2015年经济学人 乌克兰的文化战争 历史的教训

Culture wars in Ukraine

History lessons

The conflict in Ukraine spreads to its museums

“HE WHO controls the past controls the future.” Orwell's dictum now faces a new test.

Shortly before Russia annexed¹ Crimea, the Bakhchisaray museum, north of Sevastopol,

lent some valuable artefacts to an exhibition in the Netherlands.

The question as to which country these (and other objects from Crimean museums) should return is creating a diplomatic conundrum².

“Let yourself be overwhelmed by the gold of Crimea,” boasts the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam.

Never before has Ukraine lent so many mostly Crimean treasures.

The Black Sea peninsula is filled with gems³ left by invaders⁴ over the centuries.

The exhibition includes a Scythian gold helmet from 400 BC,

pottery⁵ from Greek colonisers and a lacquered Chinese box that came along the Silk Road.

“We have given our very best objects,” sighs Valentina Mordvintseva, a curator at the Crimean branch of the Institute of Archaeology⁶.

She fears she may not see them again.

Who is the rightful owner? On legal grounds,

Kiev has the upper hand because the Allard Pierson signed a loan agreement with the Ukrainian state.

And as the Netherlands does not recognise Russia's annexation⁷, Ukraine still owns the property.

Yet the Dutch also signed contracts directly with the lending museums.

And, says Inge van der Vlies, a professor at the University of Amsterdam,

there is an ethical⁸ case for returning the objects to them.

But there is no guarantee that Russia might not pinch the pieces the moment they arrive.

The Dutch foreign minister, Frans Timmermans,

does not wish to meddle⁹ but he also wants to avoid being seen to accept a new form of art looting.

This may be impossible; whether the gold returns to Crimea or to Kiev, each side will accuse the Dutch of pilfering¹⁰.

A UNESCO resolution warns of the “massive transfer of priceless cultural objects from Crimean museums to the Russian capital”.

But a rogue¹¹ Russia is hardly going to be deterred¹² by reminders¹³ to stick to its obligations under international law relating to cultural property.

1 annexed   

[法] 附加的，附属的

参考例句：

• Germany annexed Austria in 1938. 1938年德国吞并了奥地利。
• The outlying villages were formally annexed by the town last year. 那些偏远的村庄于去年正式被并入该镇。

2 conundrum   

n.谜语；难题

参考例句：

• Let me give you some history about a conundrum.让我给你们一些关于谜题的历史。
• Scientists had focused on two explanations to solve this conundrum.科学家已锁定两种解释来解开这个难题。

3 gems   

growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长

参考例句：

• a crown studded with gems 镶有宝石的皇冠
• The apt citations and poetic gems have adorned his speeches. 贴切的引语和珠玑般的诗句为他的演说词增添文采。

4 invaders   

入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They prepared to repel the invaders. 他们准备赶走侵略军。
• The family has traced its ancestry to the Norman invaders. 这个家族将自己的世系追溯到诺曼征服者。

5 pottery   

n.陶器，陶器场

参考例句：

• My sister likes to learn art pottery in her spare time.我妹妹喜欢在空余时间学习陶艺。
• The pottery was left to bake in the hot sun.陶器放在外面让炎热的太阳烘晒焙干。

6 archaeology   

n.考古学

参考例句：

• She teaches archaeology at the university.她在大学里教考古学。
• He displayed interest in archaeology.他对考古学有兴趣。

7 annexation   

n.吞并，合并

参考例句：

• He mentioned the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910 .他提及1910年日本对朝鲜的吞并。
• I regard the question of annexation as belonging exclusively to the United States and Texas.我认为合并的问题，完全属于德克萨斯和美国之间的事。

8 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

9 meddle   

v.干预，干涉，插手

参考例句：

• I hope he doesn't try to meddle in my affairs.我希望他不来干预我的事情。
• Do not meddle in things that do not concern you.别参与和自己无关的事。

10 pilfering   

v.偷窃（小东西），小偷( pilfer的现在分词 )；偷窃（一般指小偷小摸）

参考例句：

• He was caught pilfering. 他行窃时被抓个正着。
• Pilfering has stopped entirely since they put Angus in charge of the stores. 自从他们让安格斯掌管商店以来，小偷小摸就杜绝了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 rogue   

n.流氓；v.游手好闲

参考例句：

• The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。
• They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。

12 deterred   

v.阻止，制止( deter的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I told him I wasn't interested, but he wasn't deterred. 我已告诉他我不感兴趣，可他却不罢休。
• Jeremy was not deterred by this criticism. 杰里米没有因这一批评而却步。 来自辞典例句

13 reminders   

n.令人回忆起…的东西( reminder的名词复数 )；提醒…的东西；（告知该做某事的）通知单；提示信

参考例句：

• The film evokes chilling reminders of the war. 这部电影使人们回忆起战争的可怕场景。
• The strike has delayed the mailing of tax reminders. 罢工耽搁了催税单的投寄。