纪录片《大英博物馆世界简史》 049新罗瓦当(4)

Tiles like this were sought after not only because they were expensive to make but, above all, because they didn't catch fire like traditional thatch¹, and burning thatch was probably the greatest threat to any ancient city. By contrast, a tiled city was a safe city, and so it's perfectly² understandable that a ninth-century Korean commentator³, singing the splendours of the city at the height of its prosperity, should dwell lyrically on its roofs:

贵族使用瓦片，不只因为它价格昂贵，也是看中了它不似传统的茅草般易燃。屋顶着火是所有古代都市最大的隐患之一。而铺盖瓦片的城市是相对安全的。因此，九世纪朝鲜半岛的一位评论家在歌颂城市的华丽与高度繁荣时特别提到了屋顶，这是十分合情合理的：

"The capital Kyongju consisted of 178,936 houses…There was a villa⁴ and pleasure garden for each of the four seasons, to which the aristocrats⁵ resorted. Houses with tiled roofs stood in rows in the capital, and not a thatched roof was to be seen. Gentle rain came with harmonious⁶ blessings⁷ and all the harvests were plentiful⁸."

都城庆州共有十七万八千九百三十六座房屋…不同的季节里，王公贵族居住在不同的别墅与花园里。铺盖瓦片的房屋成行成列，不再有一个茅草屋顶。风调雨顺，五谷丰登。

This tile, though, wasn't intended merely to protect you against the "gentle rain". That was the job of the more prosaic⁹, undecorated tiles covering the whole roof. Sitting at the decorated end of a ridge¹⁰, glaring out across the city, our dragon tile was meant to ward¹¹ off a teeming¹² invisible army of hostile spirits and ghosts-protecting you not just against the weather but against the forces of evil.

但我们的这块瓦还不仅仅是用来遮挡柔风细雨的，那是覆盖整个屋顶、更加普通、没有装饰的瓦片的工作。而瓦当一般放在屋檐的最前端，俯视整个城市。瓦当上的龙用于抵御无形的妖魔鬼怪大军。不止遮风挡雨，更要驱走邪魔。

The dragon on our roof tile was, in a sense, just a humble¹³ foot-soldier in the great battle of the spirits that was being perpetually fought out at roof level, high above the streets of Kyongju. And it was only one of 40 different classes of protective beings, that formed a kind of defensive¹⁴ shield against spirit missiles, and that could be deployed¹⁵ at all times to protect the people and the state.

从某种意义上说，在庆州屋顶发生的这场与邪魔的大战中，我们这片瓦当上的龙顶多只能算个小小的步兵：总共有四十种不同的生物一起组成了防护阵营，随时抵御鬼怪，保卫国家和人民。

1 thatch   

vt.用茅草覆盖…的顶部；n.茅草(屋)

参考例句：

• They lit a torch and set fire to the chapel's thatch.他们点着一支火把，放火烧了小教堂的茅草屋顶。
• They topped off the hut with a straw thatch. 他们给小屋盖上茅草屋顶。

2 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

3 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

4 villa   

n.别墅，城郊小屋

参考例句：

• We rented a villa in France for the summer holidays.我们在法国租了一幢别墅消夏。
• We are quartered in a beautiful villa.我们住在一栋漂亮的别墅里。

5 aristocrats   

n.贵族( aristocrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many aristocrats were killed in the French Revolution. 许多贵族在法国大革命中被处死。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• To the Guillotine all aristocrats! 把全部贵族都送上断头台！ 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

6 harmonious   

adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的

参考例句：

• Their harmonious relationship resulted in part from their similar goals.他们关系融洽的部分原因是他们有着相似的目标。
• The room was painted in harmonious colors.房间油漆得色彩调和。

7 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 plentiful   

adj.富裕的，丰富的

参考例句：

• Their family has a plentiful harvest this year.他们家今年又丰收了。
• Rainfall is plentiful in the area.这个地区雨量充足。

9 prosaic   

adj.单调的，无趣的

参考例句：

• The truth is more prosaic.真相更加乏味。
• It was a prosaic description of the scene.这是对场景没有想象力的一个描述。

10 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

11 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

12 teeming   

adj.丰富的v.充满( teem的现在分词 )；到处都是；（指水、雨等）暴降；倾注

参考例句：

• The rain was teeming down. 大雨倾盆而下。
• the teeming streets of the city 熙熙攘攘的城市街道

13 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

14 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

15 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。