中英對照
193.Steinhenge
193.斯坦亨格
On the Strawberry Plain in Kringland, stand the ruins of an ancient culture, which are called Steinhenge. The people of this culture, the Welts, had a priestly class called the Kruids. The rubble that stands there today is the site of an ancient astronomical observatory. It is the place where rites and rituals were performed.
克林蘭的斯特勞貝里平原上矗立著一個古文化遺跡——斯坦亨格。這個文化的人民,威爾茲人,有著一個僧侶般的等級制度,通常被稱為克魯茲制度。今天我們?nèi)阅芸吹降耐叩[堆就是一個古天文臺的遺址,古時人們經(jīng)常在這個地方舉行儀式和典禮。
The structure is formed of large rough stone slabs that were hewn from a nearby quarry and rolled over rugged terrain to the site. They were roughly fit together and cemented with a rubbery substance to form vertical and horizontal structures in a circular arrangement that was aligned to the rudimentary rotations of the heavenly bodies.
整個建筑由很多巨大粗糙的石板構(gòu)成,這些石板都是從附近的采石場開采出來的,經(jīng)過崎嶇的地形滾到工地。石板被大致組合起來,并用一種橡膠似的物質(zhì)粘牢,形成一些垂直和水平的建筑。這些建筑再以環(huán)形排列,初步構(gòu)成類似天體的旋轉(zhuǎn)結(jié)構(gòu)。
The Welts knew that petty rivalry between members of the ruling class could ruin their society. So they designed a ritual to dispel such rivalry. First, the two rivals were forced to memorize by rote the lines involved in the two roles of the rivalry ritual. Next, a rooster was to be procured. Either a roaming rooster or a roosting rooster would do. Then the two rivals were to enter the Steinhenge structure carrying rods and rotate around the center slab where the live rooster had been placed. After that, they were to let out a robust roar and beat the rooster to death. Finally, if the two rivals at this point in the routine had expelled their contentions, they could roast the rooster and enjoy it as compatriots. Otherwise, they were to stay there and rotate around the rooster until it was rotten and then eat it. This could sometimes take days.
威爾茲人知道即使統(tǒng)治階級之間最小的敵對競爭都能毀滅他們的社會,所以他們設(shè)計了一個宗教儀式來消除這種敵對狀態(tài)。首先,兩個競爭者必須死記硬背一些句子,這些句子是兩人在儀式中擔(dān)任各自角色時必須說的話。接著,他們必須去找一只公雞??梢哉艺叫凶叩墓u,也可以找正棲息的公雞。然后這兩個競爭者必須扛著一根棒子進(jìn)到斯坦亨格天文臺里,把那只活公雞放在中心大石板上,繞著這塊石板旋轉(zhuǎn)。轉(zhuǎn)了幾圈之后,兩人都必須粗野地大吼一聲,用棒子把公雞打死。最后,接常規(guī)這兩個競爭者此時已盡釋前嫌,他們可以烤了那只公雞,像同胞一樣坐在一起共同享用。否則的話,他們就不得不留在那兒,繼續(xù)圍著公雞旋轉(zhuǎn),一直到公雞腐爛了他們才能把它吃掉。像這樣進(jìn)行的話有時甚至要持續(xù)好幾天。
As in most ancient civilizations, rituals were often used to solve disputes. Steinhenge played an important role in this in the Weltic culture.
在很多古代文明中,人們都用宗教儀式來解決爭端。斯坦亨格天文臺在威爾茲文化中起了相當(dāng)大的作用。
n. 天文臺,氣象臺,了望臺
rough[rʌf]adj. 粗糙的,粗略的,粗暴的,艱難的,討厭的,不適的
dispel[di'spel]v. 驅(qū)散,驅(qū)逐
horizontal[.hɔri'zɔntl]adj. 水平的,橫的
n. 水平線,水平面
v. 打敗,戰(zhàn)勝,打,敲打,跳動
n. 敲打,
n. 敵對,競爭,對抗
plain[plein]n. 平原,草原
adj. 清楚的,坦白的,簡
v. 解決,解答
circular['sə:kjulə]adj. 循環(huán)的,圓形的
n. 傳單,通報
n. 地帶,地域,地形