2019年CRI 兵马俑展在墨尔本开幕

The new exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria, the NGV, is on a much larger scale than the previous showing of these well-known Chinese relics¹.

"Terracotta Warriors²: Guardians³ of Immortality⁴" features 8 life-size warriors, 2 life-size horses, and two half-size replica⁵ bronze chariots, each drawn⁶ by four horses. Gold, jade⁷, and bronze artifacts dating back thousands of years are also showcased in the exhibition.

Sasha Grishin, an art historian from the Australian National University, traveled from Canberra to Melbourne for the chance to see these sculptures again up close. He was here when the Terracotta Warriors came to Melbourne back in 1982.

"In 1982, when the Terracotta Warriors came, that was already a very long time ago. And we had a different perspective on China. It was exotic then. Here we're looking not at the exotic, but we're looking at important art. And we're seeing China not as something out there, but China as being part of the global art community. And seeing it in the context of very important contemporary Chinese art, that's a very important development."

Zhou Kuiying is the deputy director of the Cultural Heritage Administration of Shaanxi Province, the home of the Terracotta Warriors. He said the exhibition can play a role in building cultural ties between China and Australia.

"Over more than 30 years, we have discovered many artifacts in China, including more Terracotta Warriors. Many of the sculptures and artifacts here today are part of the new discoveries. We hope exhibits like this will help Australians, especially young people, to understand ancient Chinese culture, and the China of today, as this can strengthen mutual⁹ trust and friendship between Chinese and Australian people."

Alongside the Terracotta Warriors exhibition, the NGV is also showcasing works by the contemporary Chinese artist Cai Guoqiang. One of the highlights is an installation containing 10 thousand porcelain¹⁰ birds, which seeks to create a scene at Mount Li where China's first emperor Qin Shihuang and his warriors were buried.

Wayne Crothers is the senior curator of Asian art at the NGV. He hopes that the two exhibitions, which contrast ancient and modern Chinese art, can create a dialogue that will inspire the public.

"We saw them as being a wonderful sort of two exhibitions to be brought together in a dialogue with each other. And also we wanted to inspire the visitors not just to view the objects as historical pieces. We wanted to let them be inspired by a great sort of contemporary mind which works in conversation, in dialogue with the historical pieces. And allow the public to be inspired and create their own type of feelings, experiences and understanding of Chinese culture itself, both past and present."

The organizers are looking to attract a broad audience with these exhibitions. And it is especially keen to draw in members of younger generations.

With this in mind, in the gallery's gift shop are Terracotta Warrior-themed poker¹¹ cards, books specially⁸ designed for children, and more. The exhibition opens to the public on Friday and will run until October.

For CRI, this is Feifei in Melbourne.

1 relics   

[pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸

参考例句：

• The area is a treasure house of archaeological relics. 这个地区是古文物遗迹的宝库。
• Xi'an is an ancient city full of treasures and saintly relics. 西安是一个有很多宝藏和神圣的遗物的古老城市。

2 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

3 guardians   

监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者

参考例句：

• Farmers should be guardians of the countryside. 农民应是乡村的保卫者。
• The police are guardians of law and order. 警察是法律和秩序的护卫者。

4 immortality   

n.不死，不朽

参考例句：

• belief in the immortality of the soul 灵魂不灭的信念
• It was like having immortality while you were still alive. 仿佛是当你仍然活着的时候就得到了永生。

5 replica   

n.复制品

参考例句：

• The original conservatory has been rebuilt in replica.温室已按原样重建。
• The young artist made a replica of the famous painting.这位年轻的画家临摹了这幅著名的作品。

6 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

7 jade   

n.玉石；碧玉；翡翠

参考例句：

• The statue was carved out of jade.这座塑像是玉雕的。
• He presented us with a couple of jade lions.他送给我们一对玉狮子。

8 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

9 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

10 porcelain   

n.瓷；adj.瓷的，瓷制的

参考例句：

• These porcelain plates have rather original designs on them.这些瓷盘的花纹很别致。
• The porcelain vase is enveloped in cotton.瓷花瓶用棉花裹着。

11 poker   

n.扑克；vt.烙制

参考例句：

• He was cleared out in the poker game.他打扑克牌，把钱都输光了。
• I'm old enough to play poker and do something with it.我打扑克是老手了，可以玩些花样。