纪录片《大英博物馆世界简史》 038球赛带(4)

But these games were far more than just competitive sports, they held a special place in the belief system of the ancient Central Americans, and our stone belt is a clue to these hidden beliefs. Along the outside of the belt are carved designs, and on the front of the curve of the horseshoe shape, cut into the polished stone, is the stylised image of a toad¹. I can see a broad mouth stretching the whole length of the curve, and behind the eyes bulbous glands³ that extend back to the crouched⁴ hind² legs. Zoologists⁵ have even been able to identify the species as the Giant Mexican Toad-'Bufo marinus'. But to us it's just an ugly, rather sinister⁶ animal.

但这样的比赛并不只是竞技体育。它们在古代中美洲人的信仰中还占有特殊的位置。我们的石制腰带提供了一条解开这些神秘信仰的线索。腰带外侧雕有图案，前方弯折处刻了一只光润的蟾蜍。它的大嘴与弯折处等长，眼后方的球根状腺一直延伸到蜷曲的后腿。动物学家称之为美洲巨蟾蜍。但依我们的审美角度，它就是一只奇丑无比的动物。

Perhaps the key to understanding this object is that this toad excretes a hallucinogenic substance, and Central Americans believed that it represented an earth goddess. Belts for ball games were made with various underworld animals carved into them, and this tells us that they were meant to be viewed not individually but rather as part of a broader ritual. It seems that the painful intensity⁷ of the ball game symbolised the constant cosmic struggle between the forces of life and death. Here's Michael Whittington again:

也许我们了解这条腰带的关键是，这种蟾蜍会分泌出一种致幻物质，而中美洲人视之为一位土地女神的化身。球类比赛的腰带上刻着各种生活在地下的动物，因此它们可能都是某种大型仪式的部分, 而不是单独存在的。激烈的比赛象征着生与死两股巨大的力量无穷尽的争斗。迈克尔惠廷顿解释道:

"Well I think it's absolutely a metaphor⁸ for how Mesoamericans view the world. When you look at one of the great creation stories in Mesoamerica-the Popol Vuh-there are twins. Their names were Xbalanque and Hunahpuh.

我认为这是中美洲人世界观的一个隐喻。中美洲玛雅人的史 《波波尔乌》中提到了一对孪生兄弟，乌纳普和斯巴兰克。

1 toad   

n.蟾蜍，癞蛤蟆

参考例句：

• Both the toad and frog are amphibian.蟾蜍和青蛙都是两栖动物。
• Many kinds of toad hibernate in winter.许多种蟾蜍在冬天都会冬眠。

2 hind   

adj.后面的，后部的

参考例句：

• The animal is able to stand up on its hind limbs.这种动物能够用后肢站立。
• Don't hind her in her studies.不要在学业上扯她后腿。

3 glands   

n.腺( gland的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a snake's poison glands 蛇的毒腺
• the sebaceous glands in the skin 皮脂腺

4 crouched   

v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He crouched down beside her. 他在她的旁边蹲了下来。
• The lion crouched ready to pounce. 狮子蹲下身，准备猛扑。

5 zoologists   

动物学家( zoologist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Zoologists refer barnacles to Crustanceans. 动物学家把螺蛳归入甲壳类。
• It is now a source of growing interest for chemists and zoologists as well. 它现在也是化学家和动物学家愈感兴趣的一个所在。

6 sinister   

adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的

参考例句：

• There is something sinister at the back of that series of crimes.在这一系列罪行背后有险恶的阴谋。
• Their proposals are all worthless and designed out of sinister motives.他们的建议不仅一钱不值，而且包藏祸心。

7 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

8 metaphor   

n.隐喻，暗喻

参考例句：

• Using metaphor,we say that computers have senses and a memory.打个比方，我们可以说计算机有感觉和记忆力。
• In poetry the rose is often a metaphor for love.玫瑰在诗中通常作为爱的象征。