Aztecs 远古的回响 -- Aztecs帝国 7

Over 50 different varieties of plants have been identified. Flowers and seeds were a vital ingredient of offerings which the Aztecs buried in the foundations of the Great Pyramid. So far over 135 different offering groups have been uncovered. These offerings represented a miniature version of the entire universe in harmony. The levels of existence, the overworld, the earth and the underworld, were represented by different plants, animals and artifacts.

Xiuhtecuhtle, the fire god, gave energy and life to the universe. Alongside him is a vase depicting¹ Tlaloc, the god of rain and water, tilted² on his side to encourage rain. Jade³ beads⁴ represent water drops. Tlaloc is recognizable by his goggle⁵ eyes, fangs⁶ and serpent nose. There are still serpents to be found among the ruins of the Great Pyramid.

In the Egyptian world the pyramids were largely used as interior spaces for burials. But in Mesoamerica the pyramids and the ceremonial centers were exterior⁷ spaces. They were theaters, theaters for the performance of the relationship between the people and the gods, between nature and daily life.

In these theaters the Aztec gods and goddesses were represented by sculptures. This enormous figure, over 8 feet tall and weighing 12 tons, is the earth goddess, Coatlicue.

This is a block, a solid block which can not be penetrated⁸. It doesn't even have a sex. It is a massive sculpture with no penetration⁹ whatsoever¹⁰. And it was Baudelaire who, when he saw reproductions of Aztec sculpture in Paris in the 19th century, said this is a barbaric art, barbaric in the sense that it is completely alien to the human. There is very little humanity in the most of Aztec sculpture. It is a brutal¹¹ assertion of the powers of the gods and of the goddesses. They are different from you and me. They are different from women and men. Do not forget it.

1 depicting   

描绘，描画( depict的现在分词 )； 描述

参考例句：

• a painting depicting the Virgin and Child 一幅描绘童贞马利亚和圣子耶稣的画
• The movie depicting the battles and bloodshed is bound to strike home. 这部描写战斗和流血牺牲的影片一定会取得预期效果。

2 tilted   

v. 倾斜的

参考例句：

• Suddenly the boat tilted to one side. 小船突然倾向一侧。
• She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。

3 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。

4 beads   

n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链

参考例句：

• a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链
• Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。

5 goggle   

n.瞪眼，转动眼珠，护目镜；v.瞪眼看，转眼珠

参考例句：

• His insincerity is revealed by the quick goggle of his eyes.他眼睛的快速转动泄露了他的不诚实。
• His eyes seemed to goggle larger than usual behind the heavy lenses.在厚厚的镜片后面，眼睛瞪得比平时大得多。

6 fangs   

n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座

参考例句：

• The dog fleshed his fangs in the deer's leg. 狗用尖牙咬住了鹿腿。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Dogs came lunging forward with their fangs bared. 狗龇牙咧嘴地扑过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 exterior   

adj.外部的，外在的；表面的

参考例句：

• The seed has a hard exterior covering.这种子外壳很硬。
• We are painting the exterior wall of the house.我们正在给房子的外墙涂漆。

8 penetrated   

adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The knife had penetrated his chest. 刀子刺入了他的胸膛。
• They penetrated into territory where no man had ever gone before. 他们已进入先前没人去过的地区。

9 penetration   

n.穿透，穿人，渗透

参考例句：

• He is a man of penetration.他是一个富有洞察力的人。
• Our aim is to achieve greater market penetration.我们的目标是进一步打入市场。

10 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

11 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。