纪录片《佛教世界的七大奇观》 尼泊尔布特勒佛塔（5）

Coming here to Nepal, it has been relatively¹ straightforward² to identify two of the jewels of the triple jewels of Buddhism³.

来到尼泊尔，我们相对直观地认识了佛教三宝中的佛宝与僧宝。

The Buddha⁴ himself, both ideas about him and his image, are absolutely everywhere.

佛祖本身，他的思想以及形象，在此自然无处不在。

As is the Sangha, and here in Kathmandu, there are monks⁵ and nuns⁶ at every street corner.

而至于僧伽，在加德满都，街头巷尾都能见到他们的身影。

But what has been harder to pin down is the Dharma itself, the belief system, the philosophy, the religion, whatever you want to call it, of Buddhism.

但对“法”，却较难下定义。它是佛教的信仰系统、哲学、宗教，不管你如何称呼它。

Maybe it's unrealistic of me to expect there to be one single definition for such a broad concept.

对我来说，想用仅仅一个定义来解释法并不现实，因为法的概念非常宽泛。

The Buddha himself said the Dharma was like the salt of the oceans of the world, a universal taste.

佛陀说，“法”就像海洋中的盐，是一种很普遍的味道。

So, the Buddha implied the Dharma could be tasted anywhere, by anyone.

佛陀由此暗示，任何人在任何地方都能体验到法。

But the question for me, as a historian, is how that "taste" of the Buddhist⁷ Dharma could become "universal".

但对我这个历史学者来说，我的疑问是佛法的这种“味道”是如何变成“普遍”的？

Practically, how Buddhism established itself as a global belief-system.

尤其是佛教是如何成为世界性的信仰体系的？

Buddha's teachings were charismatic and radical⁸ for their time.

佛陀的教诲在他的那个年代是充满魅力并具有颠覆性的。

But, as with all big new ideas, they needed a groundswell of popular support or a patron, or both, to gain a firm foothold and to really fly.

但像所有伟大的新思想一样，佛教需要民众的踊跃支持，或是上层的赞许，抑或二者缺一不可，如此才能巩固基础，真正蓬勃发展起来。

While there was grassroots interest in, what he had to say, it was about 200 years after the Buddha's death that Buddhism got a major boost.

尽管有来自草根群体的支持，但不得不承认，直到佛陀圆寂后200年，佛教才开始迅猛发展。

In 250 BC, the ruthless, all-powerful emperor Ashoka, who controlled most of ancient India, proved Buddhism's greatest ally.

公元前250年，曾经残暴专制、统治着古印度大部分领土的君主阿育王，被认为是佛教最重要的盟友。

Ashoka was haunted by the memory of the blood that he'd acquired on his hands as a result of the cut and thrust of his rise to power and he decided⁹ to turn to "the good".

阿育王在夺取政权时杀人无数，血腥的场景经常折磨着他，他决定转而向善。

And in order to realize that ambition he vigorously promoted Buddhist ideals right across the Indian subcontinent.

为了实现这个志向，他向整个印度次大陆大力推广佛教理念。

According to Buddhist tradition, in the centuries following Ashoka's sponsorship of Buddha's ideas, the philosophy evolved into at least 18 different schools.

根据佛教的传说，在阿育王推广佛教后的几个世纪里，佛教发展出至少18个不同的宗派。

One of these, the Theravada, still survives today and is mainly associated with south and southeast Asia.

其中之一是小乘佛教，至今依然存在，主要在分布在南亚及东南亚地区。

Another came to be called the Mahayana, the "Great Vehicle" or "Way", now most often found in north and east Asia.

另一宗派被称为大乘佛教，意思是大的车乘或道路。现在主要分布在北亚和东亚。

Ashoka, by embracing Buddhism, put a particular emphasis on the consequences of his actions, on what he thought and how he lived in the world, on his Karma.

信奉佛教的阿育王非常重视他行为的后果、他的想法、他怎样在这个世界生活，以及他的“业”（因果报应）。

Karma is a word well known in the west today.

“业（因果报应）”这个字在现代西方社会广为人知。

It has its roots in early Indian belief systems, but the value of Karma became a fundamentally important Buddhist concept.

它来源于古印度的信仰体系，但如今“业（因果报应）”的观念已成为佛教的一个基本的、重要的观念。

And one that I am going to explore at The Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka, our next wonder of the Buddhist world.

我将在接下来要去斯里兰卡康提的佛牙寺继续探索它。

1 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

2 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

3 Buddhism   

n.佛教（教义）

参考例句：

• Buddhism was introduced into China about 67 AD.佛教是在公元67年左右传入中国的。
• Many people willingly converted to Buddhism.很多人情愿皈依佛教。

4 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。

5 monks   

n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The monks lived a very ascetic life. 僧侣过着很清苦的生活。
• He had been trained rigorously by the monks. 他接受过修道士的严格训练。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 nuns   

n.（通常指基督教的）修女， （佛教的）尼姑( nun的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Ah Q had always had the greatest contempt for such people as little nuns. 小尼姑之流是阿Q本来视如草芥的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Nuns are under vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. 修女须立誓保持清贫、贞洁、顺从。 来自辞典例句

7 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

8 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。