纪录片《佛教世界的七大奇观》泰国卧佛寺（2）（打印版）

The gold Buddha is 141ft long and 49ft high.

这尊黄金卧佛有141英尺（43米）长49英尺（15米）高。

Started in 1788, it took over five years to build.

于1788年动工，历时五年建成。

This's one of the most stunning, gobsmacking works of monumental art I have ever seen.

这是我见过的最惊人、最令人瞠目结舌的巨型艺术作品之一。

I have to say I love its audacity, I love the fact that it says,

我忍不住要说，我热爱这佛像的雄伟壮观。卧佛好像在对我说，

"Look at me, look at what mankind can do when he manipulates raw materials to create a thing of beauty."

“看看我，看看人类的巧夺天工，能用原材料创造出如此美丽的事物。”

Because here there are thousands of fragments of mother-of-pearl used and a 153 plates of gold.

因为人们使用了数千片珍珠贝母和153盘黄金。

But what it doesn't seem to me to say is that this is an incarnation of the Middle Path,

但在我看来，这并不像是“中道”的体现。

that essential Buddhist notion that extremes and excesses should be avoided at all costs.

因为在佛教的基本理念中，极端和过度的行为是应不惜一切代价要避免的。

Because there is no doubt that this is a thing of opulence.

而这黄金卧佛，毫无疑问，是富丽堂皇的。

It's enormous, it's gorgeous and it's very sensuous.

他是如此恢宏，壮观富于美感。

In history of Thailand, there are a lot of large-scale reclining Buddhas built all over central part of Thailand.

泰国历史上有许多巨型卧佛且遍布泰国中部地区。

Because to build a reclining Buddha,

建造卧佛可不是件容易的事情，

it's not a very easy process because most of the reclining Buddha is not made from casting it's made from bricks, plaster, or cement.

因为大多数卧佛不是铸造的，而是由砖、石膏、水泥修筑成的。

It's considered very respectful image, so it must be decorated with very valuable materials.

这是非常让人心生敬仰的形象，所以必须用非常贵重的材料来装饰。

And, of course, the most valuable materials for decorating the image of Lord Buddha should be gold.

装饰佛像最为尊贵的材料当然是黄金。

Gold in Buddhism symbolizes the sun, or fire.

在佛教中，金色象征太阳和火。

The most valuable of metals, it is accorded a sacred status through its association with Surya, the sun god of the Hindu pantheon.

这种最有价值的金属凭借它与印度教太阳神苏利耶的联系，被赋予了一种神圣的地位。