欧美人文风情第67篇:走近世界名画《自由领导人民》

 We're in the Musee du Louvre and we're looking at Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People. 我们在罗浮宫，我们正在欣赏德拉克拉瓦的《自由领导人民》。

This is one of the most historically important paintings in this collection. 这是这系列收藏品中在历史上最重要的画作之一。

And it's important to remember, I think, how radical¹ this painting was. 重点是要记得，我认为，这幅画作有多么激进。

Its Republican Revolutionary politics were palpable, a little bit, perhaps, lost to us, I think, today. 其共和革命中的政治活动是很明了的，也许有一点点不在我们今天的理解范围内。

The painting shows the revolution of 1830 on the streets of Paris. 这幅画显示了巴黎街头1830年时的革命。

And what we see is a barricade², which was a makeshift blockade. 我们看到的是一道街垒，那是个临时的路障。

And remember that Paris at this time was really a medieval city, and so that the streets were narrow, 记得这时的巴黎确实是个中古世纪的城市，所以那些街道都很窄，

and they were winding³, and it was easy to block off French troops. 它们蜿蜒曲折，且很容易阻碍法国军队。

And they were made of furniture, they were made of wagons⁴, they were made especially of cobblestones. 它们是以家具筑起的、它们是以马车堆起的、它们特别是用鹅卵石叠起的。

And you can see the cobblestones down in the very foreground. 你可以看到鹅卵石就在下方这个前景里。

Over those cobblestones strides a figure who one would not have actually seen on the streets of Paris. 在那堆鹅卵石之上，一个人们不曾会在巴黎街头看过的人物迈开步伐。

So we have this mixture of the real and the unreal, because we have this allegorical figure of Liberty herself carrying the French tricolor flag, 我们有这个真实与虚幻的综合体，因为我们有这个象征自由女神本身的角色举着法国三色旗，

which represents equality, fraternity, and liberty—the values of the revolution. 那代表平等、博爱、与自由－－革命的价值。

So in the United States, we would recognize this figure as the Statue of Liberty, not a specific individual, 所以在美国，我们会认出这个人物是自由女神像，不是一个特定的个人，

but in fact, the embodiment or personification of an idea—the idea of freedom. 但事实上，是一个理念的具体化或拟人化－－自由的理念。

So it's important to remember here that what's happened is a monarchy⁵ had been restored in France that was very politically oppressive. 所以这里重要的是要记得，发生的事情是一个非常带有政治压迫的君主政体在法国被重新建立起来。

And the revolution in July of 1830 was against that restored King Charles X and brought into power a constitutional monarchy, 1830年的七月革命是对抗复辟的国王查理十世，并让君主立宪政体掌权，

presumably, a king that would be more friendly to the needs of the middle class. 照理来说，是一位对于中产阶级需求更加友善的国王。

So there were three days of, beyond protest, of an open warfare⁶ in the streets of Paris. 所以除了抗议，在巴黎街头还有一场三天的公开冲突。

Charles X actually flees France, and his cousin Louis Philippe is put on the throne, 查理十世确实逃离法国，他的表亲路易·菲利浦被推上王位，

and Delacroix is watching this from his window. 而德拉克拉瓦正从他的窗口观看这些事。

And the violence is really frightening. 那暴行确实很吓人。

We have in the foreground dead members of both sides of this fight. 我们在前景有这场争斗中双方丧命的成员。

The figure on the left is really brutal⁷. If you look closely, it's clear that he's in his night shirt. 左侧的人物是非常残忍的。如果你看得仔细些，很明显他穿着他的睡衣。

And one of the practices of the repressive government was to go after the opposition⁸ in their homes, beat them to death, 而镇压政府的行动之一是追到反对派者的家中、打死他们、

and drag them to the streets as a reminder⁹: "Do not do this." 并把他们拖到街头好似个提醒：“别这样做。”

There's a very famous Daumier: Rue¹⁰ Transnonain that shows a family that has been killed in their bedroom. 有个非常知名的杜米埃的《特兰斯诺南街事件》，那画出一个在卧室被杀害的家庭。

And on the right, a member of the other side of the king's forces, who's dead or wounded in the foreground. 在右侧，另一边国王军队的成员，在前景他是死亡或受伤的。

And that's important because, I think, that's a reminder that even the royal troops are not invincible¹¹. 那很重要，因为，我认为，那是个提示即便皇家军队都不是刀枪不入的。

Liberty strides forward. She's incredibly powerful. 自由女神向前跨步。她是不可思议地强大。

And importantly, Delacroix is giving her kind of realism. 重要的是，德拉克拉瓦正赋予她的一种现实性。

That was very important, I think, in terms of this message. 那是非常重要的，我认为，就这个讯息而言。

I think if the figure had been an ancient Greek looking figure, 我认为如果那角色是个古希腊样貌的角色，

we would have lost some of the strength of this image. 我们会失去这画面的某些力度。

We see her in profile, starkly¹² lit, with a kind of Caravaggio-esque lighting¹³, 我们从侧面看她，明显地被打亮，以一种卡拉瓦乔式的打光手法，

her arm forward with the flag, the other arm carrying the bayonet, 她的手臂向前举着旗子，另一只手携带着刺刀，

striding over the barricade, a figure that leads the people on with this idea of liberty. 跨过街垒，一个有着这自由理念带领人们向前的角色。

