纪录片《文明》 第210期 重要的火花（22）

That's why even amidst our modern,hepped-up lives of digital swipes and flickering¹ screens,

这就是为什么即使处在这个 充斥着电子图片和闪烁屏幕的狂躁的现代

we find in art something that can't be found anywhere else -a rush of delight that somehow also connects us with the enduring and the profound,

我们仍能在艺术中发现其他地方发现不了的 即以某种方式将我们 与永恒而深刻的东西连接起来的喜悦之情

and that's why people come in their millions to see it in galleries and museums.

这也是为什么会有数百万人 涌入画廊和博物馆去参观艺术品的原因所在

Civilisation² is such a grand word, isn't it?

文明是多么宏大的一个词 不是吗

But, as I think we've seen,its true strength lies as much in simple gifts -pots and prints and rugs and carvings³ -as it does in mighty⁴ buildings and fine paintings,

但是正如我们所看到的文明真正的力量同样源于那些简单的小礼物 壶 印刷品 地毯以及雕刻品 正如它源于那些恢弘的建筑和精美画作

and those things spring less from the officious demands of state and the status hunger of the rich than they do from the unruly urges of gifted artists,

这些小物件较少地来源于国家的强制要求 以及富裕阶层对地位的渴望 而更多地来自于世界各地那些天赋异禀的

from one end of the world to the other,to make something for everyone.

艺术家们心中想要 为所有人创造东西的强烈愿望

And because those things are not dependent on the fate of empires, or the moneyed or military,

正因为这些东西不依存于帝国的命数 也不依赖富人和军队

I think they will stick around, they will endure -not forever, nothing survives forever -

我认为它们会继续保存 会长存不衰 但不是永存 没什么会永垂不朽

but at any rate for the next millennia,as unmistakable evidence of the best things that our species was capable of creating -

但是至少在下一个千年不会消失 正如那些确凿无疑的我们人类 在过去所创造出的最好的东西

things that have been made by the liberated⁵ thought,the acute vision and the unquenchable creative fire of our shared humanity.

那些经自由的头脑所创造的东西 我们共同人性当中那敏锐的洞察力 以及无法熄灭的创造之火

The Open University has produced a free poster that explores the history of different civilisations through artefacts.

开放大学已经制作出一种通过手工品 来探索不同文明的历史的免费海报

To order your free copy, please call...

若要订购免费海报 请拨打...

Or go to the address on screen and follow the links for the Open University.

也可访问屏幕上的网址 并点击开放大学的链接

1 flickering   

adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的

参考例句：

• The crisp autumn wind is flickering away. 清爽的秋风正在吹拂。
• The lights keep flickering. 灯光忽明忽暗。

2 civilisation   

n.文明，文化，开化，教化

参考例句：

• Energy and ideas are the twin bases of our civilisation.能源和思想是我们文明的两大基石。
• This opera is one of the cultural totems of Western civilisation.这部歌剧是西方文明的文化标志物之一。

3 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》

4 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

5 liberated   

a.无拘束的，放纵的

参考例句：

• The city was liberated by the advancing army. 军队向前挺进，解放了那座城市。
• The heat brings about a chemical reaction, and oxygen is liberated. 热量引起化学反应，释放出氧气。