美国国家公共电台 NPR Three Years After A Car Bomb Damaged It, Cairo's Islamic Art Museum Reopens

 

LOURDES GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:

A museum in Cairo that was damaged by a car bomb three years ago recently opened its doors again. The Museum of Islamic Art houses some of the most important treasures of Islamic culture. NPR's Jane Arraf was there to take a look.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JANE ARRAF, BYLINE¹: Sufi dancers whirl in the stone courtyard of the museum, their spotless white robes billowing. It's a form of prayer. You can see it in the look of pure devotion in the dancers' faces. Inside, the Museum of Islamic Art is full of other expressions of devotion, the painstaking² work of artists and craftspeople over the richest centuries of innovation in the Islamic world.

Shahinda Karim, a professor of Islamic art, takes diplomats³ and journalists into the new galleries.

SHAHINDA KARIM: You're not talking about one country, and you're not talking about one dynasty. You're talking about countries from Spain to China and from centuries from the 7th until today.

ARRAF: Karim shows us incredibly intricate wooden panels with repeating patterns of interlocking geometric shapes, incense⁴ burners covered in gold and diamonds, floral-patterned Persian carpets so finely woven they're almost paper-thin...

KARIM: This is a masterpiece of a carpet. It's from the Safavid, which is the 16th century, from Persia.

ARRAF: ...And miniature paintings of palace life so finely drawn⁵ that a single squirrel hair was used as a paintbrush.

Near the entrance is a delicate enameled⁶ glass bottle from Syria more than 800 years old. It's one of 169 objects restored after the blast three years ago. You can see where it was glued back together. Karim says the damage to the museum was devastating⁷.

KARIM: We cried so much when we first saw it because a lot of what you see today standing⁸ was in pieces.

ARRAF: The U.S. government helped repair the museum's intricate stone and wood facade⁹. United Arab Emirates provided the money to renovate¹⁰ the interior. Signs in the museum remind people of the scientific and artistic¹¹ contributions of what some call the Golden Age of Islam. The exhibits include an engraved¹² astrolabe, one of the first devices used to navigate¹³ by the stars. Karim, from The American University in Cairo, believes the museum will help counter negative images of Islam.

KARIM: It will show people that this was one of the most advanced cultures. And you have to see through art because it's art that shows you the beauty.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (Foreign language spoken).

ARRAF: Outside, Egypt's minister of antiquities¹⁴ says the reopening is proof that terrorism will not cripple the country with fear.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

ARRAF: And then the music - attuned¹⁵ to the heavens, the dancers whirl on.

Jane Arraf, NPR News, Cairo.

1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 painstaking   

adj.苦干的；艰苦的，费力的，刻苦的

参考例句：

• She is not very clever but she is painstaking.她并不很聪明，但肯下苦功夫。
• Through years of our painstaking efforts,we have at last achieved what we have today.大家经过多少年的努力，才取得今天的成绩。

3 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 incense   

v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气

参考例句：

• This proposal will incense conservation campaigners.这项提议会激怒环保人士。
• In summer,they usually burn some coil incense to keep away the mosquitoes.夏天他们通常点香驱蚊。

5 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。

6 enameled   

涂瓷釉于，给…上瓷漆，给…上彩饰( enamel的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The grey walls were divided into artificial paneling by strips of white-enameled pine. 灰色的墙壁用漆白的松木条隔成镶板的模样。
• I want a pair of enameled leather shoes in size 38. 我要一双38号的亮漆皮鞋。

7 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

8 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

9 facade   

n.(建筑物的)正面，临街正面；外表

参考例句：

• The entrance facade consists of a large full height glass door.入口正面有一大型全高度玻璃门。
• If you look carefully,you can see through Bob's facade.如果你仔细观察，你就能看穿鲍勃的外表。

10 renovate   

vt.更新，革新，刷新

参考例句：

• The couple spent thousands renovating the house.这对夫妇花了几千元来翻新房子。
• They are going to renovate the old furniture.他们准备将旧家具整修一番。

11 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

12 engraved   

v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中）

参考例句：

• The silver cup was engraved with his name. 银杯上刻有他的名字。
• It was prettily engraved with flowers on the back. 此件雕刻精美，背面有花饰图案。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 navigate   

v.航行，飞行；导航，领航

参考例句：

• He was the first man to navigate the Atlantic by air.他是第一个飞越大西洋的人。
• Such boats can navigate on the Nile.这种船可以在尼罗河上航行。

14 antiquities   

n.古老( antiquity的名词复数 )；古迹；古人们；古代的风俗习惯

参考例句：

• There is rest and healing in the contemplation of antiquities. 欣赏古物有休息和疗养之功。 来自辞典例句
• Bertha developed a fine enthusiasm for the antiquities of London. 伯沙对伦敦的古迹产生了很大的热情。 来自辞典例句

15 attuned   

v.使协调( attune的过去式和过去分词 )；调音

参考例句：

• She wasn't yet attuned to her baby's needs. 她还没有熟悉她宝宝的需要。
• Women attuned to sensitive men found Vincent Lord attractive. 偏爱敏感男子的女人，觉得文森特·洛德具有魅力。 来自辞典例句