So, I think I see exactly what you're saying, but I also disagree, 所以，我认为我完全看到你说的东西，但我也不同意，

because I think that Delacroix isn't viewing this figure with all of those very human attributes that we're talking about, 因为我认为德拉克拉瓦不是用那所有那些我们正在谈论的人类特质、

all of that sense of leadership, and all of the allegorical power that she represents. 用所有领导的概念、以及所有象征性的力量来看待这个人物。

But at the same time, I think Delacroix is actually very consciously drawing on the ancient tradition. 但同时，我认为德拉克拉瓦确实是非常有自觉地在运用古代的传统。

The perfect profile, which is the most noble way of representing the face according to the classical world, 那完美的侧面，根据古典世界那是呈现面孔最高尚的方式，

reminds us of Roman coinage, for instance. 使我们想起罗马货币，举例来说。

So it's not as if Delacroix looked out of his window and actually saw this, 所以并不是好像德拉克拉瓦望出他的窗子并确实看到这个，

and that's not just because of the allegorical figure of Liberty. 还有那不只是因为自由女神这象征性的人物。

The figures are carefully composed in the shape of a pyramid. 那些人物被仔细地组成金字塔的形状。

And Delacroix has also included very different types of figures intentionally¹⁴, showing the range of people who participated in the revolution of 1830. 而德拉克拉瓦同样也故意放入了非常不同类型的人物，显示出参与1830年革命人们的阶级范围。

So not only do you have the man wearing the top hat, a member of the bourgeoisie, of the middle class, 所以你不只有戴着高帽子的男人－－资产阶级的、中产阶级的成员，

but next to him is a craftsman—a workman—in his shirtsleeves, who probably can't afford that nice rifle. 但在他旁边的是一名工匠－－一位工人－－只穿着他的衬衫，他也许无法负担得起那把好步枪。

But they are together opposing the monarchy. 但他们在一起对抗君主政权。

And so there was a real political message here of the power of the people to overthrow¹⁵ a government. 所以这里有个真正的政治讯息是有关人们的力量去推翻一个政府。

And the government of Louis Philippe that came into power purchased this painting, 而获得政权的路易·菲利浦政府买下了这幅画，

but later this message started to feel a little bit uncomfortable. 但稍后这个讯息开始感到有点不舒服。

A little too radical. 有点太激进了。

A little too radical. In fact, the government of Louis Philippe, although a constitutional monarchy, 有点太激进了。事实上，虽然是个君主立宪政体，

still only a very small fraction of the French people were able to vote. 路易·菲利浦政府还是只有非常小部分的法国人民可以投票。

We're talking about a government that was still favorable only to the interests of real elite¹⁶. 我们在讲的是一个仍然只对真正菁英的利益有利的政府。

And so the power of the people that we see here in this painting became dangerous, 所以我们在这幅画中看到的人民力量变得危险，

and the painting was taken down and not exhibited again until the revolution of 1848. 而这幅画被取下，且不再展出直到1848年的革命。

We'll look, for instance, at the extreme right side of the canvas, and you can make out the two towers of Notre Dame¹⁷ rising above the smoke of battle. 举例来说，我们会看到画布右侧末端，你可以辨别出圣母院的两座塔从战场的烟硝中扶摇直上。

And if you look very closely, you can see the tricolor on that symbol of the monarchy. 如果你非常仔细看，你可以看到那个君主政体象征上的三色旗。

And so this was such a radical image. 所以这是这样的一个激进影像。

Liberty is moving directly into our space, leading the people forward. 自由女神正在直接地移动到我们的空间，带领人们向前。

You can see why this painting ended up going essentially¹⁸ into storage. 你可以知道为什么这幅画最后必须待在仓库里。

 

1 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

2 barricade   

n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住

参考例句：

• The soldiers make a barricade across the road.士兵在路上设路障。
• It is difficult to break through a steel barricade.冲破钢铁障碍很难。

3 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

4 wagons   

n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车

参考例句：

• The wagons were hauled by horses. 那些货车是马拉的。
• They drew their wagons into a laager and set up camp. 他们把马车围成一圈扎起营地。

5 monarchy   

n.君主，最高统治者；君主政体，君主国

参考例句：

• The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture.英格兰的君主政体在英国文化中起重要作用。
• The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real.今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的，无甚实际意义。

6 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

7 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。

8 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

9 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

10 rue   

n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔

参考例句：

• You'll rue having failed in the examination.你会悔恨考试失败。
• You're going to rue this the longest day that you live.你要终身悔恨不尽呢。

11 invincible   

adj.不可征服的，难以制服的

参考例句：

• This football team was once reputed to be invincible.这支足球队曾被誉为无敌的劲旅。
• The workers are invincible as long as they hold together.只要工人团结一致，他们就是不可战胜的。

12 starkly   

adj. 变硬了的,完全的 adv. 完全,实在,简直

参考例句：

• The city of Befast remains starkly divided between Catholics and Protestants. 贝尔法斯特市完全被处在天主教徒和新教徒的纷争之中。
• The black rocks stood out starkly against the sky. 那些黑色的岩石在天空衬托下十分显眼。

13 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

14 intentionally   

ad.故意地，有意地

参考例句：

• I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
• The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

15 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

16 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。

17 dame   

n.女士

参考例句：

• The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
• If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会，你就要跟那个夫人结婚。

18 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。