纪录片《大英博物馆世界简史》 068湿婆与雪山女神像（3）

 

It's a stone slab¹ of about six feet (180 cm) high and three feet (90 cm) wide and, although it would originally have been brightly coloured, it is now a deep gleaming black. We don't know which temple it's from, but it was clearly from a very highly prized one, because you could hardly carve more decoration onto it. Dozens of tiny figures swarm² around the edges and here, in the middle, on a much larger scale, is Shiva himself. We know he's Shiva because he's carrying his trademark³ trident, and he rests one foot on the back of the sacred bull that he often rides. The sculptor⁴ has carved the body of Shiva in very full relief, so as I approach it, I have a growing sense of a god who is physically⁵ present - and this is surely intended, because this sculpture is designed to bring me close to the god, to allow me in a sense to converse⁶ with Shiva, as the Hindu academic and cleric Shaunaka Rishi Das explains:

"The physical manifestation⁷ of the image is considered to be a great aid in focus of the mind, and in gaining what they call 'darshan' or the presence of God. So you practice the presence of God in your life by going to the temple, you see this image that is the presence, you bow down in front of the image, you offer food or incense⁸ etc, you say your prayers, or you just enjoy the presence of God."

这座雕像来自奥里萨的某座湿婆庙，是一块高两米、宽一米的石板。它原本应有鲜艳的颜色，如今只剩略带光泽的深黑。装饰之繁，无以复加。石板边缘雕刻着数十位小型神，中间体型最大的则是湿婆，他标志性的三叉戟以及被他踩住后背的一头神牛（他常用的坐骑）帮助我们确定了这一身份。湿婆的身体被雕刻得极为立体，观者越靠近便越会感觉到一位神切实的存在。制作雕像的本意便是让观者接近湿婆神，并在某种意义上与他交流。印度教学者兼神职人员夏纳格·瑞西·达斯解释说：

以实体形式表现的神像有助于集中精神，获取所谓的“福德”，即感受到神的存在。通过去寺庙，你得以感受到神在生活中的存在。你从神像中体会到他的存在，你向他跪拜，供上食物，敬上香，祈福，或者只是单纯因他的存在而喜悦。

 

 

1 slab   

n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上

参考例句：

• This heavy slab of oak now stood between the bomb and Hitler.这时笨重的橡木厚板就横在炸弹和希特勒之间了。
• The monument consists of two vertical pillars supporting a horizontal slab.这座纪念碑由两根垂直的柱体构成，它们共同支撑着一块平板。

2 swarm   

n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入

参考例句：

• There is a swarm of bees in the tree.这树上有一窝蜜蜂。
• A swarm of ants are moving busily.一群蚂蚁正在忙碌地搬家。

3 trademark   

n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标

参考例句：

• The trademark is registered on the book of the Patent Office.该商标已在专利局登记注册。
• The trademark of the pen was changed.这钢笔的商标改了。

4 sculptor   

n.雕刻家，雕刻家

参考例句：

• A sculptor forms her material.雕塑家把材料塑造成雕塑品。
• The sculptor rounded the clay into a sphere.那位雕塑家把黏土做成了一个球状。

5 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。

6 converse   

vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反

参考例句：

• He can converse in three languages.他可以用3种语言谈话。
• I wanted to appear friendly and approachable but I think I gave the converse impression.我想显得友好、平易近人些,却发觉给人的印象恰恰相反。

7 manifestation   

n.表现形式；表明；现象

参考例句：

• Her smile is a manifestation of joy.她的微笑是她快乐的表现。
• What we call mass is only another manifestation of energy.我们称之为质量的东西只是能量的另一种表现形态。

8 incense   

v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气

参考例句：

• This proposal will incense conservation campaigners.这项提议会激怒环保人士。
• In summer,they usually burn some coil incense to keep away the mosquitoes.夏天他们通常点香驱蚊。