书城外语一本书读懂消失的文明
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第40章 吴哥——徘徊在丛林天堂的千年奥秘(2)

Angkor Thom and Bayon:Extravagant carvings and ghostlike faces

Angkor Thom, located in present day Cambodia, was the last and most enduring capital city of the Khmer empire. It was established in the late twelfth century by king Jayavarman VII. It covers an area of 9km, within which are located several monuments from earlier eras as well as those established by Jayavarman and his successors. At the centre of the city is Jayavarman’s state temple, the Bayon.

Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman’s capital, Angkor Thom. Following Jayavarman’s death, it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Theravada Buddhist kings in accordance with their religious preferences.

The Bayon’s most distinctive feature is the serene and massive stone faces. The towers of the Bayon most commonly support four gigantic smiling faces and thus they are called "face towers". The temple is known also for two impressive sets of bas-reliefs, which present an unusual combination of mythological, historical, and mundane scenes.

Ghostlike faces surround two saffron-robed Buddhist monks in a window of the extravagantly carved Bayon, central temple of Angkor Thom. Here rise the splendid temples of the Khmer kings, ancient rulers of Southeast Asia. Not only does the architectural grandeur speak of a brilliant civilization; complex canals, reservoirs, and ponds—some still in use—reveal a remarkable system of irrigation, forerunner of the Mekong Project.

吴哥通王城和巴戎庙:繁冗的雕刻与幽灵般面孔

吴哥通王城位于今天的柬埔寨境内,它是高棉帝国最后的也是最持久的首都。它于12世纪后期由国王阇耶跋摩七世建立,占地9平方公里,早期时代建立的纪念碑以及阇耶跋摩和他的继任者所建立的纪念碑都坐落其中。在城市的中心是阇耶跋摩的国家寺庙——巴戎庙。

巴戎庙位于阇耶跋摩的首都吴哥通王城中心。阇耶跋摩死后,其后任的国王们根据他们自己的印度教或者上座部佛教的宗教偏好对巴戎庙进行了修改和扩大。

巴戎庙最鲜明的特点就是其宁静而巨大的石头面像。巴戎庙的塔通常四面都雕刻着巨大的略带微笑的面孔,也正因为如此,这些塔又被称作“佛面塔”。该庙也因其两组令人印象深刻的浮雕而著称,这些浮雕体现了一个由神话、历史和世俗场景构成的不寻常组合。

有着繁冗雕刻的巴容庙位于在吴哥城的正中央,幽灵般的面孔围绕着寺庙窗口的两个穿藏红色袈裟的僧侣,东南亚的古代统治者高棉国王的雄伟庙宇就高耸在这个地方。不仅雄伟的建筑文化显示了辉煌灿烂的高棉文明,而且错综复杂的水渠、蓄水池和水槽——展现了高棉文明拥有发达的灌溉系统,这些蓄水池和水槽至今有些仍在使用,它们是湄公河工程的先驱。

Angkor Wat:Vrah Vishnulok

Angkor Wat is located in the northwest of Combonia. It was originally called Vrah Vishnulok, meaning “Vishnu’s Temple”.

Angkor Wat is the highest achievement of Khmer temple architecture, and is today the "flagship" of the temples at Angkor. The temple is a huge pyramid structure. It is surrounded by a vast moat 180 m wide. Along the causeway leading to the enormous entrance gate are balustrades shaped as giant serpents, which are believed to represent emblems of cosmic fertility. The temple consists of a towering complex of terraces and small buildings that are arranged in a series of three diminishing stories and surmounted by five towers. The roofed and unroofed structures are covered with bands of finely carved stone sculptures. The walls are covered with carved reliefs that illustrate Hindu mythology, principally scenes relating to the god Vishnu, to whom the temple was dedicated. The mass of bas-relief carving is of the highest quality and the most beautifully executed in Angkor.

吴哥窟:毗湿奴的神殿

吴哥窟位在柬埔寨西北方,原始的名字是Vrah Vishnulok,意思为“毗湿奴的神殿”。

吴哥窟是高棉建筑中最高级的成就,也是吴哥城中最顶级的庙宇。此庙宇是巨大的塔状建筑物,由180米宽的护城河环绕着。沿着堤道即可进入蛇形栏杆的巨型门入口,该蛇形图绘象征着生生不息的力量。而庙宇是由平台和三层的尖顶建筑物以及五个塔状的建筑物所构成的,这里不论有屋顶还是无屋顶的建筑物都有一精美的带状雕刻,墙壁上亦覆盖着有关印度神话的浮雕,浮雕所描绘的大多是印度教大神毗湿奴的传说。吴哥窟本身是为纪念拜祭毗湿奴而建立,内中大部分的雕刻都是高棉最好也是最精美的艺术品。

Banteay Srei:Exquisite reliefs and tiny buildings

Banteay Srei is a 10th century temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. It lies near the hill of Phnom kulen, north-east of Angkor Thom. The buildings are miniature in scale, unusually so when measured by the standards of Angkorian construction. These factors have led to its being widely praised as the "jewel of Khmer art." Banteay Srei was the only major temple at Angkor not built by a monarch; its construction is credited to a courtier named Yajnavaraha who served king Rājendravarman II. Yajnavaraha was both a scholar and a philanthropist who helped people suffering from illness, grievance or privation.