TED演讲:无神论2.0(8)

 　　The two really bad ideas that are hovering¹ in the modern world  在当代世界有两个特别糟糕的想法

　　that inhibit² our capacity to draw strength from art:  他们抑制了我们在艺术里获得力量的本领

　　The first idea is that art should be for art's sake -- a ridiculous idea -- 第一，艺术就为了艺术而存在 --说起来很荒谬 --

　　an idea that art should live in a hermetic bubble and should not try to do anything with this troubled world. 艺术应该在一个封闭的世界里存在，不应该去打扰我们世俗的纠纷

　　I couldn't disagree more.  我十分十分不赞同这个想法

　　The other thing that we believe is that art shouldn't explain itself, that artists shouldn't say what they're up to, 另外，我们还相信艺术不应该被诠释，艺术家们不应该解释他们到底在干什么

　　because if they said it, it might destroy the spell and we might find it too easy. 因为如果他们说了，艺术就没有任何魔力了，而且我们还觉得艺术没什么深度

　　That's why a very common feeling when you're in a museum -- let's admit it -- is, "I don't know what this is about." 这就是为什么在艺术馆我们通常会感受到的--承认吧--我们会想 "我完全不知道这作品是什么东西"

　　But if we're serious people, we don't admit to that.  但如果我们是严肃的人，我们是不会承认的

　　But that feeling of puzzlement is structural³ to contemporary art. 但正是那样的感觉构造了当代艺术

　　Now religions have a much saner⁴ attitude to art. They have no trouble telling us what art is about. 现在宗教对艺术有了很多理智的态度。他们可以很简单告诉我们什么是艺术

　　Art is about two things in all the major faiths.  在主流的信仰中，艺术无非关于两种东西

　　Firstly, it's trying to remind you of what there is to love. 第一，艺术告诉你这世界有爱

　　And secondly⁵, it's trying to remind you of what there is to fear and to hate. 第二，艺术提醒你这世界也有恐惧和憎恨

　　And that's what art is.  而这就是艺术

　　Art is a visceral encounter with the most important ideas of your faith.  艺术表达了你内心最重要的信仰

　　So as you walk around a church, or a mosque⁶ or a cathedral, 所以当你走进教堂，或者走进清真寺的时候

　　what you're trying to imbibe⁷, what you're imbibing⁸ is, through your eyes, through your senses, 通过你的五官，你最想感受的是那些真理

　　truths that have otherwise come to you through your mind.  那些掠过你思想中的真理

　　Essentially⁹ it's propaganda. Rembrandt is a propagandist in the Christian¹⁰ view. 本质上那是宗教的宣传。在基督教看来，伦勃朗是个宣传者

　　Now the word "propaganda" sets off alarm bells. We think of Hitler, we think of Stalin. Don't, necessarily. 现在 "宣传"一词让人们警觉，我们想到希特勒和斯大林，但其实没有这个必要

　　Propaganda is a manner of being didactic in honor of something.  这只是一个宣扬某种东西的手段

　　And if that thing is good, there's no problem with it at all.  如果宣扬的东西是有益处的，那这手段也没什么问题

1 hovering   

鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
• I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

2 inhibit   

vt.阻止，妨碍，抑制

参考例句：

• Don't let ego and greed inhibit clear thinking and hard work.不要让自我和贪婪妨碍清晰的思维和刻苦的工作。
• They passed a law to inhibit people from parking in the street.他们通过一项法令以阻止人们在街上停车。

3 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

4 saner   

adj.心智健全的( sane的比较级 )；神志正常的；明智的；稳健的

参考例句：

• He seemed wiser than Hurstwood, saner and brighter than Drouet. 他看上去比赫斯渥明智，比杜洛埃稳舰聪明。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Such brooding didn't make him any saner. 然而，苦思冥想并没有使他头脑清醒。 来自辞典例句

5 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

6 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

7 imbibe   

v.喝，饮；吸入，吸收

参考例句：

• Plants imbibe nourishment usually through their leaves and roots.植物通常经过叶和根吸收养分。
• I always imbibe fresh air in the woods.我经常在树林里呼吸新鲜空气。

8 imbibing   

v.吸收( imbibe的现在分词 )；喝；吸取；吸气

参考例句：

• It was not long before the imbibing began to tell. 很快，喝酒喝得有效果了。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• The soil expands upon imbibing water. 土壤会由于吸水而膨胀。 来自辞典例句

9 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。

10 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。