纪录片《大英博物馆世界简史》 059婆罗浮屠佛陀头像（6）

 

The Raffles¹ collection consists of the two heads and some fragments gathered at Borobudur, and a modest number of ancient Hindu and Islamic works of art. But, in addition, he collected objects that for him summed up the Javanese culture of his own day - indeed in a later programme I'll be talking about some of his shadow puppets, the star attractions of popular theatre. This was a very particular kind of collecting: Raffles hoped that the objects themselves would plead the cause of this Indonesian civilisation², and would make it clear that the culture of Java was part of a greater South Asian cultural tradition.

Back in the British Museum, I'm standing³ in the section of the East Asia Gallery devoted⁴ to Java, with one of the fallen stone heads of the Buddha⁵ that Raffles found in the ruins at Borobudur. It's slightly larger than life-size and it shows the Buddha, with his eyes lowered, in a state of peaceful inner contemplation. His mouth has the classic serene⁶ half-smile, his hair is tightly curled, and we're reminded of his life as a prince - before he became enlightened - by the elongated⁷ earlobes, intended to suggest long years of wearing heavy gold earrings⁸. Looking at this head, I'm immediately reminded of the first human images of the Buddha made about five hundred years earlier, in north-western India, which I talked about in an earlier programme. Raffles of course knew India very well, and it was immediately clear to him that the statues of Borobudur - and indeed much of Javanese culture - owed a great deal to long and sustained contacts with India.

莱佛士的藏品包括婆罗浮屠的两尊佛头和些许碎石，以及为数不多的印度教与伊斯兰教的艺术品。还有一些藏品则展现了他在爪哇居住时期当地文化的面貌。他选择的藏品很特殊，因为他希望这些藏品本身便能证实爪哇文明的发达，让人了解到爪哇文化是南亚文化传统的重要组成部分，欧洲人应该将其与自己的文化一视同仁。莱佛士意欲掀起一场文化的革命，让世人了解世界历史并非以地中海文化为中心，亦并非以其为巅峰。

莱佛士在婆罗浮屠捡拾的佛头中的一个，如今被摆放在大英博物馆东亚厅爪哇区。它比真人头略大，双眼低垂呈冥思状，嘴角一抹经典肃穆的浅笑，螺发紧紧贴在头上，过长的耳垂表明长年悬挂沉甸甸的金耳环，是他成佛之前尊贵的王子身份的体现。它让我们立刻联想到印度西北部第一尊以人形出现的佛陀雕像（第41节)，其制作时间比这一座早了近五百年。莱佛士熟谙印度文化，清楚婆罗浮屠的佛像乃至爪哇文化都与印度有着干丝万缕的联系。

1 raffles   

n.抽彩售物( raffle的名词复数 )v.以抽彩方式售（物）( raffle的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Elsa and I will buzz on to the Raffles bar. 埃尔莎和我继续往前去，到拉福尔旅馆的酒巴。 来自辞典例句
• Tudsbury rushed to the Raffles and dictated this hot story to Pamela. 塔茨伯利冲到拉福尔旅馆，对帕米拉口述了这个最新消息。 来自辞典例句

2 civilisation   

n.文明，文化，开化，教化

参考例句：

• Energy and ideas are the twin bases of our civilisation.能源和思想是我们文明的两大基石。
• This opera is one of the cultural totems of Western civilisation.这部歌剧是西方文明的文化标志物之一。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

5 Buddha   

n.佛；佛像；佛陀

参考例句：

• Several women knelt down before the statue of Buddha and prayed.几个妇女跪在佛像前祈祷。
• He has kept the figure of Buddha for luck.为了图吉利他一直保存着这尊佛像。

6 serene   

adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的

参考例句：

• He has entered the serene autumn of his life.他已进入了美好的中年时期。
• He didn't speak much,he just smiled with that serene smile of his.他话不多，只是脸上露出他招牌式的淡定的微笑。

7 elongated   

v.延长，加长( elongate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Modigliani's women have strangely elongated faces. 莫迪里阿尼画中的妇女都长着奇长无比的脸。
• A piece of rubber can be elongated by streching. 一块橡皮可以拉长。 来自《用法词典》

8 earrings   

n.耳环( earring的名词复数 )；耳坠子

参考例句：

• a pair of earrings 一对耳环
• These earrings snap on with special fastener. 这付耳环是用特制的按扣扣上去的。 来自《简明英汉词典》