萨达姆的艺术口味(Saddam’s taste in art)（在线收听）

American artist Rowena Morrill - known for fantasy-styled, brightly coloured works - has told the BBC of her shock at the discovery of her paintings in Saddam Hussein's private collection. Morrill's sister first spotted the works during television coverage of the war on Iraq.

美国艺术家Rowena Morrill以作品充满幻想色彩，用色明艳著称。当她发现萨达姆.侯赛因的私人收藏中有她的作品，她显得十分震惊。Morrill的姐妹首先在伊拉克战争的电视报道上发现了她的作品。

 
She saw the pictures hanging on the wall of one of Saddam Hussein's private palaces, and immediately called Morrill.

"I was utterly[彻底地] stunned[惊呆]," Morrill told BBC World Service's Everywoman[平凡女人] programme.

She added that she had had "absolutely no idea" the Iraqi leader had purchased the two paintings.

Curious

Morrill added that she was intrigued[好奇] at his interest in her work.

"I can't say that I take anything coming from a quarter like that as a compliment[恭维]," she said.

"However I certainly think that - if in fact he was looking at my works and thinking anything - I'm very curious."

"I've always known that once I sell a piece it could end up anywhere.

"Of course I never dreamt that it would end up in a place like that."

Voluptuous priestess[奢华的女祭司]

Morrill's artwork is primarily[主要的] based on fantasy[幻想] images - and the paintings found in Saddam Hussein's palace were typical examples.

The first was of a priestess[女祭司] "who is very voluptuous[奢华的], draped[垂躺] over an altar[祭坛] in front of a stone demon[恶魔]," she said.

"She's hurling[猛掷] a magic snake monster[蛇怪] forward at the hero of the story, who's invading[入侵] the inner sanctum[密室] of the temple."

The other featured a green dragon, "flying down to get a girl who's chained to a rock".

"A lot of it is based on book covers, but I was living in Japan as a child, and probably that had some influence[影响]."

"I loved those wonderful Japanese ghost stories."