纪录片《大英博物馆世界简史》 049新罗瓦当(1)

049：EPISODE 49 - Korean Roof Tile 新罗瓦当

Korean roof tile (made eighth century AD). Ceramic¹; from South Korea

If, in the course of today, you use a mobile phone, drive a car or watch TV, or if you find your children playing with their robot pet, the chances are that at least one of these objects will have been made in Korea. As we all know, Korea is one of Asia's "tiger" economies, provider of high technology to the world. We tend to think of it as a new player on the global stage - but that of course is not how Koreans see themselves, for Korea has always been pivotal in relations between China and Japan, and it has a long tradition of technological² inventions. It was Korea, for example, that pioneered moveable metal type, and it did it so well before it was invented in Europe. Besides its technology, the other thing that we all know about Korea today is that, since the end of the Second World War in 1945, it has been bitterly and dangerously divided between a communist north and a capitalist south.

手机、电视、汽车，如果你使用这些产品，或者和你的小孩子一起玩耍的机器宠物，很可能其中至少有一件来自韩国。韩国是亚洲经济四小龙之一，一个高科技产业国家。人们可能会把它当作国际舞台上的新成员，但他们自己可不这么认为。朝鲜半岛一直在中日关系中扮演重要角色，他们在科技创新方面也有悠久的历史。比如，他们最早创造了金属活字，远早于欧洲。除科技外，大家对他们 最熟悉的一点，可能是自一九五三年朝鲜战争结束以来，朝鲜半岛就被迫分为两个国家，北边的共产主义朝鲜和南边的资本主义韩国。

Today's object takes us to Korea around the year 700 AD, to a state, newly unified³, that was enjoying great prosperity. To a moment in its history that is inevitably⁴ now read differently by north and south, but is still central to any modern definition of Korean identity.

这片瓦当来自公元七百年左右的新罗，当时这个刚统一不久的国家正处于经济繁荣时期。这段历史如今在朝鲜和韩国有着不同的解读方式，但它仍然是全体朝鲜人现代民族认同感的核心。

1 ceramic   

n.制陶业，陶器，陶瓷工艺

参考例句：

• The order for ceramic tiles has been booked in.瓷砖的订单已登记下来了。
• Some ceramic works of art are shown in this exhibition.这次展览会上展出了一些陶瓷艺术品。

2 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

3 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

4 inevitably   

adv.不可避免地；必然发生地

参考例句：

• In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
• Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。