纪录片《大英博物馆世界简史》 068湿婆与雪山女神像（1）

 

068：EPISODE 68 - Shiva and Parvati Sculpture 湿婆与雪山女神像

Shiva and Parvati sculpture (made in twelfth or thirteenth century). Stone statue; from Orissa, IndiaThere are many surprises about working in the British Museum, and one of them is that we occasionally find offerings of flowers or fruit reverently¹ placed in front of the Hindu sculptures. It's a touching² demonstration³ that religious objects don't need to lose their sacred dimension when they move into the secular⁴ museum, and it's also a reminder⁵ that in the census⁶ of 2001, nearly five per cent of the population of England and Wales stated that their family origins were in the Indian subcontinent.

It's all part of a long shared history that has sometimes been violent and conflictual, and always been intense. For centuries the British have been fascinated by the cultures of India, and they have struggled with greater or lesser⁷ success to understand them. For the eighteenth-century European, the most intriguing⁸ mystery of India was Hinduism, a faith that confusingly seemed to advocate both world-denying asceticism⁹ and riotous¹⁰ physical pleasure. Why were some Hindu temples, unlike English cathedrals, richly decorated with erotic sculpture? Where the Christian¹¹ god endured unbearable¹² suffering, Hindu gods seemed to rejoice in sex. But around 1800, one man, Charles Stuart, decided¹³ to explain to the British that Hinduism should be seriously studied and greatly admired. As part of his campaign, he collected and displayed pieces of ancient temple sculpture - and one of those pieces is the object of this programme.

"This Maharaja Chitraketu was passing by, and he thought it was very funny that Shiva himself was sitting there having a class on spiritual life and detachment, with his wife sitting on his lap, a very attractive wife, with his arm around her. And he just . . . he laughed!" (Shaunaka Rishi Das)

"Hinduism is about joy, but it never forgets the struggle." (Karen Armstrong)

湿婆与雪山女神像

石制雕像，来自印度奥里萨邦

公元一千一百年至公元一千三百年

在大英博物馆工作总会遇到很多惊喜，其中之一便是，我们时常会发现在印度教雕像前恭敬地摆放着鲜花或水果。这样的场景总是很动人，它表明宗教物品虽然被送进了世俗的博物馆，却也未必会丧失神圣性。这也让我们想起，在二一年英格兰及威尔士的人口普查中，有接近5%的居民声称他们的家庭出身于印度次大陆。

这是一段悠长共享的历史中的片段，在这段历史中，虽然暴力时有发生，但联系一贯密切。数个世纪以来，英国人一直为印度的文化着迷，并通过努力多少了解了他们。对十八世纪的欧洲而言，印度最大的奥秘是印度教，因为这种宗教一方面鼓吹否定世界的禁欲主义，一方面提倡放浪的肉体欢愉，令人困惑不已。为什么很多印度教寺庙有别于英国的基督教堂，遍布带有色情意义的雕像？基督教的耶稣承受着剧烈的痛苦，而印度教的众神却沉溺在肉欲之欢中。1800年左右，一个名叫查尔斯·斯图亚特的英国人决心向国人证明，印度教应该受到广泛尊崇与认真研究。

收集和展示古印度寺庙中的雕像也是他行动的一部分，其中之一便是本节要介绍的文物。

1 reverently   

adv.虔诚地

参考例句：

• He gazed reverently at the handiwork. 他满怀敬意地凝视着这件手工艺品。
• Pork gazed at it reverently and slowly delight spread over his face. 波克怀着愉快的心情看着这只表，脸上慢慢显出十分崇敬的神色。

2 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

3 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

4 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

5 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。

6 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

7 lesser   

adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地

参考例句：

• Kept some of the lesser players out.不让那些次要的球员参加联赛。
• She has also been affected,but to a lesser degree.她也受到波及，但程度较轻。

8 intriguing   

adj.有趣的；迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词)；激起…的好奇心

参考例句：

• These discoveries raise intriguing questions. 这些发现带来了非常有趣的问题。
• It all sounds very intriguing. 这些听起来都很有趣。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 asceticism   

n.禁欲主义

参考例句：

• I am not speaking here about asceticism or abstinence.我说的并不是苦行主义或禁欲主义。
• Chaucer affirmed man's rights to pursue earthly happiness and epposed asceticism.乔叟强调人权，尤其是追求今生今世幸福快乐的权力，反对神权与禁欲主义。

10 riotous   

adj.骚乱的；狂欢的

参考例句：

• Summer is in riotous profusion.盛夏的大地热闹纷繁。
• We spent a riotous night at Christmas.我们度过了一个狂欢之夜。

11 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

12 unbearable   

adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的

参考例句：

• It is unbearable to be always on thorns.老是处于焦虑不安的情况中是受不了的。
• The more he thought of it the more unbearable it became.他越想越觉得无法忍受。

13 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。