纪录片《文明》 第149期 初次邂逅（3）

It's an expression of elegance¹ and power.

它表达的是优雅与权力

But most intriguing² is her crown.

但最复杂的部分是她的王冠

It's a row of tiny bearded faces,

王冠上是一排小小的蓄着胡须的脸

symbolising the seafaring Portuguese³.

代表着航海的葡萄牙人

They were said to be messengers of Benin's water god Olokun,

他们据说是贝宁大海女神的信使

so their images reinforced the authority of the Queen.

所以他们的形象强调了女王的权力

Trade with the Portuguese meant that the kingdom of Benin,

和葡萄牙人贸易充分表明

like a number of African societies,

贝宁王国和其他非洲社会一样

was drawn⁴ into a new Atlantic world.

加入了新大西洋世界

African traders loaded locally produced goods

非洲商人用本地产品

onto European ships that sailed up African rivers.

填满往来于非洲河流的欧洲船只

They traded in cloth and in pepper, in gold and ivory,

他们买卖布料 胡椒 黄金和象牙

and also in slaves, though at this point, in very small numbers.

也买卖奴隶 虽然在那时数目很少

But Africans also exported the work of African artists,

但非洲人也出口非洲艺术家们的作品

who found new customers in Europe.

这些艺术家在欧洲找到了新的顾客

The craftsmen⁵ of Benin carved elaborate salt cellars from ivory,

贝宁匠人用象牙雕刻精致的盐碟

in the process creating a new Afro-Portuguese style.

那时他们正创造一种新的非洲葡萄牙风格

With their Christian⁶ crosses and distinctive⁷ clothes,

这些人像有基督教的十字架和特色衣服

these figures are unmistakably 16th-century Europeans.

无疑刻画的就是十六世纪的欧洲人

The lid is crowned with a tiny Portuguese sailing ship,

盖子上是一搜小葡萄牙帆船

topped with a crow's nest.

顶端装饰着一个乌鸦的巢穴

As a witty⁸ flourish, we see a sailor peeping out.

有趣的是 还有一位水手探出头来

These luxury items were all destined⁹

这些贵重物品都运往了

for Portugal's great port city - Lisbon.

葡萄牙最大的港口城市 里斯本

By the late 1400s, contact with the world beyond Europe

到十五世纪后半叶 葡萄牙和外面世界的接触

was transforming the way the Portuguese saw themselves...

使得葡萄牙人看待自己的方式改变了

As more inquisitive¹⁰ and more outward-looking.

他们更加富有好奇心 更加开放

The fortified¹¹ tower of Belem, built to protect Lisbon harbour,

贝伦塔的建造是为了保卫里斯本港口

boasted ornate braided details

拥有编织状的装饰细节

thought by some to be influenced by African carvings¹²,

有人认为这种装饰就是受到非洲雕刻的影响

like the ivory salt-cellar ship.

就如那艘象牙盐碟的帆船

1 elegance   

n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙

参考例句：

• The furnishings in the room imparted an air of elegance.这个房间的家具带给这房间一种优雅的气氛。
• John has been known for his sartorial elegance.约翰因为衣着讲究而出名。

2 intriguing   

adj.有趣的；迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词)；激起…的好奇心

参考例句：

• These discoveries raise intriguing questions. 这些发现带来了非常有趣的问题。
• It all sounds very intriguing. 这些听起来都很有趣。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 Portuguese   

n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语

参考例句：

• They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
• Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。

4 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。

5 craftsmen   

n. 技工

参考例句：

• rugs handmade by local craftsmen 由当地工艺师手工制作的小地毯
• The craftsmen have ensured faithful reproduction of the original painting. 工匠保证要复制一幅最接近原作的画。

6 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。

7 distinctive   

adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的

参考例句：

• She has a very distinctive way of walking.她走路的样子与别人很不相同。
• This bird has several distinctive features.这个鸟具有几种突出的特征。

8 witty   

adj.机智的，风趣的

参考例句：

• Her witty remarks added a little salt to the conversation.她的妙语使谈话增添了一些风趣。
• He scored a bull's-eye in their argument with that witty retort.在他们的辩论中他那一句机智的反驳击中了要害。

9 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

10 inquisitive   

adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的

参考例句：

• Children are usually inquisitive.小孩通常很好问。
• A pat answer is not going to satisfy an inquisitive audience.陈腔烂调的答案不能满足好奇的听众。

11 fortified   

adj. 加强的

参考例句：

• He fortified himself against the cold with a hot drink. 他喝了一杯热饮御寒。
• The enemy drew back into a few fortified points. 敌人收缩到几个据点里。

12 carvings   

n.雕刻( carving的名词复数 )；雕刻术；雕刻品；雕刻物

参考例句：

• The desk was ornamented with many carvings. 这桌子装饰有很多雕刻物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town. 贝雕是该城的特产。 来自《简明英汉词典》