纪录片《大英博物馆世界简史》 069瓦斯特克女神雕像（7）

 

Just as Tlazolteotl was held to consume actual filth¹, and thus restore life and goodness, she did the same in moral terms. She was, the Aztecs told the Spaniards, the goddess who received confessions³ of sexual sin:

"One recited before her all vanities, one spread before her all unclean works, however ugly, however grave... indeed all was exposed, told before her." (Bernardino de Sahagun)

To the Spanish friar, Bernardino de Sahagun, this seemed an uncanny parallel to Christian⁴ views on sexual sin and confession². We have to wonder at this point how far the Spaniards are seeing the Aztec - and through them the Huastec - goddesses in terms of their own traditions, especially of Mary. But the Christian tradition had removed Mary from any connection with sex, and the Spanish were disturbed by Tlazolteotl's inherent engagement with what they saw as filth. Sahagun deplores⁵ the fact that she is also "mistress of lust⁶ and debauchery". And the Aztecs in their turn despised their Huastec subjects as hopelessly licentious⁷.

特拉佐尔特奥特尔既然能吞下真正的污秽，还生活以清洁美好，自然也可以净化人的道德。阿兹特克人告诉西班牙人，她也是听取人忏悔性方面的堕落的女神：

人可以向她倾诉自己所有虚荣的行径，所有航脏的行为，不管多丑陋，多可怕…一切都可以向她坦承。

西班牙修道士伯纳狄诺·德萨哈冈认为这与基督教的性罪行和忏悔观念有着惊人的巧合。让我们好奇的是，西班牙人在何种程度上将阿兹特克的女神以及通过他们了解的瓦斯特克的女神，与自己的宗教传统，尤其是圣母马利亚联系起来。但是，基督教早已撇清了马利亚与任何性行为之间的关系。西班牙人也因特拉佐尔特奥特尔所固有的与污秽的关联而感到不适。德萨哈冈极其反对她的“色欲与放荡女神”这一身份。而阿兹特克人也转而鄙视瓦斯特克人的物品，认为它们放荡至极。

 

1 filth   

n.肮脏，污物，污秽；淫猥

参考例句：

• I don't know how you can read such filth.我不明白你怎么会去读这种淫秽下流的东西。
• The dialogue was all filth and innuendo.这段对话全是下流的言辞和影射。

2 confession   

n.自白，供认，承认

参考例句：

• Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
• The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。

3 confessions   

n.承认( confession的名词复数 )；自首；声明；（向神父的）忏悔

参考例句：

• It is strictly forbidden to obtain confessions and to give them credence. 严禁逼供信。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Neither trickery nor coercion is used to secure confessions. 既不诱供也不逼供。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 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。

5 deplores   

v.悲叹，痛惜，强烈反对( deplore的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He often deplores his past sins. 他经常痛悔自己过去的罪恶。 来自辞典例句
• Regretting the lack of spontaneity and real sensuousness in other contemporary poets, he deplores in Tennyson. 他对于和他同时代的诗人缺乏自发性和真实的敏感，感到惋惜，他对坦尼森感到悲痛。 来自辞典例句

6 lust   

n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望

参考例句：

• He was filled with lust for power.他内心充满了对权力的渴望。
• Sensing the explorer's lust for gold, the chief wisely presented gold ornaments as gifts.酋长觉察出探险者们垂涎黄金的欲念，就聪明地把金饰品作为礼物赠送给他们。

7 licentious   

adj.放纵的，淫乱的

参考例句：

• She felt uncomfortable for his licentious act.她对他放肆的行为感到有点不舒服。
• The licentious monarch helped bring about his country's downfall.这昏君荒淫无道，加速了这个国家的灭亡。