纪录片《文明》 第202期 重要的火花（14）

The centrepiece of that show was not just mountainous in scale -18-feet wide and 11 high -

展览的中心展品不仅尺寸巨大 宽5.5米 高3.4米

but also in form,as if in answer to the dumb colossalist hyperbole of Stone Mountain.

而且场面宏大 仿佛回应着石岭愚蠢的夸张手法

On this vast cliff face of cruelty,historic characters crash their allotted¹ dates.

写满残酷的宽阔崖壁上 历史人物打破了时间的隔阂

Stonewall Jackson points his revolver at James Brown.

石墙杰克逊将左轮手枪指向詹姆斯·布朗

There are rapist slave masters and Black Panthers.

强奸犯奴隶主和黑豹党赫然在列

The current incumbent² of the Oval Office hides gleefully,defecating beneath the skirts of a Klansman.

椭圆形办公室的现任主人开心地 躲在一名三K党成员的裙下大便

These images recall another grim look at the un-lookable...

这些形象使人想起 另一幅令人无法直视的残忍画面

..Goya's unsparing confrontation³ with horror.

戈雅对恐怖毫无忌讳的直白描绘

Not just - how can we do such deeds?

不仅是 我们怎么能做出这种事

But - how can we bear to look at them?

而是 我们怎么能忍心看到它们

There was a semi-common goodwill⁴ somewhere out there in the period of time since, at least in my lifetime...

至少在我的一生中 存在着某种半普遍的善意

There was the election of 2008!

比如说2008年大选

Exactly. And 2012.

正是 还有2012年

2008, 2012, there was something that felt like,

2008年 2012年 当时我们感觉

"Yes, yes, we are better than all of these events that have happened,

"是的 我们比过去发生的所有事都有改善

"These racist⁵ events that have happened over the decades,

过去几十年 几百年发生过的

"Over the centuries." But...

种族主义事件" 但是...

..Yeah, that that could break down so quickly,

一切都如此迅速地破灭

- so cataclysmically... - And so violently,

-如此灾难性地 -如此猛烈

um... So violently.

如此猛烈

Oh, boy...

天呐

Not all of the art engaging with the endurance of tradition ends up in a brutal⁶, combative⁷ place.

并不是所有表现传统持久力的艺术 都表现出野蛮和好战

1 allotted   

分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I completed the test within the time allotted . 我在限定的时间内完成了试验。
• Each passenger slept on the berth allotted to him. 每个旅客都睡在分配给他的铺位上。

2 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

3 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

4 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

5 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

6 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

7 combative   

adj.好战的；好斗的

参考例句：

• Mr. Obama has recently adopted a more combative tone.奥巴马总统近来采取了一种更有战斗性的语调。
• She believes that women are at least as combative as are.她相信女性至少和男性一样好斗。