英语听力：自然百科 消失的西藏王朝古格(15)

The Tibetans had the deep abiding¹ instinct and understanding the nature of the human existence.

西藏人对于了解自然界中人类存在的原由拥有相当大的兴趣。

Why are humans born? Where have they come from? And where do they go?

为什么人类会诞生?他们从哪里来?曾经到哪里去?

First, through their native traditions, and later on through the media of Buddhism².

首先，透过他们的传统，接下来再透过佛教作为媒介。

Tibetans explored the nature of human existence, what it means to be a human being.

西藏人找到了人类存在的本质和身为人类代表的意义。

At the height of Torling's influence, it massed considerable wealth from donations made by pilgirms.

托林寺盛世时信徒的捐献令寺方累积庞大的财富。

By King's reign³, legend has it, the Torling's influence and wealth was so great it began to shadow the practical needs of the kingdom.

在赤扎西扎巴德国王的统治下据说托林寺的庞大影响及财富开始为古格王朝带来阴影。

Guge relyed on a great pool of laber to work the irrigation schemes, grow the barley⁴ and raise the herds⁵.

古格王朝依赖庞大的劳力来兴建灌溉沟渠，种植青稞，饲养牛羊。

But as more and more men flocked to the monasteries⁶, King saw his human resources dwindle⁷ and the economy became to suffer.

但越来越多人涌入庙寺为僧，赤扎西扎巴德发现他的人力正在短少经济开始陷入困境。

By 1630, relations between the king and his brother had reached the all-time low.

到了1630年国王与胞弟之间的关系下滑至最低点。

A bitter dispute broke up between them, a power struggle between the monastery⁸ and the monarchy⁹, between religion and state.

他们之间爆发激烈争执，僧院与政权，宗教与国家之间爆发权力争夺。

In the mix of all attention, all that was needed was a tiny spark to bring about the beginning of the end for Guge.

在这样紧张的气氛下，只要一点小火花就会启动古格王朝的灭亡齿轮。

For centuries, the abandoned ruins of Guge and the kingdom once flourished here remained a mystery and virtually unknown to the West.

几世纪来古格王朝的遗址及曾盛极一世的王朝对西方世界仍是个谜团。

Its remote location in the area of highlands of west Tibet kept it preserved almost intact.

地处西藏干旱高原使得遗址保存非常完好。

1 abiding   

adj.永久的，持久的，不变的

参考例句：

• He had an abiding love of the English countryside.他永远热爱英国的乡村。
• He has a genuine and abiding love of the craft.他对这门手艺有着真挚持久的热爱。

2 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。

3 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。

4 barley   

n.大麦，大麦粒

参考例句：

• They looked out across the fields of waving barley.他们朝田里望去,只见大麦随风摇摆。
• He cropped several acres with barley.他种了几英亩大麦。

5 herds   

兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众

参考例句：

• Regularly at daybreak they drive their herds to the pasture. 每天天一亮他们就把牲畜赶到草场上去。
• There we saw herds of cows grazing on the pasture. 我们在那里看到一群群的牛在草地上吃草。

6 monasteries   

修道院( monastery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• In ancient China, there were lots of monasteries. 在古时候，中国有许多寺院。
• The Negev became a religious center with many monasteries and churches. 内格夫成为许多庙宇和教堂的宗教中心。

7 dwindle   

v.逐渐变小（或减少）

参考例句：

• The factory's workforce has dwindled from over 4,000 to a few hundred.工厂雇员总数已经从4,000多人减少到几百人。
• He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority.他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。

8 monastery   

n.修道院，僧院，寺院

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• She was appointed the superior of the monastery two years ago.两年前她被任命为这个修道院的院长。

9 monarchy   

n.君主，最高统治者；君主政体，君主国

参考例句：

• The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture.英格兰的君主政体在英国文化中起重要作用。
• The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real.今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的，无甚实际意义。