艾森豪威尔将军。
• He used the sacraments and venerated the saints. 他行使圣事，崇拜圣人。 来自英汉非文学 - 文明史

6 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

7 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。