纪录片《大英博物馆世界简史》 069瓦斯特克女神雕像（10）

 

Kim Richter may of course be right, and these statues may simply be representations of the local elite¹, but I find it hard to believe that these geometric naked female statues are merely aristocratic family likenesses, even of the most ritualised sort. We know that groups of them stood high up above their communities, on artificial mounds² where people could congregate³ for ceremonies and processions, but it's hard to be certain about anything in the face of our statue. And, sadly, there's nobody now who can enlighten us. Here's Kim Richter again:

"I don't think the sculptures really have much meaning to local people there today. So when I was in the field and I spoke⁴ to indigenous⁵ people, they were interested and curious, and they want to learn more, but they didn't know anything about these sculptures. I heard a report that in one of the sites the farmers would shoot at the sculptures, and use them as target practice."

金·里克特所言也许是对的，这尊雕像表现的可能只是当地贵族。但我仍然很难相信这些呈几何形状的赤的女性雕像会是贵族的肖像，哪怕是最为仪式化的类型。

我们知道，它们曾一组组地站在人工堆出的土丘上，从高处俯视自己的部落，俯视在此汇聚、举行仪式与游行的族人。但我们无法从雕像本身获得任何明确信息。遗憾的是，如今已没有人可以告诉我们真相。金·里克特说：

我认为这些雕像对如今居住在当地的人不存在任何意义。在野外调查期间，我曾询问过当地人。他们很感兴趣，很好奇，想知道更多，但他们本身对雕像一无所知。我听说有一篇报告声称，在某片遗址附近，当地人把雕像当作靶子练习射击。

 

1 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

2 mounds   

土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆

参考例句：

• We had mounds of tasteless rice. 我们有成堆成堆的淡而无味的米饭。
• Ah! and there's the cemetery' - cemetery, he must have meant. 'You see the mounds? 啊，这就是同墓，”——我想他要说的一定是公墓，“看到那些土墩了吗？

3 congregate   

v.(使)集合，聚集

参考例句：

• Now they can offer a digital place for their readers to congregate and talk.现在他们可以为读者提供一个数字化空间，让读者可以聚集和交谈。
• This is a place where swans congregate.这是个天鹅聚集地。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。