纪录片《大英博物馆世界简史》 058日本铜镜（1）

 

058：EPISODE 58 - Japanese Bronze mirror 日本铜镜

Bronze mirror (made twelfth century), from Japan

I am listening to the sound of the famous Trevi fountain in Rome, where every day tourists throw coins worth about 3,000 euros to secure¹ good luck and a return visit to Rome. People have been throwing valuable things into water for thousands of years. On the face of it, it's an extraordinary compulsion, but it seems to be a universal one, and it's not only coins into fountains with a light-hearted wish, it's often a deadly serious plea² to the gods. In rivers and ponds across Britain archaeologists regularly discover weapons, jewellery and precious metals that were given to the gods thousands of years ago. In the British Museum we have objects from all over the world that were once solemnly³ deposited⁴ in water. One of the most fascinating objects - and the subject of this programme - is a mirror thrown into a temple pool around nine hundred years ago, in Japan.

"I think that people who are interested in aesthetics⁵, and art, and taste, look back to the Heian period as one of the great cultures, not only in Japanese history but in the history of man." (Ian Buruma)

铜镜，来自日本，公元一千一百年至公元一千二百年

大多数人都有过向许愿井或喷泉里投掷硬币求好运的经历。游客投入罗马著名的特莱维喷泉的硬币金额日均高达三千欧元，他们希冀交到好运并故地重游。向水里投掷珍贵物品已是延续千年的传统。这似乎是人类难以抑制的一种冲动，早先也并非投一个硬币、随便许个小愿望那么简单；过去，人总用这种方式向神提出极其严肃的悬求。考古学家不断地在英国的河流与湖泊中发现数千年间世人敬献给诸神的武器、珠宝和贵金属。在大英博物馆，我们也收藏了来自世界各地的这类被肃穆或愉快地投入水中的物品。其中一面镜子的故事颇为有趣，它是在约九百年前被扔进日本一座寺庙的池子里的。

“我认为，对美学、艺术和品味感兴趣的人，回顾平安时代，不仅是日本历史上，也是人类历史上最伟大的文化之一。”（伊恩·布鲁马）

 

1 secure   

adj.无虑的，安心的，安全的；adj.牢靠的，稳妥的；vt.固定，获得，使...安全；vi.(海上工作人员)停止工；vi.(船)抛锚，停泊

参考例句：

• He found a secure foothold and pulled himself up.他找到了一个稳固的踏脚处并爬了上去。
• Extra men are needed to secure the camp against attack.需要增加兵力以保护军营免受攻击。

2 plea   

n.恳求，申诉，请愿，抗辩，借口

参考例句：

• The naughty boy left the classroom on the plea of a headache.那淘气的男孩借口头疼，离开了教室。
• In making that plea he will breathe in vain.他做那种恳求是白费口舌的。

3 solemnly   

ad.严肃地, 庄严地

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played. 奏国歌时全场肃立。

4 deposited   

存放( deposit的过去式和过去分词 )； （尤指小心地或准确地）放置； 付（保证金）； （把硬币）放入（自动售货机）

参考例句：

• It was deposited in the vaults of a bank. 它存在一家银行的保险库里。
• He deposited the money under [in] the name of his son. 他挂着他儿子的名（在银行）存款。

5 aesthetics   

n.(尤指艺术方面之)美学，审美学

参考例句：

• Sometimes, of course, our markings may be simply a matter of aesthetics. 当然，有时我们的标点符号也许只是个审美的问题。 来自名作英译部分
• The field of aesthetics presents an especially difficult problem to the historian. 美学领域向历史学家提出了一个格外困难的问题